2019 Michigan Wolverines – Page 4

Week 14 Big Ten power rankings, Michigan moves up before Ohio State matchup

Michigan football beat Indiana last week 39-14, how does that win affect their conference standing before taking on Ohio State?

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Michigan improved to 9-2 on the season with a 39-14 win over Indiana last week as it was the first time under head coach Jim Harbaugh that the Wolverines didn’t need overtime in Indiana to defeat the Hoosiers. That wasn’t the biggest game last week, as Ohio State defeated Penn State and showed signs of weakness at points in the game.

There were some wins that change up the entire rankings list ahead of the final week of regular-season play approaches as the Big Ten Championship game is next week. Check out my latest rankings.

1. OHIO STATE 11-0 (8-0)

Ohio State stays on top after they defeated Penn State 28-17 and keep their undefeated season alive. While quarterback Justin Fields had his worst performance this season by fumbling the football three times, running back J.K. Dobbins had a solid performance despite fumbling once. Dobbins finished with 157 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries.

The defense did a solid job in making sure passing the ball would be tough for the Nittany Lions as they held both Penn State quarterbacks to just 128 yards combined and an interception. Ohio State takes on Michigan this week in the biggest game of the season for them as they try and keep their undefeated and playoff hopes alive.

2. MINNESOTA 10-1 (7-1)

Minnesota was able to shake off the Northwestern Wildcats, winning 38-22 as quarterback Tanner Morgan had another impressive performance, going 15/23 for 211 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Minnesota also was able to rush for 212 yards and a touchdown on 39 carries.

The defense made Northwestern struggle in the passing game once again, having both quarterbacks combine by going 8/12 for 95 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota takes on Wisconsin this week as the winner takes on Ohio State next week in the Big Ten title game.

3. MICHIGAN 9-2 (6-2)

Michigan jumps over Penn State and Wisconsin despite having their losses being to them. The reason being, Michigan is playing better now than they were against the Badgers, and if they played like they did in the second half for all four quarters against Penn State, they would’ve won.

Last week they handled Indiana with ease for the first time in a while, winning 39-14. Quarterback Shea Patterson tried one-upping his performance against Michigan State by throwing for 366 yards with five touchdowns and an interception.

The defense had some struggles at first, but would later calm down and shut down the Hoosiers offense, holding the Hoosiers to 97 rushing yards on 37 carries, allowing the only two touchdowns of the game. Michigan takes on Ohio State this week as they try and play spoiler against the Buckeyes perfect season, and put a damper on their playoff hopes.

4. PENN STATE 9-2 (6-2)

Penn State falls only one spot after losing to Ohio State last week. They put up a good fight on offense, but with quarterback Sean Clifford getting injured, backup Will Levis had to step in and change up the offense. Penn State was able to get some action on the ground against Ohio State, finishing with 99 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries.

The defense did all they could for the offense as they forced four fumbles and recovered three of them, which helped keep the game close. Fields hasn’t had any issues with turnovers this season, but this was his worst game when it came to that. Penn State takes on Rutgers this week as they look to get their 10th win of the season.

5. WISCONSIN 9-2 (6-2)

Wisconsin falls a spot as they had some troubles with Purdue before pulling away, winning 45-24. Running back Jonathan Taylor had another impressive performance with 222 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, but the fumbling issues returned as he coughed it up twice.

The defense helped out greatly with the Badgers offense turning the football over four times. They forced Purdue to air it out as the Boilermakers could only muster up 50 yards on 20 carries. Wisconsin will try and upset the Golden Gophers next week and punch their ticket to a rematch against Ohio State in Indianapolis.

6. IOWA 8-3 (5-3)

Iowa was given a tough fight from Illinois, but pulled it out in the end, winning 19-10. Iowa had to move the ball through the air as quarterback Nate Stanley went 18/35 for 308 yards and an interception.

The defense helped the Hawkeyes lock up the victory as they forced Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters to go 16/31 for 125 yards with a touchdown, two interceptions, and a fumble. Iowa takes on Nebraska this week as they look to ruin the Cornhusker’s bowl eligibility.

