Where Michigan’s offense needs to improve before the Rose Bowl
Where Michigan’s offense needs to improve before the Rose Bowl
December is an important month of improvement for the Wolverines before a huge game against Alabama.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72973234/usa_today_22023261.0.jpg)
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 in the Rose Bowl. For any club, this is a protracted break, and the actions taken by both teams 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 offense struggled at times against a superior Iowa defense. The offense 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 defense, was well-timed. Alabama’s defense, which is ranked No. 18 in total defense, is also very good.
“We had dropped passes, pass pro. There’s just things we can clean up, but we have a month now,” Corum said on Dec. 2. “We have a month to get guys healthy. We have a month to watch a lot of film. We have a month to practice a lot. We have time. We can’t waste our time, but we have time.”
More than half the month of December has rolled along since Corum’s comments and the Rose Bowl will kick off in the blink of an eye. Attention to detail is key for the Michigan offense on a minute-by-minute basis.
Finding more cohesion along the offensive line will also loom large this month. When right guard Zak Zinter went down with a season ending leg injury against Ohio State it moved lineman Karsen Barnhart from right tackle to right guard with Trente Jones becoming the starting right tackle. It wasn’t a surprise that the line looked like a work in progress against Iowa. Replacing someone like Zinter, who was named a unanimous First Team All-American, isn’t easy. Better cohesion will be necessary from the Michigan line as Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner is great at generating pressure. Turner was named SEC Player of the Year and tallied 50 total tackles (14.5 for loss) with nine sacks and two forced fumbles.
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s production will be a major factor against Alabama. McCarthy was at less than 100 percent for the final stretch of Michigan’s regular season after he appeared to roll his ankle against Penn State in November. McCarthy even said things were “a little rough” health wise against Maryland. McCarthy was 12-of-23 in that game for 141 yards with an interception. McCarthy would bounce back admirably in Michigan’s 30-24 win over Ohio State the following week, going 16-of-20 for 148 yards with one touchdown. McCarthy’s stat line his most recent outing (Iowa) was 22-of-30 for 147 yards. The month of December could do McCarthy wonders in getting healthy. Now it’ll be up to Michigan’s offensive line to keep him upright.
A final area in which Michigan will greatly benefit in preparation of the Rose Bowl involves their head coach being on the sideline. Jim Harbaugh was suspended by The Big Ten for games against Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State in light of alleged sign stealing by former Michigan analyst Connor Stalions. Harbaugh returned for the Big Ten championship game and noise surrounding the allegations has greatly dissipated for the time being. Harbaugh’s back to doing what he does on gamedays — bringing his aura and energy to a team that should be all the more charged up because of it. Not only on game days, but throughout practices and preparation as well.