ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- No one can question it now.
It's not just about Penn State and its unknown true offensive potential. The focus is a little bit smaller -- as small as 300 pounds can get.
"We try to dominate every game, every aspect," offensive guard Johnnie Trout-man said. "[Joe Paterno] wants us to go out there and play carefree and not worry about making mistakes, because when you worry about making mistakes, that's when you play halfway and don't finish blocks."
Thanks to Troutman and the rest of the offensive line, the Nittany Lions' front has made a 180-degree turn in the last month.
Ever since the Iowa loss, Penn State has averaged 481.5 offensive yards per game, with three of the contests coming against Big Ten foes, including two on the road.
At the midway point of the conference season, the Lions rank first in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game in conference-only games with 197.5, which is about 20 yards more than No. 2 Ohio State.
To put that in perspective, the last four contests have seen the offense run for 114 more yards per game on the ground than in the first four weeks.
Running back Evan Royster, who topped 70 yards in a game just once in the first half of the season, has rushed for at least 94 yards in every contest since. Penn State is also 10-0 when Royster puts up at least 100 yards.
Even more impressive is that Royster's done it without Stephfon Green for almost all the last two games. Green, who didn't make the trip to Michigan, has been dealing with an ankle injury, prompting Brandon Beachum and Joe Suhey to take the backup carries. The duo combined for 41 yards this past weekend.
Against the Wolverines on Saturday, the Lions used a combination of the short passing game, runs and play-action passes to keep the Michigan defense off-balance.
"They had a couple plays where they had trouble lining up," quarterback Daryll Clark said.
"They didn't know what was coming in some certain plays. We had to make sure we got up to the line and executed."
Expect more of the same the rest of the season, as three of the final four foes rank in the bottom half of the Big Ten in conference-only defensive yards per game.
Of course, the one team
that isn't ranked there is Ohio State.
But with a balanced offensive attack, Penn State's offense could be peaking at exactly the right time for the stretch run as the Buckeyes loom.
"We're on our way up and we're getting better each and every week," Clark said. "We make mistakes, we correct them at practice.
"If we limit turnovers and penalties, we're in pretty good shape to make plays and put points on the board."
The only thing is now the Lions have to keep the momentum going.
The key to keeping the offensive output chugging along is complementing the resurgent ground game with Clark, who's thrown eight touchdowns the last three games.
"That was my biggest fear, that they were going to have extended drives and that they were going to stay ahead of the chains, so to speak, and get positive yards on first down," Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez told reporters after the game.
"Even when we were in zone, we couldn't get much pressure with a four-man rush, so we were scrambling to do some things to get them off rhythm. It just never happened."
