With two mediocre offenses, the winner of the Outback Bowl between Michigan football and South Carolina will be decided by the defenses.
If people are hoping for a shootout in the Outback Bowl between Michigan football and South Carolina, they shouldn’t. Both defenses are solid and both offenses have proven to be less than efficient.
Of course, both teams believe they can turn it around in the bowl game. And for Michigan football, that might be true. The Wolverines had to play much of the season with John O’Korn, who started in three of the four losses. He also played the second half of the other loss, which came against Wisconsin.
Had Brandon Peters been able to play, maybe the offense wouldn’t seem so bad. He might have been able to lead Michigan to win over the Badgers or Ohio State. But still, the fact remains, that neither team is an offensive juggernaut.
When the regular season concluded, Michigan ranked 101st in total offense, while the Gamecocks wound up ranking 108th. That’s kind of incredible for two 8-4 teams. Both teams did beat up on some lesser opponents and neither really has a signature win. Yet, each got to this point because of their defense, but in that category, UM has a big advantage.
In terms of yardage allowed, only Wisconsin and Alabama played better defense than the Wolverines. And considering Michigan played four top-15 teams, that’s nothing to scoff at. South Carolina, on the other hand, ranks 51st, allowing 375 yards per game. UM gave up just 268.6.
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The Gamecocks are better when it comes to forcing turnovers. But down in and down out, there is no question that Michigan football has a superior defense. Maurice Hurst, Rashan Gary, Chase Winovich, Devin Bush, Khaleke Hudson, Mike McCray and others give the Wolverines firepower on that side of the ball.
Coached by Will Muschamp, the Gamecocks have good players too, especially Skai Moore, who was three interceptions and D.J. Wonnum, who leads the team with six sacks. But there is a big talent gap, one the Wolverines should be able to use to their advantage.
Michigan and South Carolina are similar offensively. They each have young quarterbacks and both rely heavily on running the football. That should lead to a low-scoring, defensive game. And if that’s the case, with Peters starting at quarterback, Michigan has the advantage.
Outside of Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State, no team scored more than 20 against the Wolverines. In fact, only five of UM’s 12 opponents, scored more than 14.
South Carolina allowed 20 points or more eight times, including to teams like Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt and Arkansas. Heck, if Florida can get 20 against the Gamecocks, Michigan should be able to.
But can South Carolina score more than 14 points against Michigan? Only a a few elite teams have done it. Florida did with the help of two defensive touchdowns and so did Indiana at home.
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Getting more than a couple scores seems like a big ask for the Gamecocks. In fact, unless they get help from turnovers, it seems just about impossible. Which is why if the Outback Bowl turns into the defensive battle many are anticipating, the Wolverines have a very good chance of winning.