The Wolverine Digest Pod

As expected, Michigan absolutely dominated UConn to the tune of 59-0. Junior running back Blake Corum found the end zone five times and the Wolverines made several impact plays in all three phases of the game. AJ Henning returned a punt for a touchdown, Caden Kolesar blocked a punt and Brad Robbins looked like one of the more powerful and accurate punters in the country.

It's also worth noting that Michigan played over 100 players and at least seven quarterbacks. Freshmen galore saw action and just about everyone who entered the game made their way into the box score. With the Wolverines sitting at an easily attained 3-0, everything gets real next week as Big Ten play starts. The Wolverines will host Maryland at noon next Saturday.

Now that we all know who Michigan's starter is, we're anxious to see him in action again. JJ McCarthy showed everyone that he's definitely the guy in his first career start last week against Hawaii, and now he's preparing to lead the team against UConn. The Huskies aren't much better than Hawaii according to the spread, which is currently at 47.5, so it's unclear how much McCarthy will actually play. Nevertheless, people are more and more excited about watching No. 9 against UConn and for the rest of the season.

We're also anxious to see how the defense looks in week three. In week one, it was a sack party. Last week, Michigan only got home once, which was mostly due to Hawaii's game plan. There simply wasn't enough time for pass rushers to get to the quarterback. So now that we've seen two extremes, what will it look like against UConn? That's what we're all wondering. Throw in some discussion about Cade McNamara, Roman Wilson and the coaching through two weeks, and you have the latest episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

Michigan fans now know that JJ McCarthy will be running the show on offense as the starting quarterback. He played 11 snaps against Colorado State and flashed some greatness as a runner, then played 27 snaps against Hawaii in his first start and was basically flawless as a signal caller. Now, he'll run the offense against a 47-point underdog in UConn. Michigan fans everywhere are anxious to watch No. 9 play again.

We also talk about Cade McNamara's future at Michigan or possibly elsewhere, the plethora of weapons at McCarthy's disposal and how much we'll see from them and obviously the defense, which has been pretty damn impressive through two weeks, albeit against inferior opponents. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

So it turns out, JJ McCarthy is really good at football and easily won the starting quarterback job after his first start. Now, The McCarthy Era is officially upon us as the young sophomore has two more games to get things tightened up before heading to Iowa for the first road game of the season. McCarthy didn't get to practice during the spring due to a shoulder injury and was apparently neck and neck with Cade McNamara throughout fall camp. Now, he's clearly far better than McNamara and ready to lead the Wolverines into the meat of the 2022 schedule.

We also discuss Cade's future. Last year's starter did lead Michigan to a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten title and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. He didn't stuff the stat sheet in the process, but he was still the starter and played clean, efficient football. So now we'll all wait and see what McNamara wants to do. All of that, plus some of Jim Harbaugh's words from his Monday press conference on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

It's almost here — JJ McCarthy's first start. Even if you're a member of "Team Cade", as a Michigan fan you have to be curious about what McCarthy can do. Against Hawaii, he should be able to do whatever he wants. McNamara was up and down at best last week, while McCarthy did some nice things in just 11 snaps. Now, he's likely going to play at least a half of football, which should be more than enough to show what he can do.

On the flip side of the ball, Jesse Minter's defense is going to try to improve on last week's 7-sack performance. Michigan is going to be better than Hawaii, by a solid margin, at every position on the field. If McCarthy can shine, and the defense can dominate like they did last week, Michigan might just cover the massive 51.5-point spread and roll into week three with No. 9 as the true starter at quarterback. The game won't be competitive, but it should be intriguing for several reasons.

Jim Harbaugh has approached his quarterback battle in a unique way, but it feels like he's being accused of doing something that he's not really doing. Too many people view what Harbaugh is doing as turning his back on Cade McNamara, when in reality he's just trying to play the best guy, which is exactly what he's supposed to do. I will admit, giving Cade the start in week one, and JJ McCarthy the start in week two, is a little unorthodox, but it's not like he's cutting McNamara and forcing him to move out of the country. He gave Cade a shot last week and Cade didn't deliver. Now it's JJ's turn and we're all waiting anxiously.

We also discuss Mike Hart's comments about recruiting, what the game is going to be like under the lights, what uniform combination the Wolverines might wear and how Mike Elston uses his defensive linemen. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

So far, the 2022 season feels a lot like the 2021 season. Michigan won in dominant fashion, we some some good things out of pretty much everyone, yet we find ourselves a little confused as to what the ceiling ultimately is for this team. Of course, we're still trying to figure out what's going to happen at quarterback too, even though it feels like it's time for JJ McCarthy.

Plus, we answer the tough questions. Did Cade McNamara start his last game at Michigan? How would we each grade Jesse Minter's first game as U-M's defensive coordinator? How many sacks can this team record each week? How freakin good is Mike Sainristil? All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

Cade McNamara got the start against Colorado State, but he didn't exactly light it up. JJ McCarthy, on the other hand, did in just 11 snaps of action. The dynamic sophomore went a modest 4-for-4 through the air for 30 yards but added a career high 50 yards rushing and a score on three carries. Now, McCarthy is in line to start against Hawaii and everyone is assuming that he's never going to look back.

With just a few days left until Michigan's 2022 season starts, it's time to start taking a look at the Colorado State Rams. The Rams aren't nearly as talented as Michigan but they are expected to throw the ball a ton under new head coach Jay Norvell. Because of that, things could get interesting for U-M on defense. Defending such a pass-heavy team can be tricky, but it can also be a great learning experience and a chance for Michigan's new pass rushers and veteran cornerbacks to shine. Sprinkle in some talented freshmen like Will Johnson, Mason Graham and Derrick Moore and you have what could be a very entertaining game even if it does get out of hand.

Plus, we take on dozens and dozens of fan-generated questions. From stat predictions, to breakout players, to questions about the RV and even some discussion about who would win a quarterback battle between Chris and Brandon, the fan-led portion of the podcast is now a staple of the Wednesday night show. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

It's game week and Jim Harbaugh is dishing out information like never before. He's dropping the entire depth chart, explaining his decisions about the quarterback battle by referencing bible verses and confirming, over and over, that no one knows what the future holds. His game week media availability was a little odd, but it's pretty obvious that Harbaugh knows that he's got a great team and a very realistic chance at repeating at Big Ten champs. 

It's also game week for us, which means the return of TFG, Burning Questions and some discussion about this weekend's game, obviously. We also unveil something that should be a game changer for The Winged Helmet and Wolverine Digest, and might just take everything we do to another level. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.