Did many folks watch the Michigan/Fresno game last night?
To say that I was not impressed would be putting it lightly, and I didn’t have high expectations going into it.
The QBs for Michigan are objectively bad. Warren would be 4th string at Texas only because I don’t think we actually have a scholarship 4th stringer. Orji isn’t a QB and Michigan appears to realize that, but no one must be willing to tell him. They hardly played him and, when they did, it was basically a Wildcat offense.
Worse than the QBs were the skill position players not named Loveland. There isn’t a single WR that played last night that would be in the Texas two deep. I know we’re deep, so that statement may not be doing their lack of talent justice. Mullings appears to be the go-to TB because Edwards still can’t run inside and they don’t seem to have much interest in running outside.
Loveland is a true stud TE. Texas needs to take him seriously and take him away as a safety net. If they do this, Michigan QBs will turn the ball over.
The offensive line looked mediocre in their first game together. Fresno State wasn’t exactly living in the backfield, but Michigan wasn’t getting push and having their way, which I expected based on the breathless way the Michigan Insider guys were raving about them.
The Michigan front looked great defensively, allowing 9 yards rushing. This is the strength of their team and it is not even close.
The Fresno State QB is not a guy Texas would recruit and he was missing guys all night. He made the mistake of testing Will Johnson as well and I hope Texas doesn’t. Frankly, there is no need to do so.
The Michigan LBs and safeties are not fast. Sarkisian is great at picking apart mismatches like this. I’ll never forget watching him scheme to match up the Bama WRs against slow Ohio State LBs repeatedly in the 2020 season’s national title game. Knowing the speed and quickness of our receivers and watching Michigan’s Big 10 pass defense last night gave me a lot of confidence. Michigan has one LB that they rave about because he’s such a thumper. He’s a transfer from Maryland. I want to see him matched up against Texas on passing downs, please.
The Big House isn’t particularly loud, allegedly. I’m looking forward to seeing it in person. My hope is that Texas goes up by two scores early, takes away home field advantage and forces Michigan to do something, anything on offense.