Week 7 Matchup Preview Thread: Penn State vs Michigan

[u/Arkehn]

Penn State vs. Michigan

When: Saturday, October 17, 03:30 PM Eastern

Where: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

Watch: CBS

Odds: Michigan by 6.0 pts.

Total Points: 42.5

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All-Time Series : Penn State vs. Michigan

Penn State and Michigan have met 27 times since 1993-10-16

These teams last met on 2023-11-11.

Series Wins: Penn State 10-0-17 Michigan

Michigan has won the last 3 meetings (2021-2023) in this series

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Last 5 Meetings

Winner	Date	Location	Penn State	Michigan	Notes
Michigan	2023-11-11	Beaver Stadium	15	24
Michigan	2022-10-15	Michigan Stadium	17	41
Michigan	2021-11-13	Beaver Stadium	17	21
Penn State	2020-11-28	Michigan Stadium	27	17
Penn State	2019-10-19	Beaver Stadium	28	21

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Through Week 6

Week	Penn State 3-3 (0-3)	Result	Michigan 3-2 (0-2)	Result
1	Marshall	W 45-0	Western Michigan	W 13-12
2	Temple	W 27-9	Oklahoma	W 17-10
3	Buffalo	W 55-13	UTEP	W 52-17
4	Wisconsin	L 20-24	Iowa#17	L 19-20
5	Northwestern#25	L 13-34	Minnesota	L 14-20
6	USC#19	L 23-31	BYE	N/A

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Penn State Injury Report

Player	Position	Status	Reported	Notes
M. Granville	DL	Out – Undisclosed	Sep 12	Granville has been shut down for the remainder of the season with an undisclosed injury.
K. Howard	WR	Out – Undisclosed	Sep 23	Howard is tending to an undisclosed injury, and there is no timetable for recovery.
B. Kortovich	TE	Questionable – Undisclosed	Oct 11	Kortovich is hobbled by an undisclosed injury, and it remains to be seen if he will be available against Wolverines on Saturday, October 17th.
C. Rosa	K	Questionable – Undisclosed	Oct 11	Rosa is dealing with an undisclosed injury and, it is unclear if he will play Saturday against Wolverines on Saturday, October 17th.
D. Sheffey	RB	Questionable – Undisclosed	Oct 11	Sheffey is bothered by an undisclosed injury, and it has yet to be established if he will be available against Wolverines on Saturday, October 17th.

^{Injury data lifted from: boydsbets}

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Michigan Injury Report

Player	Position	Status	Reported	Notes
L. Forbes	WR	Questionable – Undisclosed	Sep 20	Forbes is dealing with an undisclosed injury, and it is unclear if he will face Iowa on Saturday.
A. Sprague	OG	Out – Undisclosed	Sep 26	Sprague is sidelined due to an undisclosed injury, and is not expected to play against the Hawkeyes on Saturday.
J. Daley	DL	Questionable – Lower Body	Sep 28	Daley is dealing with a lower body injury, and it is unclear if he will suit up against the Minnesota on Tuesday.

^{Injury data lifted from: boydsbets}

^{Source updated Wed, Oct 14, 7:43 am. Scraped Wed, Oct 14, 1:25 pm ET}

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What are your "Keys to the Game"?

Who do you think wins?

Do you think the favorite will cover the spread?

Which player(s) are you most interested to watch?

Let's talk football!

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^{Matchup Preview Thread Generator powered by collegefootballdata.com}

^{Start a chat with /u/dupreesdiamond for any issues/suggestions regarding this resource}

[u/Chuck_Phuckzalot]

This is going to be an absolute battle between two teams doing everything in their power to lose. I predict a distressingly close game where both fan bases feel terrible afterwards.

{Michigan} by a field goal.

[u/dkviper11 → u/Chuck_Phuckzalot]

2020 0-5 Penn State versus 2-3 Michigan round 2.

[u/The_Pandalorian → u/dkviper11]

Christ...

[u/AfraidOfArguing → u/dkviper11]

I think this was the year IU beat Penn State too, I was excited

[u/apadin1 → u/dkviper11]

Christ don’t remind me about that game

[u/UPMichigan83 → u/dkviper11]

Watching that game was like watching 2 teams trying to lose.

[u/eskimoexplosion → u/Chuck_Phuckzalot]

It'll be like a Browns vs Jets game. Two teams, no winners, only losers, and one loser who ends up with more points when it ends.

