Michigan sophomore quarterback JJ McCarthy has already won over the Wolverines’ coaching staff and fan base. He is the QB that Jim Harbaugh will rely upon for the next 2 seasons. He is the one who can shatter the mold by becoming a true superstar, something that past Harbaugh-era QBs were never able to accomplish.

Some were close, but none of them had the limelight like McCarthy, who is the second QB to start 9-0 under Harbaugh since Wilton Speight in 2016. This weekend, he’ll likely get his 10th straight win as a starter and help UM move to 11-0 for the first time since 2006.

Not to overlook Saturday’s matchup with Illinois — that’s an important game.

But all eyes, at least when it comes to UM observers, are set squarely on the following weekend.

On the final Saturday of November, McCarthy has the chance to become a legend in Ann Arbor.

A win over now-No. 2-ranked Ohio State would be a monumental accomplishment for the now-No. 3-ranked Wolverines. A victory would stitch up back-to-back outright Big Ten titles for the first time in 30 years, a full decade before the young core of UM football were even born.

Yes, McCarthy — to borrow from Gus Johnson — has a chance to become “JJ The Great” during the season finale.

But he’s going to have to outduel Buckeyes’ star CJ Stroud, who is arguably the best QB in the nation and a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. OSU also has one of the top defenses in the country, upping the ante for the B1G title-chasing Wolverines.

Beating the Buckeyes on the first attempt would put McCarthy in an exclusive club of Michigan QBs, and a win would also be UM’s first back-to-back vs. Ohio State since 1999-2000. There is a lot on the line Nov. 26, both for UM as a program and McCarthy as a leader and figurehead of the football team.

Beginnings

Back in 2020, McCarthy sat down for a Zoom interview with me. At that time, it was clear that he was mature beyond that of a typical high school senior. During the time of the interview, there were rumors surrounding the status of Harbaugh, who was going back-and-forth with NFL interest, and McCarthy handled the line of questioning rather well.

He was committed to the University of Michigan. Sure, he respected Harbaugh and wanted to play for the famous head coach, but it was the program that earned his commitment.

McCarthy, simply put, wanted a shot at greatness and was willing to wait his turn.

The pressure was great, and so were the expectations. Fans expected immediate results and overnight stardom.

“It kind of showed how big and passionate the fan base was. Right away, when I first committed, my social media just blew up from it – and I was like ‘wow.’ It was more of a reassurance thing for me, because I want to walk into a program where it’s going to be a die-hard, passionate fan base,” McCarthy said back in 2020.

“Who wouldn’t want to walk into that situation? Any person who’s striving to be and striving to do great things is going to have that (pressure) come with them – it’s inevitable. So I took that upon me at such an early age and I accepted it. I mean, this is what I wished for. You have to be able to control and have … steady focus on what the main objective is, and that’s winning games for the University of Michigan and just going in there and doing whatever I can.”

A 5-star recruit in the 2021 signing class, McCarthy could have entered his collegiate career with an attitude of cockiness and entitlement — but he was exactly the opposite, coming off as humble and grateful. He started from the bottom of the depth chart and now he is QB1 in Ann Arbor, leading the charge for a national-title contender.

Numbers to consider

As of now, McCarthy’s passing numbers are average. Nothing really stands out as exceptional, at least at first glance. He’s No. 87 in passing yards (1,744) and No. 58 in passing TDs (14, tied with several). But also take the following into account: He’s No. 18 in passer rating (157.6) and, at one point, led the nation in completion percentage.

Entering Saturday vs. Illinois, McCarthy has completed 69 percent of his passes, good for No. 9 in the nation.

Yeah, it will be a showdown between two hugely efficient QBs in Columbus.

Stroud leads the nation with a 188.16 passer rating and has thrown the most touchdown passes (34). On top of that, he also has 2,750 passing yards, putting him at No. 18 overall.

This game, much like the 42-39 Ohio State win in 2006, could end up going down as one of the best of the rivalry series. Another No. 1 vs. No. 2? We’ll just have to wait and see what happens during the rest of the season. The Buckeyes will likely match Michigan’s 11-0 record by dumping Maryland this weekend in College Park.

Collision course?! Most definitely. And JJ will be at the helm of an offense that’s scoring 41.4 points per game, the fifth-most in the nation. Stroud will lead an offense that’s averaged 46.8 points per game, second-best in the country.

Nov. 26 could very well be a back-and-forth, high-scoring kind of day just like the 2006 version of The Game. This installment will feature two of the most potent, playmaking QBs ever witnessed in this series.

Path to legendary status

Beating Ohio State, and then winning the Big Ten championship, would tie McCarthy with Brian Griese as the only Wolverines QB to win 12 consecutive starts within a season — which just so happened to be Michigan’s 1997 co-national championship season.

Anything beyond a win over Ohio State and B1G Championship Game victory would have to throw McCarthy into the 2023 Heisman Trophy conversation. Why wouldn’t it? Having 11 or more wins as a first-year starter should mean something, with potential wins against Ohio State on Nov. 26 and whoever decides they want to win the B1G West in December in Indianapolis.

Hypothetical, sure. But also possible.

At this point, it’s difficult not to speculate on McCarthy’s future. Lots of real analysis, right? Not the crazy expectations of fans.

But it’s kind of funny, because some of those crazy expectations might just end up coming true within the next couple of years.