Jabrill Peppers didn't score a touchdown in Michigan's 59-3 rout of Maryland, but he still brought his trademark excitement on offense and defense. (1:31)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Don't let the fullbacks or the suffocating defense or even that Schembechler-esque Block M ball cap that the coach just hurled through the air in disgust fool you.

It's tempting to watch Khalid Hill -- the Wolverines' 265-pound leader in rushing touchdowns -- burrow into the end zone behind a phalanx of offensive linemen and think the Big Ten's most potent scoring attack is an old-school operation. It's tempting to see Jim Harbaugh undress a referee (verbally) and himself (literally) on the sideline right before Hill's touchdown and believe that the man rebuilding the Big House is a throwback to the tough-guy head coaching era.

Don't let them fool you. No. 3 Michigan's 59-3 dismantling of Maryland on Saturday and the rest of its route to a 9-0 start are anything but antiquated.

Wilton Speight threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a score against Maryland. He did not play in the fourth quarter. AP Photo/Tony Ding

The Wolverines' beefy, pro-style offense snapped the ball 34 times in the first half and averaged 11.8 yards per play. They did it with a litany of creative wrinkles cloaked in the feel-good nostalgia of two-tight end sets and fullback dives. They are like a phonograph that can stream your iTunes through Bluetooth.

Wilton Speight doesn't move like most of the playmakers/quarterbacks piloting the NCAA's best offenses these days, but he was just as electric while setting a program record for first-half passing yards (292), throwing two touchdowns and skipping into the end zone on the ground for a third along the way. Speight finished with 362 yards passing and did not play in the fourth quarter. If Michigan's retro offense is a sledgehammer, it's an artisan-crafted, sustainably sourced model purchased at some trendy new hardware store in downtown Ann Arbor.

Harbaugh and his staff have built a group that came into Saturday's game averaging 46.6 points per game, the third-best rate among all FBS teams. They've gotten there on the strength of a playbook stuffed more with innovative twists and tricks than a gritty, traditional approach.

During Saturday's game, Harbaugh twice used the "train" formation, with 10 players starting the play in a single file line in front of the ball. He used an offensive lineman as an eligible receiver. He gave the ball to Jabrill Peppers as a Wildcat quarterback and had him take part in a flea-flicker pass play after lining up at wide receiver.

On that last one, Peppers took a jet sweep toss from Speight before turning and throwing it back to him on the other side of the field. Speight set his feet and fired a pass downfield to senior receiver Jehu Chesson. Even the trick plays have an unconventional new spin. The result? Thirty yards and a cloud of dust.

A dominant defense has been the cornerstone of Michigan's turnaround under Harbaugh, but right now, the Wolverines' offense might be the unit that has the potential to push them an extra step higher toward a College Football Playoff berth. Far tougher tests than Maryland still lay in the way of a title shot. Michigan's offense will need to remain dynamic to win games in late November or possibly early December. On Saturday, it looked like the cutting-edge, modern juggernaut that could be up to the task.