Saturday night’s showdown between Michigan and Penn State is Happy Valley is already garnering plenty of attention. It could be a game that goes a long way in deciding the B1G East at the end of the year.

It’s a marquee game for both programs. And as important as it is to win the White Out game for Penn State and James Franklin, it seems like Jim Harbaugh has much more on the line this weekend.

SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum chimed in on the clash between B1G powers, looking at the game from both sides.

“Penn State has to survive Saturday night’s White Out, the biggest game of the year for them,” Finebaum said on ESPN’S Coast to Coast. “It’s one of the biggest games in college football all year. Win there and you’re alive, but the problem for Penn State becomes later in the season. They have to go to Ohio State. Ohio State is a team that Penn State blew a big game against them at home last year. They had a big lead.

“If Penn State loses narrowly in Columbus, they might have a sliver of a chance even though they wouldn’t play for the Big Ten Championship.”

Finebaum was much more critical of Harbaugh and Michigan.

“Michigan, on the other hand, boy, you talk about a serious situation,” he said. “They lose this game and they are done. They have no way back and then they have Notre Dame next week. And then Jim Harbaugh might be done if he’s not careful.

“If he loses this game and then next week and still has Ohio State left, what faith would any Michigan fan have in this man? I don’t think they would. Then it’s a matter of does the administration come to a very difficult conclusion? He has a road game he can win and has a home game next weekend vs. Notre Dame. But looking at his record, there’s no reason to believe he’s going to win either one.”

Michigan has defeated Penn State in convincing fashion in two of the last three years, but the Wolverines’ last trip to Beaver Stadium in 2017 was a 42-13 loss.

Things could really get interesting in the B1G based on the result of Saturday night’s game.