Sports
Big Ten Football Standings: Will Michigan Finish Fourth in Football History?
Before anyone in the Ann Arbor area gets offended by what they're about to read, I need to prove my credibility.
That's right: last summer I dared to predict that Michigan American Football would win the College Football Playoff in January.
Lucky guess? Probably.
There was some logic to the good fortune, though: it really looked like the Wolverines had what it took to make a title run.
Jim Harbaugh entered the season with a potential top 10 NFL draft pick at quarterback, the nation's best offensive line for two straight years, a unanimous All-American running back, two experienced senior wideouts, the program's most talented tight end since Jake Butt and a defense that was widely expected to be one of the nation's best.
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As if that wasn't reason enough for confidence, there was also a non-conference schedule with three cupcakes, an October full of mediocre league opponents and, finally, the only three games of the regular season: at Penn State, at Maryland and at home to Ohio State.
In short, last season looked like the Wolverines would hit a perfect high point, develop their identity and become the linchpin that defeated three top-five opponents (Ohio State, Alabama and Washington) en route to the CFP title.
The parade was cold, but for those who support the maize and blue, it was long overdue. The best team in program history capped off its historic season by sending a record 18 players to the NFL Combine and 13 players to the NFL Draft.
Those two numbers are a big part of why I'm going to disappoint some Michigan fans right now: I'm not going to let UM play for a fourth straight year.
It just doesn't add up.
For starters (pun intended), Michigan lost 16 from last year's squad, 10 of which came on offense.
And then there’s the coaching staff. There are six new residents of offices in Schembechler Hall, hired after Harbaugh poached the entire defensive staff to join him at the Los Angeles Chargers. Five other coaches have different roles than last season, including head coach Sherrone Moore. The only full-time coach who hasn’t changed positions is wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy.
In addition to the many new voices and ideas, there are also questions about the offense, especially at quarterback.
Does UM go with high-ceiling dual-threat option Alex Orji? Or seventh-year quarterback Jack Tuttle, who’s more of a pocket passer but has the mobility to extend plays with his legs and a ton of collegiate experience? How will the new offensive line, which lost its top six options last year, mesh? Will running back Donovan Edwards find his old 2022 ways? Is there a true No. 1 receiver on the roster?
At least on defense, there seem to be few questions. Cornerback Will Johnson is arguably the best player in the country. If he isn’t, it’s because defensive tackle Mason Graham stole the title from him. Graham, a projected first-round pick, may be the only defensive tackle in the Big Ten (and perhaps the country) who is better than his future partner, Kenneth Grant.
Those three head my All-Big Ten team, along with tight end Colston Loveland and offensive lineman Josh Priebe, a transfer from Northwestern, who made it to the offense.
Those are five standouts in the conference, which is pretty good. But there's one team with more All-Big Ten potential, which is why I don't think Michigan wins it all: State of Ohio.
I have eight Buckeyes on my All-Big Ten team, which felt ridiculous until I looked at the names. OSU added perhaps the two best transfers in the country at their positions in running back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss) and cornerback Caleb Downs (Alabama). They also acquired the nation’s highest-rated freshman receiver in Jeremiah Smith. That’s in addition to a bunch of familiar names: wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, cornerback Denzel Burke and defensive lineman JT Tuimoloau.
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Oh, and remember that thing about the favorable schedule from last year? Before they get to the annual rivalry with Ohio State (one of two annual protected matchups, along with Michigan State), the Wolverines will face three of the four new teams in the Big Ten this year: USC (Sept. 21) in Ann Arbor, Washington (Oct. 5) on a visit and Oregon (Nov. 2) at the Big House.
It's really that last team, the Ducks, that's tricky. Nike founder Phil Knight, an Oregon alum and already a more than generous track and field supporter, has is said to have said he gives his alma mater “unlimited NIL” to recruit the players needed to win a national championship.
The Ducks may not have landed them all this year, but adding Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel as their starting quarterback and former Detroit Kings star and No. 1 overall pick in his 2022 recruiting class out of UCLA as their backup QB is a great place to start.
Michigan should still be great. Any chance UM wins the Big Ten again? Absolutely.
And what about a national championship? That's not out of the question either, especially now that we're all trying to figure out what a 12-team playoff is all about.
But the Wolverines certainly have more questions now than they did this time last year, and they have more to prove, even without a loss in nearly 570 days.
Unproven doesn't mean bad, and only time will tell if Michigan can set a program record with a fourth consecutive Big Ten championship.
Tony Garcia's Projected Big Ten Position
1. The State of Ohio.
2. Oregon.
3.Michigan.
4. Penn State.
5.Iowa.
6. USC Diploma
7.Wisconsin.
8. Rutgers.
9.Washington.
10. Nebraska.
11. Maryland.
12. The State of Michigan.
13.Minnesota.
14. Northwestern.
15.Indiana.
16. UCLA.
17. Illinois.
18. Purdue.
Pre-season All-Big Ten team
Attack
QB: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon.
RB: Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State.
RB: Kyle Monangai, Rutgers.
WR: Tez Johnson, Oregon.
WR: Emeka Egbuka, State of Ohio.
THE: Colston Loveland, Michigan.
OL: Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota.
OL: Donovan Jackson, Ohio State.
OL: Logan Jones, Iowa.
OL: Josh Priebe, Michigan.
OL: Jonah Monheim, USC.
Defense
DL: JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State.
DL: Mason Graham, Michigan.
DL: Kenneth Grant, Michigan.
DL: Abdul Carter, Penn State.
LB: Jay Higgins, Iowa.
LB: Nick Jackson, Iowa.
LB: Xander Mueller, Northwest.
Source: Wil Johnson, Michigan.
Source: Caleb Downs, Ohio State.
Source: Sebastian Castro, Iowa.
Source: Denzel Burke, Ohio State.
P: Ryan Eckley, Michigan State.
K: Dragan Keisch, Minnesota.
Universal: Zachariah Branch, USC.
Superlatives
Coach of the year: Ryan Day, Ohio State.
Player of the Year: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon.
Newcomer of the year: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State.
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Sources 2/ https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2024/07/21/big-ten-football-standings-will-michigan-football-four-peat/74439695007/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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