The six factors that could potentially aid Michigan in winning the national title.
Michigan’s Crisler Center media room was filled with optimism after winning the Big Ten East division title against Ohio State. The Wolverines’ strong roster and historic season continued, marking the first time Michigan had defeated its rival three times since 1997. The Wolverines also returned to the Big Ten championship game for the third consecutive year.
Michigan’s football team has been a significant factor in the NFL, especially during the absence of quarterback Harbaugh. The team has a strong lineup with numerous players with significant starts or field time. After a devastating injury like Zinter’s against Ohio State, Michigan moved fifth-year lineman Karsen Barnhart to right guard and then sliding in Trente Jones to Barnhart’s spot at tackle.
McCarthy’s savvy has stood out this season as Michigan has asked different things of him than in 2022. He had an excellent start, completing 2,134 pass yards with 18 touchdowns on 75.7% completions through Michigan’s first nine games. After a shaky performance last week at Maryland, McCarthy executed a precision passing game to near perfection against Ohio State, completing 16 of 20 attempts for 148 yards and a thread-the-needle touchdown to Roman Wilson.
Harbaugh has generally hired good staff members at Michigan, with several of his ex-assistants moving on to head-coaching positions or to the NFL. His 2023 staff projected well, especially with two up-and-coming coordinators in Jesse Minter and Moore. Moore was the clear choice to lead Michigan on game days during the stretch run, taking a necessary conservative approach in an emotionally charged game against Penn State.
Before the Ohio State game, Harbaugh had two messages for Moore: love you and be you. The latter meant make more aggressive play calls. Moore kept the offense on the field for three fourth-down opportunities and converted each time, including twice on a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that put Michigan up 14-3 in the second quarter.
