Michigan Football Must Continue Recent Dominance in Road Test vs. Maryland

The ascent of the Michigan football program seemed inevitable, but heading into a road test versus Maryland this weekend, head coach Jim Harbaugh has the Wolverines playing at a level of dominance recently unseen in Ann Arbor.

Following what can be classified as a "good" loss to Utah during the season opener, Michigan has logged three consecutive victories. But most importantly—and this isn't merely coachspeak—the team has improved each week.

"We've got a battle rhythm right now," Harbaugh said, per MLive's Brendan F. Quinn. "If our team will just keep doing what we're doing—it's great preparation during the week and competition—it's coming. It's coming together."

And for the Wolverines to avoid setting back what's "coming together," a convincing win on the road over Maryland is yet another imperative step toward resurgence.

Under former coach Brady Hoke, Michigan trudged to a putrid 6-12 record on the road, never posting a single-season winning percentage better than .500. Notable—read: bad—losses included Iowa twice, Penn State and Rutgers.

The Wolverines consistently dropped games to programs—whether right or wrong—that were classically deemed inferior.

It's Harbaugh's job to eliminate that trend. He'll have his first chance on Saturday at noon ET.

Last season, Randy Edsall's team used a 14-point fourth quarter to manage a 23-16 triumph, stunning the Big House crowd of 101,717 and sealing Hoke's fate in the process.

Tony Ding/Associated Press

But this Maryland squad isn't a good team. Last week, West Virginia obliterated the Terrapins 45-6. This is the type of team a Michigan-that's-back should destroy.

The Terrapins offense checks in nationally at No. 84, while the Wolverines boast the second-best defense of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Maryland's top offensive player is running back Brandon Ross, but Michigan has successfully limited every runner they've faced this year. If the Wolverines can stop him—and recent history suggests they will—Edsall must rely on quarterback Caleb Rowe, who has thrown nine interceptions in 64 attempts.

In the accompanying table, the "2015 average" column represents a respective running back's performance not including the outing against Michigan. Spoiler alert: Ross might not like what happens on Saturday.

PLAYER	TEAM	2015 Avg	vs. Michigan	DIFF
Devontae Booker	Utah	124.7	69	55.7
Storm Woods	Oregon State	83	13	70
Keith Whitely	UNLV	78.7	29	49.7
Adam Hine	BYU	93	33	60
Brandon Ross	Maryland	89.5	?	?

Additionally, Maryland enters the Big Ten matchup as the 101st-ranked run defense in the country and fresh off surrendering 304 yards to West Virginia. Michigan, on the other hand, has tallied 254 yards on the ground in each of the last two outings.

Leading rusher De'Veon Smith exited the BYU matchup early due to an ankle injury, but Angelique Chengelis of the Detroit News notes offensive coordinator Tim Drevno said he's "feeling really good about" Smith playing against Maryland.

That, of course, is great news because Smith has amassed a pair of 125-plus-yard days this year.

Most importantly for the Wolverines, though, quarterback Jake Rudock assembled the best performance of his brief Michigan tenure against BYU. He completed 14 passes—11 of which resulted in first downs—for 194 yards and one touchdown, adding 33 yards and two scores on the ground.

The offense will continue to thrive while Rudock plays efficient football. That's the ideal quarterback for this squad because of the dominant defense.

Yes, the 14-point underdog Terrapins will be motivated and will test Michigan's ability to win on the road. But the Wolverines should be the only team that can stop the Wolverines on Saturday. Maryland doesn't have enough playmakers on either side to overpower Michigan.

But that's been the case before. The vocal majority of those who bleed maize and blue know how similar stories have ended.

In recent seasons, the Wolverines have consistently dropped a game to a program—whether right or wrong—classically deemed inferior.

It's Harbaugh's job to eliminate that trend. He'll have his first chance on Saturday at noon ET.

Stats from cfbstats.com. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.