Michigan Football's Three Key Matchups Against Oklahoma

Jim Harbaugh used to say that a team should never apologize for the wins. He’s right, wins are hard to come by, and every one of them is precious no matter the manner they present themselves.

Michigan football won by the skin of its teeth in Saturday’s 13-12 victory over Western Michigan that is shrouded in controversy.

That is in the rear view mirror now. Michigan has its next test in front of them, and it’s far from a cupcake. The Oklahoma Sooners of the SEC are coming to town, and they are rolling after a 51-0 victory in their season opener.

These two teams met last year in Norman, with the Wolverines sputtering on offense for most of the night, before Oklahoma put the game away late in the fourth quarter.

Michigan lost 24-13 in a game that did not feel quite as close as the final score appeared to indicate.

Michigan is a 5.5 point underdog at home after last week’s performance, and they will have to prove themselves on the national stage against a quality opponent. If Michigan is going to win, here are their key matchups.

1. Michigan Run Game vs Oklahoma Defense

Everyone knows what’s coming. Brent Venables is going to bring pressure. He’ll bring pressure from all levels of the defense, and force Michigan to block it up.

One of the ways to calm down opposing blitz schemes, is to figure out a way to run into those pressure looks.

Michigan’s run game did not live up to the billing last week as Bryce Underwood was the team’s leading rusher.

Savion Hiter and Jordan Marshall were both disappointed with their performances. This week, they’re going to both have to be on top of their games in order to get Michigan’s offense on track.

The biggest key against this Oklahoma defense is to stay ahead of the sticks. Sometimes that means taking a three-yard run, instead of trying to break for a 33-yard run.

Michigan’s passing game is still a significant question mark at this point in the year. To keep their offense on track, they need their run game to be able to keep them ahead of the sticks while also creating some explosives.

They’ll need production from Marshall, Hiter, and Underwood as both as designed runner and extending plays.

If they have similar rushing output this week as they did last week, the Wolverines are going to be dead on arrival.

2. Michigan vs Brent Venables Blitz Packages

Of course, Michigan is not going to be able to be one-dimensional against Brent Venables and his aggressive Oklahoma defense.

There are going to be points where Michigan has to be able to make plays against Oklahoma’s pressure looks.

That means Bryce Underwood has to be ready to make plays with anticipation, and see the plays before they happen. It means that the offensive line has to be ready to pick up the blitzes. They need to be prepared.

There are going to be instances where Venables and his team win a rep. What cannot happen is Underwood and the offense turning a lost rep into a disastrous one. That’s how turnovers happen, and that is how a game of this magnitude can flip quickly.

3. Michigan Defense vs John Mateer

With all the focus on the offense, the defense has quite the challenge in front of it this week. Last week, Michigan’s defense was good from play-to-play, but did not make enough big plays to turn the tide of the game.

This week, they are facing a better offense with a potential Heisman Trophy candidate with Oklahoma’s John Mateer.

Last year, Mateer tore up the Wolverines’ defense for 270 yards through the air, and added another 70 yards on the ground. He threw one touchdown pass, and ran for two more.

He’s a dual threat quarterback, capable of extending plays with his legs as Michigan knows full well from a season ago. They need to keep pressure on him, while also pushing the pocket to keep him caged in.

There will be instances where Mateer breaks contain, but the goal is to try and limit explosive plays from the explosive quarterback.

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