Where Michigan’s offense needs to improve before the Rose Bowl

In addition to winning the Big Ten Championship for the third time in a row, Michigan also punched their ticket to the College Football Playoffs on December 2 with a 26-0 victory over Iowa.

The Wolverines will face Alabama in the CFP semifinal on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl. For any team, this is a protracted layoff, and the actions taken by both programmes in December will have a significant influence on how they play each other on January 1.

In addition to watching Alabama’s film, Michigan is aware of the areas in which they fundamentally need to improve in the weeks preceding the Rose Bowl.

Even though Michigan’s victory over Iowa included a shutout and a defensive masterwork, the offence struggled at times against a superior Iowa defence. The offence of Michigan averaged 3.3 yards per play, which was a low for the team since 2014. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy was sacked four times, and there were problems with pass protection as well.

After defeating Iowa, head coach Jim Harbaugh stated, “Uncharacteristically we had some drops and uncharacteristically we had some protection issues and things that we’ll work on.”

Michigan’s test against Iowa, who is ranked fifth in total defence, was well-timed. Alabama’s defence, which is ranked No. 18 in total defence, is also very good.

“Pass pro, we dropped passes. On December 2, Corum stated, “There are just things we can tidy up, but we still have a month left.” “We need to get the guys healthy in a month. We have a whole month to see a lot of films. We will be practicing a lot for a month. We still have time. We have time, but we can’t waste it.

Since Corum’s remarks, more than half of December has passed, and the Rose Bowl will begin in a heartbeat. For the Michigan offence to be effective minute by minute, attention to detail is essential.

This month, achieving greater unity along the offensive line will also be crucial. Trente Jones took over as the starting right tackle after right guard Zak Zinter suffered a season-ending leg injury against Ohio State, moving lineman Karsen Barnhart from right tackle to right guard. The line against Iowa appeared to be a work in progress, which was not surprising. It’s difficult to replace someone like Zinter, a unanimous First Team All-American selection. The Michigan line will need to play more cohesively because Dallas Turner, an Alabama linebacker, is an excellent pressure producer. Turner finished with 50 total tackles (14.5 for loss), nine sacks, two forced fumbles, and was named SEC Player of the Year.

J.J. McCarthy, the quarterback for Michigan, will play a significant role against Alabama. McCarthy appeared to roll his ankle against Penn State in November, so for the last few games of Michigan’s regular season, he was not at full strength. McCarthy went so far as to say that the health situation against Maryland was “a little rough.” In that game, McCarthy completed 12 of 23 passes for 141 yards and one interception. The following week, Michigan defeated Ohio State 30–24, and McCarthy recovered magnificently, going 16–of–20 for 148 yards and one touchdown. In his most recent game (against Iowa), McCarthy’s stat line was 22-of-30 for 147 yards. McCarthy could make great progress towards recovery in the month of December. The offensive line of Michigan will now have the task of keeping him upright.

Finally, having their head coach on the sidelines will help Michigan tremendously in getting ready for the Rose Bowl. In response to accusations of sign theft made by former Michigan analyst Connor Stalions, Jim Harbaugh was suspended by The Big Ten for games against Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State. For the Big Ten title game, Harbaugh made a comeback, and the commotion surrounding the accusations has mostly subsided. Now that he’s back, Harbaugh will once again be bringing his aura and energy to a team that should be even more energised on gamedays. not just on the days of the games, but also during practices and getting ready.