7. INDIANA 7-4 (4-4)

Indiana put up a good fight against Michigan, but the injuries were too much on offense to put up any more points. Indiana was without their top wide receiver, Whop Philyor and wide receiver Ty Fryfogle would miss most of the game as well. Quarterback Peyton Ramsey went 17/29 for 217 yards with an interception and a fumble as the passing game was able to push the Wolverines back.

While the defense didn’t have an answer for Patterson, they did hold the Michigan running game in check, holding them to just 87 yards on 29 carries. Indiana takes on Purdue this week as they just are looking to improve their record for a better bowl game.

8. ILLINOIS 6-5 (4-4)

Illinois sits still after their tough fight against Iowa. While Peters struggled, the running game was able to help the offense despite never finding the endzone. They finished with 192 yards on 39 carries as they were the best thing the offense had going.

The defense couldn’t have much of an answer for Stanley, but when it came to stopping the Iowa rushing attack Illinois did just that. They held the Hawkeyes to 79 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries. Illinois takes on Northwestern this week as they look to improve their bowl game bid.

9. NEBRASKA 5-6 (3-5)

Nebraska jumps up two spots after having their way with Maryland, winning 54-7. Nebraska was able to just run the ball right through the Terrapins, getting 305 yards and four touchdowns on 57 carries.

Nebraska’s defense made Maryland regret trying to pass the football on them. Four different quarterbacks tried to attack the Cornhuskers secondary and none of them were able to do it. All four quarterbacks combined by going 7/21 for 57 yards. Nebraska will look to get into a bowl game as they try and upset Iowa in the season finale.

10. MICHIGAN STATE 5-6 (3-5)

Michigan State moves up after getting a shutout against Rutgers 27-0. Quarterback Brian Lewerke rebounded after the poor performance against Michigan, going 21/30 for 239 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.

The defense also rebounded by not allowing Rutgers to score or get over 150 total offensive yards. They held Rutgers to just 140 yards and when it came to the pass defense, Michigan State did a good job at shutting that down. They held Rutgers quarterback Johnny Langan to 57 yards and an interception as he went 8/20. Michigan State takes on Maryland this week as they look to clinch a bowl game with a victory.

11. PURDUE 4-7 (3-5)

Purdue put up a good fight against Wisconsin, but it wasn’t enough in the end for them. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell did all he could by going 26/43 for 289 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

The defense did great at forcing turnovers on the Badgers, but they couldn’t have an answer for quarterback Jack Coan who went 15/19 for 203 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Purdue takes on Indiana this week as they try and come up a hair short to a bowl game.

12. MARYLAND 3-8 (1-7)

Maryland had a horrible performance last week, and while the passing game couldn’t do much, the running game could at least move the ball down the field. Running back Javon Leake had eight carries for 80 yards and a touchdown as he was the only player on the team to score.

The defense struggled to stop everything Nebraska had. When it came to the passing game, Nebraska quarterback played well, going 16/25 for 194 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, even getting 94 yards and a touchdown on the ground in his 10 carries. Maryland takes on Michigan State this week as they try and ruin the Spartans postseason possibilities.

13. NORTHWESTERN 2-9 (0-8)

Northwestern put up somewhat of a fight against Minnesota but ultimately failed. The ground game was able to find the end zone more than the passing game, as quarterback Andrew Marty finished with two rushing touchdowns and 52 yards on 16 of his carries as he didn’t do poorly in the passing game by going 8/10 for 95 yards and a touchdown.

The defense couldn’t stop either the run or the pass by the Golden Gophers, allowing 423 yards as both were almost equal in the damage done to the Wildcats defense. Northwestern takes on Illinois this week as they look to get their first Big Ten conference win of the season.

14. RUTGERS 2-9 (0-8)

Rutgers got shutout this week after dropping 21 on Ohio State the week before. The ground game was the only thing that could somewhat work for them as they had 83 yards on 27 carries against a tough Michigan State defense.

Rutgers defense couldn’t defend the pass but did better in stopping the rushing game by Michigan State. Running back Elijah Collins had 31 carries for 109 yards as he was the main back for the Spartans. Rutgers takes on Penn State as they try and upset the Nittany Lions and get their first Big Ten conference win of the season.

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Michigan looking to avoid longest losing streak ever against Ohio State

Michigan football is on a seven-game losing streak against Ohio State, and another loss would make it the longest ever. Will they stop it?

