The offense hasn't changed enough
There was a joke going around on social media that Kirk Campbell was still calling the plays but in a Chip Lindsey mask.
However, what we probably saw was the Sherrone Moore influence in the offense. He's the head coach and was the play-caller for Michigan football in 2022 and 2023.
Moore did a stellar job; however, he ran on early downs too often and was criticized for being a little too conservative. Those critcisms came back on Saturday night. On one possession in the second half, Michigan ran three straight times before punting, including on third and six.
The Wolverines also ran on third and six before kicking a field goal on fourth-and-two to cut the lead to 21-10. It didn't make much sense. it's hard to be critical of individual play calls. The mindset was the bigger issue, especially the predictability.
You can't throw away downs against a defense like that. Brent Venables is too good on third down, and way too often, Michigan played right into their hands by being predictable on early downs.