Michigan Football: 9 Dream Scenarios for 2011

University of Michigan staff, students, alumni and fans have suffered through three consecutive disastrous seasons.  

The trio of defeats to Michigan State and Ohio State poisoned the regime of Rich Rodriguez. While losses to Michigan State may be annoying, beat downs by the Buckeyes were devastating.

Help, in the name of Brady Hoke has arrived. Thus far, the transition between coaches has been seamless. Former players and current fans have accepted Hoke and his staff with open arms. Recruiting has been better than expected.

Even more enthralling is the potential disaster in Columbus.

Gone is future Hall of Fame coach Jim Tressel. Gone is iconic quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

So how bad would Michigan fans like to see the situation get?

Some would like to see the Buckeyes come into "The Game" unscathed and undefeated. Others would like to see the NCAA pile it on: vacate games, forfeit championships and take scholarships.

In either case, Michigan would like to experience a few scenarios which have been absent lately. Let's take a look.  

Denard Robinson Stays Healthy, Runs the Show and Wins the Prize

Michigan fans would like to see Denard Robinson make it through the season with his health and swagger intact. 

To accomplish that, Robinson would have to lead the "new" offense effectively. He'll need to do a better job under center, take less time with check-offs, and throw the ball efficiently. 

He'll still have to run the ball aggressively, stay confident, and win a few games on the final drive.

And if he accomplishes all of the above, he can carry home the Heisman Trophy.  

Three Straight over the Irish

For the season to get off to a fast start, Michigan will have to beat Notre Dame.

The Irish, who completed the 2010 season with four straight wins, are not only much-improved, they're out to avenge losses to Michigan the last two seasons.

A win over Notre Dame in prime time would vault the Wolverines into the conference season with increasing momentum.  

A Top Five Recruiting Class

A top-5 recruiting class would place Michigan in the running for an even better class in 2012. Recruiting works a bit like dominoes.

Great players like to play with other great players. And all of these great players created victories. At Michigan, Bo Schembechler, Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr all benefited from one good recruiting class after another.

Nationally, coaches like Les Miles, Mack Brown and Bob Stoops have little trouble recruiting.

To join that club, Hoke needs to sign a few five-star recruits in the 2012 class, plus "steal" a few others away from Ohio State.       

Quiet Little Brother

Another dream scenario would put "little brother" in his place. Michigan State fans resent the nickname given them by former Michigan running back Michael Hart.

Hypocrisy must not exist in East Lansing, since it's just fine for Spartans to call Wolverines "arrogant asses."

It's true that Michigan State owns a three-game winning streak over Michigan. But when you notice the overall series record (Michigan leads 67-31-5), you'll know that Michigan owns Michigan State.  

A Game-Winning Field Goal

Whether Matt Wile, Brendan Gibbons or an unknown soccer player kicks it, Michigan Stadium would go nuts after a game-winning field goal. In fact, they'll probably go nuts after any field goal.

The Wolverines were four of 14 kicking field goals last season, the longest being 37 yards. Michigan failed to kick one during the final four games.  

Give McColgan the Ball

The Big House will also erupt when John McColgan carries the ball for the first time in his career. For Michigan's pro-style offense to work, he might have to carry the ball a few times.

It would be nice to see McColgan rush for nearly 200 yards.

Both Cornerbacks in Starting Lineup

Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison would be thrilled to see both Troy Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd back on the field as starting cornerbacks.

Woolfolk missed the entire 2010 season after suffering ankle and foot injuries last August. It wasn't until recently that Woofolk confirmed he'd be back for the opener.

Floyd, who took over Woolfolk's spot last season, missed the last five games with a similar ankle injury.

He, too, is expected to be at full strength for Western Michigan on Sept. 3.

Having solid man-to-man cornerback play would be a plus to Michigan's defense. Playing man instead of zone on occasion would allow for more blitzing, something the staff would definitely like to see.   

Will Campbell: Michigan's Defensive Surprise

Another jolt to the defense could be the emergence of Will Campbell as a legitimate defensive lineman.

Campbell joined the Wolverines two years ago as a can't miss five-star recruit, has done practically nothing despite playing on both sides of the ball.

The 6'5", 330-pounder from Detroit Cass Tech was given a serious look at defensive tackle this spring. So far, so good.

Should Campbell become a mainstay of the defensive line, Mattison could move nose tackle Mike Martin to the edge, using his quickness in passing situations.   

Michigan Beats Ohio State, Wins Big 10 Title, Heads to Rose Bowl

If all of the planets line up correctly, this could be the year of the perfect storm. Which, however, would translate into Michigan's first win over Ohio State since 2003.

Enough things have happened for Michigan to believe it's possible.

First, Brady Hoke replaced Rich Rodriguez as head coach. Since then, only good things have happened.

The entire university community has embraced the change. Hoke completed the 2011 recruiting class on a positive note, and nothing really negative came out of spring practice.

A look at what's happening in Columbus simply adds to Michigan's confidence.

At first, five OSU players were suspended for trading memorabilia for tattoos. Coach Jim Tressel didn't handle the whole mess extremely well and eventually resigned.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who was included in the original five, decided to forego his senior season and opt for the NFL.

Ohio State winds up with a rookie coach, a rookie quarterback and an NCAA investigation.

The perfect scenario for what Bob Ufer would call a great big Meeechigan victory.

Of course, the Wolverines won't stop there. They'll roll into Indianapolis, grab the Big 10 Championship and head to the Rose Bowl.