Michigan Football: 5 things we learned from loss at Penn State

Michigan football lost to Penn State in heartbreaking fashion Saturday night and here are five things we learned from the Wolverines loss.

In a story that looked all too familiar in the first half against Penn State, Michigan football found itself down 21-0 in the blink of an eye.

But unlike Wisconsin, Michigan football got off the mat and in the final two minutes, the Wolverines were just yards away from tying the game. Well, a dropped pass from Ronnie Bell away as it would have it.

It was the realization of every Michigan fan’s worst fear because the failure and the heartbreak always seems inevitable.

After a slew of big conversions, Shea Patterson and the offense couldn’t convert fourth-and-goal and despite a stellar play and a perfect throw to Bell, who was outstanding in his own right before that last play, the ball going through his fingers was entirely predictable.

This is Michigan after all.

It will go along with all the other what-ifs and coulda-woulda-shoulda games. Yes, the refs were bad. Yes, Penn State is a very good team. But still, that was a game that Michigan football could have won and probably should have won.

The start was atrocious and proved too costly to overcome and the defense again failed to deliver, outside of some key stretches. There were positive signs sure, but in year five of Jim Harbaugh, the time for moral victories is over.

With that said, here are five things we learned and what it means for the rest of 2019.