Shea Day

Michigan's mercurial senior quarterback chose the perfect time to finally put it all together.

Shea Patterson came here to be more than a successful game-manager. He came here to be a paradigm-shifting quarterback. The final piece to finish Jim Harbaugh's program renewal project. 

Yet while Patterson's time in a Michigan uniform has included a lot of wins, it hasn't included a lot of the anticipated heroics on the biggest stages. As a result, Patterson's resume looked a lot like his coach's -- plenty of success, but little significance. 

However, just when it seemed as if all that potential may never be fully realized, the former 5-star gunslinger delivered his magnum opus in a 44-10 demolition of Michigan State. And for the first time in a long time, we can finally say the quarterback won a big rivalry game for the Wolverines. 

Paradigm shift achieved. 

Remember the history of this bitter instate rivalry, which is often decided by the big uglies up front. And the historic trend-line of the series held up on Saturday, too. For the 45th time in the last 50 meetings the team that ran the ball better won the game. But while it won the rushing battle, Michigan only generated 83 yards on the ground, as neither side found much running room. 

So it was going to be up to one of the quarterbacks to take control of the game. Early on, it looked like that quarterback might be Michigan State's Brian Lewerke. He got off to a hot start, gave his team a 7-0 lead, and was the better quarterback in the first quarter. 

When the Wolverines tried to answer, it looked like the same slog we've seen much of this season. Patterson was sacked on the first play of the game. He completed only three of his first 11 pass attempts. Michigan did not look prepared to take advantage of a Spartans secondary that had already surrendered season-high passing yardage to three different opponents this season. 

But football remains a four quarter game. 

In the next three quarters on Saturday, the Wolverines unleashed a shock and awe that seemed to stun Michigan State as much as their own fans. For this is why Patterson, and rookie offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, were brought here. To usher the Wolverines into the modern era of college football, and give Michigan a chance to win big games when it couldn't just run it down your throat. 

It was a lethal display of -- dare I say -- "speed in space" Michigan fans had been waiting all season to see. And when Jim Harbaugh finally decided to call off the aerial assault, Patterson's final stat line included the final eye-popping numbers:

• A career-high 384 yards passing. 
  
• The most passing yards ever by a Michigan quarterback against Michigan State.
• Completions to nine different receivers. 
• Touchdown passes to four different receivers. 
• A season-best 210.5 rating. 
• A season-best 72% completion percentage, to go along with his second-most passing attempts of the season.

It was an All-American performance by Patterson, and one of the greatest passing performances by a Michigan quarterback in a meaningful game in the program's illustrious history. Oh, and you can go ahead and name him the Big Ten Player of the Week right now as well while you're at it.

Just as suddenly, what was once a season on the brink now could be on the brink of something special. 

Michigan hasn't won at least two of its three rivalry games in the same year since 2011, which is also the last time it finished a season by winning a major bowl game. And the Wolverines haven't swept all three since 2003, which was the last time Michigan won an outright Big Ten title. 

Those two earlier losses to Wisconsin and Penn State mean the championship drought will unfortunately continue. Nevertheless, if these Wolverines were to pull off the rare rivalry trifecta, it would make 2019 one of the school's best seasons in 20 years. Easily the best season of the Harbaugh era, too. 

Even contemplating such a thing seemed like a fever dream for the Wolverines and their fans not too long ago. But credit to the Michigan coaches and team leaders. They not only held it together once those title hopes were dashed, but kept grinding and improving at the same time. 

Michigan is as healthy as its been all season, and when was the last time the Wolverines were legitimately two-deep at almost every position in late November? 

Still, Michigan has learned the hard way in recent years you can't hide your quarterback in college football. Not if you expect to meet those lofty expectations, that is. Patterson's arrival was supposed to signal Harbaugh could now win big games because of his quarterback, not in spite of him. 

It took longer than most expected for the paradigm to shift, but better late than never. The team Michigan put on the field Saturday, led by that version of Shea Patterson, can beat Ohio State in two weeks. That's not saying it will, and the Wolverines are probably going to be double-digit underdogs in The Game regardless of what happens next week against Indiana.   

But Saturday's version of Michigan can. There's at least legitimate hope the Buckeyes can finally be beaten. And given where this team was a month ago, Michigan fans will take it for now.