Michael Cohen

Writer of American football and college basketball

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Although Texas and Michigan never met in last year’s College Football Playoff, with the former falling to Washington and the latter beating Alabama in their respective semifinals, the two programs were undeniably among the four best teams in the country. And given how close the Longhorns’ game against the Huskies turned out to be — a 37-31 defeat that came down to the final seconds — it’s easy to make the case that Texas and Michigan were both among the top three teams in the sport.

But so much has changed since those national semifinals in January, and what unfolded Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor was proof that only one of these programs remains among the elite — at least as far as the 2024 season goes. Fresh off a demolition of Colorado State to open the campaign, No. 3 Texas stormed north for perhaps its most impressive win since head coach Steve Sarkisian took over four years ago. From the opening kickoff to the final snap, the Longhorns crushed the reigning national champions, 31-12, in what will surely be remembered as a standout performance among CFP contenders.

An offense led by quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was so efficient in completing 24 of 36 passes for 246 yards and three scores that he was rested for much of the second half, sliced ​​and diced away at what should have been the strength of this Wolverines team, further crippling a miserable Michigan offense. A double-digit lead in the first half was more than enough for Texas to hold off its lackluster opponent and send droves of fans heading for the exits before the first snap of the fourth quarter.

Here are some quick takeaways from Michigan Stadium:

Early difference

What the first half of Saturday’s game demonstrated, more than anything else, was the glaring difference between an offense that scores for fun and one that seems challenged by its overall concept — regardless of which quarterback, running back or collection of wide receivers it puts on the field. The Longhorns came to Ann Arbor knowing they had one of the most explosive units in the country, with last week’s 52-0 demolition of Colorado State providing nearly 550 yards of evidence. The Wolverines entered Week 2 with a fourth-quarter lead over Fresno State that didn’t blow away, with part of their eventual separation coming on a long pick-six from All-American cornerback Will Johnson.

The discrepancy became apparent almost immediately, even before the game’s opening series, when the visitors won the coin toss and elected to receive. From that point on, the Texas offense gained at least 42 yards per drive — or scored — on five consecutive possessions until Sarkisian’s team built a 21-point lead by halftime. A missed field goal on the opening drive was followed by two touchdowns, a field goal and another backbreaking touchdown with 10:10 left in the second quarter on an untimely fumble by Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.

Such efficiency was little more than a pipe dream for a Michigan offense that will increasingly face questions, especially with a Sept. 21 game against powerful USC looming. The Wolverines managed 19 yards or fewer on five of their first six possessions, as neither the running of tailbacks Donovan Edwards (eight carries, 41 yards) and Kalel Mullings (six carries, 25 yards) nor the passing of quarterback Davis Warren (73 passing yards in three quarters) seemed to faze Texas, a group that went more than seven full quarters before allowing its first touchdown of the season.

Game of the game

Trailing 17-3 after Texas kicker Bert Auburn booted a 26-yard field goal, the Wolverines desperately needed an impressive and effective performance from their two-minute offense to close the gap before halftime. A two-score deficit might have been too much for this offensively challenged Michigan team to overcome, but anything more would have surely meant defeat before the first 30 minutes were up.

A quick third-down conversion from Warren to wideout Semaj Morgan gave the corn-clad faithful life on an afternoon when moving the chains — let alone scoring — proved exceedingly difficult. But possession soon crumbled in devastating fashion.

Warren threw a high, incomplete pass across the seam to Morgan, who had found enough space in the Texas secondary for a long gain, the kind of completion that would have turned the field. And the missed opportunity was compounded moments later when Loveland, the team’s best offensive player, dropped the ball without being touched by a defender. The Michigan sideline couldn’t believe it, pleading with officials to rule the pass incomplete, but to no avail.

Texas took over at the Michigan 42-yard line and reached the end zone six plays later on a short pass from Ewers to wideout Matthew Golden, extending the Longhorns’ lead to 21 and effectively putting the game out of reach.

Quinn Ewers rolls out and finds Matthew Golden on a 5-yard pass, extending Texas’ lead over Michigan

Key Statistics

While Texas’ offense roared down the field in the first half — racking up more than 275 yards and scoring 24 points against a defense loaded with NFL Draft picks — the ease with which Ewers and his running mates passed on third down provided one dose of frustration after another for an expectant crowd still reeling from last year’s national championship. Scoring eight times on their first 10 attempts, the Longhorns held on to the ball possession after possession to create an alarming imbalance in both time of possession and offensive snaps, the totality of which almost certainly caused fatigue for the Wolverines, who lost a handful of key defensive contributors to the NFL Draft.

And nothing about those third-down conversions was easy, a fact that will surely irritate Michigan’s first-year defensive coordinator, Don “Wink” Martindale, when he watches the film. Thanks to Ewers’ poise and mobility, Texas converted all four of its third-and-short opportunities — but more importantly, the Longhorns were able to suck the momentum away from a crowd desperate to get Michigan off the field on third-and-9 or longer 50 percent of the time.

A combination of precision throwing from Ewers and hard-charging runs from a stable of runners — who all combined for 143 yards on 32 carries — humiliated the Wolverines’ defense at every level in one series or another. Texas finished with an average of 6.2 yards per play on third down.

What’s next for Texas?

In the same way that last year’s Week 2 win over then-No. 3 Alabama bolstered Texas’ résumé heading into the final edition of the four-team College Football Playoff, an authoritative blowout of No. 10 Michigan will serve as a feather in the Longhorns’ cap from now until the end of the season. The question of whether Sarkisian’s high-octane offense would muster the same explosiveness against the Wolverines, who were described by many as one of the best defenses in the country, was answered fairly convincingly at halftime, let alone the final horn. Whether on the ground or through the air, Texas tore through Michigan with relative ease, even with starting tailback Jaydon Blue — himself a reserve during fall camp before injuries struck — missing a significant chunk of the first half with a lower-body ailment. By racking up 389 yards and over 30 points, the Longhorns proved that this offense will travel and can challenge any defensive coordinator in the country. Texas plays two non-league games against UTSA and UL Monroe, then hosts Mississippi State later this month in its SEC debut.

Quinn Ewers hits Jaydon Blue for a 7-yard touchdown, extending Texas’ lead over Michigan

What’s next for Michigan?

An unconvincing and questionable performance against Fresno State in the season opener gave way to a borderline embarrassment in Saturday’s loss to Texas, a game billed as one of the premier non-conference showdowns on the college football calendar, the reigning national champions taking on another 2023 national semifinalist in a clash between the sport’s two premier conferences. Given that backdrop, nearly everything about Michigan’s performance against the Longhorns should be viewed through the lens of disappointment. The defense, the Wolverines’ supposed strength, proved incapable of getting off the field when matched up against quality opponents. The offense, already under considerable scrutiny, flopped on possession after possession, regardless of whether offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell was calling runs or passes. Michigan has one final matchup against Arkansas State next week before welcoming USC to Ann Arbor on Sept. 21. And there’s plenty for Moore and company to fix.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on @Michael_Cohen13.

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