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Michigan football: 3 biggest surprises from the Wolverines’ 2021 season

By Christopher Mangum

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 27: Hassan Haskins #25 of the Michigan Wolverines carries the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first quarter at Michigan Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 27: Hassan Haskins #25 of the Michigan Wolverines carries the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first quarter at Michigan Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images) /
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It was a special year for the Wolverines in many ways. Here are some of the biggest surprises from Michigan football’s extraordinary 2021 season.

In 2021, Michigan football became the first school to ever start a season unranked and make a College Football Playoff. Though most outlets had Michigan finishing anywhere from 6-6 to 8-4 in the preseason, the Wolverines found a way to stun the world and finish top-three in the final College Football Playoff rankings.

Here are some of Michigan football’s biggest surprises from 2021:

3. The running back room

Since Jim Harbaugh arrived in 2015, Michigan football has been a run-first team. Though the hiring of former offensive coordinator Josh Gattis seemed to change the outlook of the offense, Michigan remained a team that relied on their rushing attack.

Harbaugh’s “run first” approach has done well for the Wolverines but has never done as well as it did in 2021. Since Harbaugh took over, Michigan has seen one 2-4 season, one 8-5 season, one 9-4 season, and three 10-3 seasons. Not too bad. Still, the Wolverines’ most significant objective seemed to haunt Harbaugh: beating Ohio State.

In 2020, Michigan would finish the season 2-4 and second to last in the Big Ten standings. Fans had started to call for Harbaugh’s head, and finally, they had some tangible evidence that he should be fired; however, all of that changed in 2021.

Signs that Michigan’s rushing attack was flourishing began to appear as early as Week 1. The Wolverines ran the ball 43 times for 335 yards and three touchdowns against Western Michigan, but they did not stop there.

In the following week, Michigan would hit the ground running again, rushing the ball 56 times for 343 yards and four touchdowns. Despite the clear skies and warm temperatures, Michigan would only throw the ball 15 times against the Huskies.

This trend of Michigan rushing the ball well would continue throughout the season and played to the Wolverines’ advantage during the later months as the weather turned cold. Still, most thought that this run-first strategy would not be enough to overcome Ohio State.

On Nov. 27, the No. 2 Buckeyes would march into Ann Arbor to face-off against the No. 5 Wolverines in what was sure to be a thrilling Big Ten brawl. Michigan was yet to beat Ohio State under Jim Harbaugh and had not seen victory over the Buckeyes since 2011 when Denard Robinson was the quarterback, and Brady Hoke was the head coach.

Against Ohio State, Michigan stuck to what they knew and did the best: running the football.

Michigan’s star running back Hassan Haskins would run wild against the Buckeyes, rushing for 169 yards and five touchdowns. As a team, the Wolverines would carry the ball 41 times for 297 yards and six touchdowns, eventually routing the Buckeyes, 42-27.

Michigan’s ground game has always been their strong point, but no one saw this outstanding of a rushing attack coming. Michigan’s running back room of Donovan Edwards (FR), Blake Corum (SO), and Hassan Haskins (SR) would help carry the Wolverines to a Big Ten championship and a College Football Playoff appearance.

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