Following a 30-10 win over Fresno State that might have been more difficult than expected, there is some unease among Michigan football fans.
For one, Fresno State is a solid team. The Bulldogs could be in the mix for the Group of Five playoff spot and regardless, they won nine games last season. They are no slouch.
Michigan played far from a perfect game. If Davis Warren doesn't make a bad throw on the interception and hits Frederick Moore for a touchdown, it's a whole different game. There were also missed blocks, drops, and missed assignments that are easy enough to correct.
The thing about football is that it's way too easy to overreact. Michigan just had the best college quarterback its ever had and one of the best offensive lines. Of course, it's going to look a little bit different, especially at the beginning.
The offensive line will find cohesion. That's not saying they'll be as good as the past three years, but I still believe it can be as good as any in the Big Ten.
Yet, as much as we learned last week, we'll learn even more about Michigan football against Texas. The Wolverines won't be holding anything back and we'll see what Davis Warren and Alex Orji are made of.
Here are five things to watch ahead of Saturday's top-10 showdown in the Big House.
Better O-line play
Michigan football needs the offensive line to be better. Simple as that. But there weren't a ton of glaring issues. Sometimes, guys get beat. It happens.
However, there were communication problems and things like that that caused problems. On one sack, Giovanni El-Hadi clearly thought he had help inside. He didn't. Things like that look bad, but if the communication was better, the pocket is probably clean.
There was another play where a bring run was prevented because one blocker tripped over the feet of an offensive lineman. Sherrone Moore was a great O-line coach and I have complete confidence in Grant Newsome.
So even though things didn't look great last week, they should look better and if not, it's hard to see a Michigan win.
Can Davis Warren get more comfortable?
Quarterback play will define this game. You have Quinn Ewers for Texas and Davis Warren for Michigan. Obviously, Warren isn't Ewers.
But Ewers also doesn't have a defense like Michigan's on his side. Warren needs to protect the ball and take advantage when big-play chances arise.
Cade McNamara was good at that in 2021 and Warren needs to be that kind of quarterback. He's not J.J. McCarthy. His arm isn't J.J.'s.
But Warren throws it well enough. He can make all the throws that Michigan needs and in his second game, it's not unreasonable to think Warren will feel more comfortable, even if it is a bigger game.
Can Texas hold up against the run?
Texas doesn't have the same defensive line that it had last season. They allowed Colorado State running back Justin Marshall to rush for 106 yards on 25 attempts.
The Rams got 3.7 yards per attempt against Texas but the Longhorns held CSU to zero points. So it's hard to say that the defense wasn't effective. It was.
But you wonder if Donovan Edwards or Kalel Mullings will be able to take advantage. The bottom line is that if Michigan can't run the ball, it's going to struggle.
The Wolverines want Warren to throw between 20-30 passes. Not 40. That's a win for Texas if it happens. There is a formula to winning this game, yet it feels like out-rushing Texas is going to be a requirement.
if Michigan is one-dimensional, it could be a long day.
Who wins: Texas offense or Michigan football defense?
This is the matchup that will define this game. Everyone knows about Quinn Ewers but Texas is much more than that.
Isaiah Bond transferred from Alabama, Johntay Cook II is incredibly dynamic, Ryan Wingo is also a former five-star, and even considering Ohio State, this might be the best receiver room the Wolverines face this season.
Jerrick Gibson and Jaydon Blue are also former high-ranking recruits at running back so even though the Horns are down their starter, they are loaded. Their offensive line is stacked too.
But, Michigan football presents a different challenge. The defensive line is as good as it gets in college football and you even saw some depth pieces like Rayshaun Benny step up last week.
The secondary was pretty sound too, against a solid quarterback in Mikey Keene. The weapons are different but Texas will have to operate in long down-and-distance situations.
I don't see them being able to run the ball. If they can, it's game over. Michigan needs to win the battle in the trenches (on both sides) to win this game.
Think the Rose Bowl. That's the kind of game Michigan needs this to be.
Michigan has to play clean
Back to the Rose Bowl metaphor -- Michigan football won't win this game with special teams gaffes or turnovers. Alabama couldn't pass the ball but Texas will.
Michigan can't give them short fields. It also can't squander any points in the kicking game. U-M has to win the turnover battle. Getting an interception at some point would be huge.
Will Johnson made an elite play at the end of the Fresno State game but he didn't play elite for four quarters. He needs to play like a top-five pick this week.
The five-stars need to five-star. Michigan also needs to avoid mistakes, as it has in so many other big games in order to keep the home winning steak alive, even as a home underdog.