Projected Penn State printable depth chart for Week Six vs. Michigan
Penn State football no longer provides an official depth chart. So, Blue-White Illustrated has taken up the task of projecting one each week. This week is the biggest one yet, as the Nittany Lions tavel to Michigan to face the fifth-ranked Wolverines Saturday.
The Nittany Lions likely won’t be forced to dig deep into their roster for tomorrow’s showdown against Top 10 teams, but we’ll continue to produce this each week to make sure Penn State fans know what to expect in case of an injury.
The Wolverines are 18-2 since Jim Harbaugh retooled his coaching staff following the 2020 season, with both losses coming against Top 10 teams at the time in Michigan State and Georgia.
Related: Penn State, Michigan face ‘defining moment’ in clash of unbeatens
The Nittany Lions had an opportunity to beat Michigan at home last season, leading the game 17-14 with less than five minutes to play. A mistake in coverage though allowed QB Cade McNamara to find TE Erick All for a 47-yard touchdown to keep Michigan’s playoff dreams alive. Penn State went four and out the following drive and was unable to stop the Wolverines from running out the clock.
Since James Franklin took over the program in 2014, Michigan holds a slight edge over Penn State, winning four of the seven matchups. The Nittany Lions did get a win in Ann Arbor in 2020, albeit with no fans in attendance. You have to go back to 2009 to find Penn State’s last win with 100,000-plus fans inside The Big House.
Franklin is 1-8 against teams ranked fifth or better since taking over the program and 7-11 overall when both teams rank among the Top 20 in the nation. These marquee games have been difficult for Penn State over the years, and sportsbooks believe that’ll once again be the case with Michigan currently a seven-point favorite.
Below, take a look at our printable depth chart for a better idea of what that might look like:
