Michigan Football Chatter: Who Starts At QB If The Season Began This Week

IF Michigan football was playing this weekend, who would start at quarterback for the Wolverines?

Isaiah Hole Photography

Of course the season doesn't start this week or anytime soon, so the debate over who will start for the Wolverines under center is a bit moot. Still, according to our sources, redshirt sophomore Joe Milton has the edge over redshirt junior Dylan McCaffrey and would have started the season opener, even if it was at Washington like originally scheduled. 

"Talking to those close to Joe, he is extremely confident he's the guy based on the reps he's taking and the feedback he's gotten from coaches," said a Milton confidant. "And talking to a few other guys on the team, they back up what Joe's been saying. Teammates always know, even if the coaches don't make a formal announcement, and everything I've heard is Joe's consistently been out front and the better quarterback in their practices."

A source close to McCaffrey, while not conceding, did admit that Milton has looked very good and has "the confidence of the team and coaches behind him." 

An impartial observer, however, shared that this preseason is unlike any ever experienced and without the prospect of actually playing games, doesn't believe the quarterback competition has ramped up like it would otherwise. 

"The first few weeks they were allowed back on campus, I think you saw this intensity in everything the quarterbacks were doing, but it's really, really hard to create this high-level competitive environment when there's no season. I'm not saying one guy doesn't lead, but I think it's really hard to say it's clear-cut and the 'if the season started today' talk doesn't really hold up because the last three weeks there has been no season to prepare for and that's going to have an impact on preparation."

That said ... there is a lot to like about Milton, that big arm capable of stretching the field, but the accuracy downfield, in intermediate throws and near the line of scrimmage is what's caught the attention of numerous observers. 

"There's not a lot of 'misses' on his throws - not many balls thrown behind receivers. Everything has been on target and his downfield throws are leading his receivers. No one has to stop and wait, or 'jump-ball' for it. Guys like Nico Collins, Roman Wilson, Giles Jackson are really benefiting from the arm strength and consistency of catching balls from Joe Milton."

Speaking of Collins, he is among a handful of seniors in wait-and-see mode, preferring to stick it out and play a final season with Michigan than declare for the NFL. 

Certainly, it's a factor that players like Collins, defensive end Kwity Paye and tight end Nick Eubanks could help their pro prospects considerably with strong years, but if the Big Ten season gets pushed to January and is, in essence, a de facto exhibition campaign with no real hardware on the line, expect Collins and Paye, at the very least, to follow the lead of Jalen Mayfield and Ambry Thomas and go pro without playing another snap in the winged helmet. 

Junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson really wants to play one more season, both to help realize team and individual goals, and to put more film on tape of what he is capable of. He will test well at an NFL Combine but he doesn't have the eye-popping production that would elevate him into Top 10 consideration. 

"If he plays and has a big year, and shows he can get to the quarterback, his draft stock will skyrocket. He's a very good prospect right now, but he could be in that Bosa-like conversation as a Top 5 pick if he gets the chance to showcase himself and delivers."

So will there be a season this fall or in the winter? The opinions vary wildly, with a demarcation line seemingly being drawn by a number of the college presidents/chancellors in the conference. While there has been pushback and a few presidents have softened on their stance to postpone the season, there are still hard-liners exerting considerable influence who "have no intention of getting bulled" into playing in 2020, if the science continues to support patience. 

Over the last week momentum has been growing for a season to begin around Thanksgiving, but that charge has been led, predominantly, by coaches and athletic directors, not the Big Ten's presidents and chancellors, who outside of Nebraska's, have been very quiet (though admittedly, this has never been a big group of talkers). 

As we mentioned recently, if the vote to postpone the season was held today, the Big Ten might not have had the nine votes to meet the 60% majority (as reported by multiple media outlets Monday, the final tally was 11-3 to postpone with Ohio State, Iowa and Nebraska the three dissenters). 

However, that is not the vote being considered. The vote that would be on the table today would ask "do you approve of moving forward with the Big Ten season [enter date, either Thanksgiving or even October]?" And THAT question almost certainly does not yet have nine presidents/chancellors willing to vote yes. 

Still, there is potentially some good news on that front, as the committee put together by Commissioner Kevin Warren to bring Big Ten sports back at the right time, is keeping a keen eye on the rest of college football. 

"The best-case scenario is the first couple weeks come and go without major outbreaks and games getting cancelled because teams can't fill their rosters with enough healthy bodies," a Big Ten HQ source said. "If that happens, there are a lot of motivated individuals that will gain greater leverage. 

"But it's all in the eye of the beholder, right? You can always find data to back your argument up and a number of presidents will need overwhelming evidence that college sports can be played without significant issues to vote yes on playing in 2020. And they'll only need a little bit of evidence of concerns to remain steadfast in their belief that the best thing to do is wait."