33 days until Michigan football: Wolverines and the time of possession battle
There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 2 opener against East Carolina. We’ll discuss current Michigan events, the upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
Michigan averaged 33:48 of possession per game last season, ranking fourth in the country. In total, the Wolverines had the ball for 106:17 in 14 games, the second-highest mark for a single season in program history behind 2018 (111:52; 13 contests). That’s well ahead of 2006 (92:36), 1988 (90:08), 2015 (90:08) and 1986 (79:08), which check in behind the 2022 campaign in the record book.
Michigan’s formula last season was simple and effective, leading to 13 wins, the most by the program in a single season, a Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff appearance. The Wolverines established the run and stuck to it, gradually built leads and didn’t give the opponent a chance to catch up by holding onto the ball and going on long scoring drives.
This was never more apparent than Michigan’s 41-17 win over Penn State. The Wolverines led by only two points, 16-14, at halftime, after the Nittany Lions cashed in with some big-play touchdowns, including a pick-six. But Michigan pounded them on the ground, totaling 418 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. That, plus stellar defense, allowed the Wolverines to possess the ball for 41:56 — the most in a single game in program history.
Michigan beat Penn State into submission and handed the Nittany Lions an identity crisis on the way out the door. PSU fans were left wondering how their team could recover. In reality, it did, with the team winning all but one of its remaining games, including the Rose Bowl. But Michigan was in a class above last season and proved it at The Big House.
It’s pretty clear at this point that winning that way is head coach Jim Harbaugh‘s preferred method. His teams are almost always one of the most physical outfits in the country, priding themselves on running the ball and stopping the run. Over the last two seasons especially, Michigan has out-lasted all but a few opponents, going 25-3 in that stretch. The Wolverines thrive in grind-it-out type of situations, and that probably gives Harbaugh an extra feeling of satisfaction.
Now, it’s important to note that winning the time of possession battle doesn’t necessarily mean everything, even though it has been said to be an indicator of how the game is going (much like the rushing yard battle, which can be deceiving). For example, Michigan ‘lost’ the time of possession battle in each of its last two victories over Ohio State, a 42-27 win in 2021 and 45-23 triumph in 2022.
But over the course of a season, Michigan would like to have the ball more than its opponents. It keeps the defense fresh (and means it’s getting off the field) and shows that the offense, which also wants big plays, can sustain drives on a consistent basis.
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
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