After losing to Texas in Week 2, the Wolverines were out, left for dead, lucky if they could make a bowl game. It’s something we on this site also believed, unconvinced that the coaching staff could (or would) take a look in the mirror and course correct.
However, the Michigan football coaches did just that. Sherrone Moore installed Alex Orji as the starting quarterback, deciding that running (and protecting) the football was much more important than having someone who could make throws downfield — which occasionally ended up in the hands of someone wearing the wrong uniform. Wink Martindale got off of his NFL high horse and backed off blitzing every moment every Saturday and put his players in a better position to succeed. And thus, the maize and blue are reborn after upending USC, putting the world on notice that ‘we back up.’
Several national outlets were suddenly posting eyeball emojis, noting that the defending national champions’ demise was greatly exaggerated. Here are some of our favorite takes after the Week 4 win.
ESPN’s David Hale
Photo: Isaiah Hole
David Hale cannot help but think that Michigan’s style wasn’t just similar to the past few years, but maybe even back when college football wasn’t televised — because television didn’t exist yet.
But in an era when change comes rapidly, 40 seconds is a lifetime, and it was long enough for Michigan to turn back the clock for at lest one weekend — back to 2023, when the Wolverines were dominant, or perhaps back to 1900, before the forward pass was legal and USC could only play a team from the Midwest after spending a week riding the rails.
Kalel Mullings capped a 10-play, 89-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal to lead the Wolverines to a 27-24 win over USC in a game in which Michigan threw for just 32 yards. Instead, Michigan relied on the power running game, barreling between the tackles again and again, racking up 290 yards on the ground, including 159 from Mullings. The only things missing were leather helmets and worries about imminent war with the Prussian Empire.
Sporting News’ Bill Bender
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Friend of the site Bill Bender recapped the game while noting that this new marriage between the Big Ten and the old Pac-12 may be an incredible one.
This game was entertaining, head-scratching and thrilling down to the last drive – and it was settled in old-school, Big Ten fashion.
Fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line. Kalel Mullings ran behind fullback (Max) Bredeson into the end zone.
No. 18 Michigan upset No. 11 USC 27-24, which proved the coast-to-coast realignment right. The Wolverines (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) opened conference play with a victory. The Trojans (2-1, 0-1 Big Ten) still proved they belong in their new environment, and this beat the run-of-the-mill matchups from the Big Ten and old Pac-12 by about 1,000 levels. Where can we get some more of that?
CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson
Photo: Isaiah Hole
CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson thinks that maybe Michigan was judged too harshly after the Week 2 loss to Texas. He has the Wolverines ranked No. 11 after the win.
Michigan was docked significantly for its loss to Texas in Week 2, falling all the way outside the top 15 after failing to be competitive in what was widely viewed as a matchup of two College Football Playoff contenders. But after a quarterback change and a statement win against USC in Week 4, the Wolverines have shown that maybe it was too early to sell their stock because their smash-mouth brand of football is still good enough to compete with some of the top teams in the Big Ten.
USA TODAY Sports’ Matt Hayes
Photo: Isaiah Hole
The mothership had a couple of opinions of the win. Here’s Matt Hayes sharing more about his view on Michigan’s ‘bully ball:’
Those bruising, battering runs from Kalel Mullings. Pounding and thundering and reverberating.
All the way to Columbus, Ohio.
Michigan found itself again Saturday, a punishing 27-24 rock fight of a welcome to the Big Ten defeat of No. 12 Southern California. But look deeper, everyone.
It wasn’t so much an upset win for the suddenly shaky defending national champions as it was recommitting to a powerful run game – and sending a message to the Buckeyes.
Because while Michigan has been grinding through the first month of the season with difficult games against Texas and USC, Ohio State has been frolicking through three guarantee games and barely breaking a sweat.
But just in case Ohio State – and everyone else in the Big Ten – believed Michigan had lost its way after dominating the conference the last three seasons, the game-winning drive against USC ended that narrative.
CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah
Photo: Isaiah Hole
USA TODAY also has Michigan football a winner but spends more time on USC being a loser this week, so we’re going with CBS again as Jeyarajah — who’s often been very critical of the Wolverines over the years — expresses that despite some offensive limitations and the loss to Texas are a force to be reckoned with.
The Wolverines were pushed down the rankings after losing at home to No. 1 Texas in Week 2, but Michigan proved it’s still a force to be reckoned with. Michigan played No. 11 USC in the latter’s first ever Big Ten conference game, and showed the Trojans just what playing in this conference means. The Wolverines converted a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with under a minute remaining to completely change their place in the Big Ten’s pecking order and launch themselves back onto the national stage. Quarterback Alex Orji didn’t do much, throwing for just 32 yards, but the lack of mistakes and threat of quarterback run opened the door for Kalel Mullings to feast. The Wolverines have a game plan against the middle of the Big Ten and should be taken seriously as a top 15 squad. It turns out Texas going to Ann Arbor and smacking Michigan said more about Texas than the Wolverines.
