Against Michigan tomorrow, Penn State's fortunes may hinge on the offensive line's ability to contain the Wolverines' front seven, a unit that has the ideal combination of size, speed and experience.

Statistically speaking, Michigan boasts the top run defense in the country, allowing a mere 40 yards per game on the ground. Penn State averages 191 yards rushing. So something will have to give.

Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, the offensive line welcomes back two starters who did not play last Saturday at Minnesota. All-America left tackle Levi Brown returns after a two-week hiatus due to a sprained knee, and senior left guard Robert Price rejoins the lineup after recovering from a shoulder injury.

"Those guys stepped right back in the left side and things have been going really smoothly for the last three days of practice," right tackle John Shaw said.

The offensive line will have to be at its best tomorrow, as menacing defensive end LaMarr Woodley and enormous defensive tackle Alan Branch (331 pounds.) aim to disrupt Penn State's plans and pay frequent visits to the backfield.

Using the listed weights supplied by the team, the average weight of a Michigan starting defensive lineman is 296 lbs. To put that into perspective, No. 1 Ohio State's average is 279 pounds. and Penn State's average -- brought down by hybrid defensive end Tim Shaw -- is 270 pounds.

"Since they are a little bigger, we're going to have to put a little more muscle into it and get a little more leverage," Lions center A.Q. Shipley said.

Though Tony Hunt had success against the Buckeyes' solid defense three weeks ago, such a performance will be difficult to duplicate.

In addition to having to deal with Michigan's defensive line, the running game must also go through the second level of coach Lloyd Carr's defense. All three Wolverine linebackers are seniors, and all three can get to the ball quickly.

"[Michigan's] linebackers can really run -- they can fly," Penn State quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno said. "They are as fast a linebacker group as you'll see this year."

Hunt picked up more than 100 yards in each of his last four games, much of the time not because of gaping holes opened by the line, but because of his size and toughness. The senior from Alexandria, Va., routinely bounces off the first tackler, creating significant chunks of yardage almost single-handedly.

It will be more difficult to accumulate yards after contact this week because Michigan is concentrating on gang tackling, not allowing Hunt to rack up the extra yardage after eluding tacklers.

"He's a great runner, and he breaks a lot of arm tackles," Michigan linebacker David Harris said. "We've got to come out and get more than one person to the ball."

If the Wolverines initially stop Penn State's running game, the Lions will continue attacking Michigan by ground. In order to open up the passing game, Penn State will at least try to run the football.

"We've got to try and be clever, execute and be patient," Jay Paterno said. "We can't abandon the run game. We're not going out there thinking we'll score 35 points and win in a shootout. With these two defenses, that's not going to happen."