On Sept. 7, only two weeks into the 2024 football season, the Longhorns will be traveling deep into enemy territory to take on their most difficult out-of-conference opponent this season: the Michigan Wolverines, the defending national champions.
Texas is coming off its best seasonal performance in the CFP era, finding themselves only one win away from a national championship appearance. Though this win did not come due to a variety of factors, one of which being Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.’s uncanny ability to not miss a throw that night and a couple of self-inflicted wounds by the Longhorns, it was a demonstration of Texas’ potential for the upcoming football season.
After their 2023 campaign, Texas lost some of the team’s most impactful players to the NFL draft. Amongst these impact players were defensive juggernauts, defensive tackles T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. The Longhorns also lost critical playmakers on the offensive side of the ball in wide receivers Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders and running back Jonathan Brooks.
Michigan is also suffering from losses. Having had the most players drafted into the NFL this past year, the Wolverines have a lot of holes to fill on both sides of the ball. Michigan not only faces player changes on the field but also on the sideline. Perhaps the biggest loss for Michigan this offseason was head coach Jim Harbaugh, who left after his first national championship victory. After Harbaugh moved on from Michigan to join the LA Chargers, so did most of the coaching staff, leaving newly appointed head coach Sherrone Moore to pick up the pieces and reassemble a stellar sideline.
Who sits under center for the Wolverines is still up in the air, with sophomore quarterback Alex Orji seemingly the front-runner. Orji is described as the most athletic quarterback currently on the roster at 6-foot-3 and 236 lbs., but he has a deep depth chart of competition if he wants to be J.J. McCarthy’s successor this season. If he does get the nod from Moore, the Longhorns will have to face a quarterback whose only experience on the field thus far has been as a rusher with limited snap counts, 21 rush attempts and only one pass attempt. Though they have lost some of their starters on the offensive line, Orji could prove to be a challenge to a Texas defense that can no longer rely on Sweat and Murphy’s power to contain a quarterback.
Texas benefits from a steady hand under center in junior quarterback Quinn Ewers, whose experience could prove his greatest asset this season. As Ewers deals with a revamped offense and high expectations due to last season’s success, a win against Michigan early in the year could help define the rest of the season for the Longhorns. Ewers will look to rely on sophomore running back CJ Baxter and junior running back Jaydon Blue for help in the backfield. Blue and Baxter took on bigger roles with the team last season after star running back Brooks tore his ACL.
Texas will be traveling to Michigan in early September, making the home field Michigan’s greatest advantage. The Wolverines have an active home winning streak of 22 games, and “The Big House” can be a harsh environment for visiting teams. Texas will look to take advantage of a Michigan roster that has been upended and a quarterback who lacks experience in the starting role, whoever it may be, come game time.
