Texas proved it’s a national title contender at Michigan. Can the Wolverines recover?

By Austin Meek, Chris Vannini and Sam Khan Jr.

Texas solidified its status as a national title contender by traveling to Michigan and beating last year’s champion 31-12, thanks to three defensive beatdowns and a strong performance from quarterback Quinn Ewers.

The No. 3 Longhorns ended the No. 10 Wolverines’ streak of 23 straight home wins, which dates back to November 2020. It was Michigan’s first regular-season loss since October 2021.

Texas took a 24-3 lead in the first half and never looked back, as Michigan didn’t score a touchdown until the final two minutes. What did the result mean, and what’s in store for us?

Texas is a legitimate national title threat

The Longhorns entered the season with plenty of preseason hype and a top-five ranking in the polls, but some remaining skeptics wondered if Texas would be a one-hit wonder after reaching the College Football Playoff last year. Saturday showed that Texas is for real.

Ewers boosted his 2024 Heisman Trophy campaign by masterfully managing the game. He was tough on third down, he was accurate, and he took care of the ball. He made big plays downfield when the Longhorns needed him and is shaping up to be the leader the Longhorns said he would be this offseason. He finished 24 of 36 for 246 yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers.

But there’s so much more to love about these Longhorns. The talent at the skill position around Ewers is abundant and dynamic. The defense continues to be one of the best in the country. Steve Sarkisian, known as one of the best play callers in the game, excelled in calling Saturday’s game.

Texas’ dominance may say as much about how bad Michigan is as it does about how good the Longhorns are. But there’s no doubt that this UT team will be a force moving forward as it heads into its first season in the SEC. -Khan

Quinn Ewers and Texas outrebounded Michigan 389-284. (Rick Osentoski / USA Today)

What does Texas’ road to the Playoffs look like?

The Longhorns have come through their first major test in dominating the reigning national champions and have positioned themselves well for a run at a 12-team CFP, especially given the extra margin for error. Texas entered Saturday with an 80 percent chance of making the CFP, according to The Athletics‘s model, and it now stands at 89 percent after Saturday’s first games.

The Longhorns get a reprieve in the coming weeks with UTSA and ULM at home, followed by Mississippi State in Austin. They get a crucial rest week before the big two-game series with the Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma in Dallas, followed by a home game against Georgia in mid-October.

Traveling to Arkansas and Texas A&M in November will make for a hostile environment, but with a quarterback in Ewers who has won at Alabama and Michigan in his career, Texas is confident it has a CFP shot even before its first season in the SEC. — Vannini

Michigan’s problems are worse than expected

A step back was inevitable after last season, but few expected Michigan to fall this far and this quickly. Give Texas, one of the best teams in college football, credit. There’s no shame in losing to a top-five opponent as talented as the Longhorns, but to be run off their home field in this manner shows just how far Michigan has yet to go under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore.

Even without Jim Harbaugh plus JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum and other stars from last year, the Wolverines believed they had the pieces to contend for a bid in the expanded 12-team Playoff, especially on defense. That supposedly fearsome defense was debunked by Texas. The Longhorns found the weaknesses and attacked, exploiting Michigan’s new starters at linebacker and cornerback. The offensive struggles were predictable, but if the Wolverines can’t rely on their defense, what can they rely on?

Based on what we saw on Saturday, it’s hard to imagine this Michigan team seriously contending for a CFP bid. The Wolverines have a tough schedule and could struggle to win eight games unless they can make some quick adjustments. Their CFP odds dropped from 25 percent to 12 percent after the loss, according to The Athletics‘s model. – Modest

Can Michigan’s QB situation be solved?

In the short term, that may not be the case.

Starter Davis Warren didn’t show much evidence that he’s capable of leading a passing attack that can give Michigan a fighting chance against the best teams on the schedule. Warren’s accuracy was questionable at times, and his two interceptions were costly. Warren ultimately completed 22 of 33 for 204 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, but he had just 49 yards passing in the first half. If Michigan had any hope that Alex Orji could be a better option, he certainly would have played a larger role. The way Michigan used Orji, throwing him into obvious running situations, didn’t inspire much optimism for a two-quarterback system. He was limited to -1 yard on two rushes.

Jack Tuttle was upgraded to questionable this week and could compete for the starting job if and when he’s healthy again. If Michigan’s quarterback issues continue, fans will be clamoring for a shot at freshman Jadyn Davis. At this point, there’s no clear solution for the Wolverines. — Modest

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How Texas Reloaded

One reason for the wait-and-see approach to the Longhorns this year was the sheer amount of elite talent they lost: 11 players from the 2023 roster were taken in the NFL Draft. But Saturday showed just how well Sarkisian and his staff have recruited and developed players, and how smartly the Longhorns have used the transfer portal.

Need to replace three starting receivers? Texas acquired Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond, Houston transfer Matthew Golden, Oregon State transfer Silas Bolden and signed five-star recruit Ryan Wingo. Bond, Golden and Wingo all made big plays Saturday, and Bolden serves as the primary return option on special teams.

At tight end, where Texas lost power tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders to the draft, senior Gunnar Helm showed how his patience has paid off. Helm was mostly a role player his first two years on campus but has gradually grown into a more prominent role and was Ewers’ security blanket on Saturday, catching a team-high seven passes for 98 yards. Four of Helm’s receptions resulted in first downs, including one that went for a touchdown.

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Running back Jonathon Brooks was another tough loss, made even tougher when sophomore starter C.J. Baxter and freshman Christian Clark were lost to season-ending injuries in training camp. And Jaydon Blue, who started the first two games at running back, was injured and was sidelined briefly in the first half Saturday. No problem for Texas, which turned to Tre Wisner and Jerrick Gibson to fill the void.

The biggest question for Texas heading into the season was how to replace the stalwart duo of T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. Texas had veteran options to look to in Vernon Broughton and Alfred Collins, who have been consistent rotation players in recent years, and Sarkisian also signed several defensive linemen in the portal, including Jermayne Lole, Tiaoalii Savea and Bill Norton, to bolster the depth. Broughton effectively plugged the middle in the run game on Saturday, and so far it doesn’t appear as though there’s been a huge drop-off in Texas’ run defense. That’s an encouraging sign for what will be the most important position group in SEC play.

Aside from these key spots, one thing is clear: Texas is big and fast almost everywhere. -Khan

found them 🎯🤘@QuinnEwers ➡️ @gunnar_helm photo.twitter.com/V4sxFkKFsE

—Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 7, 2024

O-line was the unsung hero of the Longhorns

Much was made of how Texas’ offensive line would handle Michigan’s front line, particularly Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, but the Longhorns neutralized them. Texas ran the ball effectively and protected Ewers, who wasn’t sacked or under constant pressure. Senior center Jake Majors did an impeccable job of managing the calls in a loud, tough away-game environment.

It wasn’t perfect — right tackle Cam Williams had a holding penalty that negated Ewers’ touchdown pass on the first possession and there were a couple of false start penalties — but the O-line was otherwise impressive. That unit went from being one of the team’s weak links when Sarkisian took over in 2021 to gradually getting better each year and now being one of the team’s real strengths. — Khan

(Top photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)