Joel Klatt Reveals 'Worrisome' Part About Michigan Entering Texas Matchup

The stage is set for the top matchup of Week 2 college football action. The No. 3 Texas Longhorns will pay a visit to the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines for a matchup between two College Football Playoff teams last year.

Michigan looks much different than a year ago. Sherrone Moore has stepped in for former head coach Jim Harbaugh, who departed for the Los Angeles Chargers after leading the Wolverines to a national championship season. The JJ McCarthy era is also over in Ann Arbor which has left Michigan with a quarterback battle between Davis Warren and Alex Orji.

Both passers played last week against in a 30-10 win against Fresno State. Warren got the start and passed for 118 yards and a touchdown, while Orji completed one pass for a touchdown and added 32 yards rushing on five attempts.

Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns are in a much different position at quarterback. Quinn Ewers returns as one of the top signal-callers in the sport. The senior looked the part last week against Colorado State, passing for 260 yards and three touchdowns to one interception in a 52-0 win.

Defensively, both teams return most of the production from 2023. Michigan finished first in the country in total defense and Texas wasn't far off at No. 15.

So beyond the quarterback position, what really separates the two entering Saturday's matchup?

According to Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt, Michigan needs playmakers to step up at wide receiver.

"The worrisome part about Michigan's offense is that they have got to find a wide receiver," he said on "The Joel Klatt Show." "Because, right now after week one, it was not very good on the outside. They did not have anybody to take the pressure off of their tight end, who is easily their best pass catcher."

Junior tight end Colston Loveland was a force for Michigan last week, catching five more passes (8) than the nearest Wolverine. He racked up 87 yards and a touchdown on the day.

The Wolverines leaned heavily on the run game. That's not a surprise considering the identity of the offense under Moore and the inexperience at quarterback. But if the Wolverines can stretch the field out wide, they could pose real issues for the Texas defense. That may take more time, though, as Michigan works to replace leading receiver Ronnie Bell, who is entering his rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers.

Klatt didn't pick a winner of Texas-Michigan because he is on the broadcast team for the game. But he did predict it to be a close one in Ann Arbor. The Longhorns are currently 7.5-point favorites, per ESPN Bet.

Related: Joel Klatt Predicts Major College Football Upset in Week 2

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