STAFF PREDICTIONS
WolverinesWire staff writers Isaiah Hole and Trent Knoop will share their thoughts on the game, two soft predictions, one bold prediction, and the final score.
Isaiah Hole:
Michigan football opens its season with high expectations internally and perhaps less so to the outside world. The rival Buckeyes are expected to roll and these Wolverines, though anticipated good, are seen as an afterthought. Regardless of the outcome, it all starts on Saturday.
Colorado State was abysmal a year ago, but should be much improved under new coach Jay Norvell. With a bevy of transfers in tow, the question for the maize and blue will be how much and how soon? Still, this is a game that should be less about Nevada East and more about the Wolverines.
The likely air raid attack should challenge the Michigan front and pass defense. It’ll be a good barometer of where things lie after losing quintessential talents in Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, and Dax Hill. The 4-2-5 defense will also challenge the Wolverine prowess through the air, but could likely give way to an again dominant ground game. But for QB Cade McNamara, he’ll need to push through the air to retain his job, so this could be a worthy test.
Of the three ‘preseason’ matchups, Colorado State presents the toughest, and it’s a game where we’ll learn a lot about what this Michigan team will be in 2022.
-Soft predictions
- Michigan holds Colorado State to under 75 yards rushing
- 10 different pass catchers manage at least one reception
-Bold prediction
- Donovan Edwards finishes with 300 yards of total offense
-Final score prediction
- Michigan 51, Colorado State 13
Trent Knoop:
The Wolverines won the Big Ten last season, but aren’t receiving too much love from the national media entering the 2022 campaign. Michigan did lose a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball last year, but it does return plenty of experienced players on that side of the ball. The biggest thing is that the maize and blue basically return all of their skilled players on offense from last year, save for Hassan Haskins.
Colorado State went 3-9 last season, but you might as well forget last year because Jay Norvell is now the coach and he has a brand new roster thanks to transfers and recruits. I fully believe that the Rams will be competitive in the Mountain West Conference this season.
But unfortunately for Norvell and the Rams, they have to travel to The Big House on Saturday and play a top 10 ten that has a chip on its shoulder. Not only does the Michigan defense want to show that it can play ball without stars Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, and Dax Hill, but Cade McNamara needs to show that he can lead this team as the starting quarterback in this game since J.J. McCarthy gets the start in Week 2.
Colorado State may challenge Michigan in the beginning due to the air raid attack, but I expect Michigan to settle in quickly on defense and it should be smooth sailing in Week 1.
-Soft predictions
- Blake Corum rushes over 120 yards
- At least one Michigan defender gets one interception against a pass-heavy Colorado State team
-Bold prediction
- Braiden McGregor records at least two sacks
Final score prediction
- Michigan 42, Colorado State 10
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