Michigan Football: Way-too-early game-by-game predictions for 2018

Michigan football faces an important 2018 season which could decide a lot for Jim Harbaugh. Here are the way-too-early game-by-game predictions.

Is patience running thing in Ann Arbor? Michigan football has yet to finish higher than third place in the Big Ten East under Jim Harbaugh and that’s caused some uneasiness in the fan base. Could 2018 be the season he finally breaks through and contends for a nation title? Heck, even a Big Ten title would be a major step forward.

Unfortunately, the Wolverines have one of the toughest schedules in all of college football in 2018 — and it’s even been ranked the toughest by some publications.

How will Michigan fare in 2018? We take a way-too-early stab at game-by-game predictions.

Talk about a tough way to open the season. Michigan will hit the road and travel slightly south to face Notre Dame in South Bend. This series has been interesting over the past decade, or so, and there was a time frame from 2009-12 in which the game was decided by seven points or less each year.

However, these two teams haven’t met since 2014 and that game was extremely one-sided. In fact, the Wolverines weren’t able to keep up with the Fighting Irish in Brady Hoke’s final year, losing 31-0. They’re meeting for the second straight time in South Bend and the Wolverines are hopping for a better matchup.

The Fighting Irish will head into the season without a true starting quarterback, unless they decide to settle on Brandon Wimbush again, so there might be a shuffle between three guys in the opener. That will work in the Wolverines’ favor, but the offense for Michigan will still be relatively stagnant.

Wimbush will do just enough to take down Shea Patterson, assuming he’s eligible, and the Wolverines at home but he’ll have some help from freshman backup quarterback Phil Jurkovec. The Irish score in the final minute to take a 27-23 lead which ultimately decides the game.

Final Score: Michigan 23, Notre Dame 27 (0-1)