Jake Butt, a Michigan football legend, has become one of the go-to analysts on the Wolverines. The Big Ten Network analyst was talking about the Wolverines on the "Stadium and Main podcast," particularly what the loss to USC meant.
What he said isn't music to the ears of Michigan football fans, but it's also not shocking after a 31-13 loss on Saturday that left fans stunned.
"You can't just look the other way," Butt said as part of a conversation with former Michigan teammate Chris Wormley. "This is something that slowly happens then suddenly, it's like 'Oh my god, we're an eternity from where we were. Right now we (Michigan) are at a crossroads where it's like if you turn left, we're right back competing for national title, but if we turned right, what happens then?
Many predicted Michigan to beat USC. The Wolverines reputation as a smashmouth, phyiscal running team was a reason why. Yet, USC more than doubled U-M's production on the ground (224-109). Michigan football forced just one punt and it felt like the Wolverines never had a chance.
The defense has been a huge issue. Wink Martindale's crew has allowed 284 passing yards and 27 points per game against Oklahoma, Nebraska, and USC. Washington has a dangerous offense, too. We'll see if the defense can adjust. Wink was able to fix things down the stretch last season.
Saturday will tell us if he can do it again. The Sherrone Moore era hasn't started the way anyone expected. The quarterback position has been a work in progress, and the arrow is finally pointing up with Bryce Underwood growing on the job.
There are other concerns. The offensive line wasn't up to snuff. The special teams have been a problem since the season started, and even Chip Lindsey admitted on Wednesday that the Wolverines could do a better job of getting the ball to its best players.
The coaches haven't been great this season at putting their players in the best position. That needs to change, and this team needs to beat Washington on Saturday.
It's not fun to think of the alternative.