Realistic expectations for Michigan football in 2024

The 2023 season could not have gone any better for Michigan football.

Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines to their first national title in well over 20 years and he had one of the best quarterbacks in school history leading the way. JJ McCarthy is now gone, however, and so is Blake Corum so the roster is going to look different. Oh yeah, and Harbaugh also moved on to the NFL as he's now with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The team is going to be solid, however, but Sherrone Moore takes over a roster that needs a QB1 and I'm not sure that Alex Orji is that guy. He does get Donovan Edwards and an elite defense back to help ease the blows of losing McCarthy, Corum, and Harbaugh, but is that enough?

This is probably the least hype a reigning national champion has had in decades and yet the Wolverines remain confident that they're going to compete in the new-look Big Ten.

So what are the realistic expectations for this team in 2024?

Looking at the schedule, Michigan should start the year with a win against Fresno State, but I see the Wolverines slipping up at home against Texas in a huge Week 2 battle. They'll then reel off three wins in a row before falling again at Washington to sit at 4-2 before a game at Illinois. They'll win that and beat Michigan State to become bowl eligible but Oregon is going to come into the Big House and steal a win. They'll beat Indiana and Northwestern before losing to Ohio State (finally) in the finale to finish with an 8-4 record.

With all that Michigan has lost, 8-4 cannot be looked down at.