Penn State coach addresses Michigan football sign-stealing

This weekend, Penn State coach James Franklin and his Nittany Lions will face off against Jim Harbaugh and the No. 3-ranked Wolverines at Beaver Stadium in State College, PA. Today, Franklin, who has a 3-6 record against the Maize and Blue, was prompted about the Michigan football sign-stealing allegations and his team’s response — here is what he had to say.

Michigan football, Penn State on collision course this week

This Saturday is a massive one for both the Penn State and Michigan football programs. The Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) will come into the game ranked in the top 10, as will Jim Harbaugh and his No. 3 Wolverines (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten), who are yet to face a ranked opponent since last year’s Fiesta Bowl against TCU.

For weeks now, the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal has headlined all of sports news. Despite new reports surfacing showing that other Big Ten schools had used a Big Ten staffer to steal the Wolverines’ signs, Michigan remains the only school under investigation.

Penn State coach addresses Michigan football sign-stealing

On Monday, Penn State coach James Franklin had his weekly press conference and was asked about how the Nittany Lions are responding to the Michigan football allegations and more.

“I know these questions are gonna come this week,” James Franklin said in his Monday press conference. “I’m gonna focus on the things that we can control. We always have to have a plan, and I think I’ve already kind of covered this and talked about this in terms of what we do, how we communicate to our players, and how we communicate to our team during games. But I’m gonna leave it at that because less is more.”

More from James Franklin on facing Michigan

James Franklin also said that Penn State is locked in on breaking down the film on Michigan football and getting ready for this weekend’s massive contest against Jim Harbaugh and company. He added that the film Penn State is watching is between the white lines, not of the sidelines or anything else.

“I’m focused on all the stuff I see on film,” James Franklin said. “That’s what we’re focused on is all the stuff we see on film. Their players, their scheme. When I say, ‘see on film,’ (that means) what we see on the coaches’ copy of the film, the stuff that’s going on between the sidelines. The 53 and a third. That’s what we’re focused on.”

Wolverines a touchdown favorite against PSU right now

With Michigan football and Jim Harbaugh potentially facing Big Ten punishment later this week, it could be an interesting game between the Nittany Lions and Wolverines this weekend. Regardless, for the time being, Michigan opens as a 6.5-point favorite to beat Penn State on the road this weekend.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at [email protected]. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!