10 most important players for Michigan football vs. TCU
We’re two weeks away from the College Football Playoff semifinals, and Michigan football will have an opportunity in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl to be the first to advance to the national championship game.
TCU’s Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan leads an electric passing offense and solid rushing offense. The Horned Frog defense is middling, which could mean opportunities for the maize and blue on the other side of the ball, but all eyes will certainly be on the Michigan defense against the TCU offense.
With that in mind, who are the most important Wolverines heading into the game? Here is who we have pegged.
QB J.J. McCarthy
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Duh.
McCarthy has taken a giant step forward, starting in the second quarter of the OSU game, and he hasn’t relented since. Like Duggan, he can (and will) run the ball, keeping the TCU defense off balance. While his accuracy isn’t as pinpoint as earlier in the season, he’s been making bigger plays downfield than what we saw before, making NFL-level throws that will be crucial in the next game (or two).
Should the Michigan defense struggle against the TCU offense, it will fall on McCarthy to keep the offense aloft, should the game become a shootout. He’s the X-factor the Wolverines need, not just for this game, but also should the maize and blue advance to the national championship game.
DT Mazi Smith
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Due to TCU’s ability to run the ball — with the backs as well as the QB — Smith gets the nod over all of the other defensive linemen. He’ll likely take on double teams, but if he can blow those up, keep contain, stop or stall the run game, as well as get pressure on the QB, then the Horned Frogs are going to have a hard time.
That’s a lot to ask, but that’s what Smith has done for the bulk of the season. He’s the most crucial part of the defense in this game as the tip of the spear, and he’ll need to be up for the challenge.
RB Donovan Edwards
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Regardless of whether Edwards has a cast on his hand, he will be absolutely vital to the offense. You can’t mistake him for Blake Corum: He doesn’t grind out 4-5 yards every carry the way Corum does. But he is managing a full yard and a half more per carry than Corum did, at 7.45 — the fifth-best average in the nation. If Edwards has a less intrusive cast, or no cast at all, look out. Because he may be Michigan’s best receiver, and he’s a giant mismatch for anyone who would dare cover him. You can’t match him up against a linebacker, because he’ll just burn them. Safety or corner? He has the size to blow them up.
Edwards has had as good of a finish of any player in the country, and it will be interesting to see what he’s able to do against the Horned Frogs.
CB Will Johnson
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No offense to either DJ Turner or Gemon Green, but Johnson’s star has risen in a big, big way in recent weeks. Given his size and ability to find the football, he’ll likely find himself matched up early and often against star WR Quinten Johnston. If he can slow or stall him out, though TCU has other options at wideout, it could be the death knell for that offense. Get a pick (or two, like he did in the Big Ten Championship game) then it changes the game entirely.
He might be a freshman, but he’s been playing like a savvy vet in recent weeks.
LB Michael Barrett
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Barrett’s play has taken a massive step forward in the latter half of the season, and Michigan will need that trajectory to continue in the College Football Playoff.
Against a similar offense, Ohio State, Barrett had the best game of his career, and given Max Duggan’s ability to run the football, he’ll need to be even more on his p’s and q’s. Equally as important will be Junior Colson, but we’re giving the nod here to Barrett due to his strong play of late, and he’ll be vital when it comes to keeping contain as well as defending TCU’s solid run game.
NB Mike Sainristil
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A player who should likely be higher, Sainristil has been indispensable for the Michigan defense this year, especially in the biggest moments. His leadership has matched his play on the field, and given TCU’s high-flying passing attack, he’ll be crucial to disrupting things on the back end.
What’s more, he can rush the passer — something we saw more so early in the season — and has an overall nose for the football. That will be needed on Dec. 31.
Additional honorable mention to all three of Michigan’s staring safeties.
The entire offensive line
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SMASH. Certainly, the mantra that Sherrone Moore has instilled will continue to be the rallying cry for this entire group.
Trevor Keegan noted the TCU defense is stout in the middle, but it shouldn’t be much of a match for the bulk and nastiness of the Michigan O-line. TCU hasn’t seen anything of this caliber all year.
This is a prime opportunity to set a tone and wear down the Horned Frogs. It’s what Michigan’s done all year long, there’s no reason to stop now. Own the line of scrimmage, and the game likely belongs to the Wolverines.
EDGEs Jaylen Harrell/Eyabi Okie/Mike Morris
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We’re cheating and couldn’t pick one here, but that’s in part due to not knowing Mike Morris’ status for the game. We expect he’ll go, but there hasn’t really been any indication one way or the other. If he can’t, we need to see similar play out of his compatriots on the edge — Jaylen Harrell and Eyabi Okie (we’ll also include Braiden McGregor and Derrick Moore here).
It won’t just be about disrupting TCU QB Max Duggan, it will also be about keeping contain, as he has a penchant for taking off. Also, the ability to cover and confuse him will be paramount, because this game could come down to just a few plays, one way or the other.
Jake Moody/Brad Robbins
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Including both of the specialists with field position in mind. Whether it’s on kickoff or on punts, it will be incumbent on both Moody and Robbins to pin TCU deep, making the offense’s job that much more difficult. The Horned Frogs may move the ball, but if they have to traverse the entire field, then that puts the Wolverine defense in prime position in the game.
TE Colston Loveland
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Once thought of as a luxury, now the true freshman is much more than a commodity — he’s a necessity.
With Erick All having been injured all year (and now having transferred to Iowa) and with Luke Schoonmaker having had injury issues late in the year, Loveland has become a much more substantial piece to the offense. Certainly Schoonmaker could have been included here, but Loveland appears to be showing increased ability in the pass game, as he looks more like a polished receiver than a tight end. Yet, he will line up inline, and will take routes that are very hard for TCU to defend.
If he continues on his path, given his two touchdowns in the past two games — the biggest of his career, no less, then he will be indispensable to the Michigan offense against a middling TCU defense.
