[ad_1]
On a day when most of the top 10 teams lost or played with fire, Michigan made a statement. No. 12 Wolverines stuck Wisconsin No. 15 on Saturday night, beating the 38-13 Badgers at Michigan Stadium. It was a decisive victory for the Wolverines, who made a complete effort.
Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson had only 124 yards and no touchdowns, but he completed 14 of 21 passes and accumulated 90 yards and a score. Wolverines midfielder Karan Higdon rushed for 105 yards and added one point as Michigan raised 320 yards. Compare that to the Wisconsin offense, which had 183 yards but only 283 yards. Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook was harassed all night by the Michigan defense.
Hornibrook completed his first three passes of the evening, then only four of his next 17 attempts, throwing two interceptions (including a pick-six) and was fired twice.
The only thing that went wrong for the Wolverines is a couple of goals missed.
Here are four takeaways from this great Michigan win.
1. Shea Patterson's legs make Michigan's attack so much better. The Wolverines were retained during Jim Harbaugh's term by their quarterback. Shea Patterson was considered a savior in 2018, and while it's neither fair nor accurate, you can not deny the impact he's had on this Michigan attack.
What is a little surprising, however, is that it is not Patterson's arm that has the most significant impact. It's his legs. With an offensive line that struggled to block passes, Patterson's ability to move into the pocket was a boost for passing play. He also made the offense more difficult to defend overall, as Patterson threatens to keep the ball in play with a reading option.
Wisconsin learned Saturday night how dangerous Patterson could be without throwing the ball as he ran for 90 yards and a touchdown, including a 81-yard gain (he was also sacked three times, and the 23 yards lost on these bags are deducted from his rushed course). When you combine Patterson's versatility with Karan Higdon and the Michigan Run, this attack becomes more dynamic and a more aggressive Wolverines attack creates a Michigan team much harder to beat.
2. That does not change the talk surrounding this Michigan program. It's a big win for Michigan. It's a win that Michigan needed, not only to help it accomplish what it wanted this season, but perhaps for its psyche as well. This team has heard all the rumors that it has failed to beat the best teams in the last two years. Saturday night, she not only beat a team ranked No. 15 in the country, but crushed one.
This is not the case in Michigan, which has had some breaks and won. It was Michigan that hit Wisconsin in the face again and again.
Nevertheless, despite his great victory, it is unlikely that the story surrounding the program will change. That gives reason to hope, but even if Michigan crushes Wisconsin, it's the same Wisconsin team that lost to BYU at home earlier this season. It's a Wisconsin team that is clinging to a spot in the top 25 this Sunday, and a Wisconsin team that no one will take seriously as a Big Ten contender at this stage.
Of course, the paradox is that Michigan will have played a major role in this case, but it will not matter. Skeptics will say it's a great win, but they will also say they need to see Michigan face the state of Ohio before buying.
And this Michigan team should savor this.
3. The Big Ten East seems much nicer at the moment. Michigan State beat Penn State 21-17 on Saturday, which allowed two things to be accomplished. First, he has already dealt two Big Ten losses to Penn State, effectively eliminating the Nittany Lions from the division race. This also put Michigan State back in the race, though it's vital to remember that Michigan State was down against Northwestern last week. It is therefore difficult to have too much confidence in the Spartans.
And he also left only two teams of the division without defeat in conference. The two teams that dominated the Big Ten for so long: Michigan and Ohio State.
Michigan now has two massive games in the next three weeks. He will travel to East Lansing next week to tackle Michigan State, then take a week off before welcoming Penn State in early November. These two games seem much easier to win after tonight's performances, as well as the performances of both teams.
The regular season final against Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, is set to become a possible match for the Big Ten East title, and that's exactly what the Big Ten have always wanted.
4. The Big Ten West to win. With the loss to Wisconsin, the Big Ten West now has four teams tied at the top with one conference loss each. Northwestern is 3-1 while Wisconsin, Iowa and Purdue are all 2-1. Northwestern is responsible for the defeat of Purdue, and Wisconsin beat Iowa. There is therefore some break in the tie, but there will still be total chaos in the last month and a half of the season.
And I just can not consider Wisconsin as a favorite after Saturday's loss.
That's not to say that he can not win the division, but it's important to remember that the Badgers no longer have only games to play against Northwestern and Purdue – both on the road – but they also have a road trip to Penn State. Suddenly, we envision a Wisconsin team that could easily end up with three defeats in conference or four.
CBS Sports was with you throughout the process to update this story with the latest scores, highlights, and analyzes from Michigan vs. Wisconsin. If you can not see the updates below, please click here.
Thank you for being past.
[ad_2]
Source link
