Michigan v. UConn: Eight Reasons Michigan Will Win in a Week One Blowout

The past offseason has been full of trouble for Michigan - from admitting NCAA rule violations and waiting for impending sanctions to Woolfolk's comments suggesting some disunion in the team.  It is no secret, then, that this year's season opener has a lot riding on it.

Michigan beat WMU in last year's opener, 35-7, to ignite Michigan's hot 4-0 start to the season.

Michigan needs to make a similar statement this year against a very hyped UConn team, and here are 8 reasons why I think Michigan will do just that.

Improved QB Play

The old adage tossed around on Bleacher Report and virtually every other sports network is "If you have two quarterbacks, you don't have one."

To those who swear by that, I will point you to the 2006 Florida Gators who used the duo of Tim Tebow and Chris Leak to navigate through the nation's toughest schedule en route to an SEC championship, subsequent BCS title appearance and total domination of Ohio State (something to the tune of 41-14) for the programs first title in 10 years.

While I think anyone predicting Michigan to be anywhere near the title game should be put in a straightjacket, I do think that the quarterbacks will be significantly improved in 2010.

Tate Foricer was a (over) hyped candidate for Heisman following Michigan's 4-0 start last season, but suffered a concussion in week three and then an injury to his shoulder against Indiana in week 4.  He hit his worst stretch of the season following Indiana but returned to form in the final four games, putting up a pass efficiency rating of over 150 in each game.

Much has been made of Forcier's "lack of work ethic" in the offseason, and, after admitting he got too big of a head after appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, he renewed his commitment to Michigan recently.  He also earned his wings back.

For those of you convinced Forcier would tranfer, he says "I'm not going anywhere.  I love this place."

Much to the dismay of Michigan fans everywhere, Denard Robinson was used sparingly last season, and while it was heartbreaking to see his speed just being used to keep the bench warm much of the time, his progress in the offseason is undeniable.  Look no further than his beautiful 97 yard TD pass in the spring game this season.  Sure, you may point out that Robinson played with first team offense against 2nd team defense and Forcier played with 2nd team offense against 1st team defense, but if you deny Robinson's progress I would ask you to remove your head from the sand.

The gap between the two has officially been closed - and while Robinson's elite speed is paramount to the spread offense, Forcier's accuracy and ability to read defenses will be a great asset.

When asked about who the starting quarterback would be, Rich Rod responded with "whoever gives us the best chance to win."

And why not a combination of the two?  We certainly could see either Foricer or Robinson separate themselves and evolve into the go-to man, but for the time being, I am comfortable with two competent quarterbacks and the first time in a few years that the starter won't be a true freshman.

A Veteran Offensive Line

Michigan's offensive line ranks among the best in the nation and 3rd in the Big Ten behind conference favorites Wisconsin and Ohio State.

Michigan has a special guard in senior Steven Schilling and combined with center David Molk, returning from an ACL injury, the Wolverines definitely have one of, if not the best tandems of any offensive line.  Molk was the anchor of the line last season, and when he was healthy, the offense was productive - consistently moving the ball.  After his injury, the line took a noticeable hit, and Michigan's offensive production and record took a noticeable hit as well.

Perry Dorrestein and Mark Huyge have the talent to fill a couple of tackle positions and the recruiting at the position has been solid.

As long as Molk can stay healthy, Michigan can (and should) have good production on offense.

A Better Turnover Margin

Michigan finished 2009 with a -1.00 turnover margin, good or 115th out of 120 FBS schools.  And while all turnovers are bad - Michigan's came at exceptionally critical times, often sealing the fate in the opponents' favor when Michigan could have won (see Forcier just lob the ball up for anyone in OT at State - the ball was tipped and landed into the hands of an MSU defender, setting up State's OT win).

Forcier and Robinson together accounted for 15 interceptions and the team as a whole fumbled the ball away 13 times for a total of 28 turnovers.  Compare that to only 5 interceptions gained and only 11 fumbled gained.

The issues with turnovers basically boil down to two things: freshman mistakes at QB and a weak defensive secondary.

While the defensive secondary may not be improved enough to increase the amount of interceptions they gain, the quarterbacks, with a year under their belt (or 1.5 years for Forcier), should throw fewer interceptions.

