What to watch for: Illinois

After the bye week, things are looking relatively bleak for the No. 24 Michigan football team. With two losses in just six games, the Wolverines face an uphill battle for success in both the Big Ten and nationally in the second half of the season.

This tough battle begins with a road trip to No. 22 Illinois, where there will likely be another dogfight for Michigan. The Fighting Illini struggled last week against 1-5 Purdue, but are still a ranked conference opponent playing at their home stadium. Beating Illinois on the road would be a first step for the Wolverines to show they can compete with future opponents like No. 16 Indiana, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 2 Oregon.

But instead of looking forward, Michigan is focused, as always, on “getting to 1-0 this week.” Here are a few key storylines to watch out for to find out who comes out on top on Saturday:

Did the bye week help Michigan recover?

During the Wolverines’ highly successful three-season stretch from 2021 to 2023, they topped the release week. Michigan won every game after the break week by an average margin of 25.3 points, proving it was rested and taking advantage.

This season, the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for the Wolverines. They had just flown back from the West Coast overnight after a demoralizing loss to Washington, so the extra rest was especially helpful, according to Michigan coach Sherrone Moore.

“The visit there had no impact whatsoever,” Moore said Monday. “But of course when we got back, we got back at about 5:30 in the morning, so the bye week was much needed.”

In addition to the jet lag afterward, the Wolverines also dealt with a long list of injuries during the game against the Huskies. In their pre-game injury report, 12 players were out and a further three were listed as questionable, with the secondary particularly thin. A week of rest and recovery should help at least some of these players get healthy and give Michigan some more depth.

Since graduate quarterback Jack Tuttle had barely participated in live practice before the game against Washington, an extra week should help him prepare for his first start of the season. So this Saturday, take a look at how the Wolverines used the bye week and whether there’s a noticeable difference in how rested they look.

Is the third time the charm?

Senior quarterback Davis Warren lasted just three games before being benched. Junior quarterback Alex Orji only managed in 2.5 games.

But with Tuttle starting for the first time this season, Michigan is hoping he can break the trend. If everything goes according to plan, he might even end the season as a starter.

While Tuttle didn’t hold the starting job for the first six games of the season, he didn’t exactly lose it either. At the time, Tuttle was still recovering from an injury to his throwing arm. As mentioned, he barely trained before taking over for Orji in Seattle and only returned to training this week.

Against Washington, Tuttle briefly gave the Wolverines hope by hitting three consecutive shots on goal to put them back in front after a 14-0 deficit. However, he later turned the ball over twice in Michigan’s own territory, causing the Wolverines to falter and allowing the Huskies to take control of the game.

Despite the late turnovers, Michigan is confident that a now-healthy Tuttle is the best answer at quarterback going forward.

“(Tuttle) actually practiced for three days, (and) went into the game and competed at a high level,” Moore said. “The turnovers are what they are and we have to eliminate them, but we wanted to make sure he knew we had confidence in him and what he could do.”

With Tuttle at center, the Wolverines’ offense has the potential to become multi-dimensional. Don’t expect Michigan to stray from its run-first identity, but Tuttle’s throwing ability should help the Wolverines achieve a more balanced outcome. Watch this Saturday to see if third time really is the charm and Tuttle can establish himself as Michigan’s best option at quarterback.

How will the Wolverines fare against Luke Altmyer?

When asked what he expects from Illinois on Saturday, Moore praised the upcoming opponent with a few typical words: well-coached, physical, tough and so on. But he also devoted a large portion of his answer to Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer and the steps he’s made over the past year.

“Luke Altmyer, the quarterback, he’s gotten so much better,” Moore said. “He has just developed from last year to this year, you can imagine him staying in the system for another year.”

In his first season as Illinois’ starter last season, Altmyer was nothing special. He threw for 1,883 yards and 13 touchdowns, but also threw 10 interceptions. This season, however, he has drastically addressed his turnover issues while increasing his production. Altmyer has already thrown for 14 touchdowns and 1,426 yards and just one interception.

Combine Altmyers’ progress with the Wolverines’ struggles in the secondary, and Michigan could have a difficult time containing the Illini offense. The Wolverines currently boast the 110th-best pass defense in the country, allowing nearly 260 yards per game through the air. That’s the third-most yards per game of any team in the Big Ten, ahead of only Northwestern and UCLA.

The only saving grace for Michigan may be that Illinois has struggled to protect Altmyer this season. He absorbed 19 sacks in six games, the worst mark of any quarterback in the Big Ten.

If the Wolverines’ stellar defensive line can generate enough pressure, they may be able to help their secondary by keeping Altmyer uncomfortable in the pocket. That was the key to Michigan keeping Southern California quarterback Miller Moss in check, and it could be the key again on Saturday. Watch to see if the Wolverines’ D-line pressure is too much for Altmyer or if he has enough time to dismantle Michigan’s secondary.

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Illinois may not be the biggest game left on the schedule, but it will be an important indicator of where the Wolverines stand after their bye week. How they used this week off and what both teams get from their quarterbacks will help illuminate what the rest of the season will look like for Michigan. So pay attention to these three storylines and put yourself in a position to find out if the Wolverines can come out with a win on Saturday and turn things around.

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