Michigan adding Patterson is exactly what Harbaugh needed
The sanctions on Ole Miss became Jim Harbaugh's opportunity, and the Michigan coach wasted no time in jumping at the chance to land Shea Patterson.
The star quarterback is exactly what Harbaugh has been lacking since returning to Michigan in 2015, and is the type of player needed for the Wolverines to compete in the ultra-competitive Big Ten East.
Whether Patterson will have to sit out a season remains to be seen, but a report from Kyle Rowland of the Toledo Blade suggests the former five-star prospect expects to be eligible to play immediately.
It's no secret Michigan's woeful passing game has held the Wolverines back since Harbaugh returned to the college game. It's something that has likely bothered the so-called 'quarterback guru' to no end, and a puzzle that could be solved with the addition of Patterson.
Here are Michigan's passing statistics since Harbaugh took over prior to the 2015 season. You will notice the Wolverines haven't had a top-40 passing offense under the former NFL quarterback, and have dropped significantly in production each season:
STAT | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
---|---|---|---|
Completion % | 62.2 | 61.6 | 54.5 |
Yards | 3090 | 2756 | 2023 |
Yards per attempt | 7.4 | 7.4 | 6.7 |
Yards per game | 237.7 | 212 | 168.6 |
TD | 21 | 20 | 9 |
Interceptions | 10 | 7 | 8 |
Rating | 136.6 | 138.2 | 115.5 |
Rank | 47th | 77th | 111th |
While injuries can be blamed for some of the drop-off, Wilton Speight and John O'Korn were likely never to be regarded as high-end quarterbacks.
Here are Patterson's numbers with Ole Miss prior to suffering a season-ending knee injury. You will notice that Patterson's passing yardage through six-and-a-half games is higher than what Michigan threw for all season:
STAT | 2017 season |
---|---|
Completion % | 63.8 |
Yards | 2259 |
Yards per attempt | 8.69 |
Yards per game | 322 |
TD | 17 |
Interceptions | 9 |
Rating | 151.5 |
Patterson also adds a ton of depth to a major weakness for the program. With highly touted underclassmen Brandon Peters and Dylan McCaffrey the only two quarterbacks currently on the roster, Patterson's addition gives the Wolverines a ton of firepower at the position. Harbaugh has preached numerous times how his team is run as a meritocracy, so whether Patterson gets the starting job or not, expect all three quarterbacks on the roster to improve due to the competition.
Perhaps most importantly, the dual-threat quarterback brings some much-needed excitement back to the Wolverines program. While Harbaugh's first few years in Ann Arbor fired up the fanbase, things have stagnated at the Big Ten program. He's yet to beat Ohio State in his tenure, and is 1-2 against Michigan State as well.
With his team unable to move the ball through the air all season, Michigan became a difficult team to watch for even the most ardent Wolverines supporter. Patterson's ability to push the ball down the field will change that, and with a loaded roster coming back, Michigan is poised to challenge for a spot in the College Football Playoff next season.