Jim Harbaugh taking over Michigan football OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF FOOTBALL; NO WAIT IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANITY!!!
Or so we were told to believe by the media; because that’s essentially the way they spun Harbaugh’s return to Ann Arbor. The media certainly loves the shopworn “homecoming cliche.”
Yes, the khaki-ed one will reinvigorate Michigan football eventually; so you do have some cause to be excited. With how Harbaugh brought Stanford back to life, you know it’s inevitable that he’ll work his magic his alma mater as well.
Michigan football players attending Big Ten Media Day:
Joe Bolden, Sr., LB
Jehu Chesson, Sr., WR
James Ross III, Sr., LB
Bolden will be one of the team’s best players, and a leader in the locker room. Otherwise, this is a pretty poor choice in player selection by Harbaugh. With the current state of Michigan football, and the PR criss they suffered last year, they really should be bringing their more relevant players with them.
Offense:
QB: Remember when Brady Hoke left his starting quarterback in the game despite an obvious concussion last year, and his explanation in the postgame press conference was totally clueless? And then the University and the Athletic Director totally botched their explanation of the incident? Bad times indeed.
Well, Shane Morris is back this season, but he still hasn’t thrown a TD pass in his college career. The most important position is still unsettled, and Morris may have lost his starting gig to Iowa graduate transfer Jake Rudock. He’s actually projected as a late round NFL Draft level talent.
So Michigan football might actually score more points this season.
RB: The team’s leading rusher, Derrick Green will be back, with Ty Issac the main backup. The Wolverines were 112th nationally in total offense last season, so there’s nowhere to go but up.
Line: Obviously, the weakest link of the team. They’ve been bad for a couple years now; even when they had two really high NFL Draft picks within this group. On the plus side, they return four of five starters. To be blunt though, the offense is the biggest project for Harbaugh. He’ll have to completely revitalize a totally broken unit. It all starts right here in the trenches.
WR: Chesson is only like the third or fourth best receiver in a group that’s pretty weak. What an odd choice for media day. Newcomer Brian Cole is the real guy to watch; he was the top ranked recruit in the state of Michigan. He can play multiple positions, and he’ll truly be the next big thing.
Defense:
Line: Michigan was 5-7 last year, but given the way the team was covered, and how their fans spoke of the team, you would think they went 1-11. The belief is that 5-7 is actually 1-11 by Michigan standards. That’s not true though. During the past seven years, Michigan is 46-44, with a 24-32 record in Big Ten play. They’ve won just one bowl game over that span. Don’t blame the defense though; it was stout and stellar last season.
The DL was especially solid; but they have lost some key players heading into 2015. On the plus side they have plenty of experience returning. Also, the BEST NAME in the Big Ten with reserve DT Taco Charlton
Linebackers: Bolden and company are a solid group. They return all the top tacklers, and this group should serve a bulwark under the bumps that often occur under a regime change.
Secondary: Here’s the strength of the team; and a place of pride for Michigan football. Stanford graduate transfer Wayne Lyons might be the top NFL corner prospect before all is said and done. Strong Safety Jabril Peppers IS the next big thing however. He was the best player during spring practice and may end up being the team’s MVP this season.
Bottom Line: Harbaugh has something like a 1/3 of an recruiting class to work with this season; so don’t expect a whole lot. Rebooting the program takes time. The schedule is tough too; especially in the non-conference. Seven or eight wins is a possibility though.
Never Too Early Season Preview Series:
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
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