Michigan football will have a lot of questions to answer in 2024, just the season after winning the national championship.
Though national championship teams tend to get a lot of hype following the year they win it all, for the Wolverines, there are more questions than answers. That’s because nine-year head coach Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL, taking pretty much the entire defensive staff with him, while players such as J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, Mike Sainristil, and the entire offensive line departed, whether or not they still had any eligibility remaining.
Regardless of what many pundits say, The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel is bucking some trends.
Yes, Michigan is still included in many analysts’ too-early top 25 lists, but usually somewhere in the middle. However, Mandel put together his top 25 and has the Wolverines ranked among the upper echelon of college football — despite all of the turnover. (subscription required)
6. Michigan (Previous: 6)
A drop-off is likely unavoidable in Sherrone Moore’s first season with all the talent Michigan has lost, notably QB J.J. McCarthy, RB Blake Corum and nearly the entire O-line. But RB Donovan Edwards put off the NFL, TE Colston Loveland returns and young WRs Semaj Morgan and Tyler Morriswill have bigger roles. DTs Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, pass rushers Josaiah Stewart and Derrick Moore, CB Will Johnson and S Rod Moore should anchor another strong defense, but QB is a big question mark.
Of course, that’s still behind two Big Ten teams in Ohio State (No. 2) and Oregon (No. 4). Michigan will play both this upcoming season, along with Texas (No. 3). The latter two will be at home, and if the Wolverines can win at least one of them while toppling the Buckeyes for the fourth-consecutive year, it would make for an incredible inaugural season for new head coach Sherrone Moore.