Last week's game against Rutgers was a step in the right direction offensively, but special teams miscues and a couple of unusual defensive gaffes still made it a one-score win. The Wolverines have won or lost all of their games, except the romp over UTEP, by one score.

There's confidence in the defense, given that it's ranked No. 3 nationally. Theoretically, with four games remaining, it should keep the maize and blue in every remaining contest. The questions center on an offense that's just now seemingly finding its footing under new starting quarterback Tommy Carr.

With a rivalry game coming up against Michigan State, the hope is that the offense can build on the 28 scored points and ability to move the football it showcased against the Scarlet Knights. If it can do that, then perhaps there's a chance for a better record than many think.

"We just need to play a complete game first quarter to fourth quarter," junior tight end Hogan Hansen said. "It feels like we have bit ourselves in the butt like a lot of these weeks, and that's why we are 5-3. And we're not living in the land of hypotheticals -- we know we have all the tools. To go win out, and like we know we have all the tools to win some of the games we could have lost. And I think we have gotten better over the last couple weeks on sharpening up certain stuff.

"So I think it's just about trusting the process and trusting the way our offense is developing. And yeah, just putting it together on Saturday. And I think our confidence is definitely built up over the last week."

Michigan is favored by 13.5 points by BetMGM heading into this week's contest, but sophomore tight end Eli Owens says that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters in this game, and beyond, is winning each block on every down.

"I don't pay attention to that type of stuff, being favored, being the underdog," Owens said. "At the end of the day, you've got to line up, you've got to play football. It doesn't matter what you're supposed to do if you don't do it. If I'm supposed to block somebody and I don't go block them, it doesn't matter. I think we just line up. Forget underdog. Forget favorite. Forget analytics. All that stuff. At the end of the day, you've just got to line up. You've got to beat the guy across from you."

Senior offensive lineman Evan Link had more to say about being in the position Michigan currently finds itself in.

Despite the record, Michigan is still the hunted, as it will always be. But the way he sees it, the offense has an opportunity to right the wrongs of the first eight games of the season. There are four games remaining, and two of them are the most precious to the maize and blue -- vs. MSU and at Ohio State. If the Wolverines can put it all together offensively, then the team very well could win out given just how good the defense is.

"Every time we play anybody, right, we're going to get their best shot," Link said. "Because we're Michigan, right? We have the most wins in college football, right? Especially this conference, right? It's a great conference. Everybody's a great team. And I think these last four games are just a great opportunity to continue to work.

"And obviously, things haven't gone the way we wanted to. We've lost some games in fashions that we probably shouldn't have, right? But that's just the way things go, right? The only thing we can control is what we're doing right now. And so these last four games are really the chance to let everything loose for everybody, right? Especially a game like this, right? You're saying this is definitely the opportunity to do that because this is the game where you don't want this hanging over your head. You don't want the regret of losing this game because you didn't do everything you could have. I think, like you're saying, this game is really timely in that matter because, I mean, we have four games left and two of them are our biggest rivals, right? So it's really time to cut everything loose and just go."

The final four-game stretch of November starts this Saturday with MSU coming to town. Kickoff is at 7:40 p.m. EST and will be streamed on Peacock.