Michigan football has lauded its depth since summer. Ohio State week is the time prove it.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Those around the program spoke about it before this year's iteration of Michigan football — Team 144, if you're counting — ever took a snap.

The depth — both in players and coaches — will take this team to its end destination.

The organization's CEO, Jim Harbaugh, proclaimed over the summer he foresaw as many as 20 young men in maize and blue as NFL draft picks come April in Detroit and four assistants ready to be Division I head coaches as soon as next year.

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He also recited passages from scripture in the first team meeting, when he cited Moses' need for 90 leaders.

"How many will we need?" he recalled of what he asked at that time earlier this week. "More."

If ever there were a time for the Wolverines to demonstrate that depth, it's now, without Harbaugh.

Saturday was the second step in that process, when Michigan escaped Maryland, 31-24, at SECU Stadium for the 1,000th victory in program history. With that, Ohio State week is here. It's the second straight season U-M arrives at The Game undefeated and the third straight season in which a Big Ten championship game berth will be on the line.

“Ecstatic to get that 1,000th win," acting head coach and offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore said after the win, "but they all knew exactly what time it was right after that. They all know what's ahead. Excited for that challenge.”

The depth has been on display for months and while it began as a point of pride, it has evolved into a necessity.

The first three weeks of the season, Harbaugh served a university-imposed three-game suspension resulting from the NCAA's investigation into his program for a few minor recruiting violations, as well as one accusation of Harbaugh misleading investigators, a much more serious charge.

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Without Harbaugh in the fold, U-M had little trouble dispatching its three Group of Five foes. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter served as head coach in the opener, special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh and running back coach Mike Hart split the duty in Week 2 and Moore was tabbed in Week 3; Michigan didn't win pretty, but it was effective.

“I’m fired up," star running back Blake Corum said after the last of those victories, against Bowling Green. "It’s going to mean something to have (coach Harbaugh) back on the sideline.”

The Wolverines got their leader back and turned their attention to Big Ten play, in which their margin of victory grew from 24 against Rutgers to 38 against Nebraska, 42 against Minnesota and finally a 45-point beatdown of Indiana in which U-M scored the final 52 points.

At that time, Corum paced the nation in rushing touchdowns, wide receiver Roman Wilson was tops in receiving touchdowns and quarterback J.J. McCarthy was becoming a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate. And then Michigan and the NCAA butted heads once again.

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Two days before Michigan was set to play rival Michigan State, word of an NCAA investigation into an illicit sign-stealing operation. By the next day, Connor Stalions was a suspended staffer and seemingly a household name (at least in Big Ten country).

Despite that, U-M laid a 49-0 beatdown on the Spartans — the rivalry's most lopsided since 1947 — in East Lansing, giving credit to the "outside noise" for drawing an already-close team together.

“We do a tremendous job of staying in the present moment and controlling what we can control,” McCarthy said. “We know this is a special group and we strive to get better every day.”

“All the outside allegations against Coach Harbaugh, that doesn’t do anything to us because we are just there trying to have fun playing ball with our boys,” he continued. “We keep it very simple, and the main thing the main thing.”

An easy win over Purdue soon followed, then came a road win over then-No. 9 Penn State, the first euphoric feeling of the season. All that remained before a shot at OSU was one road game against a team with one win since the start of October. But U-M didn't get there without more distraction.

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The win over Penn State came with Harbaugh suspended for another three games, this time by the Big Ten less than 24 hours before kickoff.

With a hearing on an injunction against the suspension scheduled for the following Friday, the maize-and-blue nation girded for battle again, with Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel lambasting league commissioner Tony Petitti for an "insulting" and "unethical" decision.

Instead, Harbaugh, his representatives and attorneys representing the Board of Regents agreed to the suspension.

"Harbaugh, with the University's support, decided to accept this sanction to return the focus to our student-athletes and their performance on the field," team spokesman Kurt Svoboda said in a statement.

Officially, attention was supposed to be back on the team, but to no avail: Linebackers coach Chris Partridge was abruptly fired Friday morning; reports of Partridge trying to cover up sign-stealing evidence soon became public.

The program elevated Rick Minter, father of defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and a longtime Division I coach in his own right, from analyst to linebackers coach in the meantime.

Then, already down two coaches Saturday, the attrition hit the field as well Saturday. Left tackle LaDarius Henderson was ruled out before the game. His replacement, Myles Hinton, left in the third quarter with a lower body injury. (Moore, his position coach, said X-rays were negative.

The worst news of the day seemed to be the loss of Wilson. He took a big hit and left the Maryland game in the first quarter. He came back to the sideline in street clothes; his status for next week is uncertain.

The sudden drop in protection and skill-position talent affected the offense. McCarthy completed a season-worst 52.2% of his passes for just 141 yards, throwing his first interception since Week 3.

Meanwhile, the running game that seemed to find its form against Penn State was suddenly mortal vs. Maryland: A 3.3-yard average, despite three touchdowns. Corum ran 28 times for 94 yards and two TDs, but hardly appeared to get stronger as the game went on; 17 of his final 21 attempts went for 3 yards or fewer.

“Definitely need to get back to the drawing board and fix some things and play better,” Corum said. “We need to play better. Bottom line. No excuses.”

Fortunately, for the offense, the other units more than held their own. Michael Barrett and Derrick Moore combined for a strip-sack return for a TD, and Mike Sainristil had two interceptions. Michigan won the turnover battle, 3-0, and forced two safeties: one on defense, one on special teams.

"There's really no question to us who is the best defense in the country," Sherrone Moore said. "They create turnovers; they create havoc every week. I'm just happy we have them on our team."

It was, indeed, a demonstration of Michigan's depth, tested more than ever. In the coaching ranks. On the field. A season's worth of work will all come down to Nov. 25 in Ann Arbor.

“Now that we're able to finally shift our focus to Ohio State, everything is going into this game," Sainristil said Saturday. "This is where a championship can be won, and hopes for the playoffs, Big Ten championship, is all going into this game. Can't wait for that opportunity next Saturday."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football's season has built to this moment against Ohio State