Who's for real? No. 10 Michigan, which beat Utah 10-7 and needed some last-minute heroics to slip past Washington 31-29? That's seven points from being 2-3, if you're keeping score at home.

Or No. 17 Penn State, which beat UCF 27-24 and held off Wisconsin 34-31 last week? That's eight points from being 2-3, if you're keeping score at home.

We'll find out Saturday when these two Big Ten powers collide in Michigan Stadium.

ND's Defense Gets Offensive

Ordinarily, the phrase "scoring defense" brings to mind points allowed, and Notre Dame is off to a fine start in that category, giving up 12.8 points a game, which is fourth in the nation. But the Irish also are giving another meaning to the phrase. In their 5-0 start, they have scored four of their 14 touchdowns while on defense, and gotten two more special-teams TDs from defensive players. Strong safeties Gerome Sapp and Lionel Bolen each have scored on a fumble return (Bolen's came on a kickoff), while three players -- cornerbacks Vontez Duff and Shane Walton, and linebacker Courtney Watson -- have returned interceptions for touchdowns. Duff, who also has returned a punt for a touchdown, is third in Irish scoring with 12 points, behind kicker Nicholas Setta (37) and running back Ryan Grant (24). To put this in another perspective, the six touchdowns by defensive players are only two fewer than the eight TDs by players when Notre Dame snaps the ball at the start of a play. This new version of scoring defense is no big deal to Watson: "When you pick off the ball, you want to get it in the end zone. When you pick up a fumble, you want to get it into the end zone. That's just your mindset going into the game." But when you do it as often as Notre Dame is doing it, you have a top-10 team that's in the hunt for the national championship. Which is pretty remarkable stuff for a team playing under a first-year coach, Tyrone Willingham, who supposedly didn't inherit enough talent to become the first Irish coach since Ara Parseghian in 1964 to win his first five games at Notre Dame. Is this the next in a long line of great Notre Dame teams? "Not yet. We're a good team, but we're not great yet," Duff said. "I feel as though we still have to put everything together. When we get to that point, we'll be great." Until somebody figures out a way to keep the Irish defense out of the end zone, though, you have to like their chances. -- Herb Gould

OK, the wins over Washington and Wisconsin are good regardless of the score. And everybody has close wins that weren't supposed to be close. Just ask Oklahoma, Texas and Ohio State, to name a few.

The point is, the Penn State-Michigan winner advances in the Big Ten title chase, and the loser takes a step back. And we don't really know how good these teams are yet, even if they are considered perennial contenders.

For Penn State, which is reasserting itself after two losing seasons, a win makes a huge statement. It puts the Nittany Lions in good position for a run at the conference championship. Not only would they have swept a fierce pair of back-to-back road games. Beyond their Oct. 26 trip to Ohio State, their toughest remaining game shapes up as a home date with Michigan State.

Michigan, which hasn't looked as sharp as expected, has all kinds of challenges left, win or lose. Thanks to a schedule in which the Wolverines miss bottom feeders Northwestern and Indiana, the Wolverines still have trips to Purdue and Minnesota, who are good enough to pull off upsets at home. Michigan also will see surging Iowa, not to mention Michigan State, which always seems to muster its best effort in Michigan's Civil War. And then it still has Wisconsin and a trip to Ohio State.

Talk all you want about how Penn State had to go back-to-back to Wisconsin and Michigan, a pair of teams that had bye weeks to get ready for the Nittany Lions. The schedule-maker did the Wolverines even fewer favors.

The real bottom line is that Penn State has shown more up to this point. Sophomore quarterback Zack Mills leads a Nittany Lions offense that is drawing rave notices from the uninitiated and raised eyebrows from craggy Joe Paterno when he's asked what convinced him to modernize his offense.

"I wish people would look back. We've had three wideouts going back to 1954, '55, '56," said Paterno, who became a Penn State assistant in 1950 before becoming head coach in 1966. "In 1959, we had run-and-shoot, double slot with guys in motion. It depends on the players you have. It's not a question of changing your thinking. It's a question of what your personnel gives you the ability to do."

In Mills, who leads the Big Ten in passing yards (260.4) and total offensive yards (279.8), Paterno has a triggerman. In running back Larry Johnson, who's third in the Big Ten in rushing yards (108.2), Paterno has a counter-puncher.

"It's an outstanding offense," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "They can hurt you in a lot of ways. They have very good receivers and an ability to run the football that has set up their play-action passing game. And Mills is a wonderful athlete, a tough competitor who possesses the ability to make plays when something breaks down."

Mix in a Penn State defense that came up with seven sacks at Wisconsin and generally shut down what was supposed to be a pretty good Badger running game -- and you have a Nittany Lions squad that's poised for big things. Penn State also has something else. After going 5-7 in 2000 and 5-6 last fall, the Nittany Lions are hungry.

