The No. 11 USC Trojans and No. 18 Michigan Wolverines are among the bluest of blue-blood programs in college football, but the teams appear to be headed in opposite directions.
Under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore, the Wolverines (2-1) were upset by the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns and struggled to beat Group of Five opponents Fresno State and Arkansas State.
Meanwhile, Big Ten newcomer USC (2-0) earned a signature win over No. 16 LSU and a blowout triumph over Utah State.
On Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the longtime powerhouses will renew a rivalry that has an illustrious history at the Rose Bowl.
On campus, the current Michigan football team is known as team 145the 145th team to suit up in Ann Arbor. Team 144 won the national championship, finishing 15-0 and defeating powerhouses Ohio State, Alabama and Washington.
But Team 145 pales in comparison to its immediate predecessor, causing unease among Wolverines fans.
Wolverines Wire editor Isaiah Hole of USA Today Network has He criticized the technical team for stubbornly adhering to “the scheme”[s] instead of taking what players do best and making that the focal point.”
Hole noted that running back Donovan Edwards is “a big receiving threat” but is rarely lined up outside, and second-year wide receiver Semaj Morgan’s explosive talent has gone untapped. Through three games, he has just nine receptions for 56 yards and one touchdown.
In the Arkansas State game, quarterback Davis Warren threw three interceptions, which landed him on the bench.[P]”He put the ball in danger too many times,” Moore told reporters of the senior.
Redshirt sophomore Alex Orji will replace Warren against the Trojans.
