Michigan Football: 5 questions for Wolverines offense in 2019

Can Michigan finally develop an elite offense?

If you look at the way college football is headed, you need to be great on offense if you want to win championships and make the College Football Playoff. Being great on defense matters too, just not nearly as much as it used to.

When you look at teams that made the playoff, three of them finished in the top six in the nation in total offense. Ohio State, which went to the Rose Bowl and ended up as a top-3 team too, was also in the top five.

Michigan Wolverines

Yet, on the defensive side of the ball, only one of the four playoff teams was ranked in the top 10 in total defense as Clemson was fifth and Alabama was16th. Obviously, the defense still matters but as Michigan football showed, it doesn’t matter if your offense can’t be elite.

Clemson and Alabama are both prime examples of how even great defenses have a hard time being great all the time. Bama gave up tons of points and yards to Clemson and Oklahoma. Clemson also gave up lots of yards to the Tide as the two offenses were better than the two defenses.

If you want to win big games and championships, you have to be able to beat teams in a shootout. You have to be ready to score 40 points if necessary to win. Looking back, if the Wolverines had the mindset of trying to score 40 points at Ohio State, maybe things would have gone differently. Instead, UM tried to play old-school football and got blown out.

Thankfully, it appears Harbaugh has recognized the error of his ways and with Gattis, as well as a big-time quarterback, elite receivers, a solid stable of backs, some talented tight ends and an experienced offensive line, Michigan should have a dynamic offense in 2019.

But will it be enough to beat Ohio State or win the Big Ten?