Jim Harbaugh’s 41-15 record as Michigan’s head coach is littered with performances like Saturday’s 52-0 beatdown of Rutgers. But is Michigan any more prepared for Iowa now than they were a week ago?

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An outclassed opponent came into the Big House and, magically, Michigan regained a sense of what it’s like to be Michigan. The perennial preseason powerhouse (triple-P) exerted its will and talent on a program who was looking for its first conference win since 2017. But what can we take away from this performance, if anything? Let’s discuss.

Do the stats mean anything?

Michigan outgained Rutgers 476-152 in total yards. Rutgers managed only 106 yards through the air, good for 4.4 per attempt, despite trailing from the opening possession. Their leading rusher barely cracked 20 yards. What does all this amount to?

Not much in my book. This smells like a classic Don Brown defensive masterpiece that inflates Michigan’s defensive metrics. We don’t have to revisit Michigan’s defensive woes against teams that are worth a damn, but click here if you are a masochist. 

There is one positive number we might be able to do something with: 0 fumbles. 

The fumbling problem that Michigan developed in the first three games this season continually put them behind the 8-ball, unable to recover. Michigan needed to devote precious prep time, physical and mental, trying to figure out its ball security issues. Shea Patterson even taped a ball to his hands and slept with it. Hopefully he went potty first. This guy was a 5-star recruit, for those keeping score at home. 

For one glorious afternoon, no one put the ball on the ground. It is concerning, however, to once again break even in the turnover column against an inferior opponent (1/1). Turnover margin might be the single most determining factor when it comes to winning or losing, and Michigan was a minus-4 in that department against Wisconsin. Michigan hasn’t won the turnover battle in any game this season, despite being favored by nearly 80 points overall.

Now that’s a turnover where everyone wins.

Gattis to the sideline

In an effort to rally the troops, OC Josh Gattis took his talents from the press box to the sideline for this game. According to The Athletic, Gattis was concerned before the season about the idea of not calling plays from the sideline. The team seemed to miss Gattis’ fire and emotional connection during their early-season struggles, so Harbaugh and Gattis agreed it was time to make a change. 

By all accounts, this system worked much better for Michigan. The players felt more comfortable having their offensive leader on the sideline with them. Here are some quotes from Gattis about the change:

“You feel a little disconnected when you’re in the booth because there’s nothing you can say to the guys. There’s nothing you can do, really, to stop that adversity from happening or being able to change the momentum on the sideline.”

“It ended up working really well. I’m on the field all throughout practice; I call plays on the practice field. I’ve been on the field my whole coaching career, so it was very natural for me.”

Shea Patterson, who stood to benefit most from the change, showed his support:

“Coach Gattis is on the sidelines every day in practice,” Patterson said. “It was just something we were used to. I really liked it, and I think the other guys liked it too.”

Jim Harbaugh added how much easier communication was between he, Gattis, and the players:

“Everything was better face to face: me communicating with him, him communicating with players, players hearing it from him and not going through the box,” Harbaugh said. “It was a good move. I’m glad we did it.”

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Harbaugh sure seems proud of himself, doesn’t he? I’m glad they did it too. That’s why they pay these guys the big bucks, to make executive decisions for the betterment of the program. I do have one question: Why did it take two lackluster wins and a blowout conference loss to figure this out?

Should it not have been obvious from the rip that Gattis would have been better utilized on the sideline? Clearly, the players missed his energy and felt the effects of not having him on the sideline. For as much as Michigan preaches preparation, shouldn’t they want to replicate their practices as closely as possible? Particularly for something as critical as communication between coordinator and quarterback?

This is just another example of Michigan reacting instead of being proactive. Waiting until it’s too late. Making things harder than they need to be. Playing checkers instead of chess. Insert your favorite cliche here _____________________.

Time heals all

One of the most important benefits of an easy victory is that it puts the Wisconsin loss one week further in the rearview mirror. Many kids have short memories, and recency bias could make them believe that 52-0 is who they really are, regardless of the opponent. Just take this quote from linebacker Cam McGrone:

“We got back to playing how we play, how we played last season and the two games before Wisconsin. We just got back to who we were as a defense and as a team.”

The Wisconsin loss made this young man look back longingly at the first two games of the season. Games in which Michigan was so unimpressive that it dropped 4 spots in the AP rankings without losing. And I can’t imagine getting back to “how we played last season” was the goal for this team either, given that record-setting 62-burger their arch-rival fed them to end their playoff hopes in 2018. 

Perhaps it can be taken as simply as this quote from Donovan Peoples-Jones:

“Every time you win, it just makes everybody feel more comfortable, everybody feel more hungry,” wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones said. “It just felt better, you know? It’s just like having a good day.”

That’s the main takeaway from this game. It was just a nice, comfortable win. No new issues to worry about. No new questions to answer. Just a nice, stress-free day at the office. Playing Rutgers is like dropping a bath bomb into the tub that is Michigan Stadium. You just soak it in and let it melt the impurities away.

Can we play Rutgers again next week? Or will our skin get all pruney?

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