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Michigan's Complete Offensive Dud Against Illinois Left College Football World Aghast
Michigan was always in line for a step back in 2024, given the loss of its national championship-winning coach (Jim Harbaugh) and quarterback (J.J. McCarthy), along with the expansion of the Big Ten and uncertainty surrounding the program.
It seems that even the most pessimistic Wolverines fans didn't expect this.
No. 24 Michigan dropped its third game of the season to No. 22 Illinois on Saturday by a score of 21–7. The Wolverines played good defense and actually outgained the Fighting Illini, but were unable to generate the explosiveness necessary to outpace a powerful Bret Bielema-coached team.
College football fans had a lot to say about the entire endeavor, very little of it good for Michigan.
I don’t usually get political but if the government really had our children’s best interest at heart they would stop airing Michigan football games on national television. No child deserves to be witness to this filth.
— Unbiased Ev (@DoubleVodkaDon) October 19, 2024
Ohio State fans, scarred by the last three years, have already begun worrying.
This Michigan season is going to become a lot less funny to me once they somehow beat Ohio State 11-6
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) October 19, 2024
The Wolverines' personnel took criticism from top to bottom.
What Michigan's receivers lack in playmaking, they make up for in their lack of blocking.
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) October 19, 2024
Michigan fans wondered if they could turn back time.
2023 Michigan football was definitely more fun.
— Swanky Wolverine (@swankywolverine) October 19, 2024
The Wolverines are living the old football adage that the team with multiple quarterbacks has no quarterbacks.
Me watching Michigan’s third straight quarterback throw 3 yards behind the receiver. pic.twitter.com/w9DLrdmdoO
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) October 19, 2024
Fans started reminiscing about some of Michigan's pre-Harbaugh 21st-century struggles.
This is the worst I've seen Michigan Football in a long, long time.
— Blue By 90 (@bluebyninety) October 19, 2024
The game was proof positive that no sport can create cognitive whiplash year-over-year quite like college football.
I keep thinking it won’t get worse…and it keeps getting worse…Michigan football I love you…but I don’t like you right now pic.twitter.com/fgf8C3ifxJ
— Matt (@UofMKwn) October 19, 2024
Illinois's throwback uniforms just added insult to injury.
Michigan really getting smacked by a team from the 1920s this is a new low
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 19, 2024
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Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .