3 Things To Watch: No. 18 Michigan vs. No. 11 USC

These are the three areas we'll be watching most closely when the Wolverines host the Trojans on Saturday...

Sep 14, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Alex Orji (10) passes second half against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Michigan Stadium. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

No. 18 Michigan's season is at any early crossroads with No. 11 USC coming to Ann Arbor this weekend. The Wolverines have already lost to No. 1 Texas and have looked subpar in wins over Fresno State and Arkansas State through their first three weeks. A loss on Saturday to the Trojans would all-but-eliminate Michigan from a shot at winning another Big Ten championship or reaching the College Football playoff for a fourth consecutive season.

The stakes are high for both teams. Michigan can prove the reports of its demise were premature and exaggerated with a win. The Wolverines' path to victory includes running the football effectively and controlling time of possession. USC can show the signs of progress from their defense in Week 1 against LSU was not fool's gold. If the Trojans can hold up against the physicality of Michigan and leave Ann Arbor with a victory, they will have proven themselves as a factor in the Big Ten title race.

With that in mind, here are three areas of Saturday's game that we'll be watching most closely...

1.) Is Michigan still capable of old-school, smashmouth football?

We touched on it earlier, but this is where the Wolverines' path to victory begins. Michigan showed signs of progress with its rushing attack against Arkansas State, rolling up 301 yards on the ground last weekend. However, that was a Red Wolves defense that had struggled mightily in stopping the run against Central Arkansas and Tulsa. It shouldn't have come at any surprise that the Wolverines had the success that they did.

Now, can Michigan do something similar against a Power 4 defense? As mentioned above, the Trojans appear to have made strides defensively after they were a disaster on that side of the ball for much of the past two years. Currently, USC ranks 34th in the country, allowing an even 100 yards per game on the ground.

The Wolverines have the horses in their backfield to challenge the physicality and toughness of USC's front seven. Kalel Mullings has been excellent this season, and Donovan Edwards is running with better patience and conviction of late. Throw in Alex Orji at quarterback, and Michigan has most of the ingredients for a potent rushing attack. The final piece is the offensive line. The Wolverines need to settle on a starting center and continue to build chemistry and confidence at the line of scrimmage.

2.) Can Michigan get to USC's Miller Moss without over-blitzing

Fox Sports' Joel Klatt had an excellent breakdown of Michigan's defensive struggles earlier this week, and they center around coordinator Wink Martindale's over-aggressiveness with blitzing. The Wolverines blitzed around 50% of the time against Texas, and quarterback Quinn Ewers burned U-M's secondary for it. This was because of two things: the Longhorns offensive line did a great job in protection, and Ewers was able to elude pressure when it did come and make plays down the field.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley is going to have a similar plan of attack as Texas' Steve Sarkisian against the Wolverines. The difference is, I don't believe the Trojans' offensive line is as good as the Longhorns. Michigan's front four needs to be able to get after quarterback Miller Moss without Martindale having to dial up blitzes as often as he tried against Texas.

This is a big week for Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart. Michigan's defensive success likely relies on those guys have a big game for the Wolverines.

3.) Can Alex Orji make any plays down the field?

We're going to see a steady and likely an overuse of the run game out of Michigan's offense this week, but there's no doubt that USC's defense is going to dare Alex Orji to make a play with his arm. Can the redshirt sophomore deliver when the times comes?

That's a big mystery in this game. Orji has only been asked to throw the ball six times this season. He's completed three of those attempts, two of which went for touchdowns, despite his ball placement leaving something to be desired on those two scores.

It's hard to see a scenario in which Orji throws the ball 18-20 times in this game, unless Michigan falls behind early and has no choice but to air it out. (That's a recipe for disaster). However, if Orji can just hover around 60% completion and hit two or three shots in the intermediate to deep pass game, that may be all the Wolverines need from his arm. Can it be done? We don't know, because it hasn't been attempted, but I'm anxious to find out.

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