The Michigan football team opened its sixth season under coach Jim Harbaugh on Friday with preseason camp less than four weeks before the scheduled season …
The Michigan football team opened its sixth season under coach Jim Harbaugh on Friday with preseason camp less than four weeks before the scheduled season opener. With Harbaugh as coach, Michigan fans have learned to expect four things every year: Death, taxes, a quarterback competition in August and a loss to Ohio State in November. Of course,this year’s revised Big Ten-only schedule means U-M and OSU will meet in October instead — adjust your expectations accordingly — but the August QB battle continues unabated, at least for now. [ MAC football decision puts Big Ten on the clock. What is it waiting for?] This year, Harbaugh’s choices boil down to senior Dylan McCaffrey or junior Joe Milton, with sophomore Cade McNamara as a dark horse candidate. Although we’re unlikely to get any official notice before the Wolverines host Purdue on Sept.5, we can take a look back at the past five seasons under Harbaugh to see how those QB battles have worked out. The snap: Consider this the example that proves the rule – Shea Patterson, a senior, entered the season as the undisputed starter after passing for 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions and finishing No.2 in passer rating in the Big Ten in his first year after transferring from Ole Miss. [ As Big Ten stars opt out, U-M OL Jalen Mayfield plans to play] Then again… at Big Ten media days in July, Harbaugh acknowledged that he might give some of Patterson’s starting snaps to McCaffrey, his backup. “Yeah, I do (see games where they’ll both play). Where it stands right now, and that could change later or not, is I see them both playing,“ Harbaugh said. „Where it stands right now, I see it as maybe redefining what a starter is.” Still, new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis was more forthright on his plans for the starting QB: “Shea has set the bar up so high that it brings everybody up in that room,“ Gattis said. „His understanding of what I want to accomplish within the offense and what we want to accomplish, he’s got a great feel, a great presence.“ The result: McCaffrey did indeed see time in the opener against Middle Tennessee State — but not as the starter. Instead, most of his snaps came as the Wolverines ran a two-QB set that resulted in McCaffrey’s first catch since high school and a rushing TD for the then-junior. That was about it for the two-QB set, however; Patterson attempted 381 passes (completing 214 for 3,061 yards,23 touchdowns and eight interceptions) on the season, while McCaffrey attempted 20. The snap: Patterson’s arrival from Ole Miss — and eventual instant eligibility — meant he was the starter, right? Not so fast. Harbaugh was non-committal at media days, noting: „When somebody really proves they’re the guy, when we all can see it, that can happen sooner. That can happen later. It’d be good if it happens sooner.“ [ Meet the U-M DB spearheading historic Big Ten Unity Proposal] Patterson had started 10 games over two seasons at Mississippi, but was still competing in fall camp with Brandon Peters, who would have finished the 2018 season as starter but for injuries, McCaffrey and Milton.
