Michigan Football needs to let John O’Korn sling it

John O’Korn gives Michigan football its best chance to win games. But the only way he can do that, is if the Wolverines stop being so conservative.

Whenever things go wrong, the quarterback always gets blamed. And for Michigan football, much of the criticism is pointed directly at John O’Korn.

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To be fair, O’Korn deserves criticism. His three interceptions against Michigan State were a death knell for Michigan football. His play versus Penn State, although better, still left much to be desired.

However, it’s also true that O’Korn needs help and not just from his teammates, but from the coaching staff as well.  The final numbers for the senior in Happy Valley weren’t that bad. He was 16-of-28 for 166 yards. That’s a completion percentage of 57.1. He also had a passer rating of more than 100.

In fact, for most of the game, O’Korn acquitted himself well. He started 6-for-6 on third down passing and had some key conversions. The pass to Kekoa Crawford, a 24-yard gain, which set up the second touchdown, may have been the best throw of his short Michigan football career.

Yet, it could also be a sign of things to come.

Say what you will about O’Korn, but he does have talent. His arm strength and accuracy won’t wow anyone, certainly not NFL scouts, but he is good enough to lead a productive offense.

Throughout his career at Houston and Michigan, O’Korn has completed 56.7 percent of his passes. He also has 37 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. That’s in 32 career games. So at this point, he is who he is, he’s gonna make mistakes, he is going to miss throws, but he will make some too, if Michigan football gives him the opportunity.

In the past three weeks, the Michigan offense has been ultra conservative, to the point that it’s been detrimental.

It’s understandable. The Wolverines have a great defense and a quarterback that is average at best. Running the football and playing good defense is logical, but with the athletes Michigan has, it’s also a waste. And, it’s holding back O’Korn, making a limited player, even more limited.

Now, it’s hard to criticize play calling. We never really know what play was called, was the design of the play was or how it was supposed to look. But I can say this, in recent weeks, it’s been way too conservative.

The 3-and-5 run late in the Michigan state game was evidence of that. Or a two-yard pass last week on fourth-and-long against the Nittany Lions. Those are blatant examples, but there is a much bigger pattern that goes on throughout the game.

Ever since Wilton Speight went down with his injury, it seems like Michigan football wants to be a old-school Big Ten team. The problem is, that philosophy doesn’t really work anymore, especially not against good teams.

Often against Michigan State and Penn State, the Wolverines would run, run and then try to pass. Many of those possessions ended with a punt. While Michigan football does have some good backs and a decent offensive line, it’s not good enough to manhandle top teams in the Big Ten, at least not yet.

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That means the Wolverines need to trust their quarterback more. UM also needs to trust its offensive playmakers. Grant Perry, Crawford, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Eddie McDoom are a solid group.

Perry is the most reliable guy right now and McDoom is mainly a slot, with Peoples-Jones and Crawford both mostly on the outside. As Crawford showed with his catch or as Peoples-Jones showed with three receptions for 46 yards, these guys can play. It’s time to trust them.

The main point is that Michigan football has talent. O’Korn won’t be confused with an All-Conference quarterback, but he could start for more teams than just UM.  He’s not prototypical, but he’s not bad either.

And running a conservative offense isn’t helping. If Michigan football is going to turn it around this season, they need to get the quarterback going and the best way for that to happen, is to just let him sling it.

Take off the handcuffs and take advantage of this team’s talent. The Wolverines have been playing not to lose on offense and the results haven’t been pretty. It’s time to let it loose, staring with O’Korn.

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At this point, what else does Michigan football have to lose?