2023 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

The 2023 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team was led by James Franklin in his tenth year as Penn State's head coach.

No. 3CFP/2AP Michigan
Penn State hosted Michigan on November 11. As the Michigan team and coaching staff flew to Pennsylvania on Friday afternoon, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh from game-day coaching for the remainder of the regular season as punishment for the Michigan Wolverines football sign-stealing scandal.

Michigan defeated Penn State, 24–15, before a crowd of 110,856 at Beaver Stadium. The first three drives of the game ended with punts. Penn State then drove 66 yards on 13 plays and became the first team to run a play inside Michigan's 10-yard line during the 2023 season. Facing a first-and-goal from the three-yard line, Michigan's defense stopped the Nittany Lions who settled for a 20-yard field goal by Alex Felkins. After Penn State's field goal, Michigan drove 75 yards on nine plays, including a 22-yard run by Donovan Edwards, a pass from J. J. McCarthy to Semaj Morgan for 19 yards and ending with a three-yard touchdown run by Blake Corum. After holding Penn State to a three-and-out, Michigan drove 78 yards on six plays, including a 44-yard run by Corum and a 22-yard touchdown run by Edwards. Late in the second quarter, Penn State drove 75 yards and scored on an 11-yard touchdown run by Drew Allar, though its attempt at a two-point conversion failed. Michigan led, 14–9 at halftime.

On the opening drive of the second half, Allar fumbled after being hit by Rayshaun Benny, and Michigan's Makari Paige recovered the loose ball at the Penn State 49-yard line. After the turnover, Michigan drove to the Penn State four-yard line, and James Turner kicked a 22-yard field goal. The defenses then took control of the game as six consecutive drives ended with punts, With four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game, Michigan forced a turnover on downs as Allar threw an incomplete pass on fourth down. Corum ran 30 yard for a touchdown with 4:15 remaining in the game. In the closing minutes, Penn State drove 75 yards on eight plays, scoring on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Allar to Theo Johnson. Penn State again failed on an attempted two-point conversion. Penn State attempted an onside kick, but Mike Sainristil fell on the ball, and Michigan ran out the clock.

Blake Corum carried the ball 26 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns. The team totaled 227 rushing yards against a Penn State defense that had the top-ranked rushing defense in the county, having not allowed any opponent to rush for more than 100 yards in a game. Despite this, Michigan would be held to their lowest point total of the year by Penn State's defense, with Michigan having only 17 points when Penn State went for it on 4th down despite the poor field position.

Rutgers
Penn State beat Rutgers decisively in a 27–6 rout where the defense really shone. Rutgers would strike first but Penn State would take control of the game in the second quarter, leading 13–6 at halftime and silencing the Scarlet Knights' offense in the second half, eventually taking a three-touchdown lead late in the game before allowing the reserves a little playing time. Despite the commanding three-touchdown victory, Penn State was criticized for the win not being even more impressive, despite the fact that Rutgers was a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten East team that year who would eventually finish 7–6. This is likely due to the reputation of Rutgers finishing last and faring poorly from 2015 through 2020. Penn State would finish the regular season 10–2 eventually losing to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl to finish 10–3 while Rutgers won their bowl game after a 6–6 finish to finish with their first winning season since 2014, their Big Ten debut season.

At Michigan State
Penn State would commandingly handle their rivals from East Lansing in a 42–0 blowout where the outcome of the game was never in question.

Vs. No. 11CFP/AP Mississippi (Peach Bowl)
Penn State would blow their chance at winning all of the major bowls by losing the Peach Bowl in humiliating fashion, being crushed by Ole Miss in a 38–25 game that was nowhere near as close as the final score indicates.