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Expectations were high for senior quarterback Shea Patterson entering the 2019 season.
Patterson was head coach Jim Harbaugh’s first returning starter at the position since he took over at Michigan, and the offensive shift to Josh Gattis’ “pro-spread” approach seemed to suit Patterson’s strengths as a creator in the pocket.
The fact that coaches and teammates raved about the senior’s playmaking ability in this new scheme all offseason did nothing to temper those expectations.
But the season didn’t start the way anyone envisioned.
Patterson was injured in the season-opener, which either affected his confidence, his playmaking ability or both through the first seven games of the season. The senior was completed just 54.7 percent of his throws through the Penn State game, and had just nine passing touchdowns against four interceptions.
Fans and media were ready to move on. Michigan had lost two of their first seven games, the Big Ten title already seemed out of reach, and young prospects Dylan McCaffery and Joe Milton showed promise.
But the coaching staff stuck by Patterson, and the quarterback has rewarded their faith over the course of the past four games.
In that stretch, Patterson has thrown 12 touchdown passes and just a single interception – which came in garbage time last week at Indiana. The senior also bumped his completion percentage up to 63.6 percent in those four games.
“Shea’s been going out there and having fun,” junior wide receiver Nico Collins said on Monday. “He’s out there playing with confidence. I feel like this offense is playing with confidence right now. I feel like we’re having fun and enjoying the moment.”
Patterson has earned ‘Offensive Player of the Week’ honors from the Big Ten in each of the past two weeks. The quarterback eclipsed 300 passing yards in each game – after having not accomplished that feat in any of his previous 22 starts for the Wolverines – and became the first Michigan quarterback in history to throw at least four touchdown passes in back-to-back games.
Those are nice accomplishments, but not ones that will leave a lasting legacy amongst Wolverine fans and historians.
Enter Ohio State.
Patterson’s play in this Saturday’s game will determine how he’s remembered – or if he’s remembered at all. That may seem harsh, but it’s reality.
Patterson’s performance last year against the Buckeyes was solid. He completed 20-of-34 passes for 187 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
But nobody remembers those numbers. They remember 62-39.
As former Michigan quarterback Brian Griese once said, “You’re judged at Michigan by what you do against Ohio State.”
The only Wolverine quarterbacks to beat the Buckeyes since the turn of the century are Denard Robinson (2011), John Navarre (2003) and Drew Henson (2000).
If Patterson joins that group, he’ll ultimately leave Ann Arbor with a lasting legacy as one of the university’s best.
Consider this:
Patterson is 13-0 as a starting quarterback at the Big House. This Saturday’s game will be his final at Michigan Stadium. A win would clinch an unbeaten record in Ann Arbor.
Patterson has thrown for over 5,000 yards in a Michigan uniform. He’s just the ninth Wolverine in history to eclipse the mark, and he did it with the best efficiency (149.9), the second-lowest interception rate (1.92 percent), needed the second-fewest games (24) and the fourth-fewest attempts (619) amongst that group.
Patterson would be 1-1 against both Ohio State and Notre Dame, and 2-0 against Michigan State as Michigan’s starting quarterback. Given the Wolverines’ recent history against their rivals, those marks would earn him a nod of approval.
Despite the early criticism this season, despite failing to validate the “Dark Horse Heisman candidate” talk that accompanied his arrival from Ole Miss as a transfer, Patterson has put himself in position to have one final shot at a defining moment at Michigan.
He’ll need help from his teammates to accomplish that. Anyone who understands what the Wolverines are up against this Saturday knows that.
“Shea’s just having fun, he’s playing looser,” Collins said. “He knows we got his back 100 percent of the way. We’re gonna be there for him.”
But Patterson needs to lead the way, and if it results in a Wolverines victory, he’ll cement himself firmly in Michigan lore.
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