ANN ARBOR, Mich. – It took 60 minutes and Michigan gave it everything it had to get an important win against the USC Trojans. The Wolverines left the Big House with a 27-24 victory. Running back Kalel Mullings led the Michigan offense, carrying the ball 17 times for 159 yards and scoring two points. His final point sealed the win for the Wolverines. Mullings ran 63 yards to get Michigan into the red zone, and then the team battled back until Mullings scored from one yard out with 37 seconds left.

Michigan’s defense was outstanding in the first half and honestly the front four was great the entire game. There were lapses in the secondary in the second half but the Wolverines ultimately made the plays they needed against a very good USC offense. You’ll never be able to stop a Lincoln Riley offense but slowing them down is key and that’s what the Wolverines did. Miller Moss was hot in the second half when he threw three touchdowns but Will Johnson also intercepted him and ran back for a touchdown.

After Michigan’s decisive victory, here’s what some of the national media are saying about Michigan.

Auerbach says Michigan seems content to win without throwing the football.

“I don’t think that’s a good strategy if you want to win big college football games on a regular basis. But Michigan is comfortable with that with its personnel, and there aren’t many other options for this team right now. Quarterback Alex Orji, making his first career start, completed 7 of 12 passes for a total of 32 yards in the Wolverines’ wild home win over USC. Michigan’s 32 passing yards today were the fewest in a game since Oct. 31, 1987. And Sherrone Moore was comfortable with that! He said he loves winning that way — a sentiment I truly believe. And Michigan could win most games with a reliable running game (led by Kalel Mullings, who is clearly the best running back) and a stingy defense. But I don’t think the Wolverines will sniff even a whiff of a Big Ten championship game or the College Football Playoff without some semblance of a passing attack.”

Dinich has Michigan ranked 12th in her CFP rankings – but a 12th-place finish would eliminate the Wolverines from the playoffs, as the highest team in the Group of Five must be admitted.

“The Wolverines are the only team in the Top 12 with just one loss. That’s because they beat a higher-ranked USC team and have shown significant improvement on both offensive lines since the home loss to Texas. The win gives Michigan’s playoff record a boost, but it also helps the Wolverines in the Big Ten standings since USC is now a conference opponent. The selection committee isn’t looking to the future, but it knows that a playoff team has to be able to pass the ball to compete for a national title. Although the one-dimensional offense worked against the Trojans, some committee members will want to see more of the passing game at some point.”

“But in an era when change happens rapidly, 40 seconds is an eternity, and for Michigan, it was long enough to turn back the clock for at least a weekend – back to 2023, when the Wolverines dominated, or maybe back to 1900, before the forward pass was allowed and USC couldn’t play a Midwest team unless you had been on the road for a week.

“Kalel Mullings capped a 10-play, 89-yard run with a 1-yard touchdown on fourth down to lead the Wolverines to a 27-24 victory over USC in a game in which Michigan threw for just 32 yards. Instead, Michigan relied on the power running game, repeatedly running between the tackles and racking up 290 yards on the ground, 159 of them by Mullings. The only things missing were leather helmets and worries about an impending war with the Prussian Empire.”

“The actual action on the field was anything but new and modern. This was a Big Ten matchup like it was in the 1970s. Michigan, unable to complete a forward pass this season, kept running the ball. USC’s defense, which has improved light years under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn, played admirably for most of the day, but the Wolverines managed a few big runs, most notably Kalel Mullings’ 63-yard run that set up the game-winning touchdown with 37 seconds left. USC quarterback Miller Moss, who was able to throw three touchdowns despite constant strain, never got within field goal range.

“Trojans fans should still feel encouraged. They now have a stout defense that had eight tackles for loss on Saturday and made numerous tackles in the open field. Their two most important games in the home stretch, Penn State and Notre Dame, are home games. Michigan, meanwhile, salvaged a season that threatened to be disastrous had the Wolverines lost twice in September.”

“The Wolverines were pushed down the rankings after their home loss to No. 1 Texas in Week 2, but Michigan proved it’s still a force to be reckoned with. Playing No. 11 USC in its first-ever Big Ten conference game, Michigan showed the Trojans what it means to play in this conference. The Wolverines converted a fourth-down and goal from the 1-yard line with less than a minute left to completely change their place in the Big Ten pecking order and catapult themselves back onto the national stage. Quarterback Alex Orji didn’t do much, throwing for just 32 yards, but the few mistakes and the threat of a quarterback run opened the door to the feast for Kalel Mullings. The Wolverines have a game plan against the middle of the Big Ten and should be taken seriously as a top-15 team. It turns out Texas going to Ann Arbor and beating Michigan said more about Texas than about the Wolverines.”

Patterson moved Michigan up to 11th place in the CFP rankings.

“After Saturday’s win over USC, Michigan’s votes are expected to be very different. The Wolverines were as high as No. 13 last week as a 2-1 team with Fresno State’s best win, but were left off the ballot entirely by five voters and landed at No. 20 or lower by 19 voters. Those lower opinions will change after the Trojans suffered their first loss of the season, and voters who voted higher for Michigan before the game will likely put the Wolverines in the top 10.”

– For more coverage of the Michigan Wolverines, visit Michigan Wolverines On SI –

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