Michigan Football Predictions
TweetBrady Hoke received the Big Ten Coach of the Year award after leading Michigan to an 11-2 mark in his first season on the job. He could win the award again in 2012 if he leads the Wolverines to their first conference championship since 2004.
Michigan came in second in the Legends division last season and capped off its campaign with a 23-20 overtime win against Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.
While I believe the Wolverines will be a better football team than they were in 2011, a return trip to a BCS bowl is no given. That’s because the schedule is challenging. They open the season on a neutral field against defending national champion Alabama, and they also face Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State on the road.
Offense
Senior Denard Robinson is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and rightfully so. He is one of the premier dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. He passed for 2,173 yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and rushed for 1,176 yards and 16 more touchdowns last season. Robinson must cut down on the picks in order to bring home the hardware and to give Michigan its best chance to win a conference title.
With Robinson and junior running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, who rushed for over 1,000 yards a season ago, the Wolverines should once again be one of the top rushing teams in the nation. They ranked 13th in the country with 221.9 rushing yards per game in 2011.
The offensive line is strong as well with three returning starters. The only real question mark on the offense is a relatively unproven receiving corps. The losses of Junior Hemingway and Martavious Odoms have put the pressure on Roy Roundtree and Jeremy Gallon to step up.
Defense
Michigan’s defense suffered during the Rich Rodriguez era. Fortunately, the stop unit was able to make a quick turnaround under coordinator Greg Mattison. The Wolverines finished sixth in the nation in scoring defense with just 17.4 points allowed per game last season. They also finished a respectable 17th nationally in total defense with 322.2 yards allowed per game.
The back seven, where six starters return, looks to be the strength of this year’s defense. There is talent behind the starters as well, which means there will be a healthy dose of competition for spots this fall.
Senior linebacker Kenny Demens is the team’s top returning tackler (94 stops), but even he will be pushed by younger guys.
Three starters are back in the secondary, but sophomore cornerback Blake Countess, who is not a returning starter, has the biggest upside of the unit.
The defensive line is an area of concern after losing three starters. Guys like Will Campbell, Jibreel Black and Brennen Beyer are being asked to step up as they move into the starting lineup alongside end Craigh Roh.
Big Ten Legends Prediction: 1st Place
A tough non-conference slate could keep Michigan out of the national championship game. But, the Wolverines have enough talent to play for a Big Ten championship and make a return trip to a BCS bowl.
I see games at Nebraska and Ohio State as Michigan’s only potential stumbling blocks in league play, and I don’t believe it will lose both of those.
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Big Ten Football Predictions by Team | |
Illinois Fighting Illini | Indiana Hoosiers |
Ohio State Buckeyes | Penn State Nittany Lions |
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Iowa Hawkeyes | Michigan Wolverines |
Michigan State Spartans | Minnesota Golden Gophers |
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General Overview | |
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