Michigan's ability to 'keep eye on the ball' is biggest question in 2023

On3 imageby:Sam Gillenwater05/29/23

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Michigan is on as good of a run as almost any team over the last two years in college football. However, to keep things rolling up in Ann Arbor, On3’s JD PicKell says the Wolverine’s next challenge will be one that comes from inside their own building.

PicKell addressed some big questions across the Big Ten in a recent episode of ‘The Hard Count’. When it came to Michigan, he asked whether or not the Wolverines could keep their eyes on the ball. With how they’ve played the last pair of seasons, he says one of the only things standing in their way could be a lack of focus on the objective.

“My question for them is is the eye staying on the ball? You watched your team last year lose to TCU. And you felt like TCU got the win in that game. But then you look at the box score, you look at how Michigan played and it feels like Michigan beat Michigan,” PicKell said. “It feels like, in Ann Arbor, Michigan is the only team that’s going to be capable of beating Michigan.”

“You look at the last two years and it’s hard to make an argument against that. Michigan has had their way,” continued PicKell. “You’re looking at how they’ve played the last couple of years. The pieces are back, the head coach is back. There’s so much back at Michigan to where you ask why can’t they do it this year? That’s the thought right now in Ann Arbor.”

Michigan has posted a combined 25-3 record in 2021 and 2022. In that time, they’ve beaten Ohio State twice, won two Big Ten Championships, and made a pair of appearances in the College Football Playoff.

Considering how things were going at one point for Jim Harbaugh, that’s a level of success that more than a few who are faithful to the maize and blue can very easily be proud of. Still, in order to achieve the ultimate goal of a national title, PicKell says Michigan needs to not get ahead of itself and now focus on the task at hand in 2023.

“They way they do that? The way they win the Big Ten to start with? Keeping their eye on the ball. Because success, at times, can be taken for granted. And I don’t think that’s what’s going to happen at Michigan. But that is, without a doubt, the price of admission for them to get where they want to go,” said PicKell. “The culture has to stay the same, the hunger has to stay the same. And you still have to play it one game at a time, which is cliché. It’s coach speak. But, I’m telling you, it’s 100% the truth.”

Michigan has all the potential and capability in the world to get where they want to go,” PicKell said. “It starts internally, though, by taking care of their business.”

There’s your blueprint, Michigan. PicKell laid it out plain for you. Keep the main thing as the main thing this fall and, by the end of the season, you could find yourselves in a third straight CFP with, potentially, your best chance yet to win it.