This weekend’s college football on FOX: No. 3 Michigan battles No. 10 Penn St. headlining quadruple header
This weekend's college football on FOX: No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 10 Penn St.
Michigan looks to stay undefeated this season while keeping their postseason hopes alive when they face a Penn State team fighting for a spot in the Big Ten conference title game. The Big Ten matchup headlines a quadruple header on FOX. (FOX Sports)
A massive Big Ten battle headlines an excellent football weekend as No. 3 Michigan visits No. 10 Penn State to lead off a quadruple header Saturday on FOX.
Coverage starts at 10 a.m. ET with Big Noon Kickoff, live from State College, Pennsylvania. And at noon ET, No. 3 Michigan squares off against No. 10 Penn State, then at 3:30 p.m. ET, No. 18 Utah takes on No. 5 Washington in a Pac-12 showdown.
And in primetime, West Virginia faces No. 17 Oklahoma at 7 p.m. ET, and the night concludes with more west coast action when USC battles No. 6 Oregon at 10:30 p.m. ET.
RELATED: Harbaugh suspended for rest of season by Big 10 for sign-stealing allegations
Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines looks on in the first half in a game against the Penn State Nittany Lionsat Michigan Stadium on October 15, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
On Friday afternoon, the Big Ten Conference banned Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for their final three remaining regular-season games for a sign-stealing scheme that has rocked college football.
Harbaugh’s discipline by the conference occurred less than 24 hours before the Michigan and Penn State game, the Associated Press reported.
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 10 Penn State
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy leads an explosive Wolverines' offense that faces a Penn State team desperate for a win after losing to Ohio State earlier in the year.
QB Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions look to put themselves on par with the Wolverines or Ohio State for the opportunity to play in the Big Ten Championship game later this season.
Penn State (8-1) has the nation's second-ranked defense and wants to upstage Michigan’s top-ranked defense when they face the Wolverines (9-0).
Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions scrambles to pass against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first half of the game at Beaver Stadium on September 2, 2023 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Michigan is allowing just 6.7 points and 231.4 total yards per game. No team has taken a single snap inside Michigan’s 10-yard-line this season.
McCarthy has good chemistry with receivers Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson, who have combined for 60 catches, 1,011 yards and 11 touchdowns, the Associated Press reported.
The Nittany Lions have scored 30 or more points in every game except their loss at Ohio State. They have scored 84 points and totaled 746 yards in the last two weeks.
No. 18 Utah vs. No. 5 Washington
Running back Dillon Johnson and No. 5 Washington (9-0) could come close to ending Utah’s (7-2) run on top of the Pac-12 conference with a win over the 13th-ranked Utes on Saturday.
Johnson had a career day last week against USC, running for 256 yards and four touchdowns.
Michael Penix Jr. #9 of the Washington Huskies throws the ball during the first quarter against the Boise State Broncos at Husky Stadium on September 02, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Johnson will have the attention of Utah’s defense, but Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr. is the one to watch because he can take a big step toward bolstering his Heisman Trophy chances with a big game against the Utes.
Washington’s offensive line has done a stellar job of keeping Penix safe this season but face another challenge from Utah’s defensive front, specifically defensive end Jonah Elliss, who is second in the country with 11½ sacks in nine games.
Utah is tied for 11th nationally in sacks with 29, the AP noted.
West Virginia vs. No. 17 Oklahoma
Oklahoma (7-2) won their first seven games before close losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State, but they still have a shot at playing in the Big 12 Championship Game.
West Virginia will have to get production from their pass rush to try to slow Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who ranks fourth nationally in total offense with 325.9 yards per game.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel #8 of the Oklahoma Sooners runs the ball as he is pursued by Kitan Crawford #21 and David Gbenda #33 of the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl on October 07, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Sooners receiver Drake Stoops has become Gabriel's top target. Stoops caught 12 passes for 134 yards last week against Oklahoma State and leads the Sooners with 52 receptions this season, according to the AP.
To remain in the Big 12 hunt, the Sooners must beat a West Virginia team with something to play for. The Mountaineers (6-3) are one game out of the Big 12 lead and are on the brink of cracking the Top 25 for the first time in coach Neal Brown’s five-year stint with the team, the AP reported.
Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene is a dual threat who has 458 yards and eight touchdowns rushing.
The teams’ last two games have been decided by late field goals, with the Sooners winning in 2021 and West Virginia prevailing last season.
USC vs. No. 6 Oregon
USC (7-3) has fallen out of the AP’s Top 25 for the first time in coach Lincoln Riley’s tenure after a 52-42 loss to No. 5 Washington.
The Trojans' three losses mean they likely won’t get a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with only two regular season games left.
Quarterback Bo Nix #10 of the Oregon Ducks runs the ball during the first half of the game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Autzen Stadium on September 16, 2023 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)
Oregon (8-1) is playing its best stretch of the season after a humbling 36-33 losing to Washington on Oct. 14. The Ducks have reeled off three straight wins, including last weekend's 63-19 rout of California.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams is still among the league's top quarterbacks, but lately, Williams has been overshadowed by Oregon QB Bo Nix and Penix.
Caleb Williams #13 of the USC Trojans avoids a tackle from Justin Flowe #10 of the Arizona Wildcats during the third quarter at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katel
The Heisman Trophy winner leads the nation with 28 touchdown passes and has thrown for 2,958 yards this season, second-most in the nation behind Penix. Williams is tied atop the Pac-12 Conference with 10 touchdown runs, the AP reported.
Nix has steadily climbed in the Heisman conversation this season, ranking fourth in the nation with 25 passing touchdowns, and he’s run for five more scores. Nix also has only two interceptions for the season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.