Tag: Recap

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Michigan 9 Ohio State 27 – Game 12 Recap

GAME 12 PROJECTION vs. RESULTS

Final Score: 9-27, Ohio State by 18 over Michigan
SP+ Projection: Ohio State by 14.6 (-3.4)
CD Projection: Ohio State by 4 (-14)

FIVE FACTORS

GAME 12 RECAP vs. Ohio State

Offensively, a 24% success rate isn’t going to beat anyone. The game plan seemed solid to start the game, but just wasn’t sustainable once both coaching staffs adjusted, and a few key injuries popped back up. Bryce Underwood finished 8 of 18 for 63 yards and an interception. There was never a chance for coordinator Chip Lindsey to create any rhythm, but 0 targets for Andrew Marsh still seems like Chip’s mistake. The most important thing that happened in this game was critical experience for this offensive unit heading into 2026. They have a long way to go, but plenty of talent and fire power coming back.

Ohio State’s offensive line won the game for the Buckeyes. Julian Sayin was never in any serious danger, and OSU put up a 48% success rate on run plays. For all the posturing Michigan fans have done about program toughness and The Game, today the Buckeyes were tougher. Running back Bo Jackson averaged 5.3 yards per carry while Sayin was given plenty of time to attack downfield. He connected on two long touchdown passes, and three total on the day.

In my eyes, the game flipped in the 3rd quarter. The defense got the stop required and Ryan Day punted on 4th and 2. Underwood hit McCulley down the seam to get into favorable field position, but then the offense stalled. Hudson Hollenbeck then shanked an 11 yard punt that was effectively a turnover. The Buckeyes treated it like a sudden change, and hit a bomb to Carnell Tate on the very next snap. Special teams need a full make over this offseason.

As Michigan fans, we hate losing this game. I am not going to make any excuses for the team and coaches falling short. But, take whatever time you need to be angry, then start looking forward to 2026 and 2027. There will be many new faces, and the players have a lot of work to do, but championship-level football is just around the corner for the Wolverines. Onward!

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Michigan 21 Purdue 16 – Game 9 Recap

GAME 9 PROJECTION vs. RESULTS

Final Score: 21-16, Michigan by 5 over Purdue
SP+ Projection: Michigan by 21.7 (-16.7)
CD Projection: Michigan by 19 (-14)

FIVE FACTORS

GAME 9 RECAP vs. Purdue

It’s important to understand whether you are a glass-half-full person, or a glass-half-empty person. The offense, as a unit, is not playing well for a multitude of reasons. But, Jordan Marshall is carrying the program on his back in heroic fashion. And, most importantly, the Wolverines keep winning football games. Marshall carried the ball 25 times for 185 yards and scored all 3 Michigan touchdowns.

The sophomore running back stepped in to save the day after Chip Lindsey could no longer keep the game in Bryce Underwood’s hands. The freshman quarterback finished 13-of-22 for 145 yards passing, but had two very costly turnovers in the red zone that cost the team anywhere from 6 to 14 points. With 75% of the regular season completed, Underwood is at the level I would have expected back in August, but the progress feels pretty flat over the past few weeks. Outside of the plethora of injured Wolverines, nobody needs the bye week more than Bryce.

Defensively, I was prepared for frustration as Saturday progressed. First, I learned Purdue’s OC previously worked under Lincoln Riley at USC. I remember the coaching mismatch I saw a month ago, so I was ready for Purdue to hit a few plays. Second, we learned Michigan would be missing Jimmy Rolder, Cole Sullivan, Jayshawn Barham, and Rod Moore from the starting lineup. That put a lot of inexperienced guys onto the field. Add in Purdue’s preference for high tempo, and it was clear Michigan was going to give up some points tonight. When it was all said and done, I think the battered Wolverines did an admirable job. However, this film combined with the USC film will no doubt be under a microscope in Columbus.

