Michigan Football: 3 takeaways from a bland win over Nebraska

3. When will the vertical passing game click?

It’s the tenth matchup on the schedule and J.J. McCarthy is still not connecting on his deep bombs with his receivers. That is a concerning trend that has lasted much longer than it should have. Not all of it is McCarthy’s fault though, as the wideouts haven’t been on the same page as their signal caller.

A pair of the passes went through the hands of Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson, but they just couldn’t come down with it. They went diving for the attempts, but it was just out of their grasp to reel in for big-time yardage. McCarthy’s timing and touch are there, but it’s like he’s destined not to complete a pass over 25 yards that is a clear-go route for the pass catchers.

With only two chances left to find its niche, it’s unlikely that it will progress the way Michigan football had hoped it would. Having a vertical passing attack when facing Ohio State is downright essential and needed to keep the defense from stacking the box against the run.

Not having a legit threat out wide hasn’t cost them the Wolverines yet, but they haven’t had to have it desperately leading up to this point.