Three Things to know from Sark: Michigan QBs, comparisons to Tuscaloosa, Playoff implications

Steve Sarkisian held his regular Monday press conference earlier today despite the federal holiday. Here are three important things to know from the 30-minute event.

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The Michigan quarterback rotation’s effect on Texas

One of the biggest offseason storylines for the Michigan Wolverines, among many, was who would succeed JJ McCarthy as the starting quarterback under Sherrone Moore. The competition boiled down to a battle between Davis Warren and Alex Orji.

Warren, a senior who overcame a high school cancer diagnosis, earned the starting nod and the majority of the snaps under center. Warren was on the field for 53 total snaps and was a mediocre 15-for-25 for 118 yards and a touchdown with one interception.

Orji still played, taking the field for nine total snaps. He was 1-for-2 with a touchdown pass and also rushed five times for 32 yards.

Warren may be the player Texas sees most under center on Saturday, but the Wolverines likely didn’t play their full hand against Fresno State in order to keep some powder dry for the Texas Longhorns. That may have meant limiting the amount of times they asked Orji to throw the ball. While not a strength, it’s something Sarkisian understands they have to prepare for if the native Texan enters the game.

Sarkisian compared Orji to Jalen Milroe, at least stylistically, when talking about how they may prepare for Orji’s snaps.

“This guy is a problem because you have to treat him like a runner,” Sarkisian said. “He’s got size. He’s got speed. He can change the math on you quickly when you start adding in the quarterback runs. Yet the arm talent is there to where he can affect you especially down the field.”

It’ll be part of a difficult process. No matter who’s under center, a top-10 team in the country boasts a strong offense. The Wolverines will have the support of over 100,000 people. Texas will have to make sure it plays play a complete defensive game like it did against Colorado State.

“That’s something in this game for us that’s going to be critical,” Sarkisian said. “Clearly, we’ve got to be great at stopping the run. We’ve got to be better at stopping the run than we were a week a go, but we surely don’t want to do that at the expense of giving up explosive plays in the pass game.”

Similarities to Tuscaloosa?

The Longhorns are bringing to Michigan a lot of players who were in Bryant-Denny Stadium last year when they topped the Alabama Crimson Tide.

“I think it’s 46 guys that are going to be traveling this week with us that were in Tuscaloosa a year ago,” Sarkisian said. “About half the guys that will be on the trip were in Tuscaloosa a year ago.”

That’s a considerable amount of experience for a team that’s trying to make headway in the Southeastern Conference and advance farther in the College Football Playoff than it did last season. But the Big House is still the Big House. It’s possible almost 115,000 pack Michigan Stadium.

No matter what, that’s a challenge. But what did it take to win in Tuscaloosa and what will it take to win in Ann Arbor?

“One, you have to have great poise and composure when you’re on the road in these types of environments,” Sarkisian said. “This is a game of emotion, there’s no question. But we need to make sure that we don’t get emotional in the arena.”

Next?

“Two is playing with a real sense of confidence and belief in who we are, in our style of play,” Sarkisian said. “We know this is a heck of a challenge. We know this will be a four quarter game, but staying the course especially when adversity strikes because it will strike.”

Sarkisian referenced that his team was down 16-13 entering the fourth quarter at Alabama before Adonai Mitchell and Jonathon Brooks accounted for three touchdowns. They silenced the crowd multiple times and ended up celebrating at the end in a quiet Bryant-Denny Stadium.

They fought against 100,000 in 2023, and plan to do so again in week two in 2024.

“There’s going to be over 100,000 people that want us to play bad, and we’re going to be about 100 of us that want us to play good,” Sarkisian said. “We need to lean into that 100 and make sure that we’re as strong as we can be.”

The difference in implications with a 12-team playoff

Because the Playoff has expanded and the SEC is likely a multi-bid league with a 12-team field, there’s significantly more margin for error for elite teams.

That doesn’t mean the sting of a loss or the thrill of a victory will be any lesser on Saturday, but it does mean that a loss does not signify the end of championship hopes.

“If you win this game, it’s great,” Sarkisian said. “If you don’t it isn’t going to kill you. One thing I touched on, to reference the game against Alabama a year ago, that this game isn’t going to define our season. If we win the game, that doesn’t automatically declare that we’re going to be this great team. If we don’t win the game, that doesn’t mean the season was a failure.

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“There’s a lot of football left to be played, but what I think Saturday will do for us is serve as a bit of a barometer of where we’re at as a football team this fall. We’re going to get challenged in all three phases. Then, what do we need to work on and where do we need to keep growing in getting ourselves prepared for the Southeastern Conference. Ideally, it can serve as a springboard for the rest of the season, but we’ll find out Saturday around 3:30 or 4 o’clock.”