The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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4 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW I magine a third straight Michigan victory over Ohio State, spiraling double bird-flipping gran- nies and Skoal-stuffed scar- let scoundrels into apoplexy. How about three separate versions of The Game packed into one season? Neither of those scenar- ios can be ruled out in col- lege football's brave new world, given the Wolverines' strengthened status. Jim Harbaugh positioned the sport's all-time wins leader for whatever's heading its way. That's as exciting for Michigan fans as junior tail- back Donovan Edwards with 11 Buckeyes in his wake. Michigan enters 2023 flat- out loaded, in terms of talent and experience. Just as im- portantly, Harbaugh figured out the formula to beating the Buckeyes — which opens the door for everything else. Gone are the days — and they weren't so long ago — when OSU piled up 62 or 56 points on the Wolverines. Gone are boasts about "hanging 100" on Michigan, unless they involve Ryan Day's four-year plan. Gone is the angst, fretting and worst of all, the resignation of Michigan fans when these teams line up for the greatest rivalry in sport. They've traded in "Uh-oh" for "Bring it on," and absolutely love it. "It's night and day," insisted former Michigan captain Jon Jansen. "You have a defense — under Mike Macdonald and now Jesse Minter — that's not going to leave guys on an island outside. It's going to find creative ways to put pressure on an opposing quarterback and keep things in check, so they don't get out of hand. "It's also an offense that's been disci- plined, that's protected the football, but can go out there and create explosive plays. "Michigan and the way they're per- forming on both sides of the ball are com- pletely different. They have the ability, if something goes bad defensively, to coun- ter it offensively, and go play-for-play, score-for-score. They also have the abil- ity, defensively, to shut down opponents. "You're not going to shut them down for 60 minutes. But if you can shut them down for 15 of those 60, or 40 of those 60, now offensively, you keep the pressure on, you keep things going and you stay con- sistent. You stay true to who you are. You could be in a game where it's 48-47, or you could also be in a game where it's 13-10. "That's where this rivalry has really changed. Michigan now has the ability to match whatever Ohio State is trying to do." That has Buckeye fans in various states of meltdown. Denial after 2021 became depression following the combo punch in Columbus last November. With the series shifting back to Ann Arbor this fall, a third straight Michigan victory for the first time since 1995-97 appears well within U-M's reach. That leaves OSU feeling colder than snowflakes on a scarlet-stained streaker. "They're worried Michigan is here to stay," Jansen stressed. "They're worried they're here for good. They're watch- ing the recruiting. They're watching the development of young talent. They're watching the development of really good coaches. "That's the other element. They've got [wide receiver coach] Brian Hartline over there, but we've got [defensive line coach] Mike Elston. We've got [defensive backs coach] Steve Clinkscale. We've got [running backs coach] Mike Hart. We've got guys that are really good coaches. "They're going to move on. [Defensive coordi- nator] Mike Macdonald moved on, and you bring in Jesse Minter. You develop another good coach, and they're going to do the same job, or better." Bottom line, as always these days (and Penn State fans need to remain silent until the Nittany Lions are mercifully released from the Big Ten East) is simply this: beat the Buckeyes, and all doors are open. Don't think for a moment the concern from Mordor isn't real. "Yeah, they're worried," noted Jed Do- nahue, who covers Penn State for the PA Sports Network but who grew up bleed- ing scarlet. "Look at this year. They could be 11-0," he said. "It's not out of the realm of possibility that Ohio State could go to Ann Arbor undefeated. Wouldn't be the first time. "But you've got to deal with that big crowd at Michigan, and who knows what the stakes are going to be?" And in the new world beginning in 2024 with no divisions, USC and UCLA thrown into the mix, 12 playoff teams, etc.? Any- thing goes, Donahue pointed out. "They might be meeting twice in back- to-back weeks with no divisions now," he said. "They could meet at the end of the year and in the Big Ten Championship Game, and then maybe again in the playoff. "Could there be three games in one year with these teams? It's not crazy to think, is it, with the talent level of these teams? A national title game with these two is not out of the realm of possibility." A different world, to be sure. But it's a world in which the Wolverines, suddenly and strikingly, look ready to thrive. ❏ WOLVERINE WATCH JOHN BORTON Wolverines Prepped To Take The Next Steps Editor John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and fol- low him on Twitter @JB_Wolverine. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has figured out the formula to beating the Buckeyes, which opens the door for everything else. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER