Michigan Football 2012: 7 Things That Will Definitely Change from Last Year

Before the start of the 2011 college football season, Michigan was not perceived to be a team that was ready to compete for either a conference championship or a BCS bowl berth. 

Instead, the Wolverines were simply looked at as a program that was going to have a lot of work to do to recover from the extremely disappointing Rich Rodriguez era, which saw the team average just five wins per season over a three-year span. 

To everyone's surprise, however, new coach Brady Hoke was able to bring back some much-needed energy and passion to the Big House, as his squad took the Big Ten by storm in 2011, winning 11 games, including a victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, in the coach's first year. 

It seems as if many fans are ready to start buying stock in Michigan once again, as the future certainly looks much brighter under Hoke than it did under Rodriguez. 

As we know, in college football, no team ever looks the same or has to deal with the same kind of circumstances for two consecutive seasons, as things are always constantly changing. Just like every other team in the country, Michigan will have to adapt to a few changes this season—some for the better and some for the worse.

So with that in mind, here's a look at seven things that will definitely be different for the Wolverines in 2012 than they were last year. 

1. Overall Expectations Will Be Higher

Given the fact that Michigan started the 2011 season unranked in both of the major polls, there obviously weren't many people who expected the Wolverines to win 11 games and make it to a BCS bowl last year. 

Coming off the disastrous three-year tenure of former coach Rich Rodriguez, most Michigan fans would have been happy with an eight-win season that included a win over archival Ohio State, but Rodriguez's successor Brady Hoke delivered much more than that during his first year at the helm. 

After tripping up on road stops at Michigan State and Iowa, the Wolverines may have ultimately fell short in their quest to make it to the Big Ten title game, but the season was still a huge success. 

With that success, however, comes increased expectations and pressure for 2012. 

Unlike last year, Michigan will now enter the season ranked in the top 15, and the team will be expected to put together another double-digit win campaign and challenge for a Big Ten championship. 

The question will be can the Wolverines embrace the hype and rise to the occasion, or will they get weighed down by the pressure and fall short of expectations in 2012?

2. Brady Hoke Will Have a Better Feel for His Personnel

Last winter, Brady Hoke arrived in Ann Arbor with an overall head coaching record of just 47-50 after stops at both Ball State and San Diego State. However, the former Michigan assistant was still given a warm welcome by many Wolverines fans who were happy to see a coach with former ties to the program running the show. 

It didn't take long for Hoke to prove that he could handle his role as leader of the Maize and Blue, as he stepped in and instantly found the type of success that his predecessor Rich Rodriguez never could. 

The key to the team's turnaround was that Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison helped strengthen a defense that had been abysmal during the Rodriguez era. 

With 13 total starters returning from last year, Hoke and his coaching staff will have a lot of experienced veterans and familiar faces to work with on both sides of the ball this season, and they should have an even better grasp on how to properly use the personnel that they have at their disposal in 2012. 

3. Denard Robinson Will Be More Comfortable in the Offense

After running Rich Rodriguez's spread zone-read system for two years, QB Denard Robinson was asked to adapt to Al Borges' more conventional West Coast-style attack in 2011. 

Robinson certainly didn't flourish as a passer, as both his completion percentage and his yards per attempt went down from the previous season, and he ended up leading the Big Ten with 15 interceptions. 

Nevertheless, the supremely athletic dual-threat quarterback still gained valuable experience in his first year learning Borges' scheme, and with another offseason to learn more of the nuances of the offense, he'll have the chance to really shine in 2012. 

If the senior signal-caller can improve on his accuracy and his overall decision making as a passer this summer, he has the chance to really surprise defenses with his arm this season. 

4. The Defensive Line Will Be the Question Mark of the Defense

Michigan's defense will feature one of the best linebacker corps and one of the strongest secondaries in the Big Ten this season, but the defensive line will be the unit's biggest uncertainty. 

The Wolverines lost three starters from a front four that helped the team rank third in the conference in rushing defense in 2011.

The one starter who will be the toughest to replace is powerful run-stuffing tackle Mike Martin, who was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. 

DE Craig Roh, a veteran three-year starter who has enjoyed a terrific collegiate career thus far, will return to lead what will be a largely inexperienced and unproven group in 2012. 

In the interior, senior defensive tackle William Campbell, a former highly touted recruit who has yet to live up to his potential, along with Jibreel Black, will be asked to mimic the presence of Martin, while converted linebacker Brennen Beyer and fellow sophomore Frank Clark will be asked to apply pressure off the edge across from Roh. 

This is a group that has the talent and potential needed to develop into a stout defensive line this year, but they've still got a lot to prove in 2012. 

5. WR Roy Roundtree Will Be More Involved in the Passing Game

One of Michigan's most disappointing players last year was WR Roy Roundtree. 

Going into the season, everyone was expecting Roundtree to be Denard Robinson's top go-to target, but he and Robinson could just never manage to get on the same page, and his production suffered mightily. 

After catching 72 passes for 935 yards and seven touchdowns during his breakout sophomore campaign in 2010, Roundtree only managed to haul in 19 passes for 355 yards and score two touchdowns in 2011. 

The 6'0'', 177-pound senior will now be looking to redeem himself this season, and with the type of natural talent that he possesses, you have to believe that he'll be able to have a big bounce-back performance in 2012. 

If Robinson and Roundtree can regain the chemistry they shared as sophomores back in 2010, they should develop into one of the Big Ten's most deadly passing duos this year. 

6. David Molk Will No Longer Be the Offensive Line’s Linchpin

Michigan's offensive line will look a little different this season, as center David Molk, who started 41 games during his career in Ann Arbor, will no longer be manning the middle spot for the Wolverines in 2012.

Molk, who won the Rimington Trophy last year, was the team's undisputed leader in the trenches for the past two seasons, and his presence will most certainly be missed. 

The good news is that Michigan returns three starting offensive linemen from last season, including potential All-American left tackle Taylor Lewan. 

Lewan already has NFL scouts buzzing about his first-round potential, but will the monstrous 6'8'', 302-pound junior be able to successfully take over the leadership role that Molk held for so long?

Michigan's offensive line was one of the best in the college football last season, paving the way for a rushing attack that ranked 13th in the nation while allowing just 18 total sacks. 

Molk will be missed, but with Lewan, fellow tackle Michael Schofield and guard Patrick Omameh leading the way up front, the Wolverines will still have one of the Big Ten's strongest front fives in 2012. 

7. The Schedule Will Be Much Tougher

There's no arguing that Michigan deserves a ton of credit for winning 11 games last season, but you do have to take into consideration that the Wolverines only managed to beat two ranked opponents—Nebraska and Virginia Tech—in 2011.

Plus, you also have to remember that this is a team that played just four true road games last year, and they lost two of them. 

This year's schedule is shaping up to be much more difficult. 

Obviously, the season-opener against defending national champion Alabama at Cowboys Stadium is a huge statement game, but it has no real effect on Michigan's goal of winning a conference championship. 

The Big Ten slate includes tough battles with Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska and Ohio State, and when you throw in a road game at Notre Dame right before conference play begins, it's easy to see that nothing's going to come easy for the Wolverines this season. 

College football expert Phil Steele has Michigan's schedule ranked as the fourth toughest in all of college football for 2012.

The road to the Rose Bowl will definitely include plenty of potential pitfalls along the way.