In an age in which the forward pass has never been more popular, Michigan football has found success with the good, old-fashioned identity traits of controlling the line of scrimmage and running the football.
While it may not be as pretty or explosive as a quarterback throwing the ball all over the yard or taking deep shots down the field, the Wolverines’ style of offense leans on opponents for 60 minutes while steadily and affirmatively wearing them down.
Just ask new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, a head coach who’s been known for producing efficient offenses and excellent quarterback play during his career.
“There’s nothing more demoralizing than just getting the ball run down your throat over and over and over again,” DeBoer said during an interview with The Next Round podcast at SEC Media Days last week.
DeBoer should know. During the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game, he could do nothing but sit back and watch as his Washington Huskies allowed Michigan to run for a BCS/CFP national title game record 303 rushing yards in an eventual 34-13 victory for the Wolverines.
I agree pic.twitter.com/YbYELAENYk
— Michigan Truther (@scumbag_unit) July 20, 2024
In that game, Michigan started fast with a pair of explosive runs — hello, Donovan Edwards — which set the tone that even in Houston. While the Wolverines’ offense sputtered somewhat in the second and third quarters, it was once again the run game that helped seal the deal, as Blake Corum cashed in a pair of short-yardage touchdown runs to put DeBoer and the Huskies away.
College football looks a little different at the top heading into 2024, with Sherrone Moore taking over head coaching duties in Ann Arbor while DeBoer moved on from Washington to replace the legendary Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer is an outstanding coach, and Alabama is expected to remain a national contender under his direction. With that said, he may need to win a national title of his own in Tuscaloosa before he forgets the rushing performance put on display by the Wolverines back in January.
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Publish date : 2024-07-22 10:00:00
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