Questions loom about Michigan football after Week 1 of the 2024 season. However, we'll get answers to some of those this Saturday against third-ranked Texas.
This the first non-conference top-10 matchup at the Big House since the Kordell Stewart Hail Mary game back in 1994. Literally, this is the biggest non-conference game in 30 years.
If the Wolverines win, it will show they are still a contender for the Big Ten championship. It will also show that there isn't going to be some huge drop off after the national championship.
The atmosphere should be electric in the Big House and here are three reasons why Michigan football can knock off Texas on Saturday.
A truly elite defense
Michigan football was stellar on defense on Saturday against Fresno State, but they can be better. Will Johnson will need to be better.
Johnson did have an 86-yard interception return for a touchdown which sealed the win. But he also got beat a few times. Texas has a better quarterback and better wide receivers so Johnson needs to have his "A" game.
Jyaire Hill brought his "A" game in the season opener and eased my concerns there. Aamir Hall also played well last week and with Zeke Berry at nickel, the secondary looked good.
The pass rush of Josaiah Stewart and Derrick Moore is going to cause problems and Rayshaun Benny is back to 100 percent as he showed with his sack last week.
I know Texas is in the SEC now but they aren't used to playing SEC-caliber defenses and that's what Michigan football is bringing on Saturday. It will give Quinn Ewers trouble -- hopefully enough for the Wolverines to come out with a win.
The running game is better than it looked
Michigan football fans had a lot of opinions about the quarterback situation and Davis Warren. But maybe the most disappointing thing to me from Week 1 was the play of the offensive line/Donovan Edwards.
The Wolverines weren't able to create any chunk plays on the ground and Edwards wasn't able to find much running room at all. Texas allowed over 100 yards to the Colorado State running back last week and surrendered 3.7 yards per carry.
This isn't the Texas D-line of 2023 and the Michigan offensive line will have a chance to fix the little things that plagued it last week. There were some missed blocks and poor communication. I expect that to be cleaned up.
I also think there's a good chance we'll see Big Game Don. If the offensive line and the running game are better, than the entire offense and even the defense will have an easier time against Texas.
Davis Warren will be more comfortable
There were a couple of long pass plays that didn't connect last week. The receiver stopped running on one and Davis Warren missed Fredrick Moore on another.
If either of those plays ends up as a touchdown, or both, the narrative surrounding Warren is much different. Regardless, he showed enough arm talent to win with. He can at least be Cade McNamara in 2021 and that's all the Wolverines need to win this game.
Texas has a great offense. They have dynamic wide receivers, but I don't see them scoring much more than 20 points or so. Michigan will try to play keep away, shorten the game, get it to the fourth quarter, and win when it matters.
Michigan has done it so many times before, it's hard to believe they won't be able to do it again, especially at home. The playbook will also be opened up and you can bet that Sherrone Moore has a trick play or two up his sleeve.
If Warren can avoid a turnover, and the running game gets going, I'm confident the defense can hold the Horns under 20 points, which should allow the Wolverines to grind out another top-10 win.