3. Is the offensive line for real?
While the secondary had some issues in its Big Ten Week 1 battle, the offensive line didn’t. The group looked strong, and with four new starters, it seemed like the unit reloaded and would be another strong point to the team. Last week against Michigan State, the offensive line looked like four new starters among the group. It was a tale of two weeks for the group, so is the offensive line a big help to the offense, or are they a detriment?
In this game, they could see a player down in right tackle Jalen Mayfield, who left the game last week early. Harbaugh said Mayfield had X-rays that came back negative. While that is good news for Mayfield and the Wolverines, that doesn’t mean he is a lock to play next week. He could miss time, and if he does miss a game, you would have five new starters along the line, and, with a young quarterback, that isn’t what you want to have.
Having Mayfield or not, the offensive line needs to rebound quickly. With the struggles they had last week, we saw the running game become something that wasn’t working, and when that running game isn’t working, that is a huge problem for the Wolverines. It forces them to pass, and while they have the talent at quarterback and wide receiver, it makes its offense more predictable and easier to stop. When you become predictable, you lose games. By having a strong offensive line, Michigan can do what it should be able to, but it could be in for another disaster on the road if the struggles continue.