A large share of the passing damage
J.J. Buchanan has caught 24 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns through Michigan’s first five games. Seven of those receptions gained at least twenty yards. The Wolverines have an established explosive target; the next question is what his presence makes available to everyone else.
Michigan’s October 12 notes credit Buchanan and Bryce Underwood with three explosive touchdown connections. Underwood has five passing touchdowns for the season. The concentration makes Buchanan essential, but it also gives Penn State a clear place to begin its coverage decisions before Saturday’s game.
Do not confuse extra attention with a failed route
A receiver can affect a play without catching the pass. If a safety moves toward Buchanan or a defender gives ground early to protect against another long gain, another part of the field may become more accessible. The offense benefits only if another route reaches that space on time.
Andrew Marsh has four explosive receptions of his own, according to the same notes. Michigan should treat that production as part of a broader answer rather than an invitation to force every pass toward whichever receiver had the last highlight. The first read still depends on the coverage. Buchanan’s threat becomes more valuable when Underwood can recognize the defense’s response and complete a different throw instead of waiting indefinitely for the featured target to uncover.
The next gain need not travel twenty yards
Buchanan posted 100-yard receiving games against Western Michigan and Iowa, with 126 and 130 yards respectively. Those performances show that his influence is not confined to one catch. The next useful extension could be several ordinary completions that make Penn State defend more than the deep route.
Michigan is 3–2 overall and 0–2 in the Big Ten before hosting Penn State on October 17 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS. Watch how the passing game reacts when the defense gives Buchanan its most obvious attention. A timely completion elsewhere can force the coverage to reconsider its priorities on the next snap. The Wolverines do not need to make their most productive receiver less important. They need his importance to make the whole passing game harder to contain.
Sources & reporting
- Michigan Athletics: Penn State game-week notes, October 12 ↗
- Michigan Athletics: 2026 awards log, including Buchanan’s October 5 entry ↗
This article adds independent analysis to publicly available reporting. We did not conduct the interviews or report the game firsthand. Report a factual error.