2026 PSU at Michigan

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General Pre-Game Information

• Game Seven of 2026 season (Kick time announced Oct. 5 with CBS-TV announced Oct. 11)—This is the third road game on Penn State’s schedule and second of 4 Big Ten contests away from home. PSU is facing Michigan for the first time since 2023 and a 24-15 loss at Beaver Stadium which followed revelations that Michigan was secretly recording opponent games to allegedly steal game signals. This is Michigan’s Homecoming game and is the last game for PSU ahead of its lone Bye Week. Penn State (3-3, 0-3) is coming off its Big Ten White Out loss to USC, 31-23. Penn State has lost 3 straight this season and is also riding a 3-game losing streak to the Wolverines. This game has evolved into a match-up of new head coaches struggling in their first seasons at the helm in the Big Ten. Michigan (3-2, 0-2) is coming off its Bye Week and last played Oct. 3 at Minnesota (their first conference road game of the season). Michigan lost to the Golden Gophers, 20-14 and dropped out of the Coaches poll where they had been ranked #24 (the Minnesota loss immediately followed on the heels of a 20-19 home loss to then #17 Iowa). The Wolverines are led by Soph. QB Bryce Underwood who passed for 101 yds. in the Minnesota loss (there is no plan to make a change at QB despite 3-2 start). This game is the first meeting of the two schools in Ann Arbor since 2022 (a 41-17 PSU loss in which Michigan rushed for 418 yards—see below). Michigan opened the season with a somewhat controversial 1-point home win over Western Michigan that actually resulted in the Wolverines falling from #16 out of the AP Poll ahead of Week 2.

• Last PSU Game played (Oct. 10): Penn State 23 USC 31 in the White Out at Beaver Stadium in front of an all-time PSU record crowd of 114,419—the loss means PSU has opened the Big Ten season 0-3 for the second straight year

• Current Week’s Rankings: AP Poll (released Oct. 11)-PSU is unranked for 3rd straight week (and is receiving no votes)—Michigan is also unranked/receiving no votes—Georgia is new #1 following Texas loss/USC remains at #19 after win over PSU (Northwestern enters AP rankings at #25, and along with USC are the only two 2026 PSU currently-ranked opponents in the AP Poll) / US LBM Coaches Poll (released Oct. 11)-PSU is unranked for second straight week (and is receiving no votes)—Michigan is also unranked/receiving no votes—Georgia is new #1 following Texas loss/USC climbs to #15 after win over PSU (USC is only currently ranked 2026 PSU opponent in Coaches Poll)

• Michigan 2025 Record: 9-4 overall, 7-2 in Big Ten (5-1 at home) under Sherrone Moore & interim coach Biff Poggi—2026 UM Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham (1st season)—Whittingham is 0-1 vs. Penn State from his tenure as head Coach at Utah (2005-2025)—PSU beat Utah in the 2023 Rose Bowl, 35-21, under James Franklin—Whittingham is also 0-1 vs. PSU coach Matt Campbell from a 2024 Big 12 meeting which saw Utah lose to Iowa State, 31-28 (Rocco Becht QB passed for 256 yards with a passing and a rushing TD/Carson Hansen RB rushed for 2 TDs including the game-winner in 4th quarter)

• 28th meeting with Michigan all-time (15th at Michigan Stadium): Penn State is 10-17 all-time vs. Michigan and 4-10 at Michigan Stadium (all games have been played as members of the Big Ten). Michigan ran off 9 consecutive wins from 1997 to 2007. The series with Michigan dates to the 1993 season and a 21-13 loss to the Wolverines. Penn State’s first win in this series and its first win at Ann Arbor came in 1994 (PS 31-24). The Nittany Lions have lost their last 3 games to the Wolverines with their last win coming in the Covid-19 impacted 2020 season (PS 27-17) which is also PSU’s last victory at Michigan. The 2020 victory also snapped Penn State’s 5-game losing skid to open that season. Sean Clifford’s 28-yard TD run in the second period put the Lions on top to stay on the way to Penn State’s 899th all-time win. The next game at Beaver Stadium in this series is currently scheduled for 2027.

• Last PSU Game vs. Michigan (2023 at Beaver Stadium): The #3 Wolverines defeated 10th ranked Penn State, 24-15, en route to a 15-0 season and a controversial 2023 CFP National Championship. It was also Jim Harbaugh’s final season at UM as head coach. 110,856 fans packed Beaver Stadium for the Stripe Out battle on Fox Big Noon. The attendance was, at the time, the second largest ever in State College. This game was played in the shadow of cheating accusations circling around a now former team assistant (Connor Stalions) that involved improper on-site advance scouting (banned by the NCAA since 1994) with sign stealing by video recording the sidelines. Reportedly, two PSU games had been recorded (vs. UMass in 2023 and at Purdue in 2022—with a planned visit for the Indiana at PSU game in 2023 that was reportedly canned after the plot became public knowledge). On the Friday before the PSU game, the Big 10 suspended Jim Harbaugh for 3 games (UM’s attempt at a temporary restraining order was not granted and Harbaugh was replaced on the sidelines by acting Head Coach & OC Sherrone Moore). For the second year in a row, Blake Corum has a big day against Penn State—145 yards on 26 carries with two TDs. Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy only passed 8 times in the entire game, completing 7 for 60 yards, all in the first half—His only 2nd half attempt was wiped off the books by an accepted penalty. At one point in the second half, Michigan rushed on 30 straight plays. The Nittany Lions defense managed 1 sack (7 TFLs) but could not force any turnovers. Drew Allar QB had a terrible game completing only 10 of 22 passes for 70 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. Allar was also unable to complete passes on 2 questionable 2-point conversion tries after each of PSU’s TDs. Allar was sacked only once but was pressured all day, and he lost a critical fumble in the third period giving UM the ball at midfield after he was stripped on a 3rd and 2 run where he had just picked up the 1st down. Allar’s lone TD pass came in the final two minutes of the game to Theo Johnson. On the day after the loss, James Franklin fired OC/QB coach Mike Yurcich (2021-23) and doled out his duties to interim co-OC’s Ja’Juan Seider (RB Coach) and Ty Howle (TE Coach) for the remainder of the 2023 season.

