Over the past two weeks, Penn State not only had to face the best that the Big Ten had to offer, but also the best the nation had to offer. And despite having the lead against the No. 2 team in the nation with a little under two minutes to play last weekend, the fact that it quickly turned into a loss stings far more than what transpired early in the season.

Now, however, the Nittany Lions have an easy end to their gauntlet, going on the road to face off against a Michigan State squad that has struggled to find its identity all season. Still, there are players on the Spartans’ roster that will challenge Penn State. Here are four reasons Penn State should be concerned about the feisty Spartans.

1. Porous O-line

Whether it be Drew Allar or Ethan Grunkemeyer running the offense, the Penn State offensive line hasn’t held up in pass protection.

It has given up 17 sacks, and although Grunkemeyer probably had the best start of his career last week, it still showed some vulnerabilities. If Michigan State can generate pressure on Grunk, chances are they can also generate some negative plays for the Nittany Lions.

2. Struggling Penn State passing offense

This goes hand in hand with the line’s struggles, but in reality, it stems from the fact that the playcalling has been stagnant. There haven’t been any signs of effective play from the wide receivers, nor have the quarterbacks proven they can get the ball to them efficiently. It happened with both Allar and Grunkemeyer.

That has seen Penn State plummet to 14th in the Big Ten in passing yards per game, averaging only 184.7 yards. Michigan State’s pass defense hasn’t been elite, either, but if Grunkemeyer doesn’t maintain the level of play he showed in the second half of the Indiana game, it may not need to worry.

3. Spartans’ platooning quarterbacks

Amidst an identity crisis at midseason, Michigan State decided to experiment. Instead of having Aidan Chiles play from start to finish, the Spartans implemented a platoon system with Alessio Milivojevic, a redshirt freshman who only played two snaps last season. The experiment paid off.

Whereas Chiles thrives as a dual threat, rushing for 227 yards and six touchdowns this season, Milivojevic is the pocket passer. Penn State may need to be prepared for any situation.

4. MSU’s big-time receivers

For a team that is .500 in the Big Ten standings, you would think most of Michigan State’s players are pretty average. And yet, when it comes to the receiving corps, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Nick Marsh may be the best receiver nobody outside of Big Ten fans knows.

Last season, he broke the Michigan State records for most receiving yards and receptions for a freshman. This season, he has 554 yards on 46 receptions. And he is not alone. Though Omari Kelly only has one touchdown in the receiving game, he has a similar yardage total and is a huge factor on special teams, with a 90-yard punt return. Penn State’s secondary will not be let off the hook again.

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