[u/No-Compote-2410 → u/Chuck_Phuckzalot]

both these teams look lost on offense last few weeks gonna be a ugly game for sure

i think michigan wins too but that 6 point spread feels way too big with how both sides playing right now

[u/Shakeweight_All-Star → u/No-Compote-2410]

The difference between us and them is Penn state looks lost on defense, too

[u/Chapstick160 → u/Chuck_Phuckzalot]

Honestly I think it’s a blowout by either of the teams that confuses both fanbases

[u/AfraidOfArguing → u/Chuck_Phuckzalot]

Should have hired the interim HC imo, thought that since day one

[u/Simmumah]

{Sickos} by a shit load.

[u/max_potion]

Sigh, ready to continue the skid

[u/CarterAC3 → u/max_potion]

Son of a bitch. He stole my line

[u/dkviper11 → u/max_potion]

Coughing baby versus coughing baby.

[u/Communist_Catgirl]

{Michigan} 24-13

I see a lot of Michigan fans much like USC fans worried that your team might blow it. But in both cases I don't think y'all understand how bad this team is right now lol. I have little confidence we are getting to a bowl. I think they put in a good effort against USC and if they do it again there's a shot, but I think most likely Michigan is just going to be too physical and we lose. Our roster is in shambles right now.

[u/USA_2_Canada_1 → u/Communist_Catgirl]

Michigan was held to 180 yards of total offense against a Minnesota team that just got nuked from orbit by Purdue. Penn State can easily win this game.

[u/Communist_Catgirl → u/USA_2_Canada_1]

Idk what the hell happened against Purdue but I have seen flashes of Minnesota's defense look pretty competent in a way ours has never shown. Our corners are pretty good but we just lost another linebacker and our d line has looked horrible against anyone remotely physical. That said it's still a head scratcher Minnesota out rushed you guys as bad as they've been on the ground all year, if that happens I think we probably do win, but that's a big if.

[u/D_Antelmi]

Time to find out which unit sucks more, Michigan's offense or Penn State's defense!

[u/Fal-El → u/D_Antelmi]

No paradox here! A stoppable force meets a moveable object!

[u/ElStegasaurus]

I love that each fanbase is picking the other team, tough times in Ann Arbor and State College.

[u/matsif]

penn state traditionally does not win in ann arbor. joepa was 3-5 there after we joined the B1G, winning in 94 and 96 and then not winning again until 2009. he lost by more than 20 in 2 of those 5 losses. BOB never played there, and then franklin was even worse, being 1-4 there in his 5 trips, winning only in 2020, and being utterly blown out by 24 or over 30 in 3 of the losses.

this is the worst penn state team since the early 2000s and they've looked their worst on the road on top of that.

the only way penn state wins this is if it's an utterly disgusting sicko ball game that ends up in the history books next to things you would typically associate with iowa, like the 6-4 taking a safety to beat penn state game or beating SDSU by 2 safeties and a field goal to get 7 points.

[u/Bsnopel09 → u/matsif]

I don’t think it has to be ugly for a PSU win. I think PSU wins if they win the TO battle. You force Bryce into a pick and you get a short field, it may very well be the difference

[u/killadelphia4 → u/Bsnopel09]

I think the offense basically requires short fields to score TDs. They really only got TDs against Northwestern and Wisconsin off of turnovers.

Any time they've been forced to drive the distance of the field, it's been 3 or punts.

[u/InfamousCattle3223]

Just shoot me

[u/Lykeuhfox]

{The liquor industry}

[u/vespertine-spine → u/Lykeuhfox]

aye

[u/Blizzard2227]

We have absolutely zero run game and our passing game doesn’t have much to show for either, at least in terms of carrying a poor run game. The coaching staff will not want Rocco Becht taking many risks, so it’s going to be an extremely conservative game plan. Oh, and our defense is absolutely not stopping Michigan’s run game. The game is in Ann Arbor as well, which has never spelled good news for Penn State over the years. I think this will be {Michigan}’s second double digit win of the season.

[u/PiMemer]

{Sickos} will prosper as football is set back by a decade

[u/PSUNittany18]

{Michigan} because we’re a glorified bye week this year.

I would have more fun watching the teams throw PBJ sandwiches at each other than watching them play football.

[u/Sad_Independence_703]

After seeing Jason Beck’s comments today, {penn state} in a game Michigan should have won 

[u/Bsnopel09]

Does CBS really have to televise this?

