Written by Connor Zahler:
If you’re like me, you’re still riding high from the joy of absolutely annihilating Ohio State within their own stadium (which is, notably, not the largest in the Western Hemisphere). Alas, periods of celebration can only go on for so long, and work must resume eventually. Statistics never sleeps, so the saying goes. To compromise between revelry and analysis, I thought it would be appropriate to break down our football team’s regular season by the numbers.
12:
The Wolverines finished with twelve wins. For those less acquainted with a college football season, that’s undefeated. Some of these wins were blowouts against hopelessly outmatched squads, like Ohio State. Many seemed like close matches until halftime; the Wolverines had a nasty habit of going gangbusters in the second half. Others were, in the end, decided by only one possession. Whatever the case, the Wolverines fought and grinded their way to an undefeated season, joining the likes of returning champs Georgia and surprise powerhouse Texas Christian University.
2:
Good things come in twos, or so it seems for the Wolverines. That number makes a number of appearances this season. We finished number two overall in the AP rankings. We beat Ohio State for not only the second year in a row, but for the second time by more than two touchdowns and by 22 points. Our season started with two quarterbacks. After the end of the regular season, we became B1G champs for the second year in a row.
Under the banner of the number two but deserving his own special shoutout is Blake Corum, who sports #2 on his Michigan jersey. Corum was the heart of the team, running a Heisman-caliber season and forming an essential part of the team’s rushing attack. With almost 1,500 receiving yards, 19 touchdowns, and 114 points, the team would not be the team without him. He also, one day after suffering a knee injury, found time to donate turkeys to families in need. What a guy.
40:
The Wolverines averaged almost 40 (39.83) points throughout their games. Compared to the paltry 12.67 their opponents turned in, it’s a massive number. That 40 points is the equivalent to five touchdowns and change. These numbers are bolstered by several blow-out wins early in the season against non-conference opponents, but they also beat that number against high-ranked opponents multiple times.
300:
Another big part of the football team’s success this season was kicker Jake Moody, who became only the fifth Michigan player in history to reach 300 points scored across their college football career. Moody made over 80% of his field goals and saved the day in several games, most notably with a virtuoso four field goals to pull it out against Illinois.
500,000:
Jim Harbaugh made himself $500,000 in an hour by beating Ohio State. Of course, the bonus is technically for winning the Big 10 East, but in practice that means beating the Buckeyes. Last year, Harbaugh topped coaches with an astounding $2,000,000 in bonuses, and he could gain even more this year. His bonuses last year went to UM Athletics employees who had to take pay cuts during the pandemic.
9:
The quarterback has been called one of toughest jobs in sports to fill. Few positions on any team get as much glory for wins or as much flack for losses. Although football is a team sport, a lot truly does ride on the strengths of the quarterback. JJ McCarthy rose to the challenge this season, putting together an impressive resume to become Michigan’s starting quarterback. Throughout the season he kept control of the game and kept the offense moving. His star might have dimmed with how much attention was focused on Blake Corum and other rushers, but he silenced any and all criticism in a Heisman-caliber performance against Ohio State, perhaps crushing the dreams of CJ Stroud in the process. #9 McCarthy, as much as Moody, Harbaugh, and Corum, deserves credit for wins this year.
As an additional aside, the championship game will be played January 9th. The formidable Horned Frogs might stop us, but we might see #9 on the 9th if all goes well.
Conclusion:
The Wolverines went on to dominate the B1G West champs, Perdue, in the divisional championship game. This New Year’s Eve, we’ll play Texas Christian University in a Fiesta Bowl showdown that will answer the age old question: is blue or purple the better color? As a good fan, you’ll be watching the game, and you’ll probably see some truly obscure and esoteric statlines. When you do, remember the lonely statisticians working in the data mine, working tirelessly to discover really weird factoids.