Penn State entered the year with a path that looked good enough to spark playoff talk, but that picture has cracked fast. Now the Nittany Lions come into Saturday’s game at Michigan riding a three-game losing streak, and the gap between preseason optimism and what has shown up on the field has been obvious.
A lot of that early belief came from continuity. After the Frankin firing, new coach Matt Campbell kept familiar pieces in place, most notably offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and quarterback Rocco Becht, who were both in their third year together. Penn State also dodged preseason top-10 opponents Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon, which made the schedule look inviting to both national and local observers.
That path has looked even friendlier than expected because of early Big Ten issues for Michigan and Washington, but Penn State has not taken advantage. The Nittany Lions handled their non-conference slate, then let a late lead slip away against Wisconsin. After that came a stunning defeat at Northwestern, followed by a loss to USC in front of a White Out crowd.
The collapse in Evanston clearly hit hardest. Northwestern leaned on a Wing-T offense and piled up more than 400 rushing yards while Penn State’s offense never found an answer and looked messy throughout. The Wisconsin loss might have been easier to wave off as growing pains for a new-look team, but the 34-13 defeat to the Wildcats sent the panic level way up.
That kind of margin has been rare for Penn State over the last five seasons. From 2021-25, the Nittany Lions had lost only five regular-season games by multiple scores, and every one of those came against top-five Michigan and Ohio State teams, by an average of 16 points.
In Other News...
Michigans Offensive Line Just Became A Real Penn State Concern
Michigans injury report entering the Penn State game adds another layer of uncertainty to a matchup already carrying plenty of weight. The Wolverines offensive line, in particular, looks like the area under the most pressure, with the list of players out, doubtful or questionable growing from what it had been earlier in the week. For a team that wants to control the line of scrimmage, that kind of turnover up front can change the feel of the entire offense before a snap is even taken.
Jake Guarnera and Brady Norton being listed as questionable is the part Penn State will be watching most closely, because it keeps Michigans protection and run-game plans from feeling settled. There is at least some precedent for those designations not ending in absences, since players such as Dom Nichols and John Henry Daley were questionable in prior games and still managed to play. Even so, the uncertainty leaves Michigan with real lineup decisions to sort through and gives Penn State reason to think the Wolverines front might not be at full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans First Big Ten Win May Depend On Two Lingering Problems
Michigan heads into its matchup with Penn State still searching for its first Big Ten win, and the path to getting one has been shaped by the same issues that have lingered through the conference opener stretch. The Wolverines have had trouble generating consistent production on the ground, which has made it harder to control games the way they usually want to, and that leaves some room for adjustment as they prepare for a Penn State team dealing with its own offensive frustrations.
Penn State has leaned more heavily on quarterback Rocco Becht because its running game has not provided enough help, and that puts more pressure on both lines of scrimmage to decide the game. Michigans outlook also comes with a defensive concern, since injuries to key players could affect its pass rush, adding another layer of uncertainty to a matchup where one clean answer on either side may be enough to swing the result. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's New Era Is Putting Kyle Whittingham Under Real Pressure
The first month of the Big Tens new coaching shuffle has already made the pressure feel real, and Michigan is right in the middle of it with Kyle Whittingham trying to settle into a program that expects almost immediate answers. He and Penn States Matt Campbell arrived as the leagues latest big-name imports, but both have spent the opening stretch dealing with the usual hard part of change: getting a team to look like a reflection of the coach while also learning the league at the same time.
Whittingham has leaned on familiar faces as he tries to steady the transition, bringing key players with him in the same way Campbell has at Penn State, where a former Iowa State core has helped ease the move. The challenge now is less about introductions and more about results, and neither coach has put a conference win on the board yet. In a league that rarely waits for anyone, the message inside both programs has been about accountability and growth, but the Big Ten tends to ask for proof before patience. [Read more 🡒]