Two truths and a lie from Michigan football loss to Oregon
Truth: Coaching is a problem
This team doesn't have a big-time quarterback. It also doesn't have the depth needed to win a Big Ten championship but the Wolverines could have been in the mix with better coaching.
Saturday's game was hard for the defense. The top two cornerbacks were out and Zeke Berry was seeing some snaps at cornerback. That was a big reason why Oregon was able to convert 10-of-15 third-down attempts.
But Michigan also had too many unforced errors. Giving Oregon a free first down when the Ducks were able to punt leading 28-17 in the third quarter just can't happen. It didn't help that Oregon should have been held to a field goal on the opening drive, which maybe changes things, but the offense needed to run the ball and control the clock and couldn't do it.
That's one thing I believed this team would be able to do. Most pundits believed the Wolverines would have one of the best offensive lines in the Big Ten. Unforuately, it hasn't worked out that way but Kirk Campbell is still calling plays like he has the 2023 offensive line. Running Alex Orji more would help, but you can't just do it in obvious siutations near the goal line.
Frankly, I don't even want to talk about it anymore. Michigan needs a new offensive coordinator and that's all there is to it. This team also needed to pressure the quarterback and despite all the NFL talent up front, Michigan couldn't do that as well as it needed to either.