ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Michigan football team finally had a chance to justify its top-five ranking this weekend, and that’s exactly what it did, dominating Iowa at the always-dangerous Kinnick Stadium.
For the past month, the college football world has lumped the Wolverines into the second tier of playoff contenders, below Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State. But because of the caliber of opponent, there was no way to know if that’s where they truly belonged.
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Well, say what you want about Iowa’s offense. But going into that environment and winning the way Michigan did is plenty of validation. Especially considering the chaos that’s reigned across the sport.
Heading into Saturday’s action, Iowa sported the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation and a top 10 defense against both the pass and rush. But Michigan went in with a plan and executed it to near perfection, methodically racking up 172 yards on the ground and completing 75% of its passes.
Finally, the Wolverines had a chance to earn some credibility, and they did exactly what got them to the playoff a year ago: Find a way to win on the road.
Jim Harbaugh’s team had to grind through some tough road tests in 2021. A dominant second half took demoralized Wisconsin. Spotless late-game execution was enough to overcome a near collapse at Nebraska. Fourth-quarter composure on both sides of the ball lifted the Wolverines over Penn State.
This time, specifically, Michigan traveled to Iowa City knowing it needed to sustain drives, take care of the football, and execute on special teams. And that’s exactly what happened.
Iowa thrives off of forcing turnovers. Michigan had zero. Iowa wears down opponents with time of possession. Michigan held the ball for 34 minutes. Iowa wreaks havoc on special teams. Michigan made both field goal attempts, averaged 43 yards per punt, and never flinched in the return game.
Was it pretty? Maybe not to the untrained football eye. But have you ever watched an Iowa game? “Pretty” is rarely the first word out of anyone’s mouth.
What we learned from Michigan is that it still has last year’s knack for crafting a specific plan, executing that plan, and walking away with yet another victory.
Blake Corum, coming off a 243-yard performance against Maryland, dropped 133 more yards on the best defense in the country. If he can do it against the Hawkeyes, he can certainly do it against anyone else on Michigan’s schedule.
Remind you of the 2021 Wolverines? The difference is this year, Sherrone Moore and Matt Weiss have a more balanced offense at their disposal.
What if J.J. McCarthy had connected with Roman Wilson on the only deep shot Michigan took all game -- one that was perfectly set up and there for the taking? Michigan executed the hard part to perfection, McCarthy just has to make the throw. And everyone knows he can.
On the defensive side of the ball, Michigan showed up when it mattered most. After holding the Hawkeyes scoreless for the first three quarters, it was gut check time after Michigan finally gave up a score on a short field.
But one drive later, the Wolverines came up with a fourth down stop in the most critical moment of the game. Those are the types of plays that define a season.
The last meaningful Iowa possession was a defensive work of art. Mike Morris sacked Spencer Petras on first down and forced an incomplete pass on the following play. Then, Eyabi Okie and Taylor Upshaw got to Petras on third down to set up a fourth and 24. Michigan pressured Petras once again to force a game-clinching incompletion.
In 2021, defense was the strength of the Michigan football team. That might not be the case any longer, but it doesn’t mean the Wolverines can’t find similar results in different ways.
Michigan has playmakers in the secondary and run stoppers along the line. The major difference is that everyone has less room for error without Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo speeding things up on every snap.
The defensive backs have had to guard for longer. The line is having a much tougher time getting pressure. There were times Saturday when Michigan even made Petras look like a solid Big Ten quarterback.
Michigan might not be able to hold Penn State to 17 points again this season, and there’s no way it keeps Ohio State below 30. But Saturday was a reminder that this program can still find ways to win, even when those wins don’t follow the same script.