With Michigan coming off a road loss to Minnesota and then a bye week, the Wolverines are chomping at the bit to get back on the field. Penn State on the other hand has played for the last three weeks and come up short all three times. With both programs needing a win in a bad way, there are plenty of questions surrounding the entire game.

1. Can Bryce Underwood rebound?

Underwood's last performance was one to forget. Against Minnesota on the road, the sophomore went 10-for-21 for 101 yards and no touchdowns with two bad interceptions. He also had just 20 yards rushing in the game. In fact, he hasn't had more than 36 yards rushing in a game since his 87-yard outing against Oklahoma. On the season, Underwood has just five touchdowns against four interceptions.

Against Penn State, he's going to need to be sharp. The Nittany Lions struggle against the run, but against the pass, they're No. 6 nationally giving up only 149.8 yards per game. They've also picked off five passes this season.

If Michigan wants to win, Underwood needs to take care of the ball and make some plays downfield. Penn State will make that difficult through the air, but if Underwood improved at all over the bye week, or more seriously, if he wants to keep his job he needs to show that he can play at an acceptable level against a decent team, especially at home.

2. Can Michigan get the running game going?

As outlined above, Penn State's pass defense is solid. Against the run, the Nittany Lions are not good. Matt Campbell's group comes in at No. 105 nationally against the run allowing around 166 yards per game. They've also surrendered eight rushing touchdowns to opponents.

It's been tough sledding for Michigan on the ground but Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter have to find some running lanes against Penn State. This matchup is ripe for the picking for U-M on the ground and that needs to be the focus. Softening up Penn State's defense with the run game should make throwing the ball easier for Underwood throughout the game.

3. Will the tight ends ever get involved?

Zack Marshall was billed as TE1 during fall camp, but he's yet to make a catch this year. That would at least partially explain his comments about the team and the offense that leaked during the bye week. With that said, Marshall isn't the only tight end not contributing.

In what used to be a major part of Michigan's offense, the tight end position has been rendered almost useless. They aren't catching passes and they've been replaced in some packages by an extra offensive lineman with the Rhino personnel.

Through five games, tight ends have caught just nine passes for 65 yards and no touchdowns. That is virtually nonexistent. Penn State uses its tight ends well, so it'll be interesting to see how it shows up for U-M against the Nittany Lions.

4. Who steps up at punt returner?

Sophomore wide receiver Andrew Marsh has caught 25 balls for 268 yards and a touchdown this year, which isn't exactly where most thought he'd be. In order to get the ball in his hands, he was also Michigan's starting punt returner. Unfortunately, he's made too many mistakes back there and has been replaced.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham said there will be someone new back there but wouldn't reveal who. Some potential replacements for Marsh include freshman wide receiver Salei Moa, freshman running back Savion Hiter and freshman wide receiver Travis Johnson. All three are young players, but all three have an explosiveness to their game that could pay dividends.

5. Will Jay Hill's defense remain stout?

Jay Hill's defense has been better than solid this year. They have kept Michigan in games when the offense was doing absolutely nothing. The defense is currently No. 5 against the pass, No. 16 against the run and No. 20 when it comes to giving up points. That combination gives the Wolverines the No. 3 overall defense in the country.

Penn State isn't very good on offense despite having a seasoned veteran at quarterback in Rocco Becht. Michigan's edge rushers and linebackers should make life very tough in the box. If that happens, U-M's experienced and dynamic secondary could get a couple of takeaways in this one.

It's a question that must be asked week after week, but the maize and blue defense seems up to the challenge.