Michigan's 5 Easiest Games of the 2011 Football Season

Obviously, every team's schedule varies from year to year, with some teams playing a very difficult one, while others have a very manageable one.

Michigan's schedule sets up nicely this year, with eight home games and only four road games.

Out of their 12 games this fall, here's a look at their five easiest ones.

5. San Diego State (September 24)

Even though many people are predicting that San Diego State will pull the upset in this one, Michigan is simply NOT going to lose this game.

Brady Hoke will probably know this San Diego State team inside and out, know what their tendencies are, and therefore, will know how to beat them.  There is just simply no way that he is going to be beaten by his former team.

If Michigan beats Notre Dame two weeks before this game, the Wolverines will almost certainly be undefeated coming into this one.  If that is the case, there is no way they would allow San Diego State to hand them their first loss.

The main reason some people are picking the upset in this one is because of Ryan Lindley and Ronnie Hillman.  Yes, they are great players and Michigan may have trouble stopping them.  However, their wide receiver situation is a mess, as they lost their top pass catchers from last year. 

If Michigan can somehow slow down Hillman, that would be a huge boost, as it would likely take a group of unproven receivers to step up and have a big game if San Diego State expects to win.

Another reason some people like San Diego State in this one is because of the great season they had last year.  However, that was LAST YEAR.  With Rocky Long as head coach, this will look like a completely different team.

We've seen a situation like this countless times in recent years.  Bill Stewart took over a West Virginia team in 2008 that returned players such as Pat White and Noel Devine, and was ranked in the preseason Top 10 to start the year.  However, they were barely ranked once the year ended.

When Bobby Petrino left Louisville after the 2006 season, Steve Kragthorpe took over a team that had Heisman candidate Brian Brohm, and had a preseason Top 10 ranking.  However, Louisville finished 6-6 and didn't even go to a bowl.

We saw it again this past year with Butch Jones taking over at Cincinnati when Brian Kelly left.  That team was returning plenty of talent after a 2009 undefeated regular season, but without Kelly, Jones led them to a 4-8 season.

San Diego State will probably make a bowl this year, but losing Brady Hoke will have a big impact on this team.  They won't have the kind of year they had last year, and won't be good enough to go into Michigan and win.

4. Purdue (October 29)

Purdue's offense was simply horrible last year, as their quarterbacks suffered from injuries and ineffectiveness, and no running back established himself.  However, the offense will get a huge boost this year with the return of Ralph Bolden, who missed all of last year due to injury.

Purdue does return all three of their quarterbacks that played last year, but none of them are very good.  Most people are picking Rob Henry to win the job, but it sounds like Robert Marve has just a good of a shot.  It wouldn't be a surprise to see both of them play this year.

As mentioned above, the return of Ralph Bolden could be just what this offense needs.  With no great receivers, it's doubtful that the quarterbacks are going to win any games with their arm, so this offense could rest on Bolden's shoulders.

Michigan beat Purdue last year for the first time since 2007, as Purdue had actually won two straight against them.

When they meet at the Big House on October 29, Michigan will likely be heavy favorites.  It will be homecoming for Michigan, and Brady Hoke won't let his team lose on a day like that.

Purdue just isn't at the same talent level as Michigan either.  As long as Bolden is contained, Michigan should be fine.  The quarterbacks are mediocre at best, and receivers such as O.J. Ross, Antavian Edison, and Justin Siller aren't game changers.

Michigan should be able to handle Purdue's offense, as Bolden is really the only guy to focus on.  They also should be able to score on Purdue's defense.  This game likely won't be an absolute blowout, but it likely won't come down to the 4th quarter either.

3. Minnesota (October 1)

Michigan will be extremely fired up for this game, and not because it's Minnesota, but because it's Brady Hoke's Big Ten opener.  This is the first of countless conference games he will coach in his Michigan career, and just about everyone thinks that this one will result in a victory.

Minnesota hasn't beaten Michigan since 2005, and that streak certainly looks like it will continue.  Like Brady Hoke, Jerry Kill will be in his first year as head coach at Minnesota, and unfortunately for Kill, Tim Brewster didn't leave him much to work with.

The defense was absolutely horrible last year, and other than a decent group of linebackers, looks to be very bad again this year.

The offense hasn't had much of a running game in a few years now, and Kill is determined to change that.  Duane Bennett will be the main back this year, but just hasn't been effective in his career, and Michigan's defense shouldn't have much of a problem containing him.

However, new quarterback MarQueis Gray could give them trouble.  He is an outstanding athlete who will be in his first year at quarterback, and it will be interesting to see how Kill uses him.  If he turns out to be an accurate passer, their offense could actually be somewhat dangerous, as Gray has two good targets to work with in Da'Jon McKnight and Eric Lair.

Michigan's offense will certainly be able to score on Minnesota, and if they can slow down MarQueis Gray, then this one could turn into a blowout.

Even though Michigan is not facing a great opponent in this one, this will likely be a highly anticipated game, as Brady Hoke should start off his Big Ten coaching career 1-0.

2. Western Michigan (September 3)

This game can't come soon enough for Michigan fans, as it will finally mark the beginning of Brady Hoke's Michigan coaching career.

Fans will finally get to see what this team will look like, a question that people have been waiting to have answered ever since he took over as head coach last January.

Obviously, it will be interesting to see how much better the defense is, as Greg Mattison will have this unit looking like a completely different group of guys.

What may be even more intriguing, though, is what the offense will look like.  Endless questions remain to be answered regarding the offense.

The most frequent question involves Denard Robinson's adjustment to the pro-style set that will include taking snaps from under center and standing tall in the pocket.

It will also be interesting to see how often Robinson is taking shotgun snaps.  Al Borges has promised that there will be plenty of spread looks, including designed quarterback runs and zone read plays.

Al Borges has also said that a running back has to emerge, as he does not want to use multiple backs.  Whether it's Stephen Hopkins, Michael Shaw, Thomas Rawls or Fitzgerald Toussaint is yet to be seen, but whoever it is will likely be successful.

Western Michigan does have two very good offensive players in Alex Carder and Jordan White, and it will be interesting to see if they can score on the new-look Michigan defense.  Chances are that they'll put up a touchdown or two, but not much more.

Western also has Dann O'Neill, a former Michigan offensive lineman who transferred out.  Some current Wolverine defensive lineman have already expressed their anxiousness to get the better of him when they line up to face him.

This game simply cannot come soon enough and fortunately, it's almost here.  There will likely be well over 110,000 fans in attendance to watch Brady Hoke start his Michigan coaching career with a victory.

1. Eastern Michigan (September 17)

The last few years, Eastern Michigan has been one of the worst football teams in the FBS level, and there's a good chance they will be again this year.

Ron English hasn't had much success since he took over the head coaching job, but in his defense, either has any other coach who has coached there in recent years.

Even though English is a defensive minded coach, the defense has been absolutely horrible there.  Michigan should have a field day, as they should easily put up a lot of yards and points.

Possibly the only bright spot for this Eastern Michigan team is quarterback Alex Gillett, who some scouts say actually isn't too bad.  For the most part, though, Michigan's defense will have no problem handling their offense.  Realistically, this game could be over by halftime.

This will be a nice opportunity to get some young players involved in the game, allowing them to gain valuable game experience.