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TCU football: 3 reasons the Horned Frogs will upset Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl

By Jacob Bruetsch

WACO, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Max Duggan #15 of the TCU Horned Frogs walks off the field after the Horned Frogs beat the Baylor Bears 29-28 at McLane Stadium on November 19, 2022 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
WACO, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Max Duggan #15 of the TCU Horned Frogs walks off the field after the Horned Frogs beat the Baylor Bears 29-28 at McLane Stadium on November 19, 2022 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 03: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Michigan Wolverines rolls out of the pocket to pass during the Big Ten Championship against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 03: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Michigan Wolverines rolls out of the pocket to pass during the Big Ten Championship against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

3. JJ McCarthy is inconsistent

As I mentioned before, JJ McCarthy needed the game of his life to beat Ohio State. The week before, he was off his game, and Michigan very nearly lost at home to Illinois. With Blake Corum going out in the first half of that game, it was the first time Michigan needed McCarthy to carry them. He didn’t exactly rise to that occasion.

The last time McCarthy consistently connected on deep balls prior to Ohio State might’ve been Hawaii. That was his first start in Week 2 against one of the worst teams in the Mountain West.

Ever since, it has been hit or miss. With TCU looking to stop the run, McCarthy needs to be on for Michigan to win, something that hasn’t always happened.

McCarthy is an incredibly talented quarterback. It’ll be interesting to see just how good he becomes in the next year or two. But tomorrow, on the biggest stage of the 19-year-old’s career, it’s not unlikely he reverts to the play we saw most of this season, which was very pedestrian. If he doesn’t play out of his mind, TCU can shut Michigan’s offense down in the Fiesta Bowl.

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