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.
“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 boys healthy in a month. We have a whole month to see a lot of movies. 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 offensive 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 teammate Karsen Barnhart from right tackle to right guard.
The line versus 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 stops (14.5 for loss), nine sacks, two forced turnovers, and was awarded SEC Player of the Year.
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