It's Penn State-Michigan State week: Time, TV channel, early storylines, more

Penn State is ready for the final week of the regular season. A 10th win is on the line when the Nittany Lions invade Ford Field in Detroit later this week to take on Michigan State. Both teams are coming off of victories last Saturday. The Lions beat Rutgers 27-6 on Senior Day.

“Overall, pleased with the step that we took today against a really good Rutgers team and looking forward to next week,” Lions coach James Franklin said. “I think you guys know we got a short week. So, we got a very different week with playing on Friday night.”

The Spartans, meanwhile, topped Indiana 24-21 on the road.

“Great win by our guys,” MSU interim head coach Harlon Barnett said. “They finished, kept competing and applied what we have been talking about. You guys have been hearing me say, “finish, finish, finish”, and that’s what we did. I’m really proud of our guys. They played really well and kept fighting.”

Get ready for kickoff with our early game preview below.

How to watch Penn State-Michigan State

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET. NBC will televise the game. And, Peacock will stream it. Want to watch? Live stream on Fubo! with this link (Try for free)! Fubo’s holiday offer just kicked off – For a limited time, new subscribers can save $40 on Fubo’s Pro, Elite, and Premier plans ($20 off the first and second months)

NBC’s top broadcast team of Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (color commentator), and Kathryn Tappen (sideline reporter) will be on the call.

What is the point spread?

Penn State will be a double digit favorite for the second week in a row. The Lions are picked to win by 19.5 points. And, the betting points total over/under is 42.5.

Lions’ game week schedule

There will be a media availability on Monday. James Franklin will hold his first news conference of the week at Noon ET. He will also speak after Tuesday’s practice. There is no radio show this week. Select players will be made available to reporters on ZOOM or after practice in person Tuesday. There will be no assistant coach call this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday and the team’s travel schedule.

What’s up with Michigan State?

The Spartans roared back to earn a badly needed win over the Hoosiers. They are now 4-7. But, the team has lost seven of its last eight games. Their season was derailed after the firing of Mel Tucker earlier this year. Bennett is the interim but not the long term answer. And, the team is apparently dealing with availability issues from a roster perspective.

“We were an NFL team out there today,” Bennett said. “There were 45 guys on scholarship that were available to play. We got it done. We have a great coaching staff, and our guys did a great job. Whoever is available is who we are going to play with. Nobody is making excuses, it’s what we do. Nobody was complaining, it was, “let’s go play.” 

Maliq Carr and Montorie Foster Jr. are the top receiving targets for quarterback Katin Houser, who has a bit of an interception problem. The team’s bell cow running back is Nate Carter, who is the primary and almost exclusive ball carrier. The team has some playmakers on both sides of the ball but not nearly enough to intimidate the Penn State defense.

Weather report

Conditions will be perfect since Ford Field is in indoor stadium, of course. However, for those traveling, no rain is expected and temps will be in the mid-40s with partially sunny skies.

Early Penn State-Michigan State storylines

–Will Drew Allar be back for Penn State? It is possible but by no means a guarantee after he was hurt on Saturday.

–Are the Spartans willing to put up a fight? Or, are they banged up and ready to put this long ago lost season behind them?

–Can the Lions have more success through the air on offense? That component of the attack wasn’t needed but also clearly missing in last weekend’s win.