Does Michigan deserve the #1 spot??
Analysis of Michigan's game against Nebraska, and Georgia's near collapse
Today, Michigan played their best game of the season. They looked simply unbeatable.
Offensively, the team is unstoppable. It all starts with the offensive line. Every run play, they allow for huge gaping holes for Corum and Edwards to move through. In the passing game, they give McCarthy all the time in the world for him to make the right read. Speaking of which, JJ Mccarthy played absolutely lights out. He hit every throw with perfect accuracy. He looks to be the centerpiece of maybe the best Michigan team we’ve had in decades. His connection with Roman Wilson continues to shine. They connected for a highlight reel touchdown today, where Wilson caught the 40 yard ball in the back of the endzone over the head of the Nebraska defender. Later on, McCarthy spun out of pressure and found Wilson again for another highlight play. This was their 8th touchdown connection in just 5 games. Both McCarthy and Wilson are playing at an NFL caliber level.
JJ has also continued to succeed in his lethal running plays. He ran for his first rushing touchdown of the season, showcasing his speed and athleticism. His ability to run is so dangerous for opposing defenses. On play actions, the opposing edge rushers have to freeze in case McCarthy decides to keep it. This allows for more space for Corum and Edwards to work with. Combined with the dominant O-line, these play actions can consistently lead to chunk plays.
Michigan’s red zone offense has also been phenomenal, and it’s all because of Blake Corum. He has been nearly undefeated in short yardage situations, and so Michigan has used the exact same play on short 3rd/4th downs and goal-line scenarios. They are daring other teams to try and stop the magical play: Blake Corum up the middle. His 9 touchdowns on the year are pretty good evidence of the success they’ve had.
For the first time today, Michigan showcased the depth they have at the running back spot. Aside from Corum, Donovan Edwards had a slightly increased role. Kalel Mullings also had a big impact on the game, and even scored a nice touchdown for his first of the year. Leon Franklin and Tavierre Dunlap were also able to take snaps. We were told Nebraska had the #1 running defense in the Big 10. With all due respect, allowing 249 total rushing yards doesn’t seem all that great.
The defense had a pretty great game as well, and an excellent season overall. We are 5 games in, and the Michigan defense has still not allowed a team to score over 7 points in a game. The defensive line continues to dominate, showing their physical strength and power. They put the quarterback into pressure, and force bad throws and bad decisions. The defense looks ready for a tougher test in the future. The only issue I see is the secondary. They have several young players in the secondary because a majority of their Cornerback/Safety talent in recent years has graduated. They look especially weak in mid-range passes. However, they’ve been excellent at defending the deep ball.
The problem with such a decisive win is that I don’t have very much to say, so I’ll spend a little time talking about Georgia.
We can beat Georgia. They look weaker than they used to. Watching the game was incredibly infuriating, because they were so beatable, and yet Auburn wasn’t good enough to beat them. Their NFL caliber defense that we’ve grown used to is gone, for the most part. Their elite talent has all gone to the league. Of course, they’ve been replaced by more 5 star talent, but it doesn’t look the same. If Auburn can get one possession away from winning, you know it’s not the same defense. The offense also didn’t look great. Except for Brock Bowers, who looked simply unstoppable. I think I remember him having made 3 one-handed catches in a row. Bowers might be the best player in the country right now.
Things are looking up for the team, and I look forward to next week against Minnesota. We haven’t been tested yet. Maybe they can provide a real challenge.