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The greatest rivalry in college football and possibly all of the major sports, is upon us once again this week. Michigan vs. Ohio State. The rivalry hasn’t been in favor of the Wolverines lately as they are currently on a seven-game losing streak to the Buckeyes. While it’s technically the longest streak ever, Michigan has been on a seven-game skid against the Buckeyes once before.

From 2004-2010 Michigan lost to Ohio State, but the 2010 loss was vacated from the Buckeyes, so that streak is technically at six. Michigan broke the streak in 2011, and once again the Buckeyes have been in control. So within the past 15 years, Michigan has only beaten Ohio State just once.

Michigan doesn’t want Ohio State to continue that streak and make it the longest in school history against the Wolverines. Michigan needs this win and has needed it for years. Michigan hasn’t won back-to-back games against Ohio State since 1999-2000 when they won two in a row.

Michigan guard Ben Bredeson spoke about the Buckeyes and that what happened years ago isn’t something that the Wolverines look at today.

“If you’re going into this game thinking you’re going to lose, there’s no worth going out there,” Bredeson said. “We don’t look at years past, we just focus on the year. Like the way we match up, I have faith in my team. Looking forward to (going up against OSU) on Saturday.”

Suffering another loss to Ohio State isn’t what anyone wants, and giving them even more ammo is even worse. Ending the streak would be huge, not only for the team and head coach Jim Harbaugh, but for the program, the university, and the entire state itself.

When one door closes, another one opens. If Michigan is able to shut the door on the recent dominance by Ohio State, they could open up a new door of profound success in their future.

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Michigan players on last season’s loss to Ohio State: “We know what happened”

Michigan Football linebacker Khaleke Hudson and guard Ben Bredeson spoke about what happened last year against Ohio State.

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In what was a shocker to not only the players and the coaching staff but the fans of both teams, last year Ohio State beat Michigan 62-39. It was a battle of two top 10 teams with the winner going to play in the Big Ten Championship game against Northwestern and it ended up being a blowout in favor of Ohio State.

The win was the biggest by the Buckeyes since 2015, the first year Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh took on the Buckeyes, where they won 42-13. It wasn’t the fact that Ohio State won by so much, but the fact that they were able to score as many points as they did, and against the best defense in the country at the time.

Michigan just didn’t have an answer to it as it was the biggest loss defensive coordinator Don Brown ever had against Ohio State. That wasn’t his worst loss ever at Michigan though. That was in 2017 when Michigan lost 42-13 against Penn State. He got his revenge from that loss last season, beating Penn State 42-7. 2019 is his chance to get it against Ohio State.

Brown will be certainly ready to get his guys in shape for this year’s game, and the players haven’t let the results from last year’s game change what will happen this year against Ohio State.

“We closed the book on last year,” Michigan captain and starting guard Ben Bredeson said. “We know what happened, they know what happened. Last year’s score won’t affect the game at all. We know what it takes — we know what we did wrong, we know what we did well. We’re just looking to correct that.”

While the players can look past what happened last season, that doesn’t mean they can’t use it as a learning tool to get better and help them out this season.

“It fuels us,” Hudson said. “We know what happened last year, we know what we did that we messed up on and what we’re gonna do this year to fix the problems. The score last year is what it is, can’t nothing change it. All you can do is focus on this year’s game. We control our own destiny, how the game will go.”

While revenge might not be the main point of this year’s game between the team, Brown and his players will be looking to dish up a huge upset to the Buckeyes. Nobody on the team has ever beaten Ohio State, no Wolverine has since 2011 and this year would be a perfect chance for Michigan to send a surprise to the Buckeyes.

What better way to avenge a 62-39 loss from last season, then to give Ohio State their first loss this season, big or small, and end the eight-year drought that has been felt in Schembechler Hall

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Against Ohio State, punt blocking could be a bigger factor than expected

Michigan football linebacker Khaleke Hudson talks about his pride in blocking punts and how he’s a record holder at the university for it.

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Special teams, the thing nobody likes to talk about when comparing two teams ahead of a game. The offense will get some praise for putting up points and making big plays, while the defense gets some attention for stopping a powerful offense and shutting out opponents. Special teams, however, doesn’t get mentioned much unless a game-winning kick was made or missed, or there was a touchdown on a kick or punt return.