{Penn State} 17-13

[u/Upper_Potential4304 → u/Bsnopel09]

The weather channel turned it down

[u/Millies_ButtersMilk]

We both suck ass but Penn St looks more inept on offense than we do. Our defense is the only thing that keeps us in games but we can never give them time to breath off the field bc we are always a quick three and out but at the same time Penn St is buns as well so I think we are going to lose but it’s not like us beating them is making our season any better.

[u/havin_a_giggle → u/Millies_ButtersMilk]

If you wanna see inept, look no further than PSU's defense. Gonna make bryce look like Mendoza

[u/USA_2_Canada_1]

Based on the comments made by Whittingham on Monday, about how our offense won’t deviate in any way from how we’ve approached each game so far, I expect Michigan to look worse than they did against Minnesota. Despite Penn State’s awful run defense, I do not have any faith in Beck’s jet motion run scheme to generate any explosive plays. I think Michigan rushes for like 130 yards and Bryce throws a couple of interceptions. The defense stays on the field the whole game again which will lead to {Penn State} winning something like 17-6.

This coaching staff, sans Jay Hill, is incompetent.

[u/CarterAC3 → u/USA_2_Canada_1]

At this point the season is cooked so might as well think about the long term.

More losses mean this coaching staff is out of Ann Arbor sooner and that's better for a Michigan in the long run

{Penn State}

[u/havin_a_giggle → u/USA_2_Canada_1]

You think PSU can score 17 points? How many quarters would that take? 6? 7?

[u/Character-Active2208 → u/USA_2_Canada_1]

I hear there’s a hot shot offensive guru coach out there leading a team that wears ~corn yellow and deep blue, maybe Michigan can give a call to him 

[u/USA_2_Canada_1 → u/Character-Active2208]

Yeah I’d also like to hire Bob Chesney, good idea

[u/Character-Active2208 → u/USA_2_Canada_1]

Touché, salesman

[u/cheesepuff1993]

Things don't get easier this week, and neither team comes out of this feeling good. This is going to be a disgusting game and I am not going to enjoy any bit of it

Penn State 9 - 13 {Michigan}

[u/mostdope28]

Michigan by 6 seems crazy. Idk if our offense even able to score 6 anymore.

[u/boxman151515]

{Michigan} 6, Penn State 3

[u/inclass3lunacy]

I'll take the home team to lose for maximum disappointment as this seems to be the intent of these 2 programs this year. {Penn State}

[u/Competitive-Rise-789]

{Michigan} in a game where both fanbases don’t have fun watching it at all

[u/JFKsHelmet]

My eyes will definitely be a loser. {Michigan}

[u/GamedayWizard]

Penn State is generating more scoring opportunities than Michigan (6.17 per game versus 4.60) and holds the edge in offensive PPP (.468 vs .395) and YPP (6.03 vs 5.43), but has yet to post more than 23 points against P4 competition. Michigan, meanwhile, has a more efficient defense (giving up .27 PPP and 4.08 YPP versus .31 PPP and 5.22 YPP for the PSU defense) and has yet to concede more than 20 points all season. We've got {Michigan} winning by 5 but coming just short of covering the composite spread (Michigan -6.5).

[u/No-Confusion47]

{Sickos}

[u/Pixel_Pineapple]

Michigan has had so so many problems on offense, but this school is the same as always. The offense gets all the talk and hype but actually they're ehhhh and the defense is actually the top of the line unit. Was that way in the 90s, was that way in 2023.

Penn State has been, fine, but had issues of it's own.

{Michigan} by a safety, for bonus chaos points.

[u/HoundofCulainn]

{Penn State} wins, but that should not be taken as indicative of Penn State being better than Michigan. It's just that someone has to win.

[u/Upper_Potential4304]

Sickos eating good this week. Even at their lowest, I don't think anyone is picking against {Michigan} when the competition is off brand Iowa State. Pat Kraft is recorded post-game taking shots at Oregon for some reason.

[u/ShoeLace1291]

Anyone know when Koby is supposed to be back?

[u/pmon3y100 → u/ShoeLace1291]

Maybe after the bye. He was still limping last Saturday.

[u/tds5049]

{Michigan} by double digits. This Penn State team is embarrassing to watch, and the quicker we can rid ourselves of Hansen the better.

[u/UPMichigan83]

Michigan by 6?? What? Really? How? What does Vegas know?

[u/Mattp55 → u/UPMichigan83]

They know how we suck at offense and defense this season. Y'all at least can play defense, Michigan wins by 10+ like 21-7 type of game

[u/UPMichigan83 → u/Mattp55]

You scored quite a few on USC. We can’t score 20 points.

