The vibes are in a positive place for Michigan football right now, especially as the Wolverines are basking in the glow of a 24-7 win over Washington.
That game was exactly what Michigan needed. Washington was 5-1 and on the brink of being in the playoff conversation. But instead of being a springboard into the top 25 for the second straight week, the Wolverines scored 17 unanswered against Washington to move back into the rankings themselves.
However, if Michigan football wants to stay ranked and stay in College Football Playoff contention, the Wolverines need to win the next four games, starting with Michigan State.
The Wolverines are a two-touchdown favorite. From head coach Sherrone Moore on down, Michigan is saying all the right things. Moore said, "The records do not matter," earlier this week, while stressing that U-M would have a sense of "urgency" this week.
That's all great to hear because one thing Michigan can't do is overlook Michigan State, or any team left on the schedule before Ohio State.
However, despite the 17-point win last week, there are some lingering issues, especially one that is hanging over the head of the offense.
Red-zone offense continues to struggle
Over the past three games, Michigan football is averaging 399 yards per game of total offense. However, the Wolverines are scoring just 20.3 points per game.
That highlights the biggest issue with the offense, which is red-zone efficiency, or just efficiency in scoring range, which is still the plus 40 despite some recent misses by Dominic Zvada.
Against USC, the offense generated 317 yards on 55 plays. That's 5.7 yards per play. Yet, Michigan only produced 13 points because Bryce Underwood took a sack that knocked the Wolverines out of field-goal range. Michigan also turned it over with the ball just outside the red zone on an Underwood interception.
Underwood only has two interceptions this season and none in the red zone, but in terms of red-zone scoring, Michigan football is tied for 81st at 83 percent with 15 touchdowns and five field goals in 24 red-zone trips.
That means Michigan came up empty four times, including once last Saturday when Washington stopped a fourth-and-two at the six. The Wolverines also had a red-zone possession against Oklahoma that got them nothing, as well as two other possessions last week inside the 40 that provided zero points, thanks to a missed field goal and a Semaj Morgan drop on fourth-and-one.
Against USC, two scores could have made a difference. That's five possessions inside the 40 the past two weeks without a point. Michigan needs to improve in that area, right away.
Those empty possessions will kill you, especially on the road. It will give life to a team like Michigan State, and frankly, after totaling 465 yards against Wisconsin and 417 last week, it was disappointing to only score 24 points in each game.
The offense is starting to operate at a high level, but with three of the next four games on the road, Michigan has to find a way to be more efficient with its scoring opportunities. Too much meat is being left on the bone.