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Michigan Football: 5 reasons Wolverines will struggle in 2018

By Patrick Mayhorn

MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 18: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines prepares to take the field with his team prior to a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 18: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines prepares to take the field with his team prior to a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

1. How good is Shea Patterson?

Unquestionably, the most important piece of this team will be at the quarterback position. Bad quarterback play has hurt them so bad each of the past two seasons, even to the point where fans are longing for the days of Jake Ruddock, who was decent at best. Enter Shea Patterson. The former five-star Ole Miss signal caller was approved to play this season a few months ago.

That decision could be the difference between the College Football Playoff and eight wins. It could also be more of the same in Ann Arbor. To say that I’m a Shea Patterson skeptic would be an understatement. He was solid last year in seven games at Ole Miss, but when he went down with an injury, his backup, Jordan Ta’amu, was even better. That’s concerning for a quarterback taking over a team with championship hopes.

Patterson’s solid stats at Ole Miss also came in a very pass heavy offense, with some of the best receivers in the nation. He’ll have solid receivers at Michigan, but to call Michigan a pass-heavy offense would be wrong. Michigan still uses a ton of pro-style concepts in their offense, and Patterson is familiar with a spread. Michigan’s offense requires timing and excellent accuracy on intermediate passes.

Patterson has not shown an ability to do either of those things. Patterson is a big play quarterback, and I’m just not sure about his fit in this offense. Throw in the questions about his actual ability, mix it with a below average line and three bad offensive coordinators, and you’ve got some issues. If Patterson is excellent, none of these problems I’ve listed will matter.

Next: 5 realistic expectations for Shea Patterson at Michigan

Michigan has the talent to compete for a title. Their defense is elite, they have good skill position players, and I think Harbaugh is still a great coach. However, if Patterson is just a little better than Speight or O’Korn, these small problems will become very big. A decent quarterback can’t overcome bad playcalling. Michigan can’t survive this schedule if Patterson isn’t great. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a 21-year-old, and at this point, I just can’t feel confident in their chances of it paying off.

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