SEAN CLIFFORD

Sean Clifford threw four touchdown passes and No. 11 Penn State’s defense tightened up late to beat Michigan State 35-16 in the regular-season finale.

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For the first half of the college football season, the only thing anybody wanted to say about Michigan was that it had an easy schedule. But after a thorough and convincing beatdown of No. 10 Penn State, the Wolverines should start getting some of the respect they deserve.

Donovan Edwards ran for a go-ahead, 67-yard touchdown and Blake Corum had a 61-yard run for a score on consecutive snaps in the third quarter as No. 5 Michigan pulled away and beat No. 10 Penn State 41-17.

No. 5 Michigan has taken advantage of a favorable schedule, starting strong in its quest to win consecutive Big Ten titles for the first time this century.

Michigan football will face its toughest test outside Columbus this weekend when Penn State comes to Ann Arbor for a battle of top-10, undefeated teams.

Michigan football tore through the non-conference schedule and is now looking to defend last year’s Big Ten title. We haven’t learned a whole lot about the Wolverines yet, but my opinion about their conference matchups has changed drastically over the last three weeks.

Being a good, but definitely not great, quarterback can be a rough ride in college football, especially when fans see only a ceiling they wish was higher.

KJ Jefferson picked up 104 of his 110 rushing yards in the second half and threw for 90 more to lead No. 22 Arkansas past Penn State 24-10 in the Outback Bowl.

Payton Thorne threw two touchdown passes and ran for another to lead No. 12 Michigan State to a 30-27 victory over Penn State.

No. 12 Michigan State hosts Penn State on Saturday.

Cade McNamara threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to tight end Erick All with 3:29 left and No. 9 Michigan stayed in the Big Ten championship race, rallying past tricky No. 23 Penn State 21-17.

TreVeyon Henderson ran for 152 yards and a touchdown and No. 5 Ohio State made enough long plays and short field goals to hold off No. 20 Penn State 33-24.

Casey Washington caught a 2-point conversion pass from Brandon Peters to end the first nine-overtime game in NCAA history and lift Illinois over No. 7 Penn State 20-18.

Iowa's Tory Taylor is selling a T-shirt for charity.

Spencer Petras threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Nico Ragaini to complete No. 3 Iowa’s comeback from a two-touchdown deficit, No. 4 Penn State’s offense did next to nothing after quarterback Sean Clifford was knocked out of the game and the Hawkeyes held on for a bruising 23-20 victory Saturday.

Iowa leads the nation in interceptions and Penn State features one of the most dynamic passing combinations in Sean Clifford and Jahan Dotson.

Jaquan Brisker broke up a last pass toward the end zone by Auburn’s Bo Nix as time expired and No. 10 Penn State held on to beat No. 22 Auburn 28-20.

Sean Clifford completed 21 of 29 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown, ran for another score, and No. 11 Penn State beat Ball State 44-13.

Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown intercepted Graham Mertz deep in Penn State territory in the final 2½ minutes to preserve the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions’ 16-10 victory over No. 12 Wisconsin.

No team has lost its opening game and reached the Bowl Championship Series title game of the College Football Playoff.

Nine of the 14 Big Ten football teams appear set at quarterback heading into the fall.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields (1) looks for a receiver during the first quarter against Penn State in an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. The Ohio State quarterback is just fine shredding defenses in front of a more intimate gathering. Ohio State (2-0) didn’t take long to break the game open and hand Penn State (0-2) its first 0-2 start since 2013. Penn State got on the board when Jake Pinegar capped an 11-play, 61-yard drive with a 31-yard field goal. The Nittany Lions got a break when Ohio State turned the ball over on downs with a second left before halftime.

8 Penn State — its first win over a Top 10 team in more than 33 years. “We liked the call and stayed with the call (after Penn State called timeout) and stayed with the call. Penn State sacked Penix on the next two plays, forced him to throw the ball away on third and an incompletion on fourth, taking the ball back on down at the Indiana 14. Obviously, we could have handled it better and I could have handled it better," Penn State coach James Franklin said. SCARY SCENELess than two minutes into the fourth quarter, Penn State thought it had another turnover when receiver Miles Marshall fumbled at the end of a 17-yard completion.

