Last weekend, Michigan faced a tough reality in a blowout loss at home to Texas, revealing that this Wolverines squad isn’t nearly the same team that won the national title last season.
In fairness, nobody was under the impression that this year’s Wolverines would go undefeated. However, most expected Michigan to put up a better fight against Texas, especially at The Big House.
The 41-17 defeat marked Michigan’s first loss since the 2022 College Football Playoff, showing clear signs of a team in transition.
After losing several key players, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy, star running back Blake Corum, and 11 other draft picks to the NFL, a step back seemed inevitable for the Wolverines.
Additionally, there’s no possible way to downplay the enormous shoes that were left by Jim Harbaugh who left chilly Ann Arbor for the beaches of Los Angeles.
While Michigan isn’t out of the playoff race just yet, they will need to make major adjustments before they start their Big Ten schedule.
This weekend’s final non-conference matchup against Arkansas State gives them one last chance to iron out issues before they face stiffer competition.
One notable voice weighed in on the team’s current struggles. Former Michigan staffer Conor Stalions spoke to CBS Sports and shared his perspective on what’s holding the Wolverines back.
“Look at Michigan; you could easily blame this on Sherrone [Moore],” Stalions said. “But let’s be real. Losing J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, and 11 other draft picks to the NFL makes a difference.”
He added that Michigan is “just caught in transition right now” but believes they have the talent and coaching to turn things around before the season gets too far out of hand.
Despite his comments offering some level of reason, Stalions remains a very controversial figure.
He’s still at the center of the sign-stealing scandal that has loomed over the program for the past year, and the recent release of his Netflix documentary has only added to the ongoing debate surrounding his alleged actions.
As Michigan aims to rebound against Arkansas State, the Wolverines will soon face a new challenge as they kick off Big Ten play against USC.
The Trojans, currently 2-0 and ranked No. 11, are riding high after a dominant season-opening victory over LSU in Las Vegas.
Michigan’s defense struggled to contain Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, a Heisman candidate, and they’ll face another dangerous signal-caller in USC’s Miller Moss.
Moss, looking to bolster his own Heisman campaign, will surely aim to expose Michigan’s vulnerabilities in a high-stakes matchup at The Big House come September 21.
What are your thoughts on Michigan’s struggles?
Is there real reason for concern? … Or was last Saturday more about Ewers and the Longhorns being THAT good???