Michigan football's coaching staff maintains a significant advantage through familiarity with the Penn State roster, according to a Oct. 13 report. While the Big Ten may be unfamiliar with the new-look Nittany Lions, Michigan coaches have worked with a large portion of the personnel previously.
Matt Campbell transitioned from Iowa State to Penn State and brought approximately two dozen former Cyclones players with him. Whittingham noted on the Inside Michigan Football show that the staff is very familiar with the quarterback and much of the personnel, even though the players themselves are seeing these specific matchups for the first time.
In contrast to the coaching familiarity, Michigan has used several players from Utah, including John Henry Daley, Jonah Lea'ea, JJ Buchanan, and Smith Snowden, and flipped one freshman commit, Salesi Moa.
Defensive coordinator Jay Hill previously faced Iowa State twice while coordinating defenses at BYU, splitting the results with a 45-13 win in 2023 and a 41-27 loss in 2025. Head coach Whittingham and Campbell met once as head coaches in the Big 12 when Iowa State defeated Utah 31-28 on Nov. 23, 2024.
The matchup features Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht, who has 43 career starts and 29 victories. Becht has completed a combined 39 of 59 passes for 514 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Michigan enters the contest as a 5.5-point favorite. The Wolverines currently rank No. 3 in the nation in total defense with 241.4 yards per game and No. 17 against the run with 94.6 yards per game. Penn State, currently 3-3 and 0-3 in the Big Ten, has lost three straight games and has struggled in the run game, averaging fewer than 3.3 rush yards per game against Big Ten opponents over their last two games.
Penn State entered the season ranked in the top 20 with what was perceived as one of the easier schedules in the conference by avoiding Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana. However, the Nittany Lions have effectively been eliminated from College Football Playoff contention.
Michigan has also struggled recently, failing to win in three weeks and starting 0-2 in the Big Ten, which is the second time the program has achieved that start since 1967. Defensive tackle coach Larry Black noted that Penn State will likely try to use their tight ends and run zone weak to wash players down.
The game between Michigan and Penn State is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
