We have a huge NCAA Football matchup to kick off Week 2 on Saturday as the Michigan Wolverines host the Texas Longhorns in the Big House. The Longhorns jumped a spot to #3 in the country after blanking Colorado State 52-0 at home last week. Michigan actually dropped a spot from 9th to 10th the country after beating Fresno State at home. The Wolverines did not cover the spread, but they were able to win the game which is all that matters (especially since I had the Bulldogs +21). But now in Week 2, these Top 10 teams go head to head to see who will come away victorious.
Top 10 Showdown in Ann Arbor
The Wolverines didn’t look too lost without Harbaugh and McCarthy, and were able to beat a frisky Fresno team at home. But now they face a very prolific offense for the Longhorns. Dating back to last season, the Longhorns have now scored 47.25 points in their last 4 games. They have had to replace some wide receivers, but multiple guys stepped up on Saturday ready to fill the big shoes that were left.
As for the Longhorns defense, they allowed less than 200 total yards to the Rams, including just 74 through the air. While Michigan’s offensive strength is certainly in their running game, they may need to move the ball in bunches in order to keep up with the Longhorns. A Fresno State offense only put up 10 points against the Wolverines, but this included a red zone pick 6. Fresno opened up the defense for 235 yards through the air, which is likely how the Longhorns will attack.
To me, this game will boil down to whether the Michigan secondary can stop a Texas aerial attack, as I see the Wolverines offense struggling to put up points in this game. While I do expect it to be low scoring, let’s dive in a little further before we commit to the under.
#3 Texas vs #10 Michigan: Longhorns Go To the Big House
Edwards rushed 11 times for just 27 yards but caught a TD pass last week
Matchup Information – Texas vs Michigan
- Venue & Location: Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, MI)
- Date: Saturday, September 7th, 2024
- Kick Off: 12:00pm Eastern
- Broadcast: FOX
Betting Odds
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Spread
- Texas -7.5 (-105)
- Michigan +7.5 (-115)
Money Line
- Texas -285
- Michigan +240
Total
- Over 42.5 (-110)
- Under 42.5 (-110)
Ewers and Longhorns Enter the Big House
Can Ewers and Texas handle the pressure of the Michigan defense?
At a quick glance, my gut wants to immediately back Texas. The Longhorns looked much better in Week 1 than the Wolverines, and their offense was firing on all cylinders. Ewers threw for 260 yards and 3 TDs and even let Archie Manning have a turn running the offense. While the Rams were a much easier opponent than the Wolverines will be, I think Sarkisian will have his guys ready to roll into Ann Arbor on Saturday. Michigan only allowed 9 rushing yards to the Bulldogs, so clearly the D-Line is the strength of their defensive unit.
Can Michigan Keep Up Offensively?
After losing Jonathan Brooks to the NFL, the Longhorns were lacking in the rushing department anyways, and I don’t think this hinders their game plan at all. The key for Texas will be being able to move the ball in bunches, scoring fast and getting off the field to let their defense go after an inferior Michigan offense. The Wolverines relied heavily on the run, like they did all last year. They built a lead, chewed the clock, and marched down the field as a unit, one first down at a time. The rushing attack did not lose a step without Blake Corum, as Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings combined for 119 of the team’s 148 rushing yards. But through the air things are much different.
Davis Warren threw 25 times for just 15 completions and 118 yards. If the Longhorns are able to stop the Michigan run, things could very hard on this Wolverine’s offense. While I lean slightly with the Texas offense against the Michigan defense, I strongly lean with the Longhorns defense against the Wolverine’s offense. While their defense is still one of the best in the country, the Michigan offense is far less explosive than last year, and I think it catches up with them in this matchup.
Texas Longhorns vs Michigan Wolverines Best Bets
Can Ewers lead Texas to victory against Michigan?
Texas vs Michigan Prediction: Texas Wins, Under 42.5
Best Bets: Quinn Ewers Over 1.5 Passing TDs (-115) BetOnline
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While I do lean with the under slightly, I think the Longhorns best shot is moving the ball through the air. Against this Michigan defense, I see Texas avoiding the front 7 and trying to expose the secondary. In their last game, Junior Jayden Blue ran for 57 yards on 11 carries while Freshman Jerrick Gibson led the team with 67 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown. The Longhorns will need to change the game plan against a Wolverines defense that allowed just 9 total rushing yards on Saturday.
Ewers threw 3 TDs last week, and he started off very hot last season as well. He threw for 2+ TDs in hist first 3 games last year without throwing an interception against Week 5, which included a win at Tuscaloosa against #3 Alabama. He’s had 8 total TDs in his last 3 starts, clearing this number in 2 of those 3 games. Texas did not seem to have any trouble scoring late last season or last week, but of course the Michigan defense is a different animal.
I trust Sarkisian to turn to his QB’s arm in order to move the ball and find the end zone. Even when they get close to the goal line, they tend to turn to Ewers, who had touchdown passes of 1 yard, 7 yards, and 11 yards last week. For very reasonable juice, I see the Longhorns scoring thanks to Ewers arm, and I’m sure one of them will find Isaiah Bond (+170 ATD), who led the team in targets last week. I’m excited for a nitty gritty game won on the defensive side of the ball, but I still trust Texas to find a way to score, daring Michigan to try and keep up.
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