Can Michigan Bully Its Way To Another B10 Title?
"Ground-and-pound". "Smashmouth football". "It's not always pretty, but it gets the job done". That pretty much describes Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines in 2022...and pretty much every other year of the Harbaugh-era before that. Through the first five weeks of the season, the Wolverines have bullied their way to a 5-0 start - with impressive wins at home against a pesky Maryland team and on the road against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
While many thought it would be the passing game that led the way once sophomore quarterback JJ McCarthy was handed the keys to the offense, the Wolverines have remained committed to the rushing attack - pummeling their opponents with a healthy dose of junior running back Blake Corum.
When it comes to national rankings, Corum is currently No. 6 in rushing yards per game (122.2), No. 4 in overall rushing yards (611), and No. 1 in rushing touchdowns (10). Thanks in large part to Corum's production, the Wolverines currently boast the No. 13 overall rushing attack in the nation and have more rushing touchdowns (19) than any other team in the country.
As a result of the consistent success with the ground attack, the Michigan passing attack has essentially been on ice for the last five weeks. Heading into their week six matchup with Indiana, the Wolverines currently rank No. 78 in the nation in passing offense - placing them behind nine other programs in the Big Ten conference alone.
From an individual standpoint, JJ McCarthy ranks No. 94 in passing yards (848), No. 77 in passing touchdowns (5), No. 99 in passing yards per game (169.6) and No. 118 in passing attempts (84). While those passing numbers certainly aren't ideal, the reality is that - when given the opportunity - McCarthy is really, really good through the air. He currently ranks No. 5 nationally in passing efficiency, No. 1 overall in completion percentage (78.6) and has yet to throw an interception through five weeks (84 attempts).
With the meat of the Big Ten schedule looming, Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines appear perfectly content with leaning heavily on the rushing attack in hopes of repeating - or even exceeding - last year's success. There's no question that the formula worked better than most could have hoped for in 2021, but the question now is whether or not it can work again in 2022.
You can catch our full discussion on that topic and more below!
