Shea Patterson has lived up to the hype. Remove the sluggish performance in the season opener against Notre Dame and the quarterback has been everything Michigan expected him to be under center.

The result? Patterson is the leader of a team that sits 9-1 on the year with a perfect 7-0 mark in B1G play. In two weeks, the Wolverines will be vying for a conference title and, over the next three weeks, a shot to contend for a national championship.

While Michigan’s defense has been at the center of it, Patterson’s contributions can’t be ignored.

Patterson has been so good this fall that he’s earned an unbelievable amount of trust from his head coach Jim Harbaugh. There’s rarely been a concern about the quarterback’s attitude, mindset or performance.

“I have a lot of trust in him,” Harbaugh said on the Jamie and Stoney Show on 97.1 The Ticket. “I’m not going ‘Oh my God, what’s he doing out there?’ Ever. I don’t ever have that feeling. Everybody trusts him. He’s playing the game. There’s no handcuffs on him.”

Patterson has certainly played freely this season.

He hasn’t posted the big-time numbers like Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, but Patterson has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in college football this season. He’s thrown for 1,927 yards and 17 touchdowns  while completing 67 percent of his passes. He’s tossed just three interceptions.

On the ground, Patterson has added 187 yards and two scores.

It’s not just the numbers that are getting Harbaugh’s attention, either. Patterson’s decision-making, ability to stretch the field and extend plays with his feet have all been on display this year.

“He’s pushing it downfield,” Harbaugh said. “The plays he made out of the pocket this entire year and accurate from there…he’s completing darn near 70 percent of his passes. What do you want him to do?”

Patterson still has a major tests remaining on the schedule. The Wolverines travel to Columbus on Nov. 24, trying to notch their first victory over the Buckeyes since 2011. Win that game, and he’ll undoubtedly become a Michigan legend.

So far, though, there’s not much else Patterson could’ve done. He’s been the perfect quarterback for Harbaugh and the offensive system.

And he’s got the Wolverines in the mix for a B1G title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.