A Look at the Future of Michigan Football
A review of the Northwestern game and look at the next two matchups of the season
Following Michigan’s narrow victory against Northwestern, there are only 2 more regular season games left on the season. This Michigan team is one of the youngest we’ve seen in recent history. While the victory against Northwestern was messy at best, there are reasons for celebration. Most notably, the game showed us what we already knew: Michigan football has a bright future. The team is headed by the 18-year old phenom Bryce Underwood (who’s just a few months older than I), as well as emerging star WR Andrew Marsh. The star RB, Jordan Marshall, is only a sophomore. The offensive line is filled with underclassmen like Blake Frazier, Andrew Sprague, and Jake Guarnera. On defense, young players like Mason Curtis, Jordan Young, and Cole Sullivan have played key roles as well.
The first half against Northwestern was quite possibly the best passing offense we’ve seen all year. Bryce Underwood started the game with 9 straight completions, and further cemented his connection with fellow freshmen Marsh. By the end of the game, they’d connected on 12 catches for 189 yards. They both took a huge leap forward in the first half. Despite Underwood’s mistakes, there is clear talent to be excited about.
However, heading into the Maryland game, Michigan has a lot to fix. The biggest problem was the turnovers. The Wolverines turned the ball over a whopping 5 times against the Wildcats, and somehow still managed to win the game. A lot of this must be fixed on Special Teams. A muffed punt from Semaj Morgan gave Northwestern key field position, and 2 missed field goals kept them within reach. Errors like this cannot continue against Maryland, and especially not against Ohio State.
The best thing Michigan can do to prepare for Ohio State is simply to get healthy. Jordan Marshall went down with a shoulder injury late in the game, which comes just a few weeks after Justice Haynes’ season ending foot injury. The one-two punch of Haynes and Marshall is eerily reminiscent of the Corum-Edwards duo of the past. Luckily for Wolverine fans, Marshall’s x-ray came back negative. However, we have yet to get a real status update on his health.
The last few weeks of the season will be telling. If there is any hope of beating the Buckeyes this year, Bryce Underwood must be the reason. He has shown flashes of elite talent, but has been inconsistent. This inconsistency cannot continue.
This season has been exciting for Wolverine fans. One of the youngest teams in the country is consistently fighting and competing amongst top teams in the nation. However, Ohio State will easily be their greatest test of the year. The team’s legacy will undoubtedly be decided by that game.