Michigan football: 5 things that went wrong against Wisconsin
By Jacob Shames
First, a disclaimer
As it turns out, this may have been just as big a statement win for Wisconsin as it would have been for Michigan. The Badgers outscored Central Michigan and South Florida, 110-0, in their first two games, but had yet to really be challenged.
They weren’t challenged on Saturday, and while it’s clear that the Wolverines are nowhere near the 11th-ranked team in the nation, Wisconsin still put on an almost-perfect performance that showed the nation just what it’s made of.
The Badgers’ execution was ruthless. Taylor was hardly touched throughout the first quarter, and when he went down after romping for 143 yards, Garrett Groshek and Nakia Watson kept the chains moving, while Jack Coan simply didn’t miss any throws and added a touchdown with his legs.
When Taylor returned in the second half — still with his trademark burst, power and vision — he almost didn’t need to.
The Wolverines’ offense was responsible for most of its failures through unforced errors and sloppy execution, but Wisconsin didn’t let them get anything more on top of that.
No matter how awful Michigan looked on Saturday, there should be no credit taken away from the Badgers. They are, without a doubt, the favorite to represent the Big Ten West in Indianapolis, and one of the strongest contenders to represent the conference in the playoff.