The special teams units are still wildly inconsistent. Semaj Morgan caught one punt in the air, but turned in a -2 yard return. The previous return opportunity was another example of playing too deep and letting the ball bounce and roll for a 57 yard net for Purdue. Michigan’s punter Hudson Hollenbeck continues his up-down, feast-or-famine pattern. I am confident he is capable, but he needs to reset the floor on his bad kicks.

Jim Harbaugh said famously, “When they put ‘pretty’ on the scoreboard, we’ll worry about it.” It was after a game just like this. Winning a B1G Ten game in November is no small feat. The Wolverines have to maximize their rest and self-study during the upcoming bye week. This month will determine how we remember the 2025 team.

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Michigan 63 Central Michigan 3 – Game 3 Recap

GAME 3 PROJECTION vs. RESULTS

Final Score: 63-3, Michigan by 60 over Central Michigan
SP+ Projection: Michigan by 31.7 (+28.3)
CD Projection: Michigan by 20 (+40)

FIVE FACTORS

GAME 3 RECAP vs. Central Michigan

Question marks surrounded the offensive unit coming into today’s matchup with the Chippewas. Bryce Underwood and Chip Lindsey smashed all those question marks and reinvigorated the Michigan fan base’s confidence. A 58% success rate and 9.1 yards per play, with garbage time removed, will be good enough to beat almost anyone. Underwood made a few mistakes, but looked sharp as he threw for 235 yards. Even more exciting was Bryce’s ability to pull the ball down and scramble for big conversions. Underwood added 114 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns to the team rushing total of 381 yards. Four different running backs scored touchdowns, and freshman Andrew Marsh added another on an end around. This was a text book get-right game, and the Wolverines needed it.

The defensive performance was even more refreshing for me. We saw the 2024 defense dominate games down the stretch, but in the early season they could not dominate any team for any stretch of time. Today, the Michigan defense was unbelievable. Central Michigan managed just 139 total yards and a 25% success rate. The Chips actually spent most of the first half below zero in the total yards column. Jayshawn Barham looked absolutely devastating for the entire first half, but also causes the most concern as he left just after halftime with an apparent shoulder injury.

If the Wolverines have any major flaw right now, it’s consistency on special teams. Shockingly, Dominic Zvada missed another field goal today, although a 47-yard attempt is no chip shot. Michigan also looks discombobulated on punt return. Semaj Morgan is still not getting a good read on the ball and has to make tough running catches. On one particular adventure today, Morgan was tackled accidentally by one of his blockers.

In the grand scheme of this season, today was a really good day. Bryce Underwood looked in control of the entire offense, and used the whole field. Chip Lindsey demonstrated that he will attack vertically, and will do it early. The defense was physical, and dominated the line of scrimmage while many young depth players got to rotate in the back seven. The B1G season kicks off on the road without Sherrone Moore next week in Lincoln, Nebraska so the Wolverines have to keep stacking good days for the whole week. Onward!

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Michigan 34 New Mexico 17 – Game 1 Recap

GAME 1 PROJECTION vs. RESULTS

Final Score: 34-17, Michigan by 17 over New Mexico
SP+ Projection: Michigan by 42 (-25)
CD Projection: Michigan by 28 (-11)

FIVE FACTORS

GAME 1 RECAP vs. New Mexico

That was a very effective first outing for the Michigan newcomers. Bryce Underwood went 21-31 (68%) for 251 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions. Justice Haynes was the star carrying 16 times for 159 yards and 3 touchdowns. All of this with new Offensive Coordinator Chip Lindsey prioritizing balance. The Wolverines actually called more pass plays than run plays in a victory for the first time in a long while. The jury is still out on Michigan’s offensive line. They didn’t have any major gaffes that I picked up on first watch. However, Michigan also had a huge size advantage over the Lobos that never got fully exploited either.

