Former Wolverine and Big Ten Network analyst Marcus Ray breaks down the Michigan-Minnesota match-up.
Ray dives into the quarterback question, along with talking some defense, and what the Wolverines need to accomplish over the next several games.
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Here are some podcast highlights, including Ray on…
• More playing time for redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Peters: "I'm more of a wait-and-see kind of guy, over a body of work. I think it's good to celebrate anytime anyone gets in and plays well, though. I'm not going to minimize that.
"I think he's the quarterback of Michigan's future, the next two seasons or so. He's going to face different looks every week. Rutgers was one challenge.
"Here's how I want to see Brandon Peters evolve in the next three games. Can he play from behind? Can he play in a hostile environment? Can he play when the pressure is on? Is he a quarterback that can get the lead back, if necessary, and how is he going to face a different caliber of athletes up front that he's going to see in the next four games.
"I'm excited to see all of that."
• Whether Michigan is improving on the offensive line: "If we're basing it on the Rutgers game, yeah. If we're basing it off Penn State, no. They gave up seven sacks.
"I guess it's going to be a situation where, are we going to evaluate them based on who they play, or evaluate them week-to-week as individual, developing players? I think some of those guys are getting better. I don't know if they're getting better as a group.
"As far as the run game helping Brandon Peters, it didn't help [fifth-year senior quarterback] John O'Korn against Indiana. That's where they're going to have to be revisited, because now you've got to talk Michigan defense. They gave up 17 in the second half against Indiana while [junior tailback] Karan Higdon was running for 200 yards.
"Michigan's defense was able to eventually stop Rutgers and give young Peters more opportunity."
• What Michigan needs on defense: "Leadership is one. That's probably going to come from [fifth-year senior linebacker] Mike McCray and [fifth-year senior defensive tackle] Maurice Hurst. [Redshirt junior defensive end Chase] Winovich in there, mixed in, too.
"They need to study more film. I don't know how much individual film time is being executed by these young men on a weekly basis. I don't know that. I can't speak on it. But regardless of what scheme you play in, if you're more familiar with your opponent, you can anticipate what's going to happen and you can get there faster and you can make more plays.
"I think the defense needs to create more turnovers. That's been an issue for about five years now. You want your turnovers, as a defense, to be more than 25. That's two-and-a-half a game, 12 games. You want to be up in that range."
• The challenge Minnesota brings: "It's going to be a keep-away game. Minnesota will try to limit Michigan's opportunities.
"The other thing to watch out for is, Minnesota's defense has been better than average against offenses that aren't doing well. At one point earlier in the year, they led the nation in points per game [allowed] as a defense, and it was about eight points.
"Granted, it wasn't against top competition, but I don't think Michigan's offense scares Minnesota. I think they think they can probably stop Michigan, or contain them for the most part.
"So you've got to be careful with Minnesota's defense being able to force some three-and-outs, and they've got a secondary that's a little better than some people think it is."
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