While some have decried Michigan football as being a one-year wonder, considering it’s the winningest program in all of college football, that seems a bit short-sighted.
Of course, saying ‘national championship or bust’ would be a bit hyperbolic, as the Wolverines haven’t quite gotten there in the recent era, though last year, it got close, getting to the College Football Playoff semifinal.
But, where do the Wolverines stack up compared to other teams entering 2022? ESPN tries to answer that question, as it put together a preseason power ranking. Here’s what they had to say about Michigan.
X factor: Michigan’s run game made the offense go last season, but the team lost running back Hassan Haskins, who led the team with 20 rushing touchdowns in 2021, to the NFL. But it returns Blake Corum, who had 11 touchdowns and 962 yards. Corum, along with Donovan Edwards, will have to take on a bigger load, as Haskins had 126 more carries than Corum last season. If the combo of Corum and Edwards can produce the type of scoring that Haskins and Corum did, Michigan’s offense will be in good shape.
Biggest question mark of the season: How does Michigan replace its stars on defense? The Wolverines lost Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, Daxton Hill, Josh Ross, Christopher Hinton, Brad Hawkins and Vincent Gray on defense from last season. That’s the top three in total tackles, the top five in tackles for loss and the top two defenders in sacks from 2021. That is a ton of production to have to fill in one offseason. — VanHaaren
For where Michigan football ranks, and the rest of the top 25 in the ESPN power ranking, scroll down.