5 Bold Predictions Explaining Why the Michigan Wolverines Can Win the Big Ten

The Michigan Wolverines have a great shot at winning the Big Ten this season.

Nothing is guaranteed in college football and Michigan will face challenges.  Their 2012 schedule is more difficult than 2011.  The Wolverines must play Alabama at Cowboy Stadium and challenge Nebraska and Ohio State on the road.

But Michigan will build off its 2011 momentum, field a strong team with more overall talent than 2011's 11-2 group, welcome an excellent 2012 recruiting class that can contribute immediately and will have a chance to take the Big Ten in a transitional year for the conference.  

The Schedule Is Difficult but Not Impossible

Michigan's schedule will be more difficult in 2012 but the Wolverines still have a good chance to win the Big Ten conference.

2011's cupcake schedule is gone.  Last year, the team played Northwestern, Iowa and Michigan State on the road and had most of their tough games at home.  That produced a 10-2 regular season and a Sugar Bowl victory over Virginia Tech,

This year, the Wolverines have a much tougher schedule and some project that the team will not repeat its 2011 success because of that fact.  The team will need to face Alabama, Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State on the road.  

That is a tough, tough task but there is a silver lining.  It's hard to suggest Michigan will beat Alabama with a straight face but one loss to the defending national champions will not affect their ranking much or prevent them taking a Big Ten title.

Michigan will be a better team than Notre Dame, which is still developing (and underachieving) under coach Brian Kelly, or the inconsistent Cornhuskers.  Michigan will be the favorite in those games.  

Michigan also has a good chance against Ohio State on the road.  The Buckeyes are a talented, well-coached team but new coach Urban Meyer will need a year to fully install his system and recruit all the right talent.  For all the well-deserved hype about his hiring and success on the recruiting trail, Meyer's style differs completely from Jim Tressel's, so it will take a season for Ohio State to completely adjust on the field.

Since all their home games are very winnable, Michigan projects to be a two-loss team (assuming they lose to Alabama and one other tough road matchup) but going 10-2 with that schedule should be enough to win the Legends division and secure a spot in the Big Ten title game.  

Brady Hoke's Coaching

Brady Hoke's coaching and attitude have changed the culture at Michigan.

Late in Lloyd Carr's tenure, Michigan's culture began to change.  The Wolverines underachieved in 2007 and then spent three years languishing in the basement under coach Rich Rodriguez.

But Hoke's arrival brought change because he re-instituted the winning, blue collar mentality that reigned in Ann Arbor when Michigan won the 1997 National Title.  

Sometimes, retro is good.  Michigan is a blue-collar football school.  It will never thrive as a program based on shiny offense and shoddy defense.  Hoke understands that and came in to return to what made the program great in the first place.

Michigan's Strong 2012 Roster

Michigan's 2012 team will be more talented on both sides of the ball than the Sugar Bowl-winning 2011 team.  

For 2012, Hoke added premium defensive talent, particularly at linebacker and in the secondary, that Michigan needs to field an elite defense.  Defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins, linebacker Joe Bolten, linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone and cornerback Terry Richardson could all contribute immediately.  Together, they could turn an average 2011 Michigan defense (which itself grew from an awful 2010 unit) into an elite group.

The offense, which retains almost every impact player from the topnotch 2011 team and will add excellent offensive guard Kyle Kalis, should remain elite.

So, Michigan's 2012 roster will improve in almost every area based on talent and Brady Hoke will have one more year installing a winning culture under his belt.  The schedule may be more difficult but the Wolverines stand a good chance of repeating their success.  

Michigan's Strong 2012 Recruiting Class

Recruiting classes don't always help immediately but Michigan's 2012 class contains several elite players at positions of need who could really catapult the team to another level this season.

Last year, Michigan's defense often struggled to sustain an elite pass rush.  The team will add talented outside linebacker Royce-Jenkins Stone, inside linebacker Joe Bolten and defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins to help fix that liability.

The defensive secondary also struggled.  But top corner recruit Terry Richardson should really help and last year's corner recruits Delonte Howell and Blake Countess could step up.  The unit could move from being a weakness to a strength.

On offense, Michigan will need more production at receiver.  Fortunately, Roy Roundtree could take a step forward and, if he doesn't, they have young impact talent Jerald Robinson to groom as the No. 1 option.

So, Michigan's talent level went up from 2011 to 2012 and the recruiting class could help make the team elite this season.  

The Big Ten Conference Is Still in Transition

The Big Ten is still in transition and Michigan could take advantage and win the conference in 2012.

Ohio State will be transitioning to a new coach and system.  Urban Meyer will win big with the Buckeyes but it will take a year to adjust.  His first Florida team went 9-3 before winning the national championship the following season.  

Nick Saban went 7-6 his first year at Alabama before going 12-2 the following year.  The bottom line: when big time new coaches come in and change the system, they usually need a year to implement their systems.

Wisconsin is still a strong team but will need to replace very dynamic quarterback Russell Wilson.  There is not another proven starter on the roster and it's likely a transition year for the Badgers. 

Michigan State, the conference's best team the last two years, will need to replace tough, accomplished quarterback Kirk Cousins.  It may take a year for the team to find a dynamic new leader. 

Nebraska is tough defensively but the school's offense was anemic in 2011.  They did not add anything radically new into the mix and are not yet completely adjusted to the Big Ten.  

Penn State remains mired in the Jerry Sandusky scandal and will need to fill the void left by Joe Paterno's death.  There is not a chance they win the Big Ten this season.

So, Michigan and its talented, experienced roster will have the best chance to win the Big Ten conference.  If the Wolverines can avoid any major upsets and come out of their schedule with one or two losses, it's their title to lose.