The Michigan Wolverines’ title defense began on shaky ground after they were blown out at home by the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, and fans joked that there was one culprit for the outcome.
The Wolverines trailed 24-3 at halftime and 31-6 after three quarters, and the score did not flatter Texas in any way. If anything, one could argue the Longhorns left points on the board in the first half amid a surgical performance by quarterback Quinn Ewers, and things could have been even worse for Michigan.
Naturally, such a high-profile defeat brought out the memes. A lot of them joked that the real reason for Michigan’s fall from grace was the departure of former staffer and alleged sign-stealer Connor Stalions, who was supposedly the secret sauce all along.
Connor Stalions if you’re listening please save us pic.twitter.com/9KqlK7rnNV
— JJ McCarthy Fan (@JJOneOfOne) September 7, 2024
Michigan fans when Connor Stalions can’t accurately predict every single play over the course of an entire season
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) September 7, 2024
Sherrone Moore without Connor Stalions on his staff pic.twitter.com/6uG9LwJAWa
— Barstool SEC (@SECBarstool) September 7, 2024
Michigan football without Connor Stallions pic.twitter.com/IIe9EQdRkF
— ani (@AniruddhC1108) September 7, 2024
Michigan Football without Connor Stalions pic.twitter.com/UwNPFl45Ce
— Mekka Don (@MekkaDonMusic) September 7, 2024
The real reason for Michigan’s struggles has a lot to do with the number of departures from last year’s team. A lot of core players left for the NFL, as did head coach Jim Harbaugh. Quarterback Davis Warren, a former walk-on, looked overmatched, but the team’s defense was arguably the bigger disappointment.
Still, none of that will stop the Stalions jokes, which make for easy fodder. Even Harbaugh’s own brother hasn’t been able to help himself.
