Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh
When the 2018 College Football Playoff rankings were first announced this past week, Jim Harbaugh and the No. 5 ranked Michigan Wolverines (7-1) realized that due to a season-opening loss to Notre Dame (ranked No. 4, behind Alabama, Clemson and LSU) they had some work to do in order to vault themselves into the discussion.
The game is scheduled to start at 3:45 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including all the ESPN channels. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
ESPN and ESPN 2 are both included in the “Sling Orange” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can also watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
The Wolverines’ schedule doesn’t get any easier from here, as they have multiple challenges left in order to secure a spot in the final four come December. Luckily, the first of those tests comes at home, against Jim Franklin’s No. 14 Penn State Nittany Lions (6-2) in Ann Arbor on Saturday afternoon.
At 5-0, Michigan sits alone atop the Big Ten East standings. Both Penn State and Ohio State each have 4-1 records in conference.
The Wolverines enter this week with seven consecutive victories, including wins against ranked Wisconsin (at home) and Michigan State (on the road) in the past two weeks. Michigan’s defense held Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke to just five total completions, as quarterback Shea Patterson threw for two touchdowns and running back Karan Higdon ran for 144 yards against a stout Spartans’ front seven in a 21-7 win.
Thanks to an interception by Nick scott with 3:18 remaining in the fourth quarter, Penn State narrowly sealed a 30-24-point victory against Iowa last week. To date, the Nittany Lions’ toughest games (Ohio State, Michigan State, and Iowa) have all come at home — this is the first true road test all season.
Matchup to Watch: Trace McSorley will be a great test for the Wolverines defense, specifically the pass rush and if they can generate pressure and sacks. McSorley struggled last week through the air (167 yards, touchdown, interception), but burned the Hawkeyes defense for 63 yards on the ground, including a touchdown. McSorley is mobile, and can athletically make plays when he needs to.