The Michigan Wolverines are coming off consecutive losses and are in the midst of the worst start to Big Ten play in more than a decade. However, the upcoming matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions this weekend is a chance to right the ship and get things back on track.
Even though head coach Kyle Whittingham claimed it’s “a bit dramatic” to call this game a season-saving opportunity, the Wolverines are staring at the possibility of an 0-3 record in the Big Ten and a disastrous start to his tenure
as head coach.
“Both teams really need a win,” Whittingham told the media on Monday morning. “They are on a three-game losing skid and we’re on a two-game losing skid, so we’re both kind of in the same boat. It’s an important game, but they are all important. Every game is important.”
Every game is important, that is true. However, when you’re on the verge of suffering a third straight loss to open Big Ten play for the first time since 1967, there’s a little added pressure. Whittingham tried to downplay things a bit, and it’s rare to call a game in October a “must-win,” but this seems to be just that.
Michigan finished with a season-low 180 total yards in the 20-14 loss to Minnesota two weekends ago, the worst single-game offensive output since 2014. The Wolverines are second-worst in the Big Ten with 315.8 total yards and 23.0 points per game.
“The message is we can’t turn the ball over, we have to play sound and play physical,” Whittingham said. “We have to do a better job moving the football because offensively, that was our poorest performance against Minnesota.”
Michigan took a 14-7 lead over Minnesota into halftime, but a putrid offensive performance was too much to overcome. The Wolverines were scoreless and committed three turnovers in the second half alone on their way to a second straight loss.
“Our big demise is turnover margin,” Whittingham said. “We have to get that fixed. You can’t win against opponents that are capable when you’re doing that. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. We have to start turning the ball over less.”
The Wolverines face a difficult schedule to close out the season, so losing to Penn State would leave little room for error on the quest for bowl eligibility. Additionally, a loss could call into question if Whittingham is the right coach for the program.
“It’s only natural when you hit a tough spot to question everything you’re doing, evaluate and take an in-depth look,” Whittingham said. “But if you believe in what you’re doing, which we do, then you can’t panic and you just stay the course.”
Michigan has looked awful at times this season — constantly committing self-inflicted penalties and turnovers, resulting in a losing skid that easily could have been avoided and an 0-2 start in conference play for the first time since 2014.
Whether you want to admit it or not, Michigan has a lot at stake against Penn State. The outcome of this matchup could galvanize the program and create momentum, or it could become a point of no return in the Whittingham era.
