There are two prisms through which to view Michigan’s slow-starting, pull-away victory over Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon.
The first — let’s call it the glass-half-full interpretation — is that the Wolverines were in total control of this game outside of the Badgers’ opening scoring drive. Not once did it ever feel like Michigan, which welcomed head coach Sherrone Moore back to the sideline following his two-game, self-imposed suspension, was in danger of losing to such an offensively challenged Wisconsin squad.
The second prism — let’s call it the glass-half-empty viewpoint — is that Michigan’s offense endured a lengthy cold streak of six possessions with only a field goal to show. Dropped passes by wide receivers, missed blocks by the offensive line and off-target throws from quarterback Bryce Underwood left plenty to be desired for nearly two full quarters.
But more often than not, especially in the modern era of college football, talent eventually rises to the top. And by the time this game ended before a maize-clad crowd at Michigan Stadium, where the homecoming festivities created a strong environment, the Wolverines had outclassed an overmatched Big Ten opponent for a thoroughly one-sided outcome.
Here’s what stood out from Michigan’s 24-10 victory in Ann Arbor:
1. Justice Haynes should be in the Heisman Trophy conversation
Earlier this year, during spring practice and fall camp at Michigan, there were moments when it felt like the Wolverines’ backfield was destined to develop into a timeshare between sophomore Jordan Marshall and incoming transfer Justice Haynes. The former was a four-star prospect and the No. 4 running back in the country for the 2024 recruiting cycle, a player who committed to Michigan over Ohio State, among others, in a highly publicized decision. He carried 23 times for 100 yards in a bowl victory over Alabama to accelerate discussions about what his sophomore season could be. The latter was a big-swing portal addition from Alabama who’d arrived in college as a five-star recruit and the No. 3 tailback in the country for the 2023 recruiting cycle. Haynes carried 49 times for 448 yards and seven scores last season, flashing the big-play potential that made him such an appealing option for the Wolverines.
All Haynes has done since then is entrench himself as both the unquestioned alpha for the Wolverines’ backfield and a bonafide Heisman Trophy candidate given his propensity for breaking lengthy, field-tilting runs.
Haynes entered Saturday’s game as the first player in Michigan history with 100-plus rushing yards in each of his first four games with the team, a streak that has now been extended to five. He was the first Michigan player to post four consecutive 100-yard games to begin a season since quarterback Denard Robinson in 2010. And he was one of just three players in college football to surpass 100 yards in every game this season, alongside Ahmad Hardy from Missouri and Robert Henry Jr. from UTSA. His tallies of four 40-yard runs and four 50-yard runs were both tied for first nationally.
Haynes added another chunk play to his highlight reel on Michigan’s opening possession when he burst through the right side of the line and galloped into open space for a 43-yard gain that nudged the Wolverines into scoring position. Then he finished the drive himself with two more carries on the next two plays, scampering into the end zone to tie the game midway through the first quarter. He finished with 19 carries for 117 yards and two scores on a day when the Wolverines ran for 175 yards as a team.
2. Wisconsin was wrong to fire Paul Chryst
Week by week, season by season, it seems increasingly clear that Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh erred in his decision to fire head coach Paul Chryst partway through the 2022 campaign. Chryst, a beloved ex-Badger quarterback, had posted a .720 winning percentage across seven-plus years in Madison — the third-best mark in school history among coaches who presided over at least 50 games — and led Wisconsin to bowl victories six times in seven postseason appearances, highlighted by an Orange Bowl win over Miami that capped a magical 13-1 season in 2017.
While it’s true that Chryst’s tenure had begun to teeter during his final three years, a stretch in which he posted a modest 15-10 record from the pandemic-shortened 2020 season through his dismissal, hindsight has shown just how much of an outlier the Covid-19 campaign truly was.
Consider the fortunes of a few other noteworthy programs who stuck with their coaches for the long haul:
— Penn State lost its first five games before bouncing back to win four in a row and salvage some dignity by finishing 4-5. Since then, head coach James Franklin has overseen three seasons of 10-plus victories and led the Nittany Lions to the national semifinals last year.
— Ole Miss began the season 1-4 and allowed 44.6 points per game during that stretch under first-year head coach Lane Kiffin and then rallied to win four of its last five games. Kiffin went on to finish 10-3 in his second season, 11-2 in his fourth season, 10-3 in his fifth season and has the undefeated Rebels ranked No. 4 in the country in 2025.
