Michigan vs. Penn State prediction, pick, spread, football game odds, TV channel, live stream, watch online

Saturday’s game between No. 3 Michigan and No. 10 Penn State got a little more interesting after the Big Ten suspended Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh on Friday for the remainder of the regular season. 

How Michigan reacts to the suspension will be known after the ball is kicked off, but it has blasted every opponent it has faced this season and has been forced to wear its strength of schedule as a scarlet letter on its chest the whole time. That comes to an end this weekend when the Wolverines go on the road to face the Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium in the biggest game of Week 11.

In order to keep their undefeated season alive, the Wolverines will have to overcome an elite Penn State defense and a raucous crowd without their coach. Of course, on the flip side, it remains to be seen whether the Penn State offense, which struggled mightily on the road against Ohio State, can put together a better performance at home against a Michigan defense that hasn’t allowed an opponent a first-and-goal situation yet this season.

Storylines for the game, as well as picks, can be viewed below. 

Michigan vs. Penn State: Need to know

Michigan has won every game by at least 24 points: When I said Michigan has been the most dominant team in the country this year, it wasn’t an exaggeration. The closest game the Wolverines have played this season on the scoreboard was a 31-7 win over Rutgers in their Big Ten opener. Rutgers jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first minute of that game … and then spent the last 59 minutes stuffed in a locker. The nine-game streak of wins by 24-plus points is the second longest in program history. The Wolverines only need to win two more to match the streak posted by the 1903-04 Wolverines! So, yeah, it’s only been 119 years since Michigan has done something like this. No big deal.

Michigan has won 21 straight Big Ten games: Regardless of margin of victory, what really matters is that Michigan has nothing but victories lately in the Big Ten. It’s won 21 straight against Big Ten foes with the last loss being a 37-33 loss to Michigan State in the 2021 season. The 21-game streak is the second-longest in Big Ten history, trailing only the 29-game win streak by Ohio State that ended in that same 2021 season … with a loss to Michigan. So, yeah, Michigan and Ohio State have been in control of this conference for a while, haven’t they?

History isn’t on Penn State’s side: What? Those Michigan streaks aren’t enough? Well, I mentioned how the Big Ten has been controlled by Ohio State and Michigan for a while, and that means Penn State has been on the wrong end of things more often than not. In fact, the Nittany Lions have lost nine straight games against teams ranked in the AP top 5. They’ve also lost 10 straight against Ohio State and Michigan when they’re ranked in the top 10, and coach James Franklin has gone 3-16 against top-10 teams while at Penn State. If there’s a glimmer of hope, however, Franklin has gone 3-6 against the Wolverines, which is much better than his mark of 1-9 against Ohio State.

How to watch Michigan vs. Penn State live

Date: Saturday, November 11 | Time: Noon ET
Location: Beaver Stadium — University Park, Pennsylvania
TV: Fox | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)

Michigan vs. Penn State prediction, picks

Odds via SportsLine consensus

I have no doubt in my mind that this will be the roughest game of the season for Michigan’s offense. Forget their overall strength of schedule, the Wolverines haven’t faced a defense nearly as good as Penn State’s. Few teams have. I fully expect the Nittany Lions to slow Michigan down just like they did against Ohio State. The problem for Penn State is how many points it can realistically expect to score against Michigan. Ohio State’s defense smothered the Lions offense and pressured quarterback Drew Allar constantly. Michigan’s defensive line might be better than Ohio State’s, and while Penn State has Olu Fashanu, the rest of its offensive line has not been great. Penn State also has one of the least-explosive offenses in the country, and nobody has been able to put together long scoring drives against Michigan. Pick: Michigan -4.5

Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 11, and which underdogs will win outright? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has returned well over $2,000 in profit over the past seven-plus seasons — and find out.