9 Penn State. ABOUT OHIO STATE (10-0, 7-0)After manhandling Maryland and Rutgers the past two weeks by a combined score of 129-35, Ohio State faces their first significant opponent since they disposed of No. Running back J.K. Dobbins ranks fifth nationally in rushing yards with 1,289 despite carrying the ball only 42 times in the second half all season. Penn State and Ohio State traditionally play competitive games. PREDICTION: Ohio State 42, Penn State 20

"As the year has got on, like good programs and coaches do, they keep getting better," Penn State coach James Franklin told reporters of Minnesota. ABOUT PENN STATE (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten)Sophomore quarterback Sean Clifford is second in the Big Ten in passing yards (1,931) and touchdowns (20), four of which came in the win over the Spartans. Sophomore Rashod Bateman (644 receiving yards, six TDs) and senior Tyler Johnson (626, seven) are the top receivers in that big-play passing game. Penn State owns a 9-5 series advantage, winning the last meeting in 2016 on an overtime TD run by Saquon Barkley. PREDICTION: Penn State 28, Minnesota 21

Tanner Morgan passed for 339 yards and three touchdowns to direct a dismantling of Penn State's staunch defense, as Minnesota (9-0, 6-0, No. 17 CFP) not only remained undefeated but stayed on track for its first trip to the Big Ten championship game. The Gophers scrambled the College Football Playoff picture, too, after Penn State (8-1, 5-1, No. 4 CFP) emerged with a top-four spot in the first edition of the rankings. ___More AP college football coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

We're undefeated, and we're playing Penn State, and everybody's talking about us. The College Football Playoff field will be influenced, too, with Penn State landing in the top four in the first edition of the rankings. "It just takes a lot of stress off you," Penn State running back Journey Brown said. The only way to continue to have that is keep having success in these big games, big moments." Penn State has allowed just 77 points, the second-fewest in the FBS.

6 Penn State had little trouble shutting down Michigan State's anemic offense in a 28-7 victory Saturday. The Nittany Lions (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) avenged close losses to Michigan State from each of the past two seasons. The Spartans (4-4, 2-3) wrapped up a dreadful stretch in which they lost to Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State by a combined score of 100-17. Penn State now moves on to a surprising matchup of undefeated teams on Nov. 9 at Minnesota. 5 Oklahoma's loss to unranked Kansas State gives Penn State a chance to move up.

Hassan Haskins #25 of the Michigan Wolverines carries the ball for a first down during the second quarter Penn State. But Michigan wideout Ronnie Bell dropped what would've been the tying touchdown with Penn State safety Lamont Wade playing tight coverage. Penn State went up 14-0 on its next drive when Clifford scored on a 1-yard run made easier by a 44-yard rush from Ricky Slade. It ended with Zach Charbonnet beating Penn State defenders to the end zone on a 12-yard run. Penn State visits Michigan State on Saturday.

Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at Beaver Stadium on September 14, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. - Penn State opened Big Ten play in extremely impressive fashion and it has one more favorable matchup before running a gauntlet of tough opponents. LINE: Penn State -27.5After an uneven but unbeaten non-conference slate, Penn State invaded Maryland for a Friday night affair in front of a fired-up crowd and dominated the Terrapins en route to a 59-0 victory. The teams have not met since 2016, when Penn State topped Purdue for the eighth straight time with a 62-24 win. PREDICTION: Penn State 45, Purdue 14More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at Beaver Stadium on September 14, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. LINE: Penn State -6.5A primetime visit to Maryland, where most classes are being cancelled Friday and fans will be arriving for a "blackout" at Capital One Field, could test James Franklin's crew. Penn State has taken four straight meetings, including wins in the last two years by a combined 104-6. Penn State is 5-for-5 on field goals - including two more than 50 yards - while the Terrapins have missed their only try. PREDICTION: Penn State 28, Maryland 21More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

11 Penn State will meet for the 100th time in the storied rivalry Saturday in State College, Pa. but when and where the 101st matchup takes place remains to be seen. "I know that, coming out in the second half, he was going to turn it around. Nittany Lions DE Yetur Gross-Matos entered the week tied for third among FBS players with 3.5 sacks. Pickett was held to 55 yards on 18 pass attempts with one interception in last year's 51-6 loss to Penn State. PREDICTION: Penn State 33, Pittsburgh 17More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

14 Penn State had some fun in its opener against an FCS squad, showcasing what figures to be a dominant defense and getting some solid play from new quarterback Sean Clifford. The Nittany Lions will try to dismantle another opponent before the schedule intensifies when they host Buffalo on Saturday. Penn State plays rival Pittsburgh next week before beginning Big Ten play Sept. 27 at Maryland. The Bulls won the first meeting in 1900 and the Nittany Lions took the next two in 2007 and 2015. PREDICTION: Penn State 48, Buffalo 14More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

14 Penn State begins life without Trace McSorley when the Nittany Lions open their season against visiting Idaho of the FCS on Saturday. McSorley left as the program's all-time leader in passing yardage, completions, touchdowns and several other categories while guiding Penn State to 31 victories in four years, forcing the program to pick a new signal-caller. Penn State will also need to replace star running back Miles Sanders, but it expects to lean heavily on a defensive unit that led FBS teams in sacks per game (3.62) and returns a host of talent, namely standout junior defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos. Nittany Lions sophomore TE Pat Freiermuth hauled in eight TDs over the final 10 games in 2018. PREDICTION: Penn State 48, Idaho 10More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.