FSU Football: A First Look at Michigan

Florida State looks to notch a 10-win season and a top 10 finish in Miami for the Capital One Orange Bowl, but the team standing in its way is one of the best in the country. No. 6 Michigan is one controversial ball spot in overtime away from playing not in the Orange Bowl, but in the College Football Playoff.

In the second year under head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines won 10 games with an old school style that includes playing stellar defense and pounding the football. Michigan has talent at every position, but beating FSU in Miami won’t be easy. The teams are headed into the contest going in different directions as the Seminoles have won four straight while the Wolverines have dropped two of three after a 9-0 start.

On Michigan

Record: 10-2
Offensive Ranks: 46th in yards per game (439), 81st in passing yards per game (216.1), 30th in rushing yards per game (223.3), 12th in points per game (41).
Defensive Ranks: 2nd in yards per game allowed (253), 1st in passing yards per game allowed (135.9), 13th in rushing yards per allowed (116.8), 2nd in points per game allowed (12.5).
Last Game: Lost to Ohio State 30-27 in double-overtime on Nov. 26.

On Offense

Whether it’s rushing or receiving, Michigan has balance at the skill positions. On the ground, four different Wolverines have at least 400 yards rushing for the season, led by De’Veon Smith who has 810 yards for the year and 10 rushing touchdowns. Chris Evans, Karan Higdon and Ty Isaac all get a decent amount of touches while fullback Khalid Hill has 12 total touchdowns this year on just 39 touches.

Amara Darboh hasn’t put up huge numbers at receiver, but is a big-play threat with an NFL future. Tight end and John Mackey Award winner Jake Butt is another player that the Seminoles will need to keep an eye on. At quarterback, Wilton Speight has been solid, but is fairly one-dimensional and mostly a game manager.

Up front, the Wolverines are also very good. Right tackle Erik Magnuson is the best of the bunch and a first-team All-Big Ten selection. Center Mason Cole, guard Kyle Kalis and tackle Ben Braden were all second-team selections. As a team, the Wolverines allowed just 18 sacks this season and produced on the ground at five yards per rush.

On Defense

Up front, Michigan is exceptional on defense, ranking second in the nation in sacks behind only Florida State. Outside, the combination of Chris Wormley and Taco Charlton combined for 14.5 sacks while on the interior, Ryan Glasgow was a second-team All-Big Ten selection. The Wolverines start four seniors up front and are extremely deep with reserves like freshman Rashan Gary filling in. In total, Michigan has seven players with at least four sacks.

Jabrill Peppers headlines the corps of linebackers for Michigan. Peppers didn’t put up godly numbers, but did just about everything for the Wolverines this season. Ben Gedeon and Mike McCray, both seniors, have also had exceptional years. The trio of linebackers have combined for nearly 250 tackles and 44 tackles for loss.

As good as the front seven is for Michigan, the strength of the defense might be in the secondary. Cornerback Jourdan Lewis is an All-American while on the other side, Channing Stribling leads the team with four interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. At safety, Delano Hill and Dymonte Thomas are both seniors and both can play. All four secondary starters are seniors and that’s a big reason the Wolverines are the best team in the country in defending the pass.

On Special Teams

Senior Kenny Allen overcame a slow start to become an extremely reliable kicker for Michigan, going 16-for-20 on field goals with a long of 51. Allen also does the punting, averaging nearly 43 yards per boot with 20 of his 46 punts having been downed inside the 20-yard-line. In the return game, Peppers is extremely dangerous. He averaged nearly 15 yards per punt return with a touchdown and 26 yards per kickoff return. On kick and punt coverage, Michigan was an above average unit.

Summary

The Michigan Wolverines are an outstanding football team, but the clear strength is the defense. While Michigan is scoring 41 points per game, a lot of that is a result of the offense being set up with short fields following outstanding defensive plays and short series for opposing offenses. As long as the Wolverines don’t self-destruct, they should be in every game. Michigan will also have a significant advantage on special teams over FSU. If the Seminoles are to win in Miami, they will need to bring their “A” game.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson