5 Takeaways From Michigan's Season Opening Beatdown Of East Carolina

1- Oooooo, it's good to be back

This is still the honeymoon period for college football. As we get deeper into the fall, the games will get tougher, and the stress levels will rise. But for the time being, this is perfect. This might be a controversial topic, but I really have no issue with playing cupcakes early in the season. Also, there was a time in which Michigan couldn't afford cupcakes. Remember the Hoke era? Beating Miami Ohio or Akron was an accomplishment. I'm not going to apologize for having a really good team. Enjoy the good old days while you have them.

2- Roman Wilson IS WR1

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Michigan football has yet to have a receiver go over 1,000 yards on a season since Jeremy Gallon in 2013. That is an absolute disgrace. I understand that Michigan has had some rough years, but there's no reason they shouldn't have a 1,000-yard receiver every few seasons. I understand that one of the appeals of a Jim Harbaugh offense is that it's pick your poison. There are a lot of good receivers, but rarely ever any great ones. They underutilized talents like Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones. I hope that that changes this season now that J.J. McCarthy has a full year under his belt. Roman Wilson had a sensational day to begin the season in 2023. Some people have questioned Michigan's receiving core. If yesterday was any indication, Michigan is in pretty good shape.

3- I love watching Mike Sainristil play football

It would be silly to sit here and glaze Michigan's defense after one good outing against East Carolina. They did what they were supposed to do. I'll give them credit for that. I think because of how much star power Michigan has returning, it's gotten dramatically overlooked how important the return of Mike Sainristil is to this defense. Last year, Michigan moved him from receiver to defensive back, and he was a lockdown DB. Having him back in the fold as an experienced player and a team captain is a phenomenal sign. 

4- They let J.J. McCarthy cook, and he looked incredible

People's opinions of J.J. McCarthy vary quite a bit. I think he is far and away the best quarterback that Michigan has had since I started watching Michigan football back in 2003. He can change the game of his legs, and he has a rocket of an arm. I thought he looked fantastic yesterday. He was more accurate than he was a year ago, he was more mobile than we saw him last year. He's an absolute game-changer. Most defenses are going to sell out for the run against Michigan. At some point this season, J.J. McCarthy will have to win Michigan a football game. That's what he did in Columbus last year. I thought East Carolina actually came to play in the early part of this game. Michigan couldn't get a lot going for the first quarter on the offensive line. J.J. made up for it. I thought he looked great. 

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5- Blake Corum doesn't appear to be completely healthy, and that's okay

I love Blake Corum. I think he's one of the most electrifying players that Michigan has had in a long time. That said, he suffered a serious injury at the end of last season that kept him out for the last three games. Watching him yesterday, you could tell he's still not quite 100%. What's scary is that Blake Corum, at 75%, is still better than most backs in college football. But the human pinball that existed last year didn't quite show up yesterday against East Carolina. I'm totally fine with that. I think Michigan became a little bit too reliant on Corum in the middle of the season last year. I'm OK with him easing his way into things here. If we can get a fully operational Blake Corum by October, this team becomes even more dangerous.  I have to say, though, I don't know how much of this was a Corum problem. The offensive line, in general, was just kind of so-so yesterday. It's game one. I'm willing to overlook it. But I hope the screws can get tightened up a little bit in the future. 

1-0. Go Blue.