At a 3-2 start to the season, Michigan will have a reprieve from its two-game losing streak with the bye week on the docket. After the bye, though, it won't get much easier for the Wolverines, who have Penn State up next, and both programs are looking very similar after starting the season 3-0 and dropping their first two conference matchups.
Michigan and Penn State are a lot alike in many ways this season. Both teams hired head coaches who spent a lot of time and had a lot of success at their old programs in the Big 12. Now, Kyle Whittingham and Matt Campbell will face off for the first time in the Big Ten in two weeks, and both desperately need a win.
Well, neither will get a win under the lights, as it comes as no surprise that Michigan vs. Penn State did not get a prime-time slot in Ann Arbor, but instead will hit the field at 3:30 p.m. It is unknown which network the game will be on, but with the way these teams are playing, maybe it won't even be nationally televised.
Our home game on October 17 against Penn St will kick off at 3:30 p.m. with the TV network designation being held for six-day selection. pic.twitter.com/umEKHKt7z8
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 5, 2026
Neither Michigan nor Penn State is having the season anyone thought they would
There is always some scepticism when it comes to a team with a new head coach. However, there was hope that with the resumes that both Whittingham and Campbell had, things would be going better than they are now.
Michigan has dropped its first two conference games to No. 20 Iowa, who just suffered its first loss of the season to No. No. 5 Ohio State and Minnesota. It could be argued that Penn State's losses are worse, with a loss to Luke Fickell's Wisconsin team and Northwestern. While the Wildcats and Badgers have looked better this season, Penn State looked lost in both games.
The Wolverines can at least make the argument that they had that Iowa win until the last second, but the Minnesota game was a complete disaster. Penn State got totally torched by Northwestern on the night of their stadium opening.
Either way, this is not the season either team expected, so the fact that they were given the 3:30 p.m. kickoff time should come as no surprise. It is not the worst kickoff time imaginable, but Michigan has had just one prime-time game this season, when they had the miracle win over Western Michigan.
With the way Michigan has played this season, it shouldn't be expected that they will get too many more prime-time slots, unless they are able to turn things around quickly. Luckily, Whittingham has the bye week to fix some problems and get ready for the Penn State matchup, while the Nittany Lions take on No. 19 USC.
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