Shea Patterson’s ineptitude doomed Michigan football against Alabama

Michigan football lost to Alabama in the Citrus Bowl Wednesday for one reason and one reason only: Shea Patterson.

For 30 minutes, it looked like Michigan football might actually be able to beat Alabama. But, in a very predictable finish, the Wolverines lost by double digits, 35-16.

And the truth is, they never really had a chance. Why? Because Shea Patterson was playing quarterback.

Those are harsh words. But they reflect a harsh reality.

The biggest issue facing Michigan football isn’t a defense that can’t seem to stop elite offenses (who can?), it’s the fact that five years into the Jim Harbaugh era, the quarterback play has been no better than average.

Patterson’s performance in the Citrus Bowl was just another example. Two times in the first half, Michigan football had legit chances for touchdowns. Instead, it settled for field goals — three in fact.

That gave Michigan 16 points on four scoring drives, which is the same exact output it had against Ohio State in the first half. And that’s the problem, with Patterson, it never changes.

He cannot throw the ball accurately down the field. Multiple times, he had receivers open for big plays and, as he has done throughout his career, he missed them. Most of the time, he didn’t even give them a chance.

The ESPN broadcast noted in the fourth quarter that Patterson had overthrown his receivers seven times. SEVEN TIMES. No wonder he is completing 57 percent for the season, despite being surrounded by NFL talent.

Patterson played well at times in the first half, especially after the running game got going, but really good quarterbacks don’t leave points on the field and that’s about the only thing Patterson has done with any consistency during his career.

17-of-37 for 233 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, as well as an average of 6.6 yards per attempt. That was the final stat line. It doesn’t include a fumble, which was recovered, that halted a promising drive or some really bad decision making at the end of the half that cost U-M a chance at getting into the end zone.

However, the worst stat is zero, as in zero points in the second half. Good offenses don’t do that and good quarterbacks don’t either.

The loss in the Citrus Bowl was another painful reminder that for all Shea Patterson is, he’s not a good quarterback. He’s average at best. His record will be 19-7 and he’s top-10 all-time at Michigan in yards and touchdowns. He was also 3-1 against Michigan State and Notre Dame.

But he was below average in two games against Ohio State and he never had the ability to carry Michigan to victory over a team that was better.

Great quarterbacks can will a team to victory and after two years, 26 starts and seven painful losses, Shea Patterson isn’t a great quarterback and that more than anything is why Michigan football is still stuck in neutral.