It all came together for Michigan in the regular-season finale against Ohio State.

This was truly the clash of the titans, as the two undefeated Big Ten teams met to determine who would represent the Big Ten East in the conference championship game against Purdue. More importantly, it was a battle to see who would get a chance to compete in the College Football Playoff.

The result was a resounding day of triumph for the Wolverines, as they defeated their ancient rivals on Ohio State's turf with an array of big plays that knocked the Buckeyes for a loop. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw three long TD passes and demonstrated a killer instinct matched by few.

McCarthy threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Cornelius Johnson in the second quarter, and he followed with a 75-yard scoring pass to Johnson minutes later. Both of those TD passes shocked the Buckeyes, and they struggled to regain their confidence after that.

McCarthy added a 45-yard scoring pass to Colston Loveland in the third quarter and he also ran for a score in the 4th quarter. By the time the game had concluded, Michigan had nearly doubled up Ohio State in the 45-23 victory.

That offensive display made it seem like Michigan was a team without a flaw. While the Wolverines (13-0) followed up the win over the Buckeyes with a victory over Purdue in the Big Ten championship game, head coach Jim Harbaugh's team appears to have a fatal flaw that could get exposed by TCU.

Wolverines are slow starters

When the Wolverines line up against the TCU Horned Frogs in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve, there is a good chance Michigan will need some time before finding its stride.

As good as the Wolverines were during the regular season and Big Ten title game, they did not play their best football in the first half against their more competitive opponents. Michigan is often a slow-starting football team.

Michigan rolled to one-sided victories over non-conference opponents Colorado State, Hawaii and UConn, but when they opened the Big Ten season against Maryland in late September, they struggled in the early going. The Wolverines led by just a 17-13 margin at halftime, and the visiting Terrapins had high hopes coming out in the second half. Michigan was able to hold on for a 34-27 triumph.

Michigan followed with a 27-14 road victory over Iowa, and the Wolverines defense was on point. However, the score was just 13-0 at halftime, as it took quite a while for the Michigan offense to get untracked.

One of Michigan's most important games was a 41-17 triumph over Penn State in mid-October. The final score indicates that the Wolverines dominated, and they did just that in the second half. However, Michigan managed just a 16-14 lead at halftime, and the Nittany Lions had plenty of hope that they could come away with the huge road upset. However, running backs Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum snuffed out those hopes with long TD runs in the third quarter.

Michigan's closest game came a week before their epic confrontation with Ohio State. They managed just a 19-17 win over upset-minded Illinois, and the Wolverines had just a 7-3 lead at halftime. The offense simply could not get untracked until well into the second half.

The first half struggles continues in the Big Ten title game against the Boilermakers. While Michigan put the game away with a big second half and recorded a 43-22 victory, the lead was just 14-13 at halftime.

Conclusion

Michigan is a powerful finisher, and that may be the most important factor when facing a dangerous opponent like TCU. However, if the Horned Frogs dictate the pace early and Michigan faces its usual slow-starting issues, the Wolverines could find themselves playing come-from-behind football.

That could prove to be the team's undoing. Harbaugh is an emotional coach, and if he sees his team fall behind early, he could increase the pressure on his team and that could keep the Wolverines from playing their best football.

If the Wolverines can overcome TCU, finding a solution to the slow-start issue would be essential if they meet Georgia in the national championship game.