Why Michigan’s QB change works in favor of USC’s defense

On Monday, No. 18 Michigan announced Alex Orji will start at quarterback against No. 11 USC instead of Davis Warren, who started in the Wolverines’ first three games of the season. Although the Wolverines are making the change with hopes to improve, WeAreSC’s Scott Schrader believes the change actually benefits the Trojans.

“Anytime you’re making a quarterback change at this time of the season — without there being an injury, and I’m not aware of an injury — I guess there were three interceptions last week, and so there’s a lot going on there that kind of facilitated this change,” Schrader said.

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“If USC goes out and plays like they’re supposed to play — you can say that about every team, right — But, as far as having the upper hand, I would expect the secondary of USC is one of the strengths of that defense. So, it’s going to be a matter of the defensive line helping them out a little bit and getting to the quarterback, which USC really hasn’t done.”

USC’s secondary wasn’t exactly lockdown in its Week 1 win over LSU. In the win, the Trojans’ defense allowed Tigers QB Garrett Nussmeier to complete 30-of-his-39 pass attempts for 309 yards and two touchdowns while only throwing one interception.

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USC’s secondary showed significant improvement in the Trojans’ Week 2 win over Utah State, holding Aggies QB Bryson Barnes to 103 passing yards and no touchdowns. They also forced Barnes to throw an interception.

As Schrader mentioned, USC’s defense didn’t cause too much chaos in the backfield in either game, recording zero sacks against USC and three against Utah State. Nonetheless, Orji isn’t known for his passing game.

In the 2024 campaign, Orji has only completed three passes for 15 yards. In comparison, he has notched 11 carries for 58 yards. While USC’s secondary must be stout no matter the opponent, it may not be under immediate threat with Orji under center for the Wolverines.

Schrader believes USC must bring its A-game despite any assumptions.

“There’s a lot of unknowns also when you’re facing a guy that’s going to be playing his first game,” Schrader said. “But you know, not an ideal situation for Michigan, to say the least.”

On Saturday, Alex Orji and Michigan will look to prove Schrader wrong. The Wolverines and USC will go head-to-head at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will air live on CBS.