The Michigan Wolverines suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday and, now, the team will be scrambling at the most important position on the field. Brian Cook of MGoBlog reports that quarterback Wilton Speight suffered a broken collarbone during the fourth quarter against Iowa and, as a result, he will miss the remainder of the 2016 season, with the possibility of a return for a bowl game.
Prior to this revelation, Jim Harbaugh indicated that Speight could be a game-time decision for Saturday's game against Indiana, but the head coach did stress that the team awaited more from doctors. With Speight theoretically on the shelf for games against Indiana and Ohio State, the Wolverines will likely turn to backup and former Houston quarterback John O'Korn, who battled with Speight throughout the preseason for the starting job.
In ten starts this season, Speight completed 62.3% of his passes for 2,156 yards, 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions and, prior to the Iowa game, he had been a revelation for Michigan's offense. O'Korn has appeared sparingly this season, completing 13 of 18 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns, but throwing in a quarterback at this point for a national championship contender is not exactly ideal, and it will be interesting to see how he responds.
The Michigan Wolverines are very much alive in the College Football Playoff picture, but they will have to topple Ohio State and pursue the Big Ten title without Wilton Speight under center.