Things are heating up for Michigan football and college football in general.
Big Ten media days kicks off this week and the team will report for fall camp early next week to begin 2023 preparation in earnest. The Wolverines appear to be moving from a team that many think are good, among the top in college football, but still not at the top, to a place where some think this really could be the year. Fox Sports’ new analyst Mark Ingram declared Michigan to be his early favorite, and while On3’s J.D. PicKell won’t quite go that far, in his schedule breakdown for the maize and blue, he has high hopes — higher than many.
“What can we expect from a win-loss perspective from the Wolverines in 2023?” PicKell said. “And here’s the deal with Michigan, man — they are still the bully on the block. I mean, I have a hard time finding a weakness for them. They bring back 91% of the offense that scored 40 points a game, mind you — 80% of the defensive production that allowed 16 points a game. The returning production for them is top five in the country.
“OK, so that’s the first thing. They will have more offensive linemen drafted than probably most teams in college football will have players drafted, which is just frightening to think about. There was someone at SEC media days that was mentioning Michigan potentially having seven cats drafted on the O-line. That is ridiculous, y’all. It’s ridiculous to bring back Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum that carry the mail for you better than FedEx in Ann Arbor. Like there’s nothing within this team that is going to be a weakness.
“Now, those that are naysayers about Michigan, the thing they’ll point to is well, what’s J.J. McCarthy gonna be? And it’s a fair point. It’s not a weakness, mind you. It is not a weakness, but it is somewhere that I think they can potentially improve and if they do improve, they’re going to be absolutely lethal.
“Now the good news is everything you need for success in the past in Michigan is there. Roman Wilson, there, Colston Loveland is going to be a freak show. For them this coming season in the Big Ten, I would not be surprised if he’s an All-Big Ten tight end for them when it’s all said and done this coming season in Ann Arbor. Cornelius Johnson popped last year against Ohio State — he’s back.
“Then J.J. McCarthy, from a physical gifting standpoint has everything to be successful and to be an All-Big Ten quarterback., Great athlete, live arm, makes great throws on the run — like all the cliches you want to throw about a quarterback are out there for J.J. McCarthy. And they all fit for him perfectly. And we saw him against Ohio State in person when they were able to challenge downfield. That changed the entire game for Michigan, that kept them in the game early on to be real with you, because the run game was taking a while to get going. The pipes didn’t quite burst just yet. With Donovan Edwards down the sideline in the first half, it was the arm of J.J. McCarthy that propelled Michigan and that was when everybody was like, OK, if it’s this Michigan team, they’re going to be a problem for whoever they meet in the national title game. Now obviously, the TCU game went the way that it went. For Michigan, you probably feel like you had a few too many self-imposed errors to end up being in the national title game. But you hear what I’m saying. You have a guy who can deal the rock for you at quarterback, and you have pieces there that can go and get it.
“So everything from Michigan to be successful to get where they want to go — which, to be clear, a national title is on the table for them. But you got to get through the Big Ten first.”
So how high are his hopes? As we alluded to in the headline, PicKell thinks that the Wolverines could have a special season. He hedges his bets a little, but here is why he thinks that the maize and blue could go undefeated in the regular season.
“So as I alluded to, particularly the schedule here really quick, you could talk me into 10-2 here. I’m not saying that picking 10-2, but you could talk me into 10-2. The last three weeks are going to define their season there at Penn State. They got a little two-for-one special at Maryland. It’s both a letdown spot and a look-ahead spot because then you play Ohio State at home in the game of all games that we can expect that we will be on hand for that one. Like, that is what’s going to make up their season.
“Penn State, a little bit sneaky this year, Drew Allar as he hit his stride at that point in the year. They’re going to be better on the offensive line. According to James Franklin, there’s tons of depth on defense at Penn State. What do they look like? Maryland is sneaky though. Anytime you have a mobile quarterback that can also throw it downfield like Taulia Tagovailoa. Just keep an eye on that Maryland game. That’s one that makes me nervous. It’s on the road. It’s the game before Ohio State, it’s after Penn State. I hate that spot of a Michigan fan. And then you get Ohio State and that game speaks for itself.
“You could talk me into 10-2. I don’t see a world where they finish 0-3 in that stretch. I don’t see a world where they also drop a game at Michigan State as well as one of those games. For me, for Michigan, there’s too much on this roster that is proven to pick them outside of anything undefeated. I think they’ll go 12-0 in the regular season.
“And here’s the thing with Michigan, you’re giving a second chance to one of the most talented, experienced teams in college football. Typically how it works is you build up to this one season and your one year to really take a swing at a national title berth and that’s like your one chance to do it and your swing and if you make contact or not. That’s the result that you have to live with. That’s not what Michigan has right now. Michigan is top five returning production. They bring back a second-year starter coming off a Big Ten Championship, bring back the best backfield in college football, an individual who really should have been invited to the Heisman trophy ceremony in Blake Corum. They’ve got everything they need to be successful. And so for them now to get a second chance at this, that is dangerous for college football, and I fully expect Michigan to make contact and to go undefeated in the regular season.
“Now they’ll see somebody in that Big Ten Championship. We’ll talk about that when it gets here. We’ll do prediction season here a little bit later in the summer. But for me, I have a very difficult time picking Michigan to not be undefeated in the regular season, based on what we know about them right now.”
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