Fewer interceptions are a quick and immediate fix to win, or at least put Michigan in a better position in the game.

UConn Is A Power Running Team

UConn primarily runs the ball, meaning our secondary can breathe a sigh of relief.  This bodes well or our defense as our defensive line will be the strength (use of the word strength is light) of the defense.

Last year Andre Dixon and Jordan Todman (pictured) split the job, but UConn loses one 1000+ yard rusher in Dixon this season and Todman is expected to take over the full job.  He ran for 1,188 yards and 14 scores last season and is certainly a weapon - but the lack of Dixon's presence may mean that UConn's running game will not be quite as productive as it was last season.

Rich Rod is Familiar With Randy Edsall

Rich Rod, having played a few years in the Big East as head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers, should prove in Michigan's favor.  Because Rich Rod has faced Edsall for a few years in the past, he should know how to prepare his team the best for the game - what schemes to expect, how their offense works, etc.  This gives the Wolverines an advantage.

The last time Edsall and Rodriguez met, it ended 66-21 in Rodriguez's favor, and with comparisons of Pat White and Denard Robinson being drawn, let's hope that history repeats itself on September 4th.

The Rededication of Michigan Stadium

The phrase "intangibles" comes to mind when I think of the re-dedication of Michigan Stadium.  Consider the past couple of years as a metaphor, and the metaphor is this:

At the end of 2007, Lloyd Carr retired and so did an era of Michigan Football.  The construction cranes moved in (Rich Rod came in as head coach) and began work on the stadium, just as Rich Rod began work on the team.  The capacity of the stadium was reduced and the construction looked, well, distracting to say the least.  The capacity being reduced of the stadium is symbolic of the team's under-performance and ugly construction analogous to the NCAA investigation and subsequent distractions - and as construction progressed from 2008 to 2009, so did the team (at least just a bit).  But now, in 2010, the stadium is back and better than ever and only time will tell if the team does the same.

I think the fact that they are playing the first game in the NEW Michigan Stadium will be on the players' minds and ignite and fuel their passion just a bit more than an ordinary home game.

Receiving Corp Returns Experience

In 2008 Michigan didn't really have a standout receiver, but in 2009 Roy Roundtree began to separate himself from the rest. He recorded 32 receptions for 434 yards and 3 scores and will lead the receivers that also return a talented junior trio of Martavious Odoms, Junior Hemmingway, and Darryl Stonum.

Stonum and Hemmingway at 6' 2" and 6' 1", respectively, are two large targets while Stonum offers plenty of speed.

Je'Ron Strokes will be back after a season-ending injury last year and Kelvin Grady will be looking to make a bigger impact.  Incoming Ricardo Miller, a blue chip recruit, could possibly boost an already seasoned group players.

Forcier appeared to really develop a rhythm with Roundtree last season, and with the returning talent I expect the receivers (specifically Roundtree and Hemmingway) to really turn some heads this season and it will start against UConn and their weak(ish) secondary.

..Everything Else

This slide is titled "...Everything else" because there are multiple "reasons" here but none of them are really quite enough to deserve their own slide.  So, without further ado, the "runner ups" to their own slide, in no particular order, are:

- The return game:  Darryl Stonum set schools records last year for most kickoff returns, yards (1,001) and most kickoff returns for a season (2009) at 39.  His speed and elusiveness allowed him a 94 yard kickoff return last year against Notre Dame and his presence should be felt in that area of special teams.

- The running backs:  While the best two backs (Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown) graduated, there's plenty of talent at the position.  Vincent Smith appears to be the front runner or the job, but he needs to fully recover from his injury to live up to his potential as a formidable back, and he certainly could be.  Michael Shaw, Michael Cox, Stephen Hopkins, and Fitzgerald Toussaint have all showed promise.  In other words, the stable is deep.

- Linebackers:  Ezeh was a monster in 2007, a Freshman All-American with 98 tackles.  He redshirted in 2008 and we saw production drop in 2009, but he has promised to return to form for 2010.  Craig Roh and Jonas Mouton need to contribute big and they are experienced enough to do so at the linebacker position.

I'm looking forward to the start of the college football season and this is my most anticipated season opener in a long time!

Go Blue!