Just one week into the 2024 campaign, college football's annual fog of early-season uncertainty still shrouds Texas football and Michigan as they prepare for a marquee nonconference game.

Few coaches are better positioned to cut through that fog than Alabama's Kalen DeBoer, whose Washington team ended the Longhorns' 2023 season in the Sugar Bowl before falling to the Wolverines in the national title game.

Asked for his thoughts on the upcoming matchup, DeBoer identified a few commonalities between the two programs.

"They both have a physical mindset and mentality," he said Wednesday. "(They) understand that you win the big games by being able to run the football. Without diving in and understanding what those teams all return, I would think there's probably a little more continuity — just in general — with no coaching change at Texas."

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This offseason, the brass in Ann Arbor tabbed former offensive coordinator and longtime assistant coach Sherrone Moore to succeed Jim Harbaugh, who departed for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers. To replace Moore, Michigan elevated quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell to offensive coordinator. It made a change at defensive coordinator, too, adding Wink Martindale, who spent the previous six seasons coordinating NFL defenses.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian briefly worked alongside Martindale with the NFL's Oakland Raiders in 2004.

"Wink's trademark, then the wrinkle that you see in it, is the pressure packages," Sarkisian said Wednesday. "... He likes to cut it up and send (defensive backs) and send linebackers and attack protections and things of that nature, so he's not afraid to do it. The thing that makes him unique is that they're still very sound in the back end. His coverage base is really well-organized."

If Martindale's defense works as intended, the Wolverines (1-0) should maintain the reputation they've cultivated as a punishing, physical unit.

In a 30-10 victory over Fresno State in Week 1, Michigan allowed 9 rushing yards on 22 attempts. It sacked Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene three times and intercepted him twice.

"I would expect a physical football game," DeBoer said. "Both teams pride themselves on it. Different wrinkles in different ways, probably. Coach Sark in the passing game and play calling, and Michigan with Coach Moore and more of the different, creative ways to run the football. That's probably just a real general overview of what I would expect."

Much of DeBoer's analysis focused on the coaching continuity advantage Texas (1-0) holds, but the same is true among players.

Excluding the injured CJ Baxter, the Longhorns return 12 of their 22 starters from last year's meeting with DeBoer's Washington team. Michigan is bringing back just four players who started the national title game and is replacing J.J. McCarthy — a first-round quarterback in this spring's NFL draft — with Davis Warren, who made his first collegiate start last week.

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It would be tough for the Michigan team awaiting Texas on Saturday (11 a.m., Fox) to have changed much more over the course of just a single offseason. In the view of Sarkisian, though, the pageantry associated with a trip to the Big House hasn't changed a bit.

"I think it's uniquely special," he said. "I think back to when I was a kid watching Michigan play and running out of the tunnel and tapping the Go Blue sign, and their helmets and things. Obviously, you pair that with our brand and our helmets and all those things — Bevo — I think that's what makes college football so great."

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Alabama's Kalen DeBoer weighs in on Texas football clash vs Michigan