GBMWolverine
Fansided

4 things to watch for Michigan Football before Ohio State

By Jordan Bruetsch

Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) on the sidelines during the second half against the Connecticut Huskies at Michigan Stadium, Saturday, September 17, 2022.Mich Conn
Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) on the sidelines during the second half against the Connecticut Huskies at Michigan Stadium, Saturday, September 17, 2022.Mich Conn /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next

With The Game quickly approaching, here are four things that I’m looking out for as Michigan football prepares to take on Ohio State in three weeks.

As Michigan football fans, especially in the Jim Harbaugh era, we expect to be toe to toe with Ohio State.

While that hasn’t necessarily been the case during Harbaugh’s tenure, it’s the case now. True, the Buckeyes seemingly have five stars everywhere, but this Michigan football team — from its scheme to its personnel — was designed to beat Ohio.

With each passing week, it looks more and more like Michigan football vs. Ohio State will be an 11-0 clash in what will be (sorry Georgia and Tennessee) the game of the year.

There’s no doubt that the Wolverines must improve over the next three weeks, and as someone who is constantly rethinking the formula to beat Ohio, I’ve come to four things I would love to see over the next four weeks. If these four things happen, I’d feel about as good as I could going into Columbus.

J.J. McCarthy airing it out

Yeah, yeah, we barely had a passing game last year and defeated the Buckeyes, so why do we need it now? Well, J.J. McCarthy has been the most hyped-up quarterback under Harbaugh, and rightfully so.

We all know what JJ is capable of. The Buckeyes *seem* like they have a better defense this year. Considering the Buckeyes haven’t faced any great offenses yet, we won’t know how good they are until we play them, which could be an advantage for us.

Sean Clifford threw for almost 400 yards against the Buckeyes, and the Penn State offense as a whole had almost 500 yards, actually out-gaining the Buckeyes. Personally, I think the Nittany Lions lost that game more than the Buckeyes won it.

Anyways, back to JJ. He will obviously need to be at his best versus the Buckeyes, and that means he needs to get in a rhythm. With the next three matchups being at Rutgers, vs Nebraska, and vs Illinois, there’s no reason the staff can’t let him throw the ball 30+ times a game. JJ is a guy who can go down in history as an all-time great Michigan quarterback, but only if the staff lets him.

Rutgers and Nebraska should pose no threat. Illinois has a good shot of being 9-1 when the Wolverines host them, but they’ve played a joke of a schedule. Let JJ and the receivers build some momentum by throwing it around. It also wouldn’t hurt for the recruitment of 5-star QB Jadyn Davis. 

Everyone knows that Michigan football can run the ball and have success against anybody. What the Wolverines have refused to show, however, is a dynamic passing attack. Take deep shots and air it out. If JJ can get in a groove, watch out because this offense will be unstoppable.

Home/Michigan Football