Michigan has been one of the biggest disappointments this season.
Under new head coach Kyle Whittingham, the Wolverines are just 3-2 and have suffered back-to-back losses to Big Ten rivals Iowa and Minnesota, leaving them still searching for their first win in conference play.
Michigan opened the season with a narrow 13-12 win over Western Michigan, which, given how it happened, was bad enough. But it looked like things were going to get better after they beat Oklahoma one week later and then blew out UTEP 52-17. They haven't, and now they head into their clash against Penn State in Ann Arbor under real pressure to turn things around.
With the game set to be a big test for both teams, Joel Klatt warned that whoever ends up on the losing side could have real reason to worry the rest of the season.
"I worry about whoever loses this game. Yikes," Klatt said. "What is the best element of this game? That's easy. Michigan's defense. And they're the best thing in this game by a wide margin. Everyone's going to be watching this offense. And I get it. All eyes are on Jason Beck. All eyes are on Bryce Underwood. Let's not make the mistake of thinking that it's been terrible every single week. Have there been weeks that it's been terrible? Yes. Minnesota, bad. Western Michigan, bad. OU and Iowa, not bad.
"Meanwhile, Penn State's offense, they don't do anything. They don't have guys that can get open. I worry about how many points that they can score. So I know everyone's going to be worried about Michigan's offense. But the key of this game is that Michigan's defense is an elite defense, an elite defense ... Michigan wins that one over Penn State."
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Michigan's offense has struggled to put up points under star quarterback Bryce Underwood, who himself has shown flashes but also struggled with turnovers and consistency. The Wolverines are averaging just 315.8 total yards and 23 points per game, among the lowest marks in college football, and Underwood has completed just 59.3% of his passes for 881 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions.
But for as bad as Michigan's offense has been, its defense is among the best in the country, and they now host a Nittany Lions team that's been struggling even more. Penn State got off to a hot 3-0 start, notching wins over Marshall, Temple, and Buffalo, but has now lost three straight, falling to Wisconsin, Northwestern, and USC. The Northwestern loss was particularly bad, dropping 34-13, while the defeat to USC came in their homecoming White Out game, even if it was a more competitive performance.
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Both teams are adjusting to first-year head coaches, and neither has won a Big Ten game yet. That's what makes Saturday's matchup so important for both Michigan and Penn State. A loss would push the Nittany Lions below .500 and leave the Wolverines facing the same record. It would also likely end any dreams of making the College Football Playoff this season.