The Big Ten’s newest coaching situations are already turning into a pressure test, and the clock feels different for everyone involved.
At Michigan, Kyle Whittingham inherited a roster that came with serious preseason expectations. The Wolverines opened the year at No. 16 in the AP preseason top 25 after retaining Bryce Underwood, who’s now been benched, and adding a host of players with him. That buzz evaporated quickly after what should have been a loss to Western Michigan pushed Michigan right back out of the rankings.
Penn State entered the season with similar optimism. Just two spots behind Michigan in that same AP preseason poll, the Nittany Lions are now 3-4, have lost four straight, and remain winless in Big Ten play under Matt Campbell’s group.
Curt Cignetti’s rise at Indiana has only sharpened the spotlight on the rest of the league. His rapid turnaround has become the outlier, the kind of result that has altered how athletic directors and fanbases think about rebuilds. It has also helped create a more impatient climate, one where schools seem more willing to make a move if the returns aren’t showing up fast enough.
That reality was underscored by Mike Locksley being fired in mid-October, a move that wouldn’t have felt nearly as likely before the portal, NIL, and Cignetti changed the landscape.
So what does the short term look like for Campbell and Whittingham?
Penn State doesn’t have a ranked opponent left, which means Campbell needs wins soon to keep the season from sliding into a nasty offseason. Washington and Minnesota would count as good victories based on where this team stands now, even if those outcomes would still fall short of the preseason expectation.
Whittingham’s position is a little different. Michigan sits at 4-2, and even a loss to Indiana would leave the door open for signature chances against UCLA and Ohio State.
There’s also the built-in escape hatch that comes with The Game at the end of the regular season. Winning that one buys a Michigan coach goodwill with the fanbase, and that matters.
UCLA is providing another useful reference point. At 6-0 with a former James Madison man leading the way, the Bruins look like the closest thing to the next Indiana that college football may produce. Their path to Bob Chesney also shows how little patience some programs have when the results aren’t there.
After Chip Kelly left, UCLA hired one of his assistants, DeShaun Foster, on a five-year deal worth $3 million per season. Foster’s first year started badly, but he steadied it enough for the Bruins to win four of their last six and finish 5-7 in 2024.
He was then given a chance to build on that, but only barely. UCLA opened 0-3 in 2025, and Foster was gone before the calendar had even made it halfway through September.
That kind of turnaround - and that kind of short leash - is why the situations at Michigan and Penn State feel so charged.
There is always some randomness in the AP preseason poll, but the fact that Penn State, Michigan and LSU were all ranked in their first year with new coaches says plenty about how quickly expectations can move. Between the transfer portal and the ability to pay for top talent out of high school, both programs have the tools to reload in a hurry. Cignetti has already shown how one transfer class can reshape a culture, even at a program that had been losing.
Given the resources and tradition at Michigan and Penn State, there’s not much reason for either program to be underachieving three years from now unless the coaching is the issue. And if that happens, the search will almost certainly begin.
In Other News...
Indiana Heads To Michigan With An Edge Fans Will Notice
A healthy roster has become one of Indianas quieter advantages heading into Saturdays trip to Michigan. While the Wolverines are juggling a long availability report that includes seven players out and seven more questionable, the Hoosiers arrive with no one listed as unavailable and a roster that looks close to full strength. Even better for Indiana, running back Khobie Martin is expected back after his injury, which gives the Hoosiers another option as they prepare for a Noon ET kickoff on FOX.
In a Big Ten game like this, that kind of stability can matter just as much as scheme or momentum. Michigan will still have plenty of talent on the field, but the uncertainty surrounding so many names on its report adds another layer to a matchup that already carries real weight. Indiana does not have to navigate the same injury concerns, and that edge could be one fans notice once the game starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces A Make-Or-Break Test As Passing Game Draws Focus
Indiana heads into its upcoming Big Ten matchup with Michigan carrying more than just the usual conference pressure, because the passing game has become a major point of attention. Josh Hoover remains central to what the Hoosiers want to do offensively, and freshman Tommy Carr is part of the conversation as Indiana looks for answers against a Michigan defense that has earned its reputation for being difficult to move the ball against.
The matchup feels like a revealing one for Indiana because recent struggles have sharpened the focus on how the offense responds when the margin for error shrinks. Michigans defensive strength presents a tough test for the Hoosiers, and the way Indiana handles that challenge could say plenty about where the passing game stands right now, even before any final result comes into view. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Now Faces A Michigan Twist That Changes Everything Saturday
Michigans quarterback picture has become one of the biggest variables heading into Saturdays matchup with Indiana, and it comes after a rough early stretch under Kyle Whittingham. Bryce Underwood has struggled to find consistency, completing under 55 percent of his passes while throwing six interceptions, and the Wolverines already showed a willingness to make a change when Whittingham turned to freshman Tommy Carr at halftime against Penn State.
Carr is now expected to start against Indiana, which adds a different layer to a game the Hoosiers were already preparing to manage carefully. A midseason switch can reset a teams rhythm in a hurry, but it also brings uncertainty, especially for an offense still trying to settle in. For Indiana, the challenge now shifts from studying one quarterback to accounting for a new one with limited experience in a spot that will carry plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]