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The Wolverines did not have a successful 2019 season overall going 9-4 and losing their final two games — against rival Ohio State and the vaunted Alabama Crimson Tide — but there were some bright spots, too.
Michigan ended up beating two of the six ranked teams it faced this season, including a rout of rival Notre Dame in a torrential downpour, and an absolute shellacking of Michigan State — lopsided in ways that game hasn’t been in quite some time.
Regardless, not getting to 10 wins, losing to OSU again and in the bowl game, and in the two ranked road games of the season, it’s impossible to call it a rousing success. But given the wins over two rivals, it wasn’t a complete failure, either.
USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg sees it the same way in his 130 team grades, not giving Michigan a great great or a failing grade, but a slightly above average grade, with the Wolverines pulling in a B-.
With the given grades, Myerberg put Michigan in the same category as Illinois — who Michigan had to sustain a feverish comeback to hold onto victory against — 6-7 Eastern Michigan and 8-5 teams Oklahoma State and Washington. The Wolverines had the best record of those in B- grades and below.
There were few A+s given out. Just national championship winner LSU, runner-up Clemson and surprises Baylor and Minnesota attained such a grade. Rival OSU got an A, Notre Dame came in with a B+ and in-state foe MSU’s 2019 season received a C-. The only Fs were awarded to Akron, Arkansas and Houston.