Defensively, we knew the Wolverines would try to get a lot of snaps for a lot of guys. Michigan succeeded there, with at least 8 defensive linemen getting meaningful snaps, and 5 or 6 different defensive backs also rotating in. While New Mexico was able to connect on short passes in front of Michigan’s coverage, the Wolverines tackled well and kept those plays to short gains. The second half targeting call on Jayshawn Barham’s sack really swung the momentum in the building. And, he will have to miss the start of next week’s road game against Oklahoma. The Wolverines’ strength on defense is depth, and we’ll need to see some other playmakers step up next week to fill the void left by Barham.

Dominic Zvada is a special teams superstar, even though the Wolverines didn’t need his heroics today. That’s about the end of my positivity for the special teams units. Semaj Morgan muffed a tough punt catch on the run giving me shades of the Rose Bowl issues. He let most of the remaining punts bounce the rest of the game. Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh was stripped on a kick return for a costly turnover that handed New Mexico 3 points directly. Hudson Hollenbeck had his best punt on his last with a 44-yard fair catch. His longest punt was a touchback that netted just 32 yards after a conservative 4th & 1 decision by Sherrone Moore. This phase of the game has to take a few big steps forward for Michigan to play championship level football in 2025.

On the whole, Michigan checked most of the boxes next to their biggest question marks. The moment never got too big for Bryce Underwood tonight. Now we’ll see if he can translate that cool demeanor to a hostile road environment at night. Chip Lindsey showed that he will threaten the entire field through the air, which help create running lanes for Justice Haynes. Michigan showed they can create havoc and pass rush with any personnel combo on the field, which bodes well for keeping your playmakers fresh for big defensive snaps in the 2nd half of games. Onward!

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Michigan 13 Ohio State 10 – Game 12 Recap

GAME 12 PROJECTION vs. RESULTS

Final Score: 13-10, Michigan by 3 over Ohio State
SP+ Projection: Ohio State by 20.5 (+23.5)
CD Projection: Ohio State by 11 (+14)

FIVE FACTORS

GAME 12 RECAP @ Ohio State

See?! I am not crazy! Michigan’s best version in 2024 is a ball control, time of possession, field position strategy! They just saved it for The Game and sacrificed at least 2-3 losses in the regular season to trap Ryan Day!

In all seriousness, this had to be the plan all along, especially once Michigan learned Colston Loveland was unavailable. Kalel Mullings carried the Wolverines on his back again, rushing 32 times for 116 yards and Michigan’s only touchdown. His greatest moment, however, came on a 3rd & 6 in the 4th quarter. Mullings broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and bounced outside for a 27-yard gallup that ensured Michigan was in field goal range in a tied game.

For the fourth consecutive year, it’s a struggle to determine how much of Michigan’s defensive success is a maize-and-blue masterpiece, and how much is a scarlet-and-grey conundrum. Somehow, Wink Martindale was able to remove Jeremiah Smith from the menu in the 2nd half. Ryan Day was determined to prove the Buckeyes were tougher on the ground this year. Turns out he was wrong…again. Ohio State only mustered 77 rushing yards on 26 attempts, a pitiful 3.0 yard per rush.

After an atrocious 33-yard punt by Tommy Doman to start the day for special teams, Dominic Zvada cashed in a 54-yard field goal, and cooly nailed the 21-yard nail in the coffin with under a minute on the clock. Just like all the Wolverines, Doman had to show some toughness and bounce back. He uncorked a critical 68-yard punt and roll in the 2nd quarter, and finished with a respectable 47.3 yard average.

What a month for Sherrone Moore and the Michigan Wolverines. There seems to be some major changes related to personnel management and recruiting within the program. But other things remain constant. This Michigan team didn’t flinch in the moment, even when it was infuriatingly bleak. When all the chips were on the table, Ryan Day and his “National Title or Bust” Buckeyes were not tough enough to make the critical plays in November. Both programs now find themselves at very different crossroads, with Michigan riding the wave of four straight victories over Ohio State into 2025. SMASH!