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Michigan Football: A Path To The Playoff Without Wilton Speight
With reports that Michigan football quarterback Wilton Speight is out for the season, the Wolverines’ run to the playoff will be with a backup quarterback.
Jim Harbaugh said at his Monday press conference that Michigan football quarterback Wilton Speight “could be” a game-time decision on Saturday against Indiana, but multiple reports since then are saying Speight has a broken collarbone and is out for the remainder of the season.
One thing Michigan probably won’t have to worry about too much is who takes his spot as the starting quarterback. That will most likely be John O’Korn, who’s playing his first eligible season at Michigan since transferring from Houston.
O’Korn has been the No. 2 quarterback in games this season, though he’s only been in for closing duties in blowouts. He’s appeared in seven games.
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As a 9-1 team, the Wolverines are still right in line with their goals of winning the Big Ten and going to the College Football Playoff. Since it’s very unlikely Michigan could not win the conference title and still go to the playoff, the question is begging to be asked: Is this a team that can finish in the top four without its starting quarterback?
Backup John O’Korn will presumably need to win three games to make it to the playoff. One of those games is fortunately against Indiana, which, despite taking strides forward this season, still doesn’t feature a defense that should hinder the Wolverines too much. Perhaps it’s a game that allows O’Korn to find his rhythm in the offense for 60 minutes.
After that is Ohio State. The Buckeyes have a tremendous defense that doesn’t favor the run or the pass. Simply put, O’Korn would need to play one of the best games of his life to beat Ohio State.
If Michigan can win that game, it’s most likely on to Wisconsin, a team the Wolverines already beat 14-7 earlier this season. The Badgers are as good as they come in the secondary, but the rush defense, though still very good, shows a little more vulnerability.
There’s no doubt that the Wolverines’ best chance in every game is going to be establishing a ground game and taking pressure off a quarterback who hasn’t thrown a meaningful pass since the 2014 season at Houston.
One advantage O’Korn has over Speight is his mobility. He’s not a dual-threat quarterback who’s going to come close to what someone like Lamar Jackson has been able to do at Louisville, but his presence likely does give Michigan a few more options in the run game.
If you’re looking for a good sign to come out of this, perhaps it’s this: The last time O’Korn was on the field in a significant capacity was 2014, the same season Ohio State went to its preseason third-string quarterback to win a national championship.
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