That doesn’t stop the players from knowing how important the position group is and how just one play can change the game, no matter who is on the field. Linebacker Khaleke Hudson made a record two weeks ago against Michigan State, blocking his fifth punt in his career, a new Michigan record.

Last week against Indiana he almost had two more, which would have bumped it up to seven for a four-year career. While one or two in a career is special, five is just something else.

“I take a lot of pride in that,” Hudson said. “I work every day, every practice with Coach Partridge, trying to perfect my craft. Big plays at the end of the game, those are game-changing plays and I (pride) myself on making game-changing plays. It’s just important to the team, It’s important to myself also.”

Blocking a punt or kick can be a huge momentum shift in a game, and Hudson blocking the punt against MSU two weeks ago not only was huge, but it also started the avalanche of a 17 point fourth quarter for the Wolverines. Michigan was already up 27-10 in the final quarter, but after Hudson blocked the punt, it set up an easy 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shea Patterson to wide receiver Nico Collins to make it 34-10.

“I think the third quarter hurt us with the first interception and then at the beginning of the fourth quarter, I guess the blocked punt – the exchange there, the third and fourth quarter, the blocked punt sort of turned it.” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said after the 44-10 loss to Michigan. “We had an obviously a very ugly fourth quarter. Too many problems, too many situations.”

Now going up against Ohio State, this will be a talking point when it comes to special teams in this game. Hudson knows how important the play can be in a game, and in this week’s game it can certainly help lead a comeback, or like it did against MSU, open the flood gates for a high scoring affair. If there is someone on the team that can make that play when needed, Hudson is that guy.

The major talk around the country is the quarterback duel between Patterson and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, how Michigan will contain OSU defensive end Chase Young, and if the Wolverines will be able to stop the Buckeyes unstoppable offense.

And in the end, the one thing everyone might be talking about is how a sixth blocked punt by Hudson won the Wolverines the game.

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Michigan football quick film hits: Indiana

Michigan football defeated Indiana 39-14 as they improved to 9-2 on the season. What did I discover upon rewatching the win?

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After beating their rival Michigan State 44-10 at home last week, Michigan had the task of taking on Indiana before Ohio State once again this year. Michigan’s biggest challenge was to not overlook the Hoosiers and they didn’t. They let them have their all and won the game 39-14.

Quarterback Shea Patterson had another phenomenal game as he is heating up at exactly the right time of the year as the Wolverines prepare to take on Ohio State next week. The defense suffered some cuts early on, but wounded those cuts later in the game and shut down Indiana’s offense.

Check out what I found when rewatching the win over Indiana.

OFFENSE

In the first quarter on Michigan’s second offensive possession of the game, wide receiver Ronnie Bell was clearly interfered with on a passing play before the football got there. He was hit mid-air, changing his direction and helped force an incomplete pass. Huge missed call by the refs as it would help Indiana force Michigan to punt the football on that drive.
On running back Zach Charbonnet’s big 22-yard run in the second quarter, it doesn’t happen if tight end Nick Eubanks doesn’t get his block down. He didn’t just block the defender, he blocked him and pushed him out of the way of the running lane so the defender couldn’t possibly make a play if he got free.
That touchdown catch by wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones is still a beauty to watch a second time. The throw by Patterson was a dime as well. A great play overall.
In the second quarter on third and five, Patterson threw an incomplete pass to Bell who caught the football but couldn’t get a foot in. Patterson was locked on him the entire way through and if he just looks left, he has Charbonnet wide open for an easy first down and more. Patterson has to look for other players if his main option isn’t there.
I like the offense lining up wide receiver Giles Jackson in different ways. At wide receiver, at running back, and he comes in on a sweep for a handoff or a fake. He is a threat to opposing defenses that his presence alone changes up the play call by the defense.
Once again the wildcat formation is called at a poor time. On fourth and one, on Indiana’s 16-yard line and only up by seven. It got the first down, but that scenario is once again not one where I try it out.
The second wildcat attempt is a better one, as Michigan is up 32-14 with 2:58 to go in the third quarter and they are near midfield. I don’t get why you’d take out your hot quarterback, but at least you have a solid lead and are in good field position where if it doesn’t work out you can pin the opponent deep on a punt next play.
Patterson’s worst throw of the day was the interception as he was off-balanced and threw it to a covered receiver. Luckily it was late in the fourth quarter and Michigan was already up by 25. Nothing worth worrying about for him.

