Texas Boatraces Michigan: What it Means from Notre Dame Perspective

Texas was more than ready for Michigan's physicality on Saturday

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) celebrates a touchdown against Michigan during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Texas-Michigan was rightfully hyped as a game of college football blue bloods and a pair of last year's College Football Playoff team's but the competition was over early on.

Perhaps Texas converting three third downs on its opening drive was a sign of things to come as the Longhorns walked away from that possession without points, but did dominate its way to a 24-3 halftime lead over the reigning national champions.

Texas looked every bit the part of one of the nation's top-three teams while Michigan had concerns exposed from go.

What does all of it mean as we took it in from a Notre Dame perspective?

Texas Owning Both Lines of Scrimmage

We'll get to star quarterback Quinn Ewers in a bit but the game was won, and dominated, at the line of scrimmage by Texas. Michigan has been as good as anyone on the line of scrimmage the last couple of years, lost a good amount to the NFL but still features stars on the defensive front. Texas started the day running away from Michigan star tackle Mason Graham, began gassing the Wolverines line, and kept the foot on the gas.

The game was an exhibition on owning the line of scrimmage, something Notre Dame's defensive line did well against Texas A&M but even in allowing no sacks last week, has a lot of growing to do to reach what Texas put out against Michigan.

Quinn Ewers was Outstanding

Too easy for Texas 🎯

Quinn Ewers finds Gunnar Helm for the @TexasFootball TD 🤘 pic.twitter.com/hiJt0s5pZt

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 7, 2024

You hear it all the time but in a game like that, the difference in quarterback play was night and day. Michigan trotted out the Davis Warren experience that averaged less than five yards per attempt when the game was within any question.

Meanwhile Quinn Ewers on the other side looked every part of a real Heisman contender. Ewers stepped up in the pocket under pressure, was able to flush out when need be and had a perfect grasp on where his receivers would be, throwing them into huge plays with regularity.

Ewers isn't the only reason Texas is good but he takes a very talented team elsewhere and makes it a real threat to compete for a national championship this year.

Game Impact on Notre Dame

Sep 7, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman enters the stadium alongside players for the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The Texas blowout doesn't mean a ton for Notre Dame in terms of the College Football Playoff but does help give a better idea of those who may or may not make the field. Texas looks all the part of a playoff team with the only wonder being how high of a seed it may be.

Michigan looks like a team that lost over a dozen players to the NFL, has a former walk-on starting at quarterback, and has a first-year head coach. Michigan will probably be fine in the long term but for now it's a challenge to see this team being one of the 12 in the newly expanded College Football Playoff.

As for Notre Dame - if you needed any further proof why earning the five or six seed is so important, see this game. Those two seeds mean a home game against a Group of Five or very likely an ACC or Big 12 team in the first round, followed by a likely date with the ACC or Big 12 champion in round two.

Get to the seven seed or below and yeah, a home game still possibly awaits but the improvement in potential first round opponent grows significantly and fast. Don't earn a home game and a trip to a program like Texas in round one is a real possibility.

So a warning to the Irish if they want to not just make the playoff but make a run when they get there: keep winning.