Michigan Football: Wolverines need to find an offensive identity
Michigan football has struggled to move the ball and score points in big games. So if the offense is going to improve, it needs to find an identity.
In sports, there is always a lot of talk about identity. What is a team’s identity. For Michigan football, it’s been the defense. And that’s a good thing, but if the Wolverines are going to start winning championships, even competing for them, they need to find an offensive identity too.
It’s clear that Michigan wants to run the football and in college, it really is a must. Just look at the teams in the College Football Playoff. They all ran the heck out of the ball. They also had very good quarterbacks.
Michigan football has the talent to be a pretty good offense, especially is Shea Patterson is ruled eligible for next season. His dynamic ability, along with some talented receivers should reinvigorate a passing game that has been sub-par that past two seasons.
Last season, Michigan ranked 110th in the FBS in passing yards. As a team the Wolverines averaged just 171 yards per game and had nine touchdown passes. The problem, is the running game wasn’t significantly better. The Wolverines ranked 49th in rushing yards, but failed to produce when it mattered against Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State and South Carolina.
Show me a Michigan loss and I will show you a game where the Wolverines didn’t run worth a crap. It’s been a disturbing pattern in the Harbaugh era, one that’s covered here.
The offensive line wasn’t great last season, but neither were the running backs. Chris Evans and Karan Higdon both showed flashes of greatness. But it wasn’t consistent and both struggled mightily in Michigan’s five losses.
Michigan Wolverines Football
Higdon did fall just shy of 1,000 yards, but getting 200-yard games against Rutgers, Indiana and Minnesota helped his cause quite a bit. Both backs are talented, but the offensive line is losing its best player, Mason Cole. So that’s a concern.
But at some point, the talented recruits found by Harbaugh and company need to produce. Cesar Ruiz should be a stud next season. Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black should be too. And even if Patterson can’t play, Michigan should have the talent to succeed.
Everyone is down on Brandon Peters right now. But remember, Michigan State fans weren’t that high on Brian Lewerke until he beat Michigan. After that, he seemed to really take off. Winning that big game obviously gave him a confidence boost. Peters needs that.
Yet, he might never get the chance. He will have to hold of Patterson and also Dylan McCaffrey, who is also going to be in the mix. Whoever the quarterback is, the team still needs an identity. Ohio State had one with J.T. Barrett. When the Buckeyes needed yards, they let him run it.
It worked against Michigan, plus many others. Barrett running, then throwing was the bread-and-butter of Ohio State. Sometimes, you just need one player to rely on. Maybe Patterson will be that guy for Michigan. Or maybe it will be Black, Higdon or Peoples-Jones.
The one thing that’s clear, is the Wolverines need someone like that. They need something they can count on every week, regardless of the opponent.
Next: Top 15 Michigan quarterbacks of all time
Who knows what the Wolverines offensive identity will be in 2018, but they need to find one. It’d be a shame to waste another season with an elite defense because the offense can’t get out of its own way.