It's Penn State-Michigan week: Kick time, the spread, early storylines, and more

Penn State-Michigan week is here.

The Nittany Lions (6-3) and Wolverines (8-1) will meet at Beaver Stadium on Saturday for a contest that will go a long way toward deciding how the Big Ten’s bowl game pecking order plays out.

Head coach James Franklin’s side is coming off of a 31-14 win over Maryland, of course, while Jim Harbaugh’s team topped Indiana 29-7 at home.

“Obviously the big turnover at the end was huge,” Franklin said following his team’s win at Maryland. “Getting the ball into Jahan Dotson’s hands obviously had a huge impact on the game; a school-record 242 yards.

“I’m proud of our guys. The first half wasn’t as pretty as we want it to be, but then you guys would have nothing to talk about. So the second half, we came out and I thought played a lot better.”

Let’s preview the week ahead.

Time and TV info

ABC will televise the game, which will start at Noon inside of Beaver Stadium.

The early slot became practically a guarantee once FOX picked Ohio State-Michigan for its 3:30 p.m. window.

This marks the Lions’ fourth Noon start time of the year.

The Penn State-Michigan spread

Penn State is listed as a one-point favorite and the betting total is 48, which is down from an opening number of 52.

Game week schedule for Penn State

It’s a normal media schedule for Franklin this week.

Tuesday will feature player interviews and a lengthy news conference with Franklin. On Wednesday, there will be more player calls in addition to a chance to watch practice plus another opportunity to interview Franklin and a player.

Thursday brings the Penn State Coaches Show, which Franklin typically appears on for the last half hour, and that will be it for the week until Saturday after the game.

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What’s up with the Wolverines?

Michigan could move up from its initial No. 7 spot in the College Football Playoff top-25 after it topped Indiana 29-7 at home on Saturday.

The Wolverines have just one blemish on their 8-1 resume, and that is a loss to Michigan State two weeks ago.

That setback doesn’t look as good now, of course, now that the Spartans fell at Purdue.

Health will be a focus for Harbaugh’s team this week. According to BWI sister site The Wolverine, receivers Andrel Anthony and A.J. Henning left the game early and didn’t return, as did running back Blake Corum. Starting quarterback Cade McNamara missed at least one drive, too.

“Yeah, there were a couple guys that were out in this game that I think we’ll get back, get healthier next week,” Harbaugh said, per The Wolverine. “Then go about putting good days on top of good days while we get ready for Penn State.”

McNamara has thrown for nearly 1,500 yards so far this season in addition to seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He is the main man under center, though former four-star recruit J.J. McCarthy rotates in from time to time, too.

In the backfield, Corum leads the way with 774 yards, but he and Hassan Haskins, who actually has nine more carries on the year, both have 10 touchdowns.

Cornelius Johnson is the team’s leading receiver, and linebacker Josh Ross heads up the defense.

Penn State-Michigan notes

–Michigan holds a 14-10 all-time lead in the series.

–Penn State does lay claim to a two-game winning streak, however. It won 28-21 in State College back in 2019 plus 27-17 last year in Ann Arbor.

–The Nittany Lions ride a 15-game streak of forcing at least one turnover into Saturday’s contest.

–These sides last met in November back in 2015. Michigan won at Penn State, 28-16.

Weather outlook

Here’s the early projection from Weather.com:

“Rain showers early with mostly cloudy conditions later in the day. High 53F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.”

Early Penn State-Michigan storylines

Here’s a rundown:

–Will Penn State have Jesse Luketa and Jonathan Sutherland back? Both missed the Maryland game despite traveling due to injury.

–How much will Michigan’s injury issues impact this matchup, if at all?

–Is Penn State going to establish Keyvone Lee as its go-to back, or will a rotation continue?

—Jahan Dotson was simply terrific against the Terrapins. What will he do for an encore?

–Can Penn State ruin Michigan’s chance at a Big Ten title bid? If so, there’s still a path to a New Year’s Six bowl on the table.