Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Sneak Peek: Michigan talented at tumultuous time

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The Longhorns are en route to Orlando right now to face off against the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan has had an incredibly tumultuous last month, losing Sherrone Moore under tough circumstances, Biff Poggi taking over as the interim and now Kyle Whittingham being hired as the new head coach. The Wolverines move into the bowl game with uncertainty all around, including with their roster having a number of major opt-outs.

Let’s take a look at the Wolverines and what the Longhorns can expect: 

Michigan Offense 

The headline of the Michigan offense is the star true freshman QB Bryce Underwood. He hasn’t quite lived up to the hype this season, with just 9 passing TDs and 6 INTs on the season. He is dangerous with his legs, adding 323 yards and 5 scores on the ground, but he continues to develop as a passer. 

The run game is where Michigan’s offense starts, as you can imagine, and there are a number of elite backs Texas will have to contend with. Justice Haynes hasn’t played since late October, and I would bet he will not be out there on Wednesday. Jordan Marshall will get the start, nearing 1,000 yards on the season and a home-run threat whenever he touches the ball. Bryson Kuzdzal is the change of pace back that likely will make an appearance as well. 

In terms of pass catchers, it’s all about Andrew Marsh and Donaven McCulley. Marsh, a true freshman, leads the team with 641 yards and McCulley is not far behind with 534. The TEs, Marlin Klein and Zack Marshall will factor in as well, but it will be a run heavy approach from the Wolverines regardless. 

Michigan Defense 

The Michigan defense has been hit by two major opt-outs that will make life slightly easier for the Longhorns. Derrick Moore, star pass rusher and Jaishawn Barham, elite LB, will both not play on Wednesday. That duo accounts for half of Michigan’s sacks on the season(14 of 28), meaning Arch Manning could have more time to operate in this one. 

That is not to say Michigan doesn’t have difference makers on defense. Ernest Hausmann is Barham’s running mate at LB and he leads the Wolverines in tackles this season. Rayshaun Benny and Trey Pierce are two forces on the interior defensive line, something that will be important for a largely new IOL for Texas. 

On the backend, it’s a talented and dangerous group. TJ Metcalf and Zeke Berry are the leaders of the bunch at safety. Jyaire Hill, Brandyn Hillman and Mason Curtis round out the main rotation, all of which are remarkably talented and physical. The Texas pass game will have to be fast and decisive to get around this unit. 

Overall Thoughts 

Michigan has fought through adversity even before the bowl prep started. It’s a team that has lost its head coach, had the chaos of a coaching search and now meetings with the new head man coming up. The Cheez-It Bowl, like many other bowl games, is an audition for all the Wolverine players, whether for Michigan or another team. It’s impossible to know how they will respond to the noise and pressure around the program. 

Bowl games as a whole are incredibly hard to get a beat on, but especially this one. Michigan has been in flux for the last month and Texas will have a new defensive playcaller and a number of new starters out there. The line is currently 6.5 points, in favor of the Longhorns and I believe that to be fair, but this will still be a strong challenge, particularly for Arch Manning and the Texas offense.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Sneak Peek: Michigan looking to overcome turmoil

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