ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Wolverines’ attempt to defend their national championship has not gone as planned.
Beginning the season ranked ninth in the AP Top 25, Michigan is among a select few teams since 1991 to have a lower preseason ranking than seventh after achieving a national title.
Currently sitting at 6-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten, Michigan has struggled to meet the expectations set for them, barely managing to secure eligibility for a bowl game.
This season has the potential to result in either six or seven losses, a disappointing outcome not seen since the end of the Brady Hoke era a decade ago.
A win against their bitter rival, second-ranked Ohio State (10-1, 7-1, No. 2 CFP), this Saturday at the Horseshoe could provide a glimmer of hope, but an upset would be quite surprising.
According to the BetMGM Sportsbook, Ohio State is favored by 21 1/2 points, making this only the third instance in this century of such a significant spread in what’s known as “The Game.”
Michigan’s coach Sherrone Moore does not seem inclined to adopt an underdog mindset for this matchup.
“I don’t think none of that matters in this game,” Moore stated on Monday. “It doesn’t matter the records. It doesn’t matter anything. The spread, that doesn’t matter.”
So, how did Michigan navigate a disappointing season following their first national title since 1997?
Achieving such a milestone with a head coach and star player considering moves to the NFL for the 2024 season seems to have inadvertently affected the team’s performance.
The Wolverines concluded the College Football Playoff with a victory over Washington on January 8. Shortly after, quarterback J.J. McCarthy announced he would bypass his senior year, and Jim Harbaugh departed to coach the Los Angeles Chargers.
In the interim, many potential transfer quarterbacks had already committed to other schools, leaving Moore with limited choices.
Davis Warren initially won the starting quarterback spot but later lost it to Alex Orji before eventually regaining it.
Regardless of who played the position, the struggles were magnified by an offensive line that sent six players to the NFL.
On the defensive side, the Wolverines suffered setbacks as well, with safety Rod Moore sidelined for the season due to an injury sustained last spring, while earlier this season, preseason All-America cornerback Will Johnson has been out for over a month due to injury.
Meanwhile, Ohio State is poised to show no leniency, seeking to end their three-game losing streak in the rivalry.
“We’re going to attack them,” said Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer. “We know they’re going to come in here swinging, too, and they’ve still got a good team even though the record doesn’t indicate it. This game, it never matters what the records are.”
Although a victory wouldn’t transform the Wolverines’ season into a success, it would serve as a potential catalyst for Moore, especially following the recent commitment of top-rated freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan.
“You come to Michigan to beat Ohio,” noted defensive back Quinten Johnson, deliberately omitting ’State’ when referring to their rival. “That’s one of the pillars of the Michigan football program.
“It doesn’t necessarily change the fact of where we are in the season, but it definitely is one of the defining moments of your career here at Michigan.”