— Michigan limped to a disastrous 2-4 season that resulted in athletic director Warde Manuel halving the salary of head coach Jim Harbaugh. From there, the Wolverines embarked on the most successful three-year run in school history that included three straight Big Ten Championships and one national title.
So it’s fair to wonder what might have happened with Chryst had he been given more than one season and a few additional months to right the ship. Especially now that Saturday’s loss to Michigan dropped Fickell’s record below .500 in 31 games with the Badgers.
3. The offensive line — not Bryce Underwood — will determine Michigan’s ceiling
It was widely assumed that the rate of development for Underwood, a true freshman, would be the most accurate barometer for Michigan’s season-long outlook. If Underwood, the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle, summoned the same command and poise he displayed while winning multiple state championships for Belleville High School in nearby Belleville, Michigan, then the Wolverines might be in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff. But if the youthful Underwood, who just turned 18 in August, struggled to adjust to the heightened level of play, then it was reasonable to believe the 2025 campaign could be another difficult one for Michigan.
But as the midway point of the season approaches, and as Saturday’s choppy game against Wisconsin unfolded, repeated inconsistencies along the Wolverines’ offensive line are fast becoming the program’s limiting factor. Michigan lost left tackle Myles Hinton and left guard Josh Priebe, a third-team All-Big Ten selection, from its 2024 group that fell short of the lofty standard established under former head coach Jim Harbaugh.
This year’s group has already battled attrition and rotation at both guard positions, with four players cycling through starting roles in the opening two games. The quintet that took the field to face Wisconsin — left tackle Evan Link, left guard Nathan Efobi, center Grig Crippen, right guard Jake Guarnera and right tackle Andrew Sprague — gave up three tackles for loss, one sack and numerous pressures that forced Underwood to either scramble or deliver passes without clean throwing windows for much of the game.
It wasn’t until the latter stages of the third and fourth quarters when the line began giving Underwood enough time to string together several completions en route to a career day: 19-of-28 for 270 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He was particularly effective in connecting with wideout Donaven McCulley, who turned in his best game as a Wolverine with six catches for 112 yards and one score.
Bryce Underwood finds Donaven McCulley for a 29-yard TD to extend Michigan’s lead over Wisconsin
4. Things might get worse at Wisconsin before they get better
Despite the signs of progress Wisconsin showed at times during Saturday’s game — from the impassioned effort by its defensive front to the glimmers of hope from new starting quarterback Hunter Simmons — the end result was another loss that dropped Fickell’s team to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten. And based on the stunning difficulty of Wisconsin’s remaining schedule, which still includes No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon, No. 8 Indiana, No. 22 Illinois, Iowa, Washington and Minnesota, realistic chances at victory might be few and far between from now through the end of the season.
The Badgers haven’t lost more than seven games in a season since 1990, their first year under legendary head coach Barry Alvarez, nor have they posted back-to-back losing seasons since 1991-92, when they finished 5-6 in consecutive campaigns. Both of those unsightly milestones feel well within reach for a program that is struggling to find itself under Fickell. At this point, simply reaching a bowl game — which Fickell failed to do last year — should be viewed as a monumental achievement considering the state of Wisconsin’s program in an evolving Big Ten.
4 ½: Defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale struts his stuff
On the opening drive of Saturday’s game, the Badgers unfurled a beautifully scripted drive by first-year offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. They covered 75 yards on 12 plays with an impressive blend of physical running between the tackles and easy completions for Simmons, the newly minted QB1 following an injury to season-opening starter Billy Edwards Jr. and uneven play from backup Danny O’Neil in recent weeks. Tailback Dilin Jones thumped his way across the goal line for a short touchdown run that gave Wisconsin an early lead.
But from that point forward, the Wolverines responded with incredible defensive stoutness and schematic variety from coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, now in his second season. Martindale’s group forced seven consecutive punts from the midway point of the first quarter through the middle of the third quarter, at which point safety Rod Moore — finally back after his lengthy, complicated recovery from a torn ACL — flew across the field for an interception that further deflated Wisconsin’s lackluster offense. The Badgers manufactured just 119 total yards in a span of nine empty possessions that were bookended by their only scores of the game.
Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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