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The Michigan Wolverines are one of the surprising teams remaining in the Big Ten title hunt this year following a 5-7 campaign under Brady Hoke last season. The hiring of Jim Harbaugh instilled optimism in the fan base, but I don’t think many expected this team to be 8-2 heading down the final stretch.
The Wolverines’ defense has shown that it’s capable of dominating the opposition, and there isn’t much that demonstrates that better than three straight shutouts between Sept. 26 and Oct. 10. Injuries have contributed to a shakier defense since that point, but the offense has picked up the slack in recent weeks.
The receiving corps was criticized heavily in the offseason and the early part of this season, lacking depth and premiere talent. Amara Darboh and tight end Jake Butt were Jake Rudock’s favorite targets through most of the season, though he unleashed a new weapon last weekend. Jehu Chesson registered just seven receptions in the non-conference slate and accumulated just 259 receiving yards over the first nine games. He nearly doubled his production in one game with 10 grabs for 207 yards and four touchdowns last Saturday at Indiana.
Sure, an argument can be made that Indiana’s defense is one of the worst units in the entire country, and you can’t take much from that performance, but Harbaugh thinks that Chesson has turned a corner and that you should expect a lot of the same in the last two games and into the postseason. Harbaugh said this week that Chesson’s tweaked his game in all areas, which makes him a huge threat.
Michigan is still in the Big Ten title hunt entering the weekend with just one loss in the conference to their in-state rival. A win over Penn State and an Ohio State win over Michigan State later today will keep the Wolverines alive heading into their finale with the Buckeyes next weekend.
Jason Shawley is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering Big Ten Football. Follow him on Twitter @jshawls.
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