Season Overview
Following 25 years of frustration, blue-blooded Michigan finally broke through last season and won its latest national championship. However, with that success came the inevitable calls from elsewhere, and the Wolverines suffered massive losses in personnel, both on the field and along the sidelines.
So, Michigan begins the post-Harbaugh era as a big question mark. Can Coach Moore keep the Maize and Blue train rolling, even through a post-championship hangover?
Betting Odds
- Odds to win national championship (Bet365): +2500
- Odds to make CFP: +115
- Odds to win Big 10 (FanDuel): +750
- Wins over/under: 8.5
Michigan returns just seven “starters” this season—starters and players who started elsewhere last season—from a team that finished 15-0 and won the national championship last year. The Wolverines began last season ranked No. 2 in the polls, winning each of their first nine games by at least 24 points. Down the stretch, Michigan beat Ohio State for the third straight year, blanked Iowa to win its third consecutive Big 10 title, outlasted Alabama in a CFP semifinal, and then beat Washington in the national title game.
Two weeks later, Harbaugh bolted to the NFL, followed by 13 of his players.
Just two starters are back on a Wolverines offense that averaged 383 yards per game last season, following the loss of an NFL first-rounder at QB, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher, and last year’s leading receiver. Only five starters return for a defense that held opponents to 247 YPG last year, with just two along the front seven.
Michigan hosts Texas for a big-time, early-season, non-conference bout, and the Longhorns are expected to be a handful. Later, the Wolverines host USC and Oregon (now conference games) and play a national championship rematch at Washington, which finds itself in a similar situation as UM this season. Michigan finishes at Ohio State, and a fourth straight victory over the Buckeyes seems unlikely. However, the Wolverines miss Penn State and Iowa.
Still, with the change at head coach, massive personnel losses, and a bit of a national championship hangover, we can see four losses for Michigan this season.
Pick
Michigan under 8.5 wins
