MADISON, Wis. _ The Michigan football team said all week that it wanted to make a statement against Wisconsin.
It did so _ but not in the manner it was hoping for.
The Wolverines were embarrassed in a 35-14 blowout at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday. U-M was undisciplined, unprepared _ and just plain bad. The performance was a stunning indictment of the players and coaching staff, who had two weeks to prepare for the Badgers.
It was an ominous sign for a program that was expected to contend for a Big Ten championship this season.
The nightmare began almost immediately, when Wisconsin marched down the field with ease on its opening drive and took a 7-0 lead. Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst went for it on fourth-and-inches in his own territory, trusting that his offense could gain one yard. It did, and the Badgers eventually scored a touchdown _ the first of three crucial fourth-down conversions. Chryst's decision, along with his team's execution, set the tone for the rest of the game.
Michigan's offense looked poised to respond on the ensuing drive after a 68-yard pass from Shea Patterson to Ronnie Bell _ but two plays later, defensive tackle Ben Mason fumbled the ball away. It was all downhill from there. Wisconsin scored 28 consecutive points, throttling Michigan's run defense to the tune of 357 rushing yards.
The Wolverines were outschemed and outplayed, giving up two touchdowns even after Jonathan Taylor _ who had 12 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the first half _ exited with cramps.
It was not much better on offense. Patterson faded quickly after the big play to Bell, finishing 6 for 17 for 96 yards and one interception in the first half. He was benched for backup Dylan McCaffrey on Michigan's final possession before the half, only re-entering when McCaffrey left due to injury.
Michigan struggled to make anything work. The offensive line gave up pressure, the run game was non-existent and the pass game was out of sync.
The big question coming into the season was whether the Wolverines' new offense would be more reliable and able to keep up with high-scoring opponents. So far, through the first three weeks of the season, the answer is a resounding no. Michigan's offense has looked worse with each passing week.
The Wolverines' first-half performance was their worst under Jim Harbaugh. Compounding matters, Michigan came out nearly as flat after halftime. Which leads to an even more pressing discussion of the program's trajectory.
Michigan looked like a rebuilding team on Saturday _ not a team that was supposed to contend for a Big Ten title and the College Football Playoff.
