[jwplayer LJn4FNKv-XNcErKyb]
Many things went wrong for the Wolverines somewhere between last offseason and the 2019 season.
Picked for the first time in some time to win the Big Ten outright in the annual Cleveland.com poll, the maize and blue faltered, finishing third in the division, having lost three games in the 12-game slate — at Wisconsin, at Penn State and at home against Ohio State. But, last summer, after the poll came out, head coach Jim Harbaugh stated, ‘That’s where I would pick us,’ atop the conference.
But it didn’t play out that way.
Some of it was a new offense, led by a quarterback in Shea Patterson who sustained a substantial injury in the very first play from scrimmage in the season opener. Michigan limped to an overtime win against an always tough to play against Army, before losing in Madison. The maize and blue didn’t hit their stride until the second half of the loss at Penn State, which led to three-straight games with over 300 yards passing by Patterson — making him the first quarterback in Michigan history to achieve that feat.
[lawrence-related id=26783,26763,26757]
But after another demoralizing loss to the Buckeyes and a bowl game loss to Alabama, the media who vote in the annual Cleveland.com poll aren’t buying that the Wolverines can be that top team, having picked Michigan to, again, finish third in the division.
BIG TEN EAST
1. Ohio State 237 points (33 first-place votes)
2. Penn State 204 points (1)
3. Michigan 169 points
4. Indiana 134 points
5. Michigan State 94 points
6. Maryland 76 points
7. Rutgers 38 pointsBIG TEN WEST
1. Wisconsin 221 points (19)
2. Minnesota 209.5 (14)
3. Iowa 157 points
4. Nebraska 117 points
5. Purdue 105 points
6. Northwestern 87.5 points (1)
7. Illinois 55 pointsBIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREDICTIONS
Ohio State over Wisconsin (19)
Ohio State over Minnesota (13)
Ohio State over Northwestern (1)
Penn State over Minnesota (1)
It makes sense that there would be questions about the maize and blue’s viability. After all, it will be breaking in a new starting quarterback, four nominal starters on the offensive line — though it has more returning experience than that at the position. And the defense hasn’t shown a proclivity in the past two years to hang with Ohio State’s high-flying offense — which returns anticipated Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Justin Fields.
Nonetheless, considering that Michigan hosts Penn State and Wisconsin — teams that Jim Harbaugh has always beat at home — we’re buying that the Wolverines could be a bit better than expected. But by how much, we can’t entirely say until we see the product on the field with its new pieces.