Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1390373
Michigan State (Oct. 30) and Penn State (Nov. 13). GAME OF THE YEAR The Ohio State se- ries went on hiatus last year, and while the statistics and records suggest that it would have been yet another scarlet- and-gray romp, it was disheartening to see one of college football's most storied rivalries fall prey to the pandemic. This year's resumption is set for Nov. 27 at the Big House. OUTLOOK Like Penn State, Michigan had an uncharacteristically lousy season in 2020, ,nishing with a losing record for the ,rst time under its current head coach. You can probably live with that if you're a Wolverines supporter, because the circumstances under which the sea- son was played were so unusual. What you can't live with is an 0-5 record vs. Ohio State, which is what Harbaugh would have carried into last year's matchup against the Buckeyes if the game had taken place. That's a roundabout way of saying that the changes Michigan has made over the past few months – a restructuring of Harbaugh's contract, a sta1 makeover that included the hiring of six new assis- tants – were motivated by a lot more than just the team's listless performance last fall. The Wolverines have gotten much of what they wanted when they hired Harbaugh in December 2014, but they haven't gotten the thing they wanted most: a team that can win its share vs. the Buckeyes. Maybe that's why their o1-season moves were so seemingly noncommittal – bold on the one hand, timid on the other. If the uni- versity's leadership thought that Har- baugh couldn't get the job done, it could have just started fresh. It didn't. But it did authorize a thorough sta1 overhaul, so clearly no one is satis,ed with the status quo. Where that leaves this year's team is unclear. There's been a whole lot of change for one o1-season, and that usu- ally means a bit of patience is called for. But how much patience do folks in Ann Arbor have these days? –M.H. WRAPPED UP Haskins fights for extra yardage during the Wolver- ines' Citrus Bowl appearance against Alabama two seasons ago. The senior running back is Michigan's top returning rusher with 375 yards in 2020. Photo by Patrick Barron/MGoBlog