Joel Klatt: Michigan Football's 'best version' is ahead with QB Jack Tuttle

Fox Sports' top college football analyst believes the Wolverines' new starting quarterback, Jack Tuttle, can bring much-needed stability to the Maize and Blue...

Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Midway through its season, No. 24 Michigan is coming off a bye week with a chance to reignite some excitement and get a big road win at No. 22 Illinois this weekend.

The Wolverines (4-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) have become something of an afterthought in both the Big Ten and College Football Playoff race, but that perception could change this weekend depending on what we see from new starting quarterback Jack Tuttle.

Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt listed Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Indiana and USC, in that order, as his Top 5 teams in the Big Ten through the first seven weeks of the season, while also considered Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska for the No. 5 spot. While Klatt doesn't currently have Michigan among the eight best teams in the conference, he admitted to not knowing what to expect from the Wolverines over their final six games.

"Aren't they like the great anomaly? Do we really know what Michigan is at this point of the season," Klatt asked. "So Jack Tuttle comes in after the first quarter against Washington, and at the high end with Jack Tuttle, it's like, this team can be a playoff team. Watch out, they can win the rest of the games on their schedule. Then, all of a sudden, the three series after that, when they're turning the ball over, you're like, well this isn't going to work. Any team in the Big Ten can beat Michigan."

Oct 5, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Jack Tuttle (13) waits for a play to come in against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Klatt said the Wolverines have a wide margin between what they can be at their best and what they are at their worst, and the version we see of Michigan boils down to turnover margin.

"If they can hold on to the football, they're going to be tough to beat," Klatt said. "But, if they continue to turn the football over then a lot of teams can beat them. And you look at the rest of their schedule, and it's pretty easily two or three more losses if they're turning the ball over."

With that said, Klatt believes the best of 2024 Michigan is still ahead for this team.

"Jack Tuttle did not get a lot of reps before going in against Washington," Klatt said. "Something inside me believes that we're going to see the best version of Michigan in the second half of the season."

After playing three different quarterbacks in the first six games, Klatt believes Tuttle will bring some stability at the game's most important position, and that Michigan will improve as a result.

"We'll see. As of now, they weren't in my Top 5, they weren't really in that group that I was considering for that No. 5 spot. But, you still reserve the right, like, at their best with Tuttle, could they beat anybody left on their schedule? Yeah, maybe. This is still the team that has beaten Ohio State three straight times, and Oregon is going to have to face this Michigan team. I just don't think it's going to be a bargain if Tuttle is retaining the football."

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