There were many scenarios where the USC Trojans came out victorious over the Michigan Wolverines. As the home team, the Trojans were favored and the analytics liked their chances of winning that game. A result where they won was almost expected.
But what was shocking about Michigan’s loss is how it happened. The Wolverines went to Los Angeles early for an extra day on the West Coast and adjust to the time change. But they were completely outplayed in every facet of the game. Most egregiously was on the two
fronts, where Michigan has held an edge over unranked opponents for much of the last five years.
Now, Michigan needs a reset. It was almost the exact same point last season (a road loss to Washington) when the season collapsed for the Wolverines. If they even want a shot, things must change.
Here are some of the things we learned from the loss.
It’s time to question everything
James Franklin got the boot from Penn State on Sunday after 12 years. That’s because the Nittany Lions drastically missed expectations and the offense, in particular, has been abysmal. Where Penn State should have been excelling — defense, fundamentals, marching the ball down the field with the run game — it failed against two bad Big Ten opponents.
Michigan is not at that point yet, but it’s starting to feel like we are inching towards that. Again, it’s how the Wolverines lost to USC. Missed tackles, limited push from the offensive line, inability to protect Bryce Underwood, no quarterback pressure from a pass rush full of studs, allowing 225 yards on the ground and nearly 500 total yards.
It was one of the worst performances of the decade in one of the most important games of the season. According to ESPN analytics, Michigan had a 59 percent chance of making the College Football Playoff with a win. After the loss, it dropped down to 22 percent. To come out as unprepared as they were in such a pivotal game is unacceptable.
On the broadcast, Noah Eagle said he couldn’t wait to see the chess match between USC head coach Lincoln Riley and Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, but it was more like a chess master playing against a child. There were no adjustments to the screen game USC kept hammering as Michigan blitzed over and over again. Then, the Trojans kept running right at Jaishawn Barham, where he struggled to keep anything contained on the edge.
When I say “question everything,” it goes beyond the coaching blunders, but it’s also the personnel on the field. Maybe Michigan does need Barham more at his traditional middle linebacker spot when it’s not an obvious passing down. He’s got an elite first step and can be a monster at getting pressure, but he was targeted the whole game.
Perhaps it is time to bench Brandyn Hillman. His aggressiveness has cost the Wolverines both with penalties and poor angles when tackling this season. Safety is Michigan’s deepest position group, Mason Curtis flashed last year but has been bumped to a reserve role. Could he be an answer?
Are there younger options that should be seeing the field more? Look what has happened with Andrew Marsh when he has gotten more of an opportunity over the last two weeks. His relationship with Bryce Underwood continues to improve, and as the odds decrease for a Michigan playoff spot this year, more snaps for freshmen and sophomores could mean better development for the future.
Which leads to Underwood. He’s been a really good true freshman quarterback. He could be great. But it feels something is still holding him back. It’s the offensive line and receiver room in some capacity, but this coaching staff still doesn’t fully trust him to let him air it out. They’re not taking 1-on-1 downfield shots, he still doesn’t have many designed runs, and they’re not spreading things out for him to easily dissect defenses.
It’s on Moore and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey to help make him better. If things start to fall apart, that’s when superstar talents like Underwood start to evaluate their options. That’s the worst case scenario for a fallout of this game and season. Because if you tell someone you are doing things a certain way to win, and then you don’t, relationships sour pretty fast.
For me, and seemingly many Michigan faithful, the pressure is on for this coaching staff and how the Wolverines are constructed today. Change of some kind must be imminent, because what is happening right now isn’t working.
Andrew Marsh should have been a Day 1 starter
Simply put, Marsh is a stud. His relationship with Underwood has been apparent the last two games, and they have the potential to be one of the great quarterback-wide receiver duos in the conference and maybe the country.
Last week, Marsh was second on the team with 80 receiving yards against Wisconsin. On Saturday, he was the focal point in the pass game against USC. Clearly, he is someone Underwood trusts, a lot — nine targets, eight catches for 138 yards and a score against USC.
This was the most explosive play we have seen from the Michigan offense since 2023.
It’s time to target and use him to this degree in every game, not just ones when the team is down by three scores late. His continued improvement is key to Michigan’s long-term success, and it can make a difference in the second half of this season to help diversify a relatively one-dimensional offense.
