Michigan Football: 3 keys for Wolverines against TCU
By Josh LaFond
We break down the three keys to a Michigan football victory over the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff semi-finals.
In the words of Eminem: “Guess who’s back, back again?”
That’s right, Michigan football fans. The Wolverines are back again in the College Football Playoff but this time they aren’t just happy to be here. They’re here with one goal on their mind.
A national championship.
Standing in their way? The Cinderella of the college football season, the TCU Horned Frogs.
In his first season in Fort Worth, Texas, head coach Sonny Dykes has led TCU to a stellar 12-1 record, inches away from a Big 12 conference title, and a playoff berth. Quite the start to the head man’s tenure.
The Horned Frogs have been compared to Michigan in their style of play on offense — focusing on establishing the run game and using it to set up shot passes down the field — as well as on the other side of the ball, being a physical team that wants to own the line of scrimmage.
Where the ‘Frogs’ differentiate themselves, however, is with their athletes. While Michigan football is loaded at skill positions and has a better offensive line, TCU brings speed, speed, and more speed at wide receiver. Featuring future first-round pick Quentin Johnston and these Horned Frogs can really fly.
No doubt this game will come down to which style of play wins out: physicality, or pure speed.
But more specifically what does Michigan need to do to come out on top? How can they win this game and take one more step down the path to destiny?
Let’s talk about it.
Can Will Johnson contain Quinten Johnston?
As I alluded to in the opening of this article, future first-round pick at wide receiver, Quinten Johnston is a certified playmaker and will challenge this Michigan football secondary in similar ways that Ohio State star receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr. did.
As you may remember, though, Harrison Jr. was kept in check during the game against the Buckeyes and Ohio State was forced to turn to other playmakers.
Who was responsible for containing Harrison Jr.?
That would be stud frosh Will Johnson Jr. who single handily took on the tall task of containing the aforementioned wide-out, and no doubt it’ll fall on Johnson again to contain another star receiver and limit his impact.
‘The game within the game’ as some would call it will be this matchup. Will Johnson has proven that he has the mettle to rise to the occasion, but so has Quinten Johnston — there’s a reason he’s a projected first-round pick folks.
If Will Johnson Jr. can win this matchup as he did the last time he faced a star wide-out (Harrison) it should bode well for Michigan football in this game.