Jim Harbaugh scored his first win over Ohio State last year, but Michigan is showing that they might be the new team to beat in the Big Ten.
Entering last season, Jim Harbaugh was no stranger to success with Michigan football, but there was a monkey hanging on his back with the claws dug into him. He needed to beat rival Ohio State for the first time in his coaching career.
As we know, he accomplished that, essentially punching the Wolverines’ ticket to the College Football Playoff in the process. But the question then evolved from there into whether or not Michigan would be able to parlay the success in the 2021 season into sustained, long-term dominance in the Big Ten.
It’s only been three games against vastly inferior competition, but the Wolverines are staking their claim as the new team to beat in the conference.
Michigan football is overtaking Ohio State as team to beat in the Big Ten
In the case of Michigan, this turning of the tables to be the top dog in the Big Ten starts with Harbaugh’s decision to make J.J. McCarthy the starting quarterback. The defense has seemingly found its replacements for the likes of Aidan Hutchinson and the skill positions and offensive line remain stout.
But McCarthy raises the ceiling dramatically for the Wolverines offense. Gone are the days of the game manager who just doesn’t try to make mistakes. Michigan now has a quarterback capable of making plays in all facets of the game and of taking over any single drive by himself. Moreover, he might actually have a higher floor too given how shaky Cade McNamara looked to start 2022.
Beyond that, though, Ohio State hasn’t been all that impressive to start the season. The offense struggled mightily against Notre Dame. It bounced back against Arkansas State but the end result was still only a 45-12 victory that felt like it could’ve (or should’ve) been more one-sided than it even was.
Furthermore, while the new Buckeyes defense under Jim Knowles looks much improved, they haven’t been tested either. That’s another thing to watch moving forward and a response to the critics of Michigan for not playing anyone of consequence to start their season.
Maybe this looks silly when we get to November. But the fact of the matter is that Michigan looks better than they did last year when they got over the hump against Ohio State while the Buckeyes might actually look worse.
And when you get down to it, that makes the Wolverines the team to beat until further notice.