The Michigan Wolverines have quite the task in front of them to overcome the loss of more than 15 starters entering the 2017 season.
Among all the teams ranked inside the top 10 in the first edition of the Amway Coaches Poll, the Michigan Wolverines might have the best chance of not being there at the end of the season. Head coach Jim Harbaugh brought the Wolverines back to consistent relevance after Brady Hoke had the opposite effect.
Junior quarterback Wilton Speight has a battle for the starting spot that means he might not keep his job for long. There’s no doubt that Michigan has the talent and potential to be a great football program over the next decade. However, the process of developing that talent has to start somewhere and that process looks to start this year.
It’s going to be a rebuilding year in Ann Arbor and the quicker Michigan fans understand that the better. The fact that Michigan was ranked No. 9 in the Coaches Poll is nuts. They’re ranked ahead of more experienced and proven contenders like the Wisconsin Badgers, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Auburn Tigers, and Stanford Cardinal.
Putting more pressure on a young group of Wolverines will just make it more difficult for Harbaugh to instill the right mindset with his squad this season.
Of course, there’s a great chance that Michigan has a say in the Big Ten Championship. However, we’ll see right of the bat if the Wolverines are for real with their Week 1 matchup against the SEC East favorite Florida Gators.
Now, let’s take a look at five reasons why the Michigan Wolverines will stink in 2017.
5. Two freshmen starting cornerbacks, losing Jourdan Lewis
Former superstar Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis is going to be missed. He was the staple to the Wolverine secondary and was the glue that held the entire defense together. Now, Michigan has two freshman in Lavert Hill and David Long occupying the starting spots.
Hill is a former four-star recruit that committed to Michigan in 2016 and was the 12th-best corner in his class. He’ll get the chance to face Florida’s Antonio Callaway and Brandon Powell in his first week of action. That’s the definition of being thrown into the fire early.
Long was also a former four-star recruit that committed in 2016. However, Long was the 8th best corner in that recruiting class. He is a prime example of the recruiting reach that Harbaugh has put into place at Michigan. Hailing from Los Angeles, Calif., it’s very impressive that Harbaugh was able to pry Long away from Pac-12 country and programs like USC, Stanford and Oregon.
Growing pains are going to be present with this secondary. Even outside of Hill and Long, Michigan’s starting safeties include a sophomore and a freshman.
4. Fewest returning starters of any FBS team
According to Land of 10, Michigan only returns five starters from their 2016, the fewest of any FBS team in the country. Only one of those returning starters is on defense, senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr.
If Wilton Speight does not keep his starting job then that would put the Wolverines at just four returning starters from a season ago. Getting this team ready will be one of the tallest tasks that Harbaugh has ever faced in his coaching career. Quarterbacks John O’Korn and Brandon Peters could get a shot at the starting job as well.
Watch out for senior running back, and former USC transfer, Ty Isaac to really make his mark in 2017 with the departure of De’Veon Smith. However, freshman Chris Evans will get the bulk of the carries this season.
Transitioning the defense while facing such a tough schedule out of conference and in the Big 10 is the toughest thing to deal with when you’re talking about 10 new starters with this Michigan team.
3. Competition at the top of the Big Ten
Every single one of the Big Ten teams ranked inside the Coaches Poll top 10 is a team that Michigan has to face this year. Two of the three teams they have to face from that group are on the road. And the other team is the Ohio State Buckeyes, who currently own a five-game winning streak over the Wolverines.
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The Penn State Nittany Lions get Michigan at home, at Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley, and will be sure to look for revenge for their embarrassing defeat in 2016. Moreover, the Wisconsin Badgers have one of the best defenses in the country and get the Wolverines at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
Even if Michigan wins one or two of those games, that would likely still not be enough to make it to the Big Ten Championship Game. The Michigan State Spartans will be looking for a comeback season in 2017 and could give the Wolverines a scare. Minnesota, with first year head coach P.J. Fleck will be a tough test as well. And don’t count out the Indiana Hoosiers from giving the Wolverines a run for their money.
2. Weak offensive line
The Wolverines will have trouble enough generating a consistent rushing attack without having a weak offensive line to work with. Moreover, Speight was sacked 20 times last season, which is too many for an injury prone quarterback. The same type of punishment for another year could make that even worse.
There’s two freshmen starting on the offensive line this year. The two guard positions are the ones that will be manned by first year players. That gives opposing defenses a clear point of attack in both the running and passing games. Only one senior returns along the offensive line.
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No conference has better front sevens than the Big Ten. That also spells trouble for Michigan. They have a lot of potential along the defensive line with Hurst Jr. and former No. 1 overall recruit Rashan Gary. However, holding off teams like Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Penn State, is not likely with the current situation at hand for Michigan.
1. Wilton Speight
Up until the final four games of the 2016 campaign, Wilton Speight actually performed admirably, leading Michigan top a top-three ranking. However, the Wolverines lost three of their final four games, including an embarrassing defeat against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Speight only managed 103 passing yards and no touchdowns with one interception in the loss to Iowa. He also threw for 163 yards and one touchdown with one interception in the Orange Bowl against the Florida State Seminoles, a game that ended in a one-point loss for Michigan.
If Speight cannot keep the starting job through the first few weeks of the season, that will not leave the Michigan offense in a good position. With so little experience on both sides of the ball, the Wolverines cannot afford to keep changing leadership and offensive schemes all the time.
Next: 5 reasons why Notre Dame will struggle in 2017
If Speight can continue the way he played in the early and middle parts of the 2016 schedule, then Michigan will be just fine. However, with so much talent gone that was around him last year, that’s not likely to happen.