STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WHTM) – The wait is finally over; #9 Penn State will host #2 Michigan this Saturday in a battle for the Land Grant Trophy.
Against Michigan, Penn State owns a losing 10-16 record dating back to 1993. On top of that, the Nittany Lions are also on a two-game losing streak to the Wolverines.
Penn State has struggled against ranked opponents under Head Coach James Franklin and this is an opportunity for Franklin and the Nittany Lions to quiet the doubters. However, it will be a challenging game with undefeated Michigan posing a real threat.
Michigan has had lots of success under Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, who in his nine seasons has led the Wolverines to back-to-back Big Ten Championships and College Football Playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022.
Michigan’s quarterback J.J. McCarthy boasts a 75.3 completion percentage and is averaging 237.1 passing yards per game. McCarthy has 21 touchdowns this year (3 rushing) and has thrown three interceptions.
Penn State’s quarterback Drew Allar has a 62.85% pass completion percentage and is averaging 210.56 yards per game. Allar has 20 touchdowns this season (3 rushing) and has only thrown one interception.
Michigan is averaging 40.67 points per game and has held its opposition to just 6.67 points per game on average. The Wolverines have a 55.56% success rate on third down and have held their opponents to a 29.41% success rate.
Penn State has similar stats, averaging 40.22 points per game and holding its opponents to 11.89 points per game. The Nittany Lions do have a less successful outcome on third down at 41.91%, however, they are similar to Michigan in that they have held their opposition to 29.51 on third down.
If you are unable to watch the game of the year in Happy Valley, here’s how to watch the game at home:
- Where: Beaver Stadium – State College, Pennsylvania
- When: Saturday, Nov. 11 at 12 p.m. EST
- Streaming: Fubo (free trial available), Fox Sports app (requires a cable subscription), YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and DirecTV Stream
