Michigan’s Biggest Football Storylines Go to Big Ten Media Days

The football season is fast approaching and the kick-off of the annual Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday symbolizes teams getting one step closer to the 2022 campaign. The event takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where the Michigan Wolverines naturally took their first conference title last December.

Jim Harbaugh brings along four of the key players who helped make this dream a reality last season. Quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All are two of the veteran leaders on offense, while defensive tackle Mazi Smith and cornerback DJ Turner will anchor a defense that has seen quite a bit of turnover this off-season.

There will be plenty of league-wide stories to come out of the event, including conference rescheduling, schedule changes, the potential removal of divisions, and the growing concerns and uncertainty surrounding name, image and likeness. However, there will also be plenty of Michigan-specific content coming from Indianapolis. Below are three of the biggest storylines to watch for this week.

Can Michigan Hold the Momentum?

Harbaugh finally got that elusive monkey off his back, beating Ohio State on his way to earn his first Big Ten title in year seven. However, the question now becomes: how does Harbaugh change this in the beginning of something new as opposed to the top of the mountain?

Michigan is losing some key pieces this season, both on and off the field, and the current recruiting outlook is less than encouraging. Combine that with a reloaded Ohio State, a clear divide between the Wolverines and elite teams like Georgia, and a still-horrible record against rivals, and it’s far from guaranteed that 2021 won’t be just another outlier.

The original goal of bringing Harbaugh back to Ann Arbor was to turn the program around and he absolutely did. However, his performance in 2022 will say a lot about how much further he will be able to take this program after a much anticipated breakthrough last season. Vikings antics aside, Harbaugh definitely needs to capitalize on this momentum going forward.

How will the defense react?

Aidan Hutchinson is gone. So are David Ojabo, Daxton Hill, Brad Hawkins and Josh Ross. With Vincent Gray, Chris Hinton and Donovan Jeter also choosing to leave, there are a ridiculous number of snaps in every position that need to be replaced by a defense that was top notch for most of last season.

As if this wasn’t enough, Michigan is also losing coordinator Mike Macdonald after just one promising year with the program. His successor, Jesse Minter, has potential in his own right, but with a new coach and a complete overhaul of the starting lineup, there is a lot of uncertainty heading into the fall.

It says Smith and Turner are the two defending representatives at Media Days. Both will lead their respective defense areas, but their off-field ability will be just as important. Losing All-Big Ten talents is hard to overcome, but the hope is that the Wolverines can do it by being greater than the sum of their parts. Getting the most out of everyone is essential to bringing a lot of strangers into the unit together.

Meanwhile, Minter will have to do his best to maximize his pieces. Michigan has notoriously struggled in the past because stubborn coordinators have refused to adapt when the talent didn’t fit the schedule. This shouldn’t be a problem in 2022, but hearing a bit from the players about how the defense expects to be flexible and versatile could instill some confidence in the fan base.

What is the ceiling of this crime?

The situation on offense is as good as day and night compared to the one on the other side of the ball. The Wolverines lose a few key stretches of an excellent offensive line, as well as workhorse Hassan Haskins and coordinator Josh Gattis, but otherwise almost everyone is back and ready to dominate.

Media days aren’t the time to figure out who will start as quarterback, but it’s pretty wild to win the Big Ten last year and then return two capable passers to the position, then two running backs with NFL potential. , two tight ends with great playing ability and at least five receivers who could start on most teams in the conference. This doesn’t even count incoming freshmen or anyone who barely saw any snaps last season.

All this talent on paper would suggest that the offense can do more than cover the defense with a new look. However, fans have long been asking Harbaugh to modernize the game plan, and the duo Sherrone Moore and Matt Weiss may not be as revolutionary as some might have hoped.

It would be great to hear Harbaugh and his players recognize the shame of wealth over the skill positions and promise to ramp up the attack to something previously unseen in his tenure. Not only would it be frustrating to see unrealized talent again leaving campus, but Michigan simply could not survive if the offense is unable to take a big step forward, given the question marks the defense has to start the year.