Now onto the defense and their performance…

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Ahead of Ohio State, Michigan must rekindle fire in the backfield

Michigan football has had success in the passing game recently, but the ground game has stifled in those weeks. That’s gotta change fast.

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Michigan’s offense has finally seen the type of explosion that everyone has been waiting to see all year. “Speed in space” was what the new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis preached when he was coming to Ann Arbor. Before the recent surge of attack from quarterback Shea Patterson and the passing game, the running game was the bread and butter for the offense. Besides the loss to Wisconsin, Michigan has run for over 100 yards in every game this season before taking on Michigan State.

You could see the offense revert to last seasons scheme where it seemed run-heavy and it helped put up points and win them games. Patterson and the passing game played well still, but the running game was getting more of the attention and praise for helping them gain yards and move the chains.

The defense has been stout for most of the season, but the offense started out flat and inconsistent. After the second-half performance against Penn State, Michigan has seen some life rejuvenated in their team. Head coach Jim Harbaugh’s known for having a run-first attitude on his teams, but that seems to have changed along with the mantra of the offense. While the change has been good for the offense the running game has seemed to take a hit as the passing game as blown up.

Against Notre Dame and Maryland, Michigan put up 458 rushing yards and six touchdowns. In the past two games against Michigan State and Indiana, Michigan has only run for 173 yards and one touchdown. The passing game has seen the opposite trend.

Against Notre Dame and Maryland, Michigan threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns. Against Michigan State and Indiana, Michigan has thrown for 750 yards and nine touchdowns. A complete turnaround as Michigan has thrown for more yards in their last two wins, then the previous two combined.

While it’s positive that the passing game seems to have figured out their issues from early on in the season, it’s negative that the running game has regressed from it. Having a balanced offense that can strike between the tackles, or in the air is huge for any team. While it’s a good thing if you can dominate in one of the two, having both be strong is even better.

Michigan has found the answers to the questions they had when it came to passing, but for them to regress in rushing is a concern ahead of next week’s game ahead of Ohio State. Michigan will be going up against the best defensive player in the country in defensive end Chase Young and he won’t be giving Patterson much time in the pocket to work with, meaning Michigan’s rushing attack must improve if they want to try and win this game next week.

Freshman running back Zach Charbonnet has made an impact in his first season in Ann Arbor, rushing 132 times for 635 yards and 11 touchdowns. Charbonnet has the most rushing touchdowns by a freshman running back in Michigan history, and he has a chance to have the second-most yards in a season by a freshman as he is 107 yards behind Ricky Powers. He has no chance of reaching Mike Hart’s 1,455 yards.

He isn’t alone in the backfield success though, as redshirt freshman Hassan Haskins has played well this season too, rushing 91 times for 483 yards and three touchdowns. His emergence has given the backfield another weapon that can help move the ball without relying solely on Charbonnet.

Michigan has a good ground game and it needs to find out how to get in involved again against Ohio State next week. Young will be a problem even in the running game, but his presence is known in the passing downs. The passing game might have some troubles, so if the running game can work, that can help the passing game get back on track.

In this big of a game next week, Michigan will want to make sure that every aspect of their offense is running smoothly. The passing game seems to have done just that, now the focus is getting the ground game back to what they were earlier in the season. If Michigan can have the passing game of late and the running game from before their last two weeks, this offense could truly give Ohio State’s defense a huge headache next week.

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Michigan moves up in Week 14 AP Top 25 Poll

Michigan football moves up in the latest AP Top 25 poll. Check out where the Wolverines are in the latest edition after their win this week.

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More changes are coming to the AP Top 25 poll this week as two top 10 teams lost and a few were tested in their matchups. Teams lower in the rankings were even tested and upset by unranked opponents.

Michigan had a chance to move up the polls after their 39-14 win over Indiana and with teams ahead of them falling, they were able to move up further than expected. Check out the latest poll below.

