The bad: A super conservative first half
I hate to criticize playcalling because there is a lot that goes into it. These coaches have studied these opponents and they are trying to dial up certain things for certain looks.
That being said, I don’t love the conservative approach on offense. Handing the ball to Blake Corum is never a bad thing but Indiana was overloading it. J.J. McCarthy needed to keep the ball and run a couple of times and also be unleashed.
Finally, McCarthy was unleashed in the second half. Michigan football went to a much-more pass-first approach and it led to some big plays — a pair of 20-plus-yard touchdown passes and a 98-yard touchdown drive that settled everybody down.
Jim Harbaugh is Jim Harbaugh. He loves to run the football. He wants to take care of the ball and all that. There’s nothing wrong with that approach and the Wolverines, in case you haven’t noticed, have won 18 of 20 games using that exact method.
But if this program is going to win a national championship and beat Ohio State, it needs to let its five-star quarterback be a five-star quarterback. McCarthy has the potential to be the final, missing piece so take off the gloves and let him shine.
Will there be mishaps along the way? Possibly. But the risk is well worth the reward. The kid is leading college football in completion percentage and has one turnover in five games.
Plus, with the way the defense is playing, Michigan football can afford a little risk.