College Football: Preseason Top 25 Projections

Every year it feels like Michigan is poised to finally break out under head coach Jim Harbaugh. Entering his fourth year at the helm of his alma mater, this feels like put-up-or-shut-up time for Harbaugh. The fiery coach regressed to 8-5 last season with a young team, and getting back to 10 or more wins will be imperative for this year’s batch of Wolverines.

Brandon Peters looks likely to get the nod at quarterback to start the season, but he will need to be wary of redshirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey. Whoever quarterbacks the offense, he will get to work with a stacked group of experienced players. The year of seasoning will pay dividends as players like Karan Higdon and Donovan Peoples-Jones break out fully as stars in Ann Arbor. They will need to improve on last year’s marks, where Michigan managed fewer than 350 yards and only 25 points per game.

Last year, defense carried the Wolverines to eight wins. A unit that gave up only 271 yards and 19 points per game returns nine starters from last season. That should help cover for any growing pains that remain on offense, especially with young quarterbacks leading the unit. Michigan might be overrated at No. 15, but they will be somewhere in the mid-teens when the preseason AP Top 25 is released.