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Rapid Reaction: Blowout win over Rutgers gets Michigan one step closer to B1G title
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Next week is irrelevant.
OK, not exactly. Obviously, if Michigan wants to remain in the race for a bid in the College Football Playoff, it’ll have to beat Indiana in Ann Arbor next weekend. But the Wolverines’ 42-7 win over Rutgers on Saturday guaranteed that they’ll be playing for a B1G title against Ohio State in the season finale.
There was never much question about the outcome in Piscataway. Michigan entered the game as a 40-point favorite and made light work of the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers put up a bit of a fight early in the contest, as the two teams entered the second quarter knotted at 7-7, but it was a beatdown for the final three periods.
Shea Patterson was spectacular, completing 18-of-27 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns. He’s now got 17 touchdown passes to just three interceptions on the season. And Karan Higdon eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, becoming the first Wolverines to hit the milestone since Denard Robinson in 2012.
Higdon finished the day with 42 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
If you want to nitpick Michigan’s performance on Saturday, it’s that it wasn’t nearly as dominant as it was in 2016, when the Wolverines slaughtered Rutgers in a 78-0 decision. A five-touchdown victory is still pretty impressive, though.
After major wins over Wisconsin, Michigan State and Penn State, the Wolverines don’t really need any style points. They just can’t slip up.
With Indiana the only opponent left until the showdown in Columbus, it’s unlikely that Michigan will drop another game. They’ll enter the season finale with a 10-1 record, 8-0 in B1G play and a chance to win its first B1G title of the Jim Harbaugh era.
Games aren’t played on paper. We can’t award Michigan a win until the game actually ends against the Hoosiers next week. But considering how well the Wolverines have played, there seems to be just one goal: stay healthy.
Michigan stayed healthy in the win over Rutgers. And it’s now one step closer to claiming a B1G title.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB