Michigan is using the bye week to hit the reset button after a rough stretch, and the Wolverines know the margin for error is basically gone.
At 3-2, Michigan is not sitting where it wants to be in the rankings or in the College Football Playoff picture. Two straight losses have made the path ahead much tougher, but this week gives the program a chance to step back, sort through the issues and try to get things pointed in the right direction.
The offense is the side that needs the biggest fix. The defense, as the reporting suggests, does not need nearly as much of a reset. Offensive lineman Blake Frazier said the unit met this week and let everything out in the open, with both players and coaches addressing the problems head-on.
"We had an offensive meeting today, just kind of airing everything out, and nothing off the table," Frazier said."I think it kind of cleared up some things for players and coaches, and I think it's putting us on the right track."
Michigan also put out a message about the bye week being a chance to reset while still leaning on the adversity as a way to improve.
The timing matters because the rest of the schedule is loaded. Michigan has already picked up three wins, including one over Oklahoma, a power conference opponent. But the two losses have hurt, one coming against ranked Iowa and the other against unranked Minnesota.
Now comes the hard part. Michigan gets Penn State coming out of the bye, then still has Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State waiting down the line. Those are the kinds of games that can decide everything.
If Michigan wants even a slim shot at the College Football Playoff, it probably has to run the table from here. That would mean beating Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State, along with the rest of its opponents, and that is no small ask.
Indiana has not been tested much this season, but the Hoosiers are still the reigning champs and have a roster loaded with talent under Curt Cignetti, one of the best coaches in college football. Oregon, meanwhile, started a little shaky, but its win over USC changed the tone around the Ducks, and by November they could be back to looking like themselves under Dan Lanning.
And then there is The Game, which always brings plenty of heat no matter the records. By then, Michigan will know exactly where it stands in the CFP race. But for now, the message is simple: if the Wolverines want any chance at a title run, the rest of the season has to be close to perfect.
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