"It's not that we feel we have to prove to people that JoePa's not over the hill," said defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, whose four sacks at Wisconsin made him the Big Ten defensive player of the week. "We have to prove to people that we're back, that we're still playing Penn State football. We have seniors who have only been to one bowl game and I'm one of them. That's the reason why we're motivated."

It is more difficult to get excited about Michigan. The Wolverines' veteran defense has been vulnerable to big plays. Their kicking game has been a mess. And the weekly Big Ten coaches' call is filled with so many defenses of maligned Michigan quarterback John Navarre, you would think he'd hired Johnny Cochrane.

Still, it's Michigan and it's the Big House, where 110,000 fans will be on hand to see if the Wolverines can make it six straight wins over Penn State. There's no question Michigan has the athletes to protect its home turf. And if the Wolverines think about it, they'll realize how much they have at stake.

Around the Big Ten

Illinois
Despite a disastrous first half in which Illinois has won only once in six games, middle linebacker Jerry Schumacher is taking the attitude that the Illini can still turn things around. "This is my last year. This could be my last time ever playing football," the senior from Chicago said. "I'm not going out a loser. I'm coming out swinging each game, no matter what. You never know what's going to happen. I want to try and get that miracle run, and get this team to a bowl game." A top priority is improving a defense that has allowed more first downs in third-down situations (42 of 102) than any other Big Ten team. By contrast, Illinois' next opponent, Purdue (27 of 101) has the best third-down-stops percentage (26.7) in the conference. "Our third-down conversion rate is killing us. That has to change," Schumacher said. ... Because Jon Beutjer struggled in Illinois' 31-20 loss at Minnesota, coach Ron Turner was considering a switch back to Dustin Ward, who started Illinois' first two games. Turner did not rule using both quarterbacks, either.

Indiana
If the Hoosiers' shocking 63-32 rout of Wisconsin in Madison last fall seems long ago, that's because it is in many ways. IU coach Cam Cameron has been replaced by Gerry DiNardo, and the dazzling work of IU quarterback Antwaan Randle-El has not been replaced. "I haven't heard a word from any of our players about [last year's game]," DiNardo said, discounting the Badgers' revenge motive. "When you get to a program the level of Wisconsin, I don't think revenge is part of the mix. It's two different teams, two different circumstances. There's much more important reasons why these two teams are playing this football game than what happened a year ago."

Iowa
The Hawkeyes are 116th out of 117 Division I-A teams in pass defense (338.7 yards a game) after giving up a season-high 410 passing yards against Purdue. But the numbers that matter to them are 31-28, 5-1 and 2-0 -- the score in Iowa's victory over Purdue, its overall record and its Big Ten record heading into this week's meeting with Michigan State. ... In another key stat, Iowa held Purdue to 97 rushing yards. That's the eighth straight game in which Iowa has allowed fewer than 100 yards on the ground.

Michigan
The Wolverines, who have won their last five meetings with Penn State, will go after their sixth straight win against the Nittany Lions with an ace in the hole -- Michigan is coming off a bye week. "Bye weeks give you an advantage," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "You have two weeks to prepare where your opponent only has one. And you have more time to recuperate from injuries." On the other hand, Wisconsin had a bye week before it lost 34-31 to Penn State, which could have a momentum edge. ... Michigan has the home-field advantage, but it hasn't meant much in this series. The road team is 6-3 in nine meetings since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten in 1993. ... Michigan and Penn State won't meet again after this week until 2005.

Michigan State
The Spartans' bye week gave linebackers Seth Mitchell (knee) and Chris Smith (hamstring) time to get healthier for this week's trip to Iowa, which is likely to test their run defense. The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten with 242.2 rushing yards a game. "Those are two guys we need to work into our rotation at linebacker," Michigan State coach Bobby Williams said. ... The Spartans are 0-3 in their last three trips to Iowa, with all three losses coming by seven points or less.

Minnesota
The Gophers' special teams have been living up to their name. Wide receiver Jermaine Mays blocked a punt for the second straight week in the Gophers' 31-10 victory over Illinois and then recovered it for a touchdown. And placekicker Dan Nystrom kicked a field goal that made him the Gophers' all-time leader with 58 three-pointers. He passed Chip Lohmiller, who kicked 57 field goals in 1984-87. ... Minnesota also whipped Illinois 44-10 in 2000, the last time the Illini traveled north. That's a 75-20 scoring edge in the Gophers' last two home games against Illinois.

Northwestern
Junior running back Jason Wright was held under 100 yards for the first time in five games, but coach Randy Walker was pleased with Wright's 95 yards on 24 carries in Northwestern's surprisingly competitive 27-16 loss to Ohio State. Wright also returned a kick 67 yards and scored the Wildcats' only touchdown on a nine-yard run. ... The Wildcats travel Thursday to Minnesota, a team they have beaten four times in the last five meetings, including a wild 41-35 victory in 2000, their last trip to the Gophers' Metrodome home.

