Thomas: Michigan Needs Better QB Play To Beat Ohio State

A big question surrounding Michigan football remains why can’t U-M beat Ohio State. Former Michigan safety Dymonte Thomas, who played for the Wolverines from 2013-16, certainly did not hold back his opinions when he spoke to Michael Spath on Inside the Huddle:

“The reason I think the program hasn’t really gotten over that hump is because we really haven’t found a solid quarterback that we can buy into,” Thomas said.

In Michigan’s last six games against the Buckeyes, the Wolverines have lost the turnover battle in each contest, and that is in large part due to Michigan’s quarterback play - U-M quarterbacks have combined for 11 turnovers compared to just one for OSU signal-callers. 

“I think the last good quarterback… I’m going to say they're all good, but the best quarterback I think we have over the past few years is Jake Rudock. And the reason why he was good was because he was smart with the ball,” Thomas said. 

“Michigan is always going to have a Top 10 defense no matter what. And, as long as you have a quarterback that doesn’t turn the ball over, a quarterback that knows when to get rid of it, a quarterback that knows when to take a chance, then you can win games, and that’s what Rudock was.”

Thomas also praised Rudock’s leadership, while noting that he doesn’t believe Michigan has had a quarterback with that type of composure and leadership ability to get the team behind them in recent years.

“Rudock was a quarterback that at the beginning of the season people were a little worried because he threw a few interceptions and had a few turnovers, but the defense, we had his back because he was a leader,” Thomas said. “He wasn’t a 'me-guy.' He was the type of guy who would come in and be like, ‘Alright guys, let’s go to work.’ 

“Like he came in willing to work since day one. And with that, he got all of us players behind him to buy in, as we knew that we could win with him because he had that mindset and that mentality. So, I think the reason why Michigan is struggling is because we haven’t really found that quarterback."

Michigan was also slow to adapt to college football in the 2010s, with spread offenses and QBs. 

“All these other teams, like Ohio State has a quarterback that's a dual-threat that’s really good and so does Alabama, and all these teams are going to these dual-threat quarterbacks that can run and pass. And, you saw that a little bit this year, you know Coach Harbaugh let the offensive coordinator kind of take over, and we see a little pro-style, but we are seeing a little more spread also.

“But now I think it's time for us to find a true dual-threat quarterback that can run and throw that’s smart with the ball … I think once we get a true certified quarterback, I really feel like Michigan’s really going to take off.”

Even talking about his Wolverine team in 2016 that was just inches away from a win against the Buckeyes and a possible playoff appearance, Thomas noted:

“If you give us Jake Rudock my senior year, we win the National Championship. Even with just one turnover [in that Ohio State game], we win that game no problem.”