Michigan football coach high on Penn State quarterback

Yesterday, ahead of this weekend’s game against the No. 9 Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten), ninth-year Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh spoke with the media. For Harbaugh and his No. 3 Wolverines (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten), this weekend’s matchup is their first true test of the year, and it comes against an unfamiliar opponent under center: new Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, an ex-five-star recruit and a player that many feel can take James Franklin’s Lions to the next level.

Michigan football coach high on Penn State quarterback

Drew Allar has had a solid season thus far; however, he has only been tested against one defense of Michigan’s caliber — against Ohio State during his team’s 20-12 loss in Columbus. This weekend, Allar and Penn State will be hosting Michigan football, and thus far, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions have been notably better at home.

Still, Michigan will be looking to test Drew Allar early and often, though Jim Harbaugh knows that this new Penn State quarterback is not a player his Wolverines can take lightly.

“(Drew Allar) has been good,” Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh said on Monday. “You can see all the improvement. Prototypical guy. Tall, smart, got great stature in the pocket. Very athletic, strong. He’s hard to get down on the ground. Courage — he stands in there and throws it. (Allar) is an excellent quarterback.”

Penn State-Michigan set for a top-10 battle this weekend

Since taking over as head coach back in 2015, Jim Harbaugh is 6-3 against Penn State, with his most recent loss coming back in the COVID-19 season (2020). Since then, Michigan football is 2-0 against the Nittany Lions, winning in Happy Valley in 2021 (21-17) and crushing them in Ann Arbor last fall (41-17).

Notably, this weekend’s Michigan-Penn State matchup will be the first time that these two programs have met as top-10 teams in State College since 1997, when No. 4 Michigan football beat No. 2 Penn State 34-8 en route to a 12-0 record and a national championship.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at [email protected]. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!