STATE COLLEGE - Mario Manningham might have been sidelined, but that didn't stop Michigan from airing it out.

Instead, receivers Steve Breaston and Adrian Arrington proved they were up to the challenge of filling Manningham's shoes.

On the first play of the second quarter, quarterback Chad Henne completed a 15-yard pass to Breaston in traffic. One play later, Adrian Arrington gained 15 yards on his first catch of the day, which Breaston followed with an 11-yard reception.

The drive culminated in a 25-yard touchdown pass to Arrington, who split two Penn State defenders to scamper into the end zone for the Wolverines' first score.

"(Arrington) caught two or three balls with people all over him, where his feet . were extended, and he caught them early in the game," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "I thought Adrian made some great plays, particularly in the first half."

Arrington finished the game with five receptions and 85 yards, both career highs. Breaston grabbed five balls for 79 yards, including a 24-yard catch that helped set up Michigan's second touchdown.

Even though the receiving corps played well, Manningham was still missed. Henne tried to connect with Breaston on a few deep passes - Manningham's calling card - but the fifth-year senior couldn't pull them in.

At his weekly press conference, Carr seemed optimistic about Manningham's progress, reporting that the sophomore had suffered minimal swelling after undergoing knee surgery. But Carr didn't give a timetable for Manningham's return.

On Monday, Carr confirmed that Manningham started rehab on his knee late last week.

Apparently, the encouraging news put Carr in a joking mood.

"I saw him in there on Friday and asked him if he had run, and he said, 'No,' " Carr said after Saturday's game. "I said, 'That's because you're soft and you're not tough.' Of course that got a big smile out of him."

Bringin' da noise: When the student section started filling in more than two hours before kickoff, you knew Beaver Stadium was going to be loud.

By game time, it was deafening.

"It was definitely a lot louder than the crowd noise we prepared for in practice," Henne said. "I was screaming at the top of my lungs just so everybody could hear."

Said linebacker Prescott Burgess: "This is one of the loudest stadiums I've ever played in."

To get ready for the hostile Happy Valley, Michigan practiced with its crowd noise machine on full blast last week, blaring music while Henne tried to relay plays to the rest of the offense.

The Wolverines' preparation seemed to be for naught at the start of the game. Michigan racked up two false start penalties on its opening drive, forcing back-to-back second-and-long situations. But the offense adjusted and didn't commit another false start for the rest of the contest.

"It was a real problem early on; it was pretty rowdy in there," Arrington said. "But we kind of settled down, and once we got on the board, the noise kind of subsided and it was pretty easy until the end."

Penn State tailback Tony Hunt's late touchdown off a 43-yard screen fired up the Nittany Lion faithful, making it almost impossible to hear on the field.

That is, until Michigan's defensive stand shut the Penn State fans up for good.

Let's go bowling: During Sunday's NFL telecast, FOX announced the Bowl Championship Series standings for the first time this season.

Thanks to their big road win over Penn State and Florida's first loss, the Wolverines debuted at No. 3.

Predictably, Carr said he isn't concerned with Michigan's place in the rankings, BCS or otherwise.

"As far as putting any stock into them, it doesn't matter because they're going to change next week," Carr said. "Somebody is going to fall, somebody is going to rise, so you better take care of the business at hand."

Not surprisingly, Ohio State came in at No. 1. The Buckeyes have been the near-consensus No. 1 team in the AP and ESPN/Coaches polls since the season began.

Southern Cal's No. 2 ranking was a little more controversial. The Trojans have eked out a series of close wins over mediocre teams recently, and pundits have questioned whether they deserve to be ranked so highly.

Either way, the Wolverines' No. 3 position means they control their destiny as the season progresses. If Michigan wins out, it's almost guaranteed a spot in the BCS national championship game.