During the offseason if anyone even hinted that there would be a legitimate chance that Michigan may not qualify for a bowl game, the response would have likely resulted in laughter. But here we are in early November, and it may very well come down to a game against Northwestern to determine the Wolverines’ bowl fate in 2024.
Michigan’s struggles this season, mostly on offense, have already been well documented. The result is a 5-4 record with three conference games remaining. One victory is needed to secure a bowl, but in reality, it will likely come down to the game against the Wildcats at home on November 23rd. Before the game against Northwestern, Michigan plays at #8 Indiana this Saturday and then finishes the regular season at rival #3 Ohio State.
Yes, Michigan has three games remaining, but the Wolverines have shown nothing this season to make anyone believe that they have a legitimate chance of defeating Indiana or Ohio State, especially on the road. The offense last scored 30 points in their season opener against Fresno State and is averaging 19.8 points per game in six Big Ten games. And that average goes down to 16.3 points in their last four conference games.
Unless something completely unexpected and miraculous happens, the Michigan offense will not be able to score enough points to keep up with the offenses of Indiana and Ohio State. The defense has performed admirably for most of the season, but too much has been placed on their shoulders to make this a successful season in Ann Arbor.
One does have to wonder about the mental state of the players. Less than a year after winning the National Championship and being accustomed to playing in the Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, the Wolverines need to defeat Northwestern to play in the Music City Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl or Rate Bowl. Will the level of desire be the same for the players?
This may get even more difficult to measure if the Wolverines get stomped at Indiana on Saturday. You can be sure that the Hoosiers would love nothing more than to add another “big name” victory on their resume, no matter how down Michigan is this season. And because they are down, Indiana would need to win impressively to really make a statement.
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The Duke’s Mayo Bowl isn’t the Rose Bowl and it is not in the same realm as the National Championship, but it would still be important for the program. Qualifying for a bowl game gives every team a few extra weeks of practice, which means more important time on the practice field for the younger players. These younger players in Ann Arbor are vital for the 2025 and 2026 seasons and would also help the coaching staff better evaluate their needs in the upcoming transfer portal window.
Aside from the additional practice time, more young players would also likely receive valuable playing time in the bowl game. As is expected nowadays, players projected to be high-round draft picks in the spring often opt out of bowl games that aren’t considered elite. Because of that, I wouldn’t expect Mason Graham, Will Johnson, Colston Loveland and Kenneth Grant to be suiting up for the Wolverines in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. But that isn’t a bad thing, as the development of the younger players will be more important for the program than seeing these established players on the field one more time.
This is far from where Michigan fans thought the Wolverines would be. However, the team still has plenty to play for in the coming weeks and most notably against Northwestern. Now it is up to the team to figure out how much it means to them to win one more game.
