Penn State and Michigan may not be living up to the preseason script, but the Big Ten’s TV window is treating this one like a game that still matters.
CBS has landed on Penn State at Michigan for its marquee 3:30 p.m. ET slot in Week 7, even though the Nittany Lions are 3-3 and the Wolverines are 3-2 heading into the game after their bye. That choice says plenty about the state of the conference right now: the matchup may not have the shine it once did, but it still carries more brand weight than most of what the league has left on the board.
Both teams opened the year in the AP Poll and were viewed as possible at-large contenders behind the expected front-runners of Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon. Instead, much of that group has stumbled badly, and the Big Ten’s top-tier inventory has thinned out fast.
Oregon’s slide has been one of the bigger blows. The Ducks are 3-2 after an ugly loss to UCLA in Week 6, a result that knocked them out of the AP Top 25 after they began the season at No.
- Washington has also crashed after opening at No. 17; the Huskies are now unranked at 3-3 and 0-3 in Big Ten play, the same conference mark Penn State carries.
USC remains ranked at No. 19 after beating Penn State in Beaver Stadium on Saturday night, but the Trojans still haven’t looked like a true Big Ten title threat, especially with a loss to Oregon already on the resume. UCLA, meanwhile, has forced its way into the conversation by staying unbeaten with a win over Oregon, but a matchup with Wisconsin, even with the Badgers looking better this year, doesn’t have the same pull for CBS as Penn State-Michigan.
That’s part of the reason Penn State still gets the benefit of the doubt on TV. The Nittany Lions have the name recognition, and the conference’s broadcast partners were probably expecting a much stronger season from them. If Penn State drops to 0-4 in Big Ten play this week, there may not be another national showcase left on its schedule with no ranked opponents or traditional powers remaining.
For all the chaos around them, Indiana and Ohio State are still the Big Ten’s best bet to deliver on the preseason hype. The Hoosiers are No. 5 and the Buckeyes are No. 4, and they’ll meet in Week 7 in a game FOX selected for Big Noon Kickoff. NBC, for its part, chose Wisconsin-UCLA for primetime.
The league needs that Indiana-Ohio State matchup to deliver, because those two may be the only Big Ten teams capable of reaching the College Football Playoff. If the conference is going to avoid the nightmare scenario, it starts with those contenders separating themselves. Otherwise, the Big Ten could end up as just a two-bid league while the SEC sends as many as six teams into the field.
In Other News...
Penn State's White Out Is Chasing A Beaver Stadium First
Penn States White Out against USC is lining up to be one of those Beaver Stadium nights people talk about for years, and not just because of the matchup. The game has already topped 110,000 tickets distributed, putting it in position to challenge the stadiums single-game attendance mark as renovations continue to reshape the venue and add new premium suites and bleacher seating.
The bigger backdrop is that Beaver Stadiums capacity has crept up this season, giving Penn State a fresh chance to post an attendance number that would stand above the recent records set in 2024 and 2025. If the announced crowd lands where it appears headed, the White Out will not only bring the usual noise and spectacle, it could leave the program with a new benchmark for one of college footballs most iconic settings. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Have Every Right To Debate Whos Letting This Team Down
Penn States loss to No. 19 USC in front of a record crowd at Beaver Stadium only sharpened the questions around a season that keeps slipping further out of reach. The 31-23 defeat came with enough bright spots and enough frustration to fuel plenty of postgame debate, because the Nittany Lions did not look like a team simply undone by one bad break. Some players showed up and made their case, while others struggled through a night when both sides of the ball had issues keeping pace.
The larger concern is the trend line. Penn State is now 0-3 in Big Ten play, and with bowl eligibility suddenly looking uncertain, every weekly evaluation carries more weight than it should this time of year. The offense and defense have each had their share of problems, and after a game like this, the conversation naturally turns from one result to the broader question of who is actually helping this team move forward and who is holding it back. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Record Crowd Saw A Loss Fans Won't Shrug Off
The biggest crowd ever to pack Beaver Stadium got a game with all the drama Penn State could ask for, and not the ending it wanted. USC came in and left with a win after a back-and-forth night that featured multiple lead changes and scoring drives, the kind of heavyweight matchup that had the place buzzing from start to finish.
Penn State had chances, but USC quarterback Jayden Maiava kept delivering, completing 21 of 33 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. For a fan base that showed up in record numbers expecting a memorable night, this was the sort of loss that lingers, not just because of the result, but because it came in a game the Nittany Lions had every reason to believe they could finish. [Read more 🡒]