WEEK 14 AP TOP 25 POLL:

LSU
Ohio State
Clemson
Georgia
Alabama
Utah
Oklahoma
Florida
Minnesota
Michigan
Baylor
Penn State
Wisconsin
Oregon
Notre Dame
Auburn
Memphis
Cincinnati
Iowa
Boise State
Oklahoma State
Appalachian State
Virginia Tech
Navy
USC

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Michigan football grades from Week 13 win against Indiana

Michigan football defeated Indiana 39-14 yesterday. How did each position do in the win over the Hoosiers as the Wolverines prepare for OSU?

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After getting a big rivalry win over Michigan State last week 44-10, Michigan had to shift their attention to Indiana. Michigan was able to do just that and do it well, winning 39-14 as they improved to 9-2 before taking on Ohio State next week.

The passing game blew up again, and the defense was able to rebound after some early mistakes. Check out below how each position was graded on their performance in the win yesterday.

OFFENSE

Quarterback: A

Shea Patterson had another fantastic game as he continues to be hot at the right time of the season. He had back-to-back 300+ yard and 4+ touchdown games as he finished the game going 20/32 for 366 yards with five touchdowns and an interception. He did overthrow two easy touchdowns on one drive, but on that same drive, he delivered an absolute dime to wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.

He used his legs to escape the pocket and keep plays alive, making it harder for Indiana to try and cover the multiple weapons he has in the receiving core. The interception was a poor pass by him, but that and the few overthrows only damned his performance a hair. His play right now is something special and something Michigan hasn’t had at the position in years.

Running Back: C+

Once again, the running game played in the background to the passing attack. Hassan Haskins got the start and didn’t get much production on his 13 carries, getting just 44 yards. Zach Charbonnet had more explosion, getting 46 yards on eight carries. Tru Wilson saw a glimpse of the action as he only had three carries for five yards. Michigan finished with 87 yards on 29 carries.

Wide Receiver: A+

There were some great performances by the Wolverines receiving core once again this week. Instead of it being Ronnie Bell, it was Nico Collins who was the top receiver this week, finishing with six catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns. Peoples-Jones made a ridiculous catch for a touchdown, finishing with five for 73 yards and the lone touchdown. Bell did find the endzone for the first time this year on a six-yard touchdown catch, his only catch of the game.

The freshman got involved too, as Giles Jackson got a 50-yard catch, and Mike Sainristil brought in a tight 35-yard grab. Redshirt sophomore Tarik Black wasn’t forgotten about either, getting three catches for 30 yards.

Tight End: C+

Starting tight end Sean McKeon got involved in the passing game but went backward, catching one pass for negative two yards. Nick Eubanks only had a catch for six yards. Both helped when it came to blocking and had some success with that.

Offensive Line: A-

Michigan’s offensive line had another good performance. While Patterson was sacked twice, along with the running game getting under 100 yards, the group excelled in pass protection. Patterson didn’t face much pressure and when he did it was from uneven numbers, making it harder for the five men to stop the attack. Next week will be their biggest test of the season and they need to prepare for it heavily.

Now onto the defense and special teams…

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Shea Patterson is proving all the haters wrong with recent success

Michigan football starting quarterback Shea Patterson has turned his play around recently and the haters that booed him are quiet now.

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Headed into the 2019 season, there was a bunch of hype surrounding Michigan football. From getting projected to win the Big Ten Championship to debuting a new “speed in space” offense by newly offensive coordinator Josh Gattis where the offense would finally explode and put up points. The offense would use quarterback Shea Patterson’s skillset and former Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight said the handcuffs would be removed from Patterson.

Then Week One happened and Michigan beat Middle Tennessee State 40-21. Patterson started the season rough with a fumble on the first play of the game, and he would fumble a second time. As the game continued and Patterson played, he would face boos from his own fans.

He finished the game going 17/29 for 203 yards with three touchdowns, along with nine carries for 28 yards and two fumbles. While not the best performance ever, nothing worth booing about. Fans reacted wildly and wanted backup quarterback Dylan McCaffrey to step in and become the starter.

Are those same fans booing Patterson now?

Patterson has blocked out the talk from the fans and has continued to let his play do all the talk. While the Wolverines and the offense overall did struggle in the first five games of the season, their past six have been something different. The offense has finally figured out everything and that’s without a quarterback change.

