Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil (0) Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan is already running practices with one team in mind

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 7/27/23

The Michigan Wolverines are not hiding their ambitions for the 2023 season. They want to win a championship, and they know which team they need to beat to do it.

Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil said Thursday that the Wolverines have started implementing a “Beat Georgia” period into practices with the aim of practicing packages specifically tailored to face the Bulldogs. The message is clear: Michigan wants to get to, and win, a national title.

We’d reported last month that Michigan, which added a Beat Ohio period in 2021, now has a Beat Georgia period. Asked Mike Sainristil about it: “Yeah, Coach implemented a Beat Georgia period, where we go heavy—12 & 13 personnel. I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be every practice.”

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) July 27, 2023

Michigan already implemented an Ohio State-themed portion of practice in 2021. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the Wolverines have two consecutive wins against the Buckeyes. When Michigan faced Georgia in the 2021 College Football Playoff semifinal, it was outclassed in a 34-11 loss, suggesting the Wolverines had plenty of work to do.

The Wolverines are going to have to cope with a few distractions to start the season, but they obviously have their sights set on one target. If they can pull it off, their practice methods may be a key reason why.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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