The Wolverine Digest Pod

Michigan is definitely dealing with the transfer portal right now, in both directions. Second-year defensive lineman George Rooks his decided to leave Michigan, while U-M is still entertaining targets from other schools who have decided to jump into the portal themselves. We also talk about Cade McNamara's appearance on a podcast that makes his departure look worse than it once did.

On the field, we take a deep look at TCU as a team overall and really focus on the play and approach by quarterback Max Duggan. The seasoned veteran finished second in the Heisman voting and has shown that he'll lay it all on the line for his team. Still, TCU is goin to have its hands FULL against a physically dominant and confident Michigan team. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

Michigan is absolutely rolling in 2022. The biggest opponents on the schedule all got served by more than 20 points and the same thing happened to Purdue in the Big Ten Championship. Next up is TCU in the first round of the CFP in the Fiesta Bowl out in Arizona. Everyone paying attention sees Michigan as the favorite and that flat out feels like the easy pick right now.

Of course, TCU was undefeated until last week as well. They've had many more scares, and aren't quite as talented as Michigan across the board, but they can play. Still, U-M just feels like a team of destiny this year and JJ McCarthy seems to have the "it" factor that's been missing at the QB position for several years. Jim Harbaugh and his staff have been masterful all year and are now just two wins away from being national champs.

In what should've been a busy week because of the upcoming Big Ten Championship game, the news cycle was instead flooded by breaking news. Michigan's star running back Blake Corum will be getting surgery on his left knee that will cause him to miss the rest of the season. Former U-M quarterback Cade McNamara announced his transfer to Iowa. And finally, Michigan captain and starting defensive tackle Mazi Smith is now facing weapons charges after being pulled over with a gun in the car in an incident that took place all the way back in October. Michigan is obviously playing a huge game on Saturday, but instead these items dominated the headlines.

On the field, Michigan is favored by 16.5 points over Purdue and is expected to handle the Boilers. Michigan's rushing attack, even without Corum, should be effective as should JJ McCarthy through the air after picking up a ton of confidence against the Buckeyes in Columbus.

Michigan is sitting at 12-0 and is basically a lock to play in the College Football Playoff. But first, U-M will head to Indianapolis to defend its Big Ten title against Purdue. The Wolverines are 16.5-point favorites against the Boilermakers and have the makeup to make it a long night for the fellas from West Lafayette. 

Michigan is supremely stout up front, as evidenced by first-team All-Big Ten members Trevor Keegan, Olu Oluwatimi and Zak Zinter at left guard, center and right guard respectively, and have the best back in the Big Ten in Blake Corum running behind them. Of course, Corum is dinged up and may not play, but Donovan Edwards did just fine against Ohio State in Corum's absence. Throw in a confident and now proven JJ McCarthy, and it feels like it's going to be a rough one for Purdue.

Michigan absolutely beat down Ohio State. Nothing more needs to be said.

Now, it's about getting ready for Purdue in the Big Ten Championship. The Wolverines are favored by 16.5 points over the Boilermakers and should be able to cover. Purdue is 8-4 with losses to Penn State, Syracuse, Wisconsin and Iowa. Michigan is 12-0 and handled both Penn State and Iowa over the course of the season. Obviously the transitive property doesn't work in football, but the Wolverines are expected to roll. We talk about the beatdown in Columbus, the matchup against Purdue, Michigan's talented roster and of course, Jim Harbaugh, as he prepares to add another trophy to the case.

It's finally here. When the 2022 season kicked off, everyone already had the showdown in Columbus circled because of how things played out in 2021 and because it's "The Game". It's unlikely that everyone thought it would be 11-0 vs. 11-0, No. 2 vs. No. 3 or so important to the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff pictures, but here we are. Jim Harbaugh and Ryan Day have both been pretty tight lipped this week, so it's time to let the play do the talking.

As for the teams actually taking the field, there are a lot of question marks. Michigan is banged up at several key positions, including at running back with both Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards dealing with pretty significant injuries, at least for their position. Ohio State's backs are also a little dinged up, but they don't lean on the running game like Michigan does. However you slice it, this year's version of "The Game" is a massive one and everyone is anxious for kickoff.

It's THE GAME...nothing more needs to be said.

Especially this year, with both teams being 11-0 and Ohio State sitting at No. 2, Michigan at No. 3. The winner of this game will represent the East in the Big Ten title game and will also punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff. Giddy up!!!

It's here. It's "The Game" week. It's Michigan vs. Ohio State. It's 11-0 against 11-0. It's No. 2 vs. No. 3. Trips to the Big Ten Championship game and the College Football Playoff are on the line. To say that this weekend's game between U-M and OSU is huge is a monstrous understatement. Jim Harbaugh spoke about the matchup and called it the meeting of two "superheroes" as he heaped praise onto the Buckeyes. We know how Harbaugh really feels about that team down south, but he kept it respectful at the microphone.

In the locker room, it's probably a different story, which is totally fine. Between Ohio State's banged up running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams, and U-M's own pair of injured ball carries Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, everyone is really interested in how the offenses will look. Of course, much of the game will probably come down to how CJ Stroud performs with his stable of talented receivers against how JJ McCarthy operates as he tries to clean some recent issues up. However it plays out, it's going to be massive, entertaining and certainly influential as it pertains to the conference and the playoff picture.

Michigan is a big favorite over Illinois, which would make the Wolverines 11-0 ahead of the massive showdown against Ohio State. Everyone knows that the Illini are up first, but there's nothing wrong with putting some attention on the Buckeyes. That game is going to be massively important and for all the marbles. It would be silly not to talk about it.

It doesn't matter if you talk about Michigan taking on Illinois or The Game, the discussions are pretty similar. Michigan wants to run the ball and should be able to. It hasn't mattered who the opponent has been this year, the U-M run game has been successful and Blake Corum has been productive. Whether it's Illinois tomorrow, or Ohio State next week, the game plan is going to be the same. We talk about that and much more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

After speaking with Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, it's not hard to understand why this team is so good. Both coaches are sharp, detail-oriented, focused and highly organized. After hearing both of them speak, you get the sense that they absolutely know what they're doing and have every intention in putting their guys in a position to succeed. Have things been perfect on both side of the ball this year? Obviously not. But, Moore and Minter are chasing perfection as well as any coaching duo in the country.

As for the rest of the Wolverines, it's all about Illinois this week. Obviously that matchup with Ohio State looms very large, the Illini aren't scrubs. They will roll into Ann Arbor with one of the better defenses in the country and the nation's leading rusher in Chase Brown ready to tote it alongside Blake Corum. Brown is a little dinged, and certainly hasn't seen a defense like Michigan's, but he and his teammates can't be slept on. With that said, I see the Wolverines covering the large 18-point spread as the march to 12-0 continues.