• Last PSU Game vs. Michigan at Ann Arbor (2022): Michigan ran all over #10 Penn State, 41-17, in front of 110,812 at the Big House. Michigan would win the Big Ten title over Purdue but lose to TCU in the CFP Semi-final at the Fiesta Bowl. In this game, UM rushed for 418 yards and 4 TDs. Blake Corum ran for 166 yards and 2 TDs with Donovan Edwards getting 173 yards on the ground. It was the third most rushing yards allowed by PSU in a single game since 1947. Penn State’s lone highlight from this game was a 47-yard Pick-6 by linebacker Curtis Jacobs. Michigan QB JJ McCarthy had his pass tipped by DE Chop Robinson. The ball then bounces off the helmet of DT PJ Mustipher. Jacobs snagged it out of the air and ran 47 yards to the endzone for the score, capping it off with a somersault and putting PSU briefly in the lead, 14-13. This would also be the final PSU-Michigan game with head coach Jim Harbaugh actually on the sidelines. The result of this game also remains in question due to the then-ongoing UM sign-stealing scandal.

• Memorable (& Critical) PSU moment from the 2013 Whiteout win over Michigan in 4 Overtimes (PS 43-40): This is the game that really cemented the concept of the Whiteout as a primetime game (although this game actually kicked off at 5pm EDT on ESPN and simply ran well into the mid-October evening). The game, of course, is best remembered for the “The Catch”. But, in reality, the game turned on 2 catches, not one. Penn State led by 11 at halftime and trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter. Down 7 now with under a minute left, Christian Hackenberg has just completed a pass to Allen Robinson that required a review to give PSU a first and ten at its own 34. What comes next is the play that gives Hack the chance to make THE play that everyone will never forget. Hack drops to pass, steps up in the pocket, and throws downfield to Brandon Felder who’s double-covered high and low. Felder leaves his feet and just grabs the ball in time to keep the defender from tipping it away. And then he miraculously keeps that same Michigan player from batting the ball out of his hands as the Wolverine falls to the turf towards the sideline. Felder hits the ground, too, and luckily is able to maintain possession for a critical 29-yard gain to the Michigan 37. Thanks to Felder, with 37 seconds to go, PSU will now have a real shot at the endzone. The clock stops to move the chains for the 1st down, and Hack rushes up to spike the ball killing the clock with 35 seconds left. The next play is the pass to Robinson for the photogenic leaping reception at the one. Then it’s a Hack QB sneak for the tie at 34-all. Then it’s a wild series of missed Penn State & Michigan FGs wrapped around a lost fumble by Robinson that all end with a Bill Belton walk-in TD to win it for the Nittany Lions… 43-40 in 4 OTs.

• 2nd 3:30pm ET kick for PSU in 2026 season. Previous 3:30pm kick was the season opening win over Marshall. Rumors pointed to this matchup being a third straight primetime telecast on one of the NBC platforms, but the rocky start to the Big Ten season for both Penn State and Michigan derailed those plans.

  TV/Radio Information

• CBS-TV Game Announcers: Brad Nessler (Play-by-play), Charles Davis (Analyst) with Jenny Dell (Sidelines)—This is the first PSU game for CBS’s Nessler-Davis pairing in the broadcast booth

• First game televised on CBS-TV since 2025 game at Michigan State (PS won 28-10 to snap 6-game losing streak)—CBS also did the 2025 Nevada and UCLA games with Brad Nessler and the now-retired Gary Danielson in the booth

• It is the 36th PSU game “officially” to appear on CBS-TV dating to 1966 (PSU “Official” Record on CBS: 23-12). Pre-Paterno era TV information is incomplete, but CBS has televised PSU football games dating back 70+ years.

• Under the current TV contract that began in 2023, this is the 10th game on CBS (PSU Record: 7-2).

• Prior to 1966, CBS did telecast a number of PSU games notably the first ever live football game broadcast from State College, the 1955 season opener at New Beaver Field vs. Boston University (a 35-0 PSU win) which was aired regionally to a reportedly very limited group of stations in the East. CBS also later regionally televised the 1955 Penn State-Syracuse game from New Beaver Field, a 21-20 PSU victory that featured legendary Hall of Fame running backs Lenny Moore and Jim Brown.

• This is the 3rd straight game this season to be televised on a traditional TV Network—Northwestern road loss was on FOX-TV and USC White Out loss was on NBC-TV

• Penn State Radio Network Announcers: Steve Jones (PBP), Jack Ham (Analyst), & Brian Tripp (Sidelines). Jones & Ham are in their 27th season in the booth together. Ham, a member of both the CHOF (1990) and Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988), played linebacker at Penn State (1968-70). Jones (Class of 1980) & Tripp (Class of 2011) are also Penn State grads. Sirus XM: 85, 97, 257, XM App