Will Michigan's Jim Harbaugh Coach Against Penn State?
Penn State hosts Michigan on Saturday for the most fascinating Big Ten football game of the 2023 season so far, but the pressing early question is this: Will Jim Harbaugh be on the sidelines for the Wolverines?
Several media outlets reported over the weekend that the Big Ten could take some action regarding Michigan's alleged sign-stealing operation, perhaps including a suspension. According to multiple outlets, including The Athletic, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti met with Michigan officials over the weekend to address mounting concerns among conference coaches and athletic directors.
The Athletic reported that those parties are pressuring Petitti to issue some sort of disciplinary response, perhaps even a suspension, under the conference's code of conduct. ESPN's Pete Thamel told Pat McAfee on Saturday that the Big Ten could act within a few days. Thamel added Monday that the Big Ten might not act "for at least the next 48 hours."
This is a red-hot issue for Saturday's Penn State-Michigan game. Former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions, central to the allegations when he was analyst with the program, reportedly paid at least one person to attend games of Michigan's Big Ten opponents. That included the Penn State-UMass game at Beaver Stadium in September.
Penn State coach James Franklin has said that his program adjusted its signals following its bye week. However, the Lions played UMass after that bye week, potentially bringing those new signals into play.
So this should be a compelling week building toward one of the biggest games at Beaver Stadium in years. Here's the first look at Penn State-Michigan.
Penn State (8-1) vs. Michigan (9-0)
When: Noon ET Saturday
Where: Beaver Stadium
TV: FOX
Streaming: FuboTV (start your free trial)
Betting Line: Michigan is a 5-point favorite, per DraftKings
Series History: Michigan leads 16-10
Last Meeting: Michigan 41-17 in 2022
About the Lions: Penn State played the game it needed at just the right time. The Lions took apart Maryland both offensively and defensively in a 51-15 victory that showcased their 5-star quarterback and their five-alarm defense. Allar became just the sixth Penn State quarterback with multiple four-touchdown passing games, doing so in just nine career starts. He also had by far his best road performance, completing 73.6 percent of his passes. Allar's road completion rate was 48 percent before heading to Michigan. The Lions also turned loose their tight ends, as Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren combined for eight receptions and two touchdowns on 13 targets. Having them peak this week is prime timing. Similarly, linebacker Abdul Carter played his best game of the season, potentially leading to another huge November for the linebacker. In particular, Carter's pass-rush skills will be essential if Chop Robinson misses his third straight game.
About the Wolverines: As college football has turned on Michigan, the Wolverines turned inward and continued rolling over opponents. Michigan leads the Big Ten in both scoring offense and defense (giving up just 6.7 points per game) and has an average victory margin of 34 points. The Wolverines have won 21 consecutive Big Ten games, including two conference-title games, to set a program record. And they have won 24 consecutive regular-season games. Michigan's defense has allowed six touchdowns through nine games; no other FBS program has allowed fewer than 10. Meanwhile, quarterback JJ McCarthy is 21-1 as a starter, leading Harbaugh to say, "I think he's truly the best college Michigan quarterback that we've ever seen." But then there's that schedule. Michigan's strength of schedule ranks 111, according to the ESPN College Football Power Index, and the Wolverines' highest-ranked opponent so far is Rutgers (44th).
More on Penn State
Penn State's defense 'chops' it up against Maryland
The Penn State-Maryland report card
A 'really smooth' Drew Allar shines for Penn State
Penn State 51, Maryland 15: Another Terps shelling
Penn State's James Franklin: "I'm not going to apologize for winning"
Penn State's Big Ten schedule 'tradition' ends in 2024
Nittany Lions debut at No. 11 in College Football Playoff Rankings
AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
