Pregame Predictor: Redemption
Let’s get this out of the way first and foremost. For two years straight, I stood right here on this forum and predicted we’d crush the Wolverines. I truly felt, in my heart of hearts, that we could give Michigan a run for their money, only to watch us slip into a disaster. Please, continue to read on and keep the faith, but do understand I'm as big a fan as there is when it comes to Penn State! With that said, and I say this with supreme confidence, the third time is a charm. This storm has been brewing, not just for the past two weeks, but for an entire year, and poor old Michigan doesn’t stand a chance when it’s faced with a blizzard of white on our own home turf. They’re the last giant left standing to topple in our run back up the Big Ten ladder, and this time they’re going down like a ton of bricks. It’s not a game of payback per se, although the shoe fits for that 49-10 whipping we got in Ann Arbor last year, but with the eyes of ESPN and a national audience front and center, this is a shot at redemption for all of those that counted us down and out. The Whiteout is coming and this one’s as big as it’s ever going to get.
No sooner had the bye-week blues dissipated with a move up to No. 2 on Sunday’s updated polls, did we experience the rush of excitement and expectations for this week’s game. Day-by-day, the build-up has grown, and by Thursday, it was completely spilling over. We watched with buttoned lips as ESPN's College GameDay rolled its entourage into town for the first time in nine years and planted its flag on Old Main's lawn. We were filled with a sense of pride mixed with memories of a dark journey we were all forced to endure together. We rose from the ashes but rather than remain sour, I've watched as we welcomed them back with open arms, intent on giving them a show they'll never forget. Kill them with kindness perhaps, but it’s that shot at redemption that really has us in a tizzy.
A year ago in Ann Arbor, I watched as Trace McSorley faced the cameras and apologized. I saw the image of Marcus Allen turn around and tell Saquon Barkley that they will never be embarrassed like that again. A year ago in Ann Arbor, we all felt helpless as our lone surviving linebacker and all-around good guy, Brandon Smith, walked away into the lonely abyss, victim of a bogus targeting call. We cringed in unison as “The Chosen One,” Jimmy Harbaugh, took advantage and chose to run up the score as much as he possibly could. They may have won the battle a year ago in Ann Arbor, but made a grave mistake and woke us up in the process. We haven’t been the same ever since and this week a storm’s been brewing, chock full of anticipation. Payback could easily be the word, but this one has redemption written all over it, all things considered. A Whiteout is coming 110k strong and Michigan doesn’t stand a chance my friends: PSU 37-13.
No sooner had the bye-week blues dissipated with a move up to No. 2 on Sunday’s updated polls, did we experience the rush of excitement and expectations for this week’s game. Day-by-day, the build-up has grown, and by Thursday, it was completely spilling over. We watched with buttoned lips as ESPN's College GameDay rolled its entourage into town for the first time in nine years and planted its flag on Old Main's lawn. We were filled with a sense of pride mixed with memories of a dark journey we were all forced to endure together. We rose from the ashes but rather than remain sour, I've watched as we welcomed them back with open arms, intent on giving them a show they'll never forget. Kill them with kindness perhaps, but it’s that shot at redemption that really has us in a tizzy.
A year ago in Ann Arbor, I watched as Trace McSorley faced the cameras and apologized. I saw the image of Marcus Allen turn around and tell Saquon Barkley that they will never be embarrassed like that again. A year ago in Ann Arbor, we all felt helpless as our lone surviving linebacker and all-around good guy, Brandon Smith, walked away into the lonely abyss, victim of a bogus targeting call. We cringed in unison as “The Chosen One,” Jimmy Harbaugh, took advantage and chose to run up the score as much as he possibly could. They may have won the battle a year ago in Ann Arbor, but made a grave mistake and woke us up in the process. We haven’t been the same ever since and this week a storm’s been brewing, chock full of anticipation. Payback could easily be the word, but this one has redemption written all over it, all things considered. A Whiteout is coming 110k strong and Michigan doesn’t stand a chance my friends: PSU 37-13.
