Like it or not, this is Michigan football

On Saturday, Michigan once again leaned heavily on its rushing attack en route to a 27-24 victory over Minnesota. With the win, the Wolverines improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play. Under normal circumstances, that would be a good feeling, especially for a team that suffered so many losses in the offseason. But the mood surrounding this football program certainly doesn’t feel like a win just happened.

First let me say that I understand why that is some Frustration within the fan base. In fact, much of this frustration is entirely justified. It’s certainly reasonable to expect better performance from the reigning national champions, especially when it comes to the passing attack. For the second straight year, Michigan’s offense finished with fewer than 100 yards through the air. Although the Wolverines found some Based on their success in the short-to-intermediate passing game, it seems almost impossible that we will ever see this offense connect on a deep ball with a wide receiver this season.

It’s also understandable to be frustrated that the Michigan defense gave up 21 points in the fourth quarter, potentially allowing Minnesota to steal the game and handing the Wolverines their second loss of the season. While that didn’t happen, there’s no question that Michigan’s defense can’t produce a repeat of that performance in the future – not if the Wolverines hope to play for a conference championship and/or a spot in the College Football Playoff.

That being said, we’re nearing the halfway point of the regular season and it’s time for the Michigan fan base to accept some hard facts.

We all want more dominance from this football program. We want to see a balanced offense that can move the ball through the air and on the ground. We want to see a defense that can play at an elite level for four quarters. All of these things will become a reality again at some point in Ann Arbor, but it probably won’t happen next week… and in 2024, it may not happen at all.

What you saw against Minnesota on Saturday pretty much shows what Michigan is. Do improvements need to be made? Absolutely. But there will be no realistic improvement in the next few weeks that will fundamentally change what we saw in the first five weeks. This Michigan team will continue to focus heavily on the run, look to capitalize on the short-to-intermediate passing game and rely on the defense to give them a chance every Saturday. That’s it, that’s the formula. There is no secret sauce, no hidden weapon, no magic playbook. By and large, what you’ve seen is what you’ll continue to get.

I was texting the other night with a friend who happens to be a Penn State fan. He has yet to see the Nittany Lions win it all, and we discussed what the ride would look like for Michigan fans in 2023. “You saw the mountaintop,” he said. He was right. I told him that I don’t think I’ll ever experience a season like that again for the rest of my life and that I’m perfectly fine with it.

Will Michigan have winning seasons after 2023? No question. Will Michigan face similar circumstances to 2023 en route to a perfect 15-0 season and a national championship? No chance. There will never be a team like this again, and there will never be a season like this again. In fact, as Michigan football fans, we all saw the mountaintop and it was magnificent.

Such success can definitely blow your expectations as a fan out of the water. If you’re not careful, you might start to believe that you’re destined, or even entitled, to have a Harbaugh vs. Saban Rose Bowl feel every year. You are not, and that is what makes these experiences so special.

With a revamped conference and an expanded 12-team playoff, getting back to that mountaintop will be harder than ever. That doesn’t mean Michigan shouldn’t be in the discussion every year, it just means we all have to accept the ups and downs that come with college football today.

The sky is not falling and Michigan is not returning to the dark days of the Rich Rod era. Instead, the Wolverines are trying to find their way in life after a decade with Jim Harbaugh. They’re trying to figure out who they are without people like JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum and Mike Sainristil.

After five weeks, Michigan is 4-1 and all goals for the season are still open. That’s the reality this program finds itself in right now, and ultimately that’s what’s most important. Winning ugly is better than losing pretty, and the Wolverines have almost mastered the art of winning ugly in five weeks.

Further.

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