Ohio State
Freshman tailback Maurice Clarett rushed for 140 yards on 29 carries, including a pair of touchdowns, but was feeling down about fumbling the ball away twice on his first five carries in the Buckeyes' 27-16 escape from Northwestern. "I would have been the reason we lost, if we'd lost," Clarett said. ... Receiver Michael Jenkins had two clutch catches for 33 yards as the Buckeyes reasserted themselves when Northwestern held a 6-0 lead going into the second quarter. Jenkins has caught a pass in 18 straight games. ... Ohio State hasn't lost at Northwestern since 1958.

Penn State
The 34-31 final score doesn't seem to indicate it, but the defense came up big in Penn State's victory at Wisconsin. The defense allowed only seven points until late in the third quarter. It also came up with seven sacks and allowed the Badgers' highly regarded running game only 92 net yards. ... The Nittany Lions also showed a lot of composure, not becoming flustered when the Badgers intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown that put them ahead 14-13 in the second quarter of a game Penn State had been controlling. "Everyone stayed calm and just kept playing. Nobody got down. Everybody believed," offensive tackle Gus Felder said.

Purdue
Kyle Orton, who left in the third quarter of the Boilermakers' 31-28 loss at Iowa with a concussion, will start at Illinois this week if he's pronounced healthy, coach Joe Tiller said, adding that all indications are that Orton is healthy. But if Orton, who returned to the practice field Sunday after being hospitalized for observation Saturday night, can't go, true freshman Brandon Kirsch showed he is a solid alternative. "He's got a quick release, he's a smart guy and he's got some athleticism," Tiller said. "That's why we moved him to No. 2 ahead of a guy [Kyle Smith] that's been in our program a year-and-a-half."

Wisconsin
The Badgers may have a solid running game, but they missed injured receiver Lee Evans big-time in their 34-31 loss to Penn State, a game in which they dropped some key passes that would have made a big difference. "The way he practiced Tuesday, I thought Lee was going to play," Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said. "He had some soreness and it didn't go away when he practiced again on Thursday. He didn't feel comfortable, so that was that." ... Senior quarterback Brooks Bollinger remains determined despite a loss that exposes Wisconsin as vulnerable. "I've been on a team that lost its first Big Ten game and won the Rose Bowl," Bollinger said, referring to the '99 team, which won seven straight conference games after losing 21-16 to Michigan in its opener. "A lot of crazy things happen in the Big Ten. We just need to keep plugging away."

Around the Independents
Connecticut, which is gearing up for its Big East entry in 2005, found out how far it has to go last week in a 48-14 loss to Miami in the Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes led 42-0 at halftime and 48-0 before the Huskies punched in a pair of second-half touchdowns. "What can you say?" UConn coach Randy Edsall said. "To me that's the No. 1 team in the country by far." ... Navy put up the first touchdown, but self-destructed again in a 48-7 loss at Air Force, which scored the final 48 points of the game. Two early fumbles led to 10 points for Air Force, which downed the Midshipmen for the 19th time in their last 21 meeting. ... Navy, which came up with five turnovers in its opening upset of SMU, has only one takeaway since then. ... Notre Dame trailed 7-3 at the half, but scored three third-quarter touchdowns in less than seven minutes to put away Stanford 31-7. The Irish credited first-year coach Tyrone Willingham's positive, intense halftime approach with giving them the poise to deal with a potentially dangerous situation against the underdog Cardinal. ... Former walk-on Pat Dillingham started at quarterback in place of Carlyle Holiday, who hopes to return from a shoulder injury against Pittsburgh this week. ... South Florida cashed in on four fourth-quarter turnovers to win 24-17 at North Texas. Strong safety Kevin Vedrpaele had two interceptions. The first, which he returned seven yards to the North Texas 16-yard line, set up a two-yard touchdown run by Clenton Crossley that gave the Bulls a 24-10 lead with 9:41 left. "To win in the fashion we did, which was not pretty, after two tough losses [at Arkansas and Oklahoma] shows the potential of this program is pretty strong," USF coach Jim Leavitt said. ... Troy State halted a two-game losing stretch by piling up 483 yards of offense in a 41-3 rout of Austin Peay. The Trojans had 383 yards at halftime, when they led 41-0. ... It was the 100th career victory for coach Larry Blakeney, who is 100-38-1 in 11-plus years at Troy State. ... Utah State gave BYU a scare before losing 35-34. But the Aggies were devastated after blowing a 34-7 halftime lead. "What a punch in the stomach," Aggies coach Mick Dennehy said. Utah State, which doesn't often get opportunities for a win of that magnitude, will have a week off to regroup before playing host to New Mexico on Oct. 19.

Herb Gould covers college football for the Chicago Sun-Times.