Can Michigan Upset the Texas Longhorns in Week 2? Three Keys to Secure A Wolverines Victory

A top-10 showdown is set for high noon on Saturday, with the Texas Longhorns traveling to Ann Arbor to take on the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines.

This will be just the seventh time Michigan has hosted an SEC team at home. The Wolverines are 5-1 in their six prior meetings, with their most recent a 27-7 win over Vanderbilt in 2006.

This will also be the first time Michigan is an underdog since November of 2022, as the Longhorns come in as a full touchdown favorite.

Interestingly enough, the last three times Texas was favored against a top-10 opponent, they lost all three games outright.

How can Michigan ensure history stays on their side in this matchup?

Generate & Prevent Explosives

Michigan's offensive approach in Week 1 was rather lackluster until their final drive of the game. They finally posted two big plays, but they both came well into the fourth quarter. Most of the game felt like wasted three and outs, hoping to run the ball up the gut repeatedly, throw a pass on third down, and punt or convert.

This just isn't the same Michigan team as they were a year ago. They can't rely on J.J. McCarthy's arm talent beating windows or his mobility extending a play or picking up a first down. Blake Corum's departure, as well as all five starting linemen, means they lost a lot of steam behind their ground game engine.

I simply don't think Michigan can operate like they did last year. They don't have the same ability to be an efficient unit that keeps chugging along. If they try the same approach with Texas, that game will get out of hand quickly, even if I am a skeptic of their defense approaching last year's unit.

Michigan's focus should be to find and generate explosive matchups. If they can generate enough of those to keep their defense rested, score points, and flip field positions, this one could be closer than the betting lines indicate.

Tackle and Breat Tackles Better

Last week against Fresno State, the Wolverines missed eight tackles on defense. Texas missed just five. Michigan's offense forced 10 missed tackles (seven from Kalel Mullings). Texas? 20.

Related: Can the Michigan Wolverines Offense Improve Enough To Beat the Texas Longhorns?

These figures have to be better if Michigan wants any chance at winning this game. Because of their turnover and volume of unproven players, they have to win in the margins by both preventing and gaining additional yardage where they can. Three four-yard runs is vastly different than three three-yard runs.

Improve The Passing Game

Michigan's passing game isn't even remotely as able as it was last season. Even as someone who was a relative skeptic of J.J. McCarthy , the drop-off is startling.

Michigan kept everything remarkably simple for Davis Warren, and he rarely threw beyond his first read.

If they want to keep him from making too many reads, create easy plays for him on first downs. Things like screens, slants, touch passes, and the like would let him get into a rhythm quicker and likely generate more than running into a loaded box routinely.

Michigan boasts the best tight end in the country in Colston Loveland. He was their main target against Fresno State, but they could do even more to get him involved in the offense.

Put him in motion to free him up off the line of scrimmage, keep hammering away with him out wide, and get him the ball in the quick game more. He's an elite receiving threat who will help draw attention away from the rest of their receivers.