Usually, when a team has a climb and eventually wins a national championship, the national expectations climb along with the team and continue until they prove otherwise. For Michigan football, that isn’t exactly the case.
The Wolverines had a three-year run that culminated in a title, but with all of the offseason changes — a new head coach, plenty of personnel departing for the NFL and thus new faces on this team — and a much tougher schedule afoot, many expect the maize and blue to take a step back. Even with the College Football Playoff expanding from four to 12 teams, many don’t envision that the postseason invitational will feature Michigan.
ESPN had a panel of 15 college football analysts make their final preseason picks to make the field of 12, and only three of the 15 picked the Wolverines to make it back to the College Football Playoff for a fourth straight year. But Bill Connelly, Chris Low, and Dave Wilson have Michigan making the field of 12 with only Low having the Wolverines making the final four.
The Wolverine defense is set to be among the nation’s elite, thus much of the questions come on the offensive side of the ball. A starting quarterback has not yet been named but the competition appears to be between Alex Orji and Davis Warren. Likewise, it will be a new-look offensive line, but Michigan does return running back Donovan Edwards and star tight end Colston Loveland — two players who should help keep the floor for the maize and blue hight.
It will be up to Michigan to prove the naysayers wrong, but if anything, this level of doubt is exactly the type of fuel that has propelled the Wolverines in recent years. We’ll know soon if that will continue.