Without Speight, Michigan Would Need Jabrill Peppers' Offense More Than Ever

Jabrill Peppers has done a little bit of everything for Michigan in 2016, but the fourth-ranked Wolverines may need to start counting on him even more.

MGoBlog and Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press reported Monday that starting quarterback Wilton Speight will miss the remainder of the regular season due to a broken collarbone. However, according MLive's Nick Baumgardner, head coach Jim Harbaugh later refuted those reports, saying Speight would miss a couple of days of practice before assessing whether he'll play.

With Speight's status yet to be determined and reports suggesting he won't finish the season, Michigan would likely turn to John O'Korn during the final two regular-season games if the worst-case scenario were to become reality. The Wolverines host Indiana and travel to Ohio State in a pair of must-win contests over the next two weeks.

For Michigan to beat both the Hoosiers and the Buckeyes and secure a place in the Big Ten Championship Game, the offense will need a spark. Few would provide a larger one than Peppers, whose role is certain to increase in the absence of Speight.

The versatile weapon isn't a perfect solution or the answer to every void Speight would leave, but Peppers would still the best option available to assist O'Korn in a tough spot.

Peppers began the 2016 campaign strictly playing defense and returning kicks. There was little reason for the Wolverines to put anything on tape for future opponents. But when he entered on offense initially, Michigan called zone reads to take advantage of defenses locked on Peppers and then sweeps to utilize his speed.

However, the limited playbook wasn't because the coaching staff thought Peppers couldn't handle a more diverse role.

The time it takes to find Harbaugh gushing about Peppers is solely dependent on your internet speed. After the Rutgers game on Oct. 8, for example, he lauded the third-year player, per Angelique S. Chengelis of the Detroit News:

"

Gosh, if there's a better player in the country, I don't know who it is. I know there's a lot of great players out there, but to be able to coach a guy like Jabrill Peppers is a real joy. There's just so much more. He can throw. There's nothing he can't do. It's the darnedest thing I've ever seen.

"

Yeah, sure, we've heard it before, man. Give it a rest. But wait, there's something important in that quote.

"He can throw."

Harbaugh and Co. were slow to unleash Peppers, but the staff has started to reveal creative twists. The best example is a throw-back pass Michigan completed against Maryland.

Odds are Peppers is going to start throwing forward now, too.

Granted, the 6'1", 205-pounder is not responsible for the entire offense. That burden would likely fall on O'Korn, who started 16 games at Houston before getting benched and transferring.

O'Korn brings more mobility to the offense, and criticisms of him being a one-read-and-run guy because of the spring game are unfair. O'Korn played behind the second-string offensive line with backup receivers against the starting defense—you know, the one that is currently ranked No. 1 in the country.

Plus, Michigan will rely on its defense against Indiana and Ohio State like it has all season anyway. So far, the unit has not failed. The loss at Iowa, as Harbaugh said via Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider, can be pinned on the offense and special teams:

Barring two dominant efforts that include defensive touchdowns, though, the Wolverines would need Peppers to make an impact offensively against Ohio State and perhaps Indiana as well.

Even as a decoy, Peppers is valuable. Defenses often dedicate their attention to stopping him, so misdirection can be effective. Yet Peppers has still tallied 7.1 yards per offensive touch, and we've likely only seen one of several wrinkles involving him.

Depending on O'Korn's performance, Michigan might empty the playbook in Columbus. The running game is fine, but it's not as productive as the overall season stats suggest.

As a team, the Wolverines are averaging 5.3 yards per carry and 236.3 per game, which rank 23rd and 19th in the country, respectively. But when you remove games against defenses rated 100th or worse against the run—Hawaii, Rutgers and Maryland—those numbers drop to 4.2 and 186.1, a pair of average clips.

Speight's efficiency and budding playmaking ability guided the offense. It's unfair to suggest O'Korn would match Speight's play, and Michigan wouldn't have the luxury of turning to an elite rushing attack.

Instead, if Speight does miss time, the team would be forced to hope its versatile standout can conjure up some offensive magic in clutch situations.

Throughout the season, the college football world has wondered if Peppers was a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. That proverbial ship has likely sailed.

But for the Wolverines to keep their championship hopes alive during the upcoming two-game stretch, they may require a few plays typically considered "Heisman moments" from Peppers.

All recruiting information via Scout. Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.