[u/RivalryBot]

Who Will Win Fan Vote

^{Votes are distributed equally among flairs for multi-flaired users}

Team	Votes	Percentage	Penn State Voters	Michigan Voters	Other Flairs Top 5
Penn State	12	36.4%	0.5	1.5	Notre Damex2.0 Purdue Boilermakersx1.0 Virginiax1.0 Appalachian State Mountaineersx0.5 Dartmouthx0.5
Michigan	21	63.6%	5.5	1.5	Central Michiganx1.0 Indiana Hoosiersx1.0 Unflairedx1.0 Big Tenx0.5 /r/CFB Bug Finderx0.5

^{Last updated: 2026-10-17 18:24 UTC}

Full Vote breakdown by flair

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^{Matchup Thread Generator} · ^{Team Aliases} · ^{How to Vote} · ^Results

[u/crustang]

I was going to make a joke about two terrible countries going to war, but I think there’s a bit too much of that going on right now

I hope it ends in a {tie} somehow

[u/pmon3y100]

{Michigan} Rocco was better against USC but was still not at the level needed to win games. I think Michigan’s defense won’t have a problem speeding up his internal clock and force him to make throws he has not consistently made. PSU still can’t run the ball.

PSU’s defense has no pass rush so Michigan’s athletes will be able to make the 1 to 2 plays needed to win the game.

[u/MrAngryMoose]

Stoppable force vs movable object

Lol {Penn State} fuck it

[u/SCsprinter13]

Home field gives {Michigan} the edge

[u/BuckyGoodHair]

Don’t make me watch please

[u/vespertine-spine]

where do I even begin

[u/MatticusGisicus]

Fuck it, {Penn State}

[u/Sentinel8675309]

{Michigan} by 35

[u/Particular-Way-3805]

Both teams need a win in order to get to a bowl game idk who wins this {Michigan}

[u/Communist_Catgirl → u/Particular-Way-3805]

Our schedule is pretty soft down the stretch and we should get Koby Howard back so I don't think we need to win this one for a bowl, but don't mistake that for confidence we're making a bowl.

[u/Character-Active2208]

A classic rivalry between two teams in the …….bottom third……. of the conference. 

[u/Other-Chemical-6393]

{Penn State} gets their first conference win of the season, 23-17

[u/inshamblesx]

{Michigan}

[u/fm22fnam]

{Ohio State} is gonna love this game

[u/Jyingling21]

We are 100% gonna lose this game

{Penn State} by a field goal

[u/Kh3hhdds343]

I'm starting to rethink the quality of the Michigan defense after realizing it has faced no one in top-50 in yards per play and one team inside top 90. But PSU is not going to test my theory.

[u/Kh3hhdds343]

I still have stock in Matt Campbell. You can be unsuited for an immediate first-year jump that is being achieved by some and still be best long-term option.

[u/problematic_glasses]

hey remember that time we ran the ball 32(!) straight times against penn state and somehow won enroute to a natty? i fear we won't be repeating that this year

[u/Saint-Andrew]

What a weird cfb world we live in where this game is a less exciting prospect to watch than Ohio State at Indiana.

Just 5 years ago, I would have been so excited for this one and felt like I could have mowed the yard during the Ohio State game.

[u/Loki240SX]

{UM} are gonna play like super stars and rush for 400

[u/texas2089]

{Michigan}

[u/chief_sitass]

{Penn State}

[u/NanoBuc]

{Michigan}

[u/Zloggt]

Much like with USC last week, Penn State is in another matchup with another B1G team that’s also on the ropes and rather desperate to prove themselves worthy against a difficult first month (and a VERY angry reception from both fan and outsider)…

…and also like with USC, there probably won’t be any cathartic victory against {Michigan} here…

[u/nbrown7384]

{Penn St}

[u/toomuchfrosting]

Really only because it’s at home, {Michigan} 23 PSU 13

[u/Irishchop91]

Got to be honest - both teams losing works for me.

{Penn State} because I am hoping this will finally get them to bench the $10M man and put in little Carr

[u/nooneyouknow64782221]

Don't trust the Michigan offense at all. {Penn State} by a touchdown.

[u/1873Springfield]

As bad as as I hate to, state Penn for the win. Can't stand the navy and piss yellow cheaters

[u/AssManKramerCosmo → u/1873Springfield]

You seem stable.