Sitting in the Michigan Stadium press box in late September it was hard to feel anything but a little bit sorry for Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.
The sophomore was clearly a rising star, but he was stuck behind a work-in-progress offensive line without a strong passing game or defense to help share the burden. He and his Nittany Lions were in the middle of a 49-10 beatdown at the hands of the front-running Wolverines as Barkley, the clear focal point for Michigan’s defense was being smothered. Penn State, of course, hasn’t loss since. It turns out that Barkley was lucky this season.