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The Michigan Wolverines will host the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday in what has become a pretty solid rivalry in the Big Ten despite the series being relatively new.

While the focus will be on what happens Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Penn State have a history that dates back to just 1993. The Wolverines enter this year's matchup with an all-time record of 17-10 against Penn State, including a home record of 9-4.

Michigan has won 7 of the last 10 matchups with the Nittany Lions and has certainly been the better team in the series. 

Michigan's longest winning streak in the series is 9 from 1997 to 2007. For Penn State, its longest win streak is 4 from 2008 to 2013.

Last Meeting

The most recent matchup between Michigan and Penn State came in 2023, with the Wolverines coming away with a 24-15 victory.

In a high-stakes, old-school Big Ten physical battle at Beaver Stadium, No. 3 Michigan powered past No. 10 Penn State 24–15 despite playing without head coach Jim Harbaugh due to a late Big Ten suspension.

The iconic development in the game was Michigan running the ball for 32 straight plays. To counter Penn State’s elite pass rush and aggressive defensive front, acting head coach Sherrone Moore completely abandoned the air game after midway through the second quarter and simply pounded the rock. Quarterback JJ McCarthy did not attempt a single pass in the second half.

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter's unit completely shut down Penn State quarterback Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions' offense, allowing just 22 rushing yards and two first downs in the second half prior to Penn State's final garbage-time drive.

Recent History

Over the last five meetings, Michigan has gone 3-2 against Penn State.

2023: Michigan 24, Penn State 15

2022: Michigan 41, Penn State 17

2021: Michigan 21, Penn State 17

2020: Michigan 17, Penn State 27

2019: Michigan 21, Penn State 28

The Wolverines and Nittany Lions have only played 27 times and the games have been close more often than not. 

The most iconic moment in the series is Chad Henne's game-winning touchdown pass to Mario Manningham as time expired on October 15, 2005. The Wolverines were trailing 25–21 with just 53 seconds left, when Henne drove the Wolverines down the field and connected with Manningham on a 12-yard touchdown pass as the clock hit zero.

That loss was Penn State's only defeat during that 2005 season and remains one of the best finishes in Michigan Stadium history.

What History Says About Saturday

Of course, past results don't determine what happens on Saturday. The two teams entering this year's matchup are different from ones that played in all previous matchups.

Michigan is 3-2, while Penn State is 3-3. Both teams desperately need and want a Big Ten win, but both teams are falling short of what they wanted to be in year one under a new, but proven head coach. 

For Michigan, it's Kyle Whittingham. He brought along offensive coordinator Jason Beck with the intentions of running the ball and utilizing Bryce Underwood's rare athleticism. Instead, the offense has been atrocious and Underwood looks to have regressed.

On the other sideline, it's Matt Campbell and his underdog mentality after being at Iowa State for 10 years. Campbell always did more with less, so naturally, everyone saw him approaching dominance at Penn State. That has not happened, which has surprised a lot of people. 

With another chapter about to be written, Saturday will add to a series that includes just 27 meetings, but still has plenty of memorable moments.

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