(Photo: Clutchpoints)
Saturday Spotlight
(3) Texas Longhorns at (10) Michigan Wolverines
Texas: This year will usher in a new chapter for this program. For years, they’ve been in the Big 12 and whenever you brought that conference up, they were always one of the first names that came up in discussions. This program has been trending in the right direction and as usual, I will explain why. In their final year as members of the Big 12, they were the best team in the conference, won their final conference championship game, and were a playoff team for the first time. They had a chance to win the Sugar Bowl against the Washington Huskies but fell short. Now, the Texas Longhorns are members of the ever-popular Southeastern Conference better known to many as the SEC. Last Saturday in their season opener, they were dominant from the first whistle until the last whistle and didn’t let up. As many teams do, they lost their share of key pieces from last year’s team such as Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat on that defensive line, Then, on the offensive side of the ball, they lost Ja’Tavion Sanders, Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jonathan Brooks, and Jordan Whittington who were all key contributors. One piece they didn’t lose was Quinn Ewers and as long as he’s in the lineup, this group will compete. He’s one of the best Quarterbacks in the country and I picked him to win the Heisman this year. In the opener against Colorado State, he completed 20 of his 27 pass attempts for 260 yards passing Steve Sarkisian has a good thing brewing in Austin. Today, they will make a trip up north to face the defending champions at the “Big House”.
Michigan: 29. That’s the number of consecutive games they’ve won in the regular season. I understand the amount of players they lost to the NFL and losing Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers may seem significant, but they are still the defending champions until someone dethrones them. When Jim was suspended due to the sign-stealing incident, Sherrone Moore stepped in and this team didn’t miss a beat. It made complete sense when Jim left to coach in the NFL once again, Sherrone would have the interim title removed and was named the permanent Head Coach. I’m all for hiring a guy already on the staff and in-house. Most importantly, the players gravitated to him and enjoyed being around him which is another free flag. Why go out and get someone new and it would take a while for the players to get acclimated with him? The Wolverines also lost J.J. McCarthy to the Minnesota Vikings last Spring. His game may not have been the flashiest, but it worked and in his 27 career starts for the program, he won 26 of them. Coming into this year, I sense a feeling of disrespect when it comes to the champs in the Big Ten. Ohio State is loaded, Oregon is here and they can be a fun group to watch and Penn State is also in the fold. There’s no way we can forget the team that’s won the last three conference championships. Did they lose many key pieces from a title-winning team a year ago? They had the most players of any university drafted in the league. It will be a steep hill for them to climb, but let’s not write them off completely. This afternoon, they welcome the Longhorns to town.
Texas X-Factor: Silas Bolden– He played his college ball last year in Corvallis for the Washington State Beavers, then he entered the transfer portal and that’s how he became a Longhorn. He will fit in this offense like a glove if you ask me. Texas lost some Wide Receiver talent last year but was able to refill it with Silas, Isaiah Bond from Alabama, and Matthew Golden from the University of Houston. Silas puts pressure on a defense. He’s smaller and knows how to maneuver his way up the field with quickness. I mentioned last year Silas isn’t your typical inside receiver as he can also play outside on the perimeter.
Michigan X-Factor: Mason Graham– This is a monster on the interior of that Wolverine Defensive Line. The first thing you immediately take away is the explosiveness he plays with. Mason has those scrappy hands along with the choppy feet you need to succeed at the position. His strength is stopping the run and I love the pursuit he plays with when it comes to pursuing the ball carrier. Even when blocked, he’s using that strength to his full advantage. Mason isn’t necessarily a pass rusher, but he can force a Quarterback to hesitate if they see him rushing their way.
Final Thoughts: This is the must-see game on the schedule today. Both these teams a year ago were playoff teams with Texas falling short against the Washington Huskies and Michigan of course winning the College Football Playoff National Championship. On the radio last week, I stated these were two teams I watched closely in week one because teams sadly tend to overlook the opponent in front of them and look ahead to the big opponent. Texas handled their business against Colorado State and Michigan on the other hand had their moments against Fresno State, but came out on top. On the Texas side, striking early and silencing that crowd is key. The Big House is a tough place to play. Also, they must attack the Michigan Linebackers and Safeties with the misdirection routes. The two most important keys for the Longhorns are being able to execute in the red zone. They did that last weekend against Colorado State, but today presents a new challenge. They must also remain balanced because they’re running the ball well and throwing it consistently. For Michigan, can this front four get home with just four? I’ve seen many Wink Martindale defenses over the years and he loves sending additional guys at the last minute. Next, keeping up with the Longhorns’ speed will be something to watch. Lastly, can this Wolverine’s offense play the game on their terms? The running game struggled to get much of anything going against Fresno State and overall, the efficiency wasn’t there until the fourth quarter. I expect Texas to load the box because Michigan doesn’t have anything that can be a threat to get anything down the field. I like the Longhorns to win this game in Ann Arbor today.
Prediction: Texas 31, Michigan 21
