Big Ten Team Preview: Michigan Wolverines

The all time winningest program in college football history went over a major overhaul this offseason and time will tell how wise of a move it was.  Rich Rodriguez was brought in from West Virginia to try and narrow the gap between Michigan and Ohio State which widened during Lloyd Carr's watch. 

Couple that with the departures of most the main contributors on Michigan's offense and we can realistically think Michigan finishes with only six or seven victories.

Offensively Michigan gets a visit from the Riddler entering the 2008 season.  Michigan fans thought they had a gem in Ryan Mallet only a year ago but now with him in Arkansas its up to Steve Threet and Nick Sheridan to try and guide this Michigan offense. 

No snaps have been taken by Threet in game action at UM so the quarterback position is an obvious question mark.  Not losing games is about all you can hope from this position if you are a Wolverine supporter.

Skill postions took a real hit, not only with the departure of Chad Henne at QB but also in the form of Mike Hart at running back.  Hart led the Wolverines the past four years as their feature back. 

Now it will be up to Kevin Grady and most likely Brandon Minor to fill his gap.  With Grady coming off of an ACL injury last year it makes you wonder what to expect in Michigan's running game this fall.

Who will be there to catch the ball when its put in the air?  Mario Manningham is gone to the NFL as is Adrian Arrington.  Greg Mathews emerges as the go-to-guy for Michigan but his ceiling seems to be considerably lower than that of Manningham. 

The offensive line could help this offense out greatly and make them appear better than they really are, something good offensive lines do.  The three most valuable linemen from a year ago are gone for Michigan which leaves holes and question marks their as well. 

Talent is in place but having experience is an entirely different story.  Dan O'Neill may start as a freshman but the experience he gains this year will help him and the team greatly in years to come.

Defense is said to win championships but this years Michigan defense will be counted on even more than in years past.  The defensive line will have a strong pass rush with three valuable veterans back in Graham, Jamison, and Terrane Taylor, linebackers however lack the depth or experience so many value so much.

The DB's of Michigan will most likely not miss a beat.  With both Morgan Trent and Donovan Warren back expect these two to come up with their fair share of picks and break ups this fall.  The rest of the defensive backfield will feature a combination of Stevie Brown and Artis Chambers. 

The Prognosis:

Michigan has talent on defense as the offense will struggle greatly this fall.  Things don't start of terribly easy for the Wolverines who host Utah on Aug. 30. 

Notre Dame will be improved and the Big Ten schedule features trips to Penn State and Columbus while also featuring home battles against Wisconsin, Illinois, and a Michigan State team who many feel has a chance to beat Michigan for the first time in seven years.

Michigan will finish this year still making a bowl game, however with an Un- Michigan-like year of 7-5 and a trip to the Alamo Bowl.

Fortunately for Michigan fans, this will be the exception to the rule as the Wolverines will back in New Years Day of better bowls for years to come in the future.