In the past six games, Patterson has gone 98/162 for 1,471 yards with 15 touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s completely grown from last year as a passer and this offense truly has taken the handcuffs off Patterson. His ability to use his legs when needed to either gain yards, or escape pressure and keep the passing play alive is impressive. He’s gotten better at reading defenses on the option run plays, and RPO’s are becoming simple for him to figure out.

While he has been successful in his recent games, the biggest game of the year is up next, Ohio State. A team that is walking into Ann Arbor undefeated, but looked beatable in their 28-17 win against No. 8 Penn State today. Patterson has quieted the haters with his recent performances, but he will need to win this game to completely shut them up.

He beat Michigan State again and now will walk away never losing to the Spartans. He got his revenge against Notre Dame and avenged his poor Michigan debut from last season. The final hurdle to get past is the Buckeyes.

Can he be the quarterback to get Michigan past the Buckeyes for the first time since 2011? The way he’s been playing he certainly has a shot to do it. He won’t forget what Ohio State did to him and his team last season, which can be more fuel to the fire that the team will be looking for as they prepare for the Buckeyes next week.

All of the fans booing Patterson and screaming for McCaffrey to come in are probably eating their words now. Patterson has been the right choice to lead this team since he arrived at Michigan last year. He’s proving his worth and showcasing it once again. So whether you like it or not, he’s Michigan’s starting quarterback and he’s proving himself once again. Now can he do something that hasn’t been done in what will be over eight years?

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Nico Collins explosion showcases Michigan’s multiple weapons in the passing game

Michigan football has figured out the offense the past few weeks, and with today’s performance, their depth at wide receiver is deep.

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All the off-season chatter of how explosive the wide receivers would be this season can finally be seen by everyone. The offense was struggling for the first five games of the season when it came to passing the football. Michigan was 4-1 with a close win against Army and got their only loss to Wisconsin. Michigan was coming off their 10-3 win over Iowa and head coach Jim Harbaugh had an interesting comment on the offensive performance in the close win against Iowa.

He said the offense was “hitting its stride.”

Hitting its stride after just putting up 10 measly points against Iowa? In a game where your defense won you the battle? Nobody believed what Harbaugh was saying. Now Harbaugh is laughing at everyone for doubting him.

Michigan would beat Illinois 42-25 in a close game, but the offense saw some explosive play and a pulse in the offense. Next week against Penn State, Michigan did lose 28-21, but the second half of that game has been the starting point of something special as Michigan has been dominant on the offensive side of the football.

Since the comment made by Harbaugh, Michigan has drastically reduced the number of turnovers they have had, with only five total in seven games. Turnovers were a major talking point early on in the season, but since then they have cleaned up their act.

Not only have the turnovers have gotten better, but the offense is putting up yards and they now average 439.5 yards and 38 points per game. How does that happen? Get your wide receivers involved and showcase the offense you hyped up all offseason long.

Today against Indiana, Michigan kept putting their foot on the gas and today’s star receiver was Nico Collins, who finished with six catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns. Last week it was wide receiver Ronnie Bell who blew up for over 100 yards. Wide receiver Giles Jackson has been getting more involved in the offense too, getting a catch for 50 yards today.

You can’t forget about the other stud wide receivers, Donovan Peoples-Jones had a phenomenal snag for a touchdown today, finishing with five catches for 73 yards and the lone score. Tarik Black had three catches for 30 yards and freshman Mike Sainristil had a beauty of a catch for 35 yards.

Michigan has weapons in the passing game and the depth behind the starting three wide receivers is deep. The youngsters have gotten involved in the offense this season and giving quarterback Shea Patterson just more options to throw to when on the field. With these receivers constantly getting some big games, it’s hard for Patterson to share the ball fairly between everyone.

Patterson has seen an increase in his play and part of that is because of the play by these wide receivers. They are creating separation and making big catches when needed. Earlier this season you couldn’t see much separation between them and the defenders. Now they are making the moves to get open, and catching the 50/50 balls and coming down with the grab.

This offense was led behind Patterson once again today and Collins just happened to be the lucky winner by constantly getting open and making plays when needed. All of the hype about “speed in space” from offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is finally showing. It’s here and dealing with some damage to its opponents. Now that Michigan has hit their stride on offense, can it continue into next week?