The biggest victory of Penn State’s season so far was undoubtedly a 38-7 Homecoming smack-down of then-15th-ranked Wisconsin in mid-Oct. But what has been the worst setback?

Many would go directly to an embarrassing 37-17 home loss to top-ranked Ohio State two weeks later in which the Nittany Lions did not force the Buckeyes to punt the football a single time. But the feeling here is that the Big Ten Conference opener at Michigan was even worse.

The 14-9 defeat at Michigan Stadium on Sept. 22 wasn’t lopsided and it didn’t take place in the friendly confines of Beaver Stadium. But it was the most grievous for two major reasons: 1). In trying to slug it out with the Wolverines – who have a long history of struggling to defend spread offenses -- the PSU coaching staff devised a disastrous scheme which hampered any chance the Lions had; and 2). Michigan was without injured starting quarterback Chad Henne, was just three weeks removed from an historic loss to Appalachian State, and were primed for defeat.

Sure, the Ohio State debacle was disheartening. But the Buckeyes were a much more formidable opponent than anybody else on Penn State’s schedule. -- NEIL GEOGHEGAN.