Joel Klatt to Panicking Michigan Fans: 'Relax! The Offense Is Fine'

Michigan gave its fans plenty to sweat over in a 24-22 win against Northwestern in Week 12. But FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt says a win like that is actually a good thing for the Wolverines.

"A game like that was exactly what they needed, and you would much rather win a game like that than lose a game like that," Klatt said on the latest episode of "The Joel Klatt Show."

"Even in a win, there are going to be learning opportunities, particularly for a young quarterback."

If you only looked at Saturday’s box score, you’d think that Michigan cruised to a victory. The Wolverines outgained Northwestern by more than 250 yards (496–245) and dominated on third down, converting 9 of 14 while the Wildcats managed just 2 of 12.

However, Michigan committed five turnovers — quarterback Bryce Underwood threw two interceptions and the team lost three fumbles. The Wolverines also missed two field goals as well, with kicker Dominic Zvada needing to make a 31-yarder as time expired to get his team the win.

In the past 25 years, there has only been one instance of a team winning a game where they lost the turnover battle by five and missed two field goals. Klatt was highly impressed that this inexperienced team pulled away with a win under those circumstances.

"It takes a lot of grit and resolve," he said. "It takes a lot of bounce-back from a lot of different people on that team, including the coaching staff. … They have freshmen everywhere, six starting on offense. They've got a third-string running back coming in late because Jordan Marshall goes down. You've got Jordan Young, a true freshman, playing safety in a crucial moment, batting the ball away. You've got Andrew Marsh being the target on offense. He's a