Penn State's Most Important Game at Beaver Stadium Since...?

The Lions' game against Michigan already was huge. Then college football added another layer.

Only college football could have managed to moot last year's snarkfest between Penn State and Michigan. Remember 2022, after the Lions lost 41-17 in Ann Arbor, and Penn State coach James Franklin called Michigan Stadium's single tunnel "a problem" after the teams traded words at halftime? And then Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Penn State engaged in a "sophomoric ploy" to block the tunnel and that Franklin "looked like the ringleader"?

Remember that? So quaint. Now, Beaver Stadium will host college football's latest sophomoric ploy, and also a football game, when No. 3 Michigan visits No. 9 Penn State for the second compelling matchup of the Big Ten season. The third is scheduled for Nov. 25, assuming Michigan and Ohio State don't billable-hour each other into dueling suspensions.

For Penn State, the most anticipated home game of the season — perhaps its most important home game since 2018 — should have generated enough fanfare on its own. But the circus is in town as well, courtesy of the NCAA and Big Ten investigation into Michigan's alleged sign-stealing operation, and Penn State must entertain it. At perhaps the worst time. Or maybe the best.

Saturday's Penn State-Michigan game is Beaver Stadium's highest-stakes game since ... when? It's probably the most consequential home game of James Franklin's 10 seasons, at least in terms of what it represents. The Lions have lost three games in the last two years, all to Ohio State and Michigan. The buildup to Penn State's visit to Ohio State last month, following by the hope-puncturing 20-12 loss, left Penn State wounded about being the Big Ten's third wheel once again.

Then the Lions dusted themselves off, scored wins of varying degrees of satisfaction against Indiana and Maryland, and returned to the main stage. Maybe with a little hesitancy this time, because Lucy could pull away the football once more, but attacking opportunity nonetheless. That should be enough for Penn State.

Beaver Stadium will host its first game between top-10 teams in the College Football Playoff rankings era. The stadium last hosted a top-10 matchup (AP Top 25-style) in 2018, when No. 4 Ohio State edged No. 9 Penn State 27-26. After fourth-and-five.

Further, Penn State and Michigan have courted a sometimes bitter history that continued last year. There's the 2002 game that Michigan won in overtime and which became the foundation for Big Ten replay. There's the 2005 game that ruined Penn State's unbeaten regular season through an extra 2 seconds. And there's the 2013 four-overtime game that represented the post-scandal rebirth of Penn State football.

Again, all that should be enough for Saturday. But college football insists on gilding. And that means piling a controversy onto a game that didn't need one. On his radio show Thursday, Franklin was asked whether he'd address the sign-stealing allegations by installing dummy calls on offense.

After saying, "I’m going to do everything I can to avoid your question and just start talking about something else," Franklin described in general how difficult coaches make this game for themselves and each other. Franklin said that Penn State's offense has "over 700 signals," making them a cargo ship's turn to change. 

"The challenge I think for a lot of coaches, specifically in this league, is, are you going to change all of your calls now at this point in the season?" Franklin asked. "It sounds like it’s not a big deal. We have over 700 signals on offense, so when you change those signals, it’s not just changing the signals. Now what if the kid makes a mistake out there on the field? Now you have three or four missed assignments in a game that’s probably going to be a one-possession game. That could be the difference."

So enjoy the game and all that goes with it. James Franklin and the Lions have plenty riding on Saturday. College football just had to pile on.

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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.