Michigan Football: What Saturday's Win over Ohio Means to Michigan's Future

Looking back,  Michigan's 40-34 victory was loaded with historical significance.

The win ended Ohio State's seven-game winning streak,  it gave Michigan it's first 10-win season since 2006, and it gave Michigan it's first 8-0 season at the Big House. 

But what's more important is the future. 

It took only one year, but coach Brady Hoke has successfully turned the program around. Michigan earned a share of the initial Legends Division title with Michigan State and will be heading to a quality bowl game.

Hoke and his staff will return a solid nucleus for 2012 and has also restored Michigan to the top of the national recruiting conversation.  

A Trip to the Sugar Bowl?

If a few dominoes fall in the right direction, Michigan will play in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Jan. 3 in New Orleans.

LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Houston and Oregon will most likely finish ahead of Michigan in the BCS hierarchy.

Add the winners of the Big Ten and Big East championship games and Michigan would sit last in the filed of 10 teams who will play in the five BCS bowl games.

For Michigan to drop into the Capital One Bowl, either Oklahoma will have to upset Oklahoma State or Georgia will have to knock off LSU in this week's other league championship games.

Ironically, playing in a league title game can actually be detrimental. Should Michigan State lose Saturday, Michigan will get the better bowl game even though the Spartans finished higher in the standings and won the head-to-head matchup.

Even if Michigan and Michigan State were on even footing, Michigan would always get the better game because the Wolverines have earned the better "brand name" over the years, something that irks the Spartans immensely.

Quarterback Controversy Has Ended

With Denard Robinson's performance against the Buckeyes,  there will be no quarterback competition at spring practice. Robinson has taken more than his share of criticism this year, but he should have quieted his doubters for good.

Against Ohio State, Robinson completed 14-of-17 passes for 167 yards and ran for an additional 170. What's most important were his three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns.

If you add these stats to the ones from the Nebraska game, the junior quarterback completed  25-of-35 passes against two legitimate Big Ten teams. In the last two weeks, Robinson has accumulated 600 total yards and nine touchdowns.

There's no doubt Robinson ran the ball more than the coaching staff had in mind, but the Wolverines now have a few extra weeks of practice and the spring to further tweak the offense.

Limiting Robinson's carries during the season, most likely allowed him to be in one piece against the Buckeyes.

Recruiting Ohio

There no doubt, recruiting Ohio has been difficult during the reign of ex-OSU coach Jim Tressel. Losing seven straight to the Buckeyes didn't help either.

Despite the hiring of Urban Meyer, Ohio State will have to fight through the upcoming NCAA sanctions. And the Buckeyes will also have to deal with Brady Hoke's recruiting machine.

The Wolverines have basically guaranteed themselves a top-five recruiting class for 2012, and are making inroads for 2013. 

No less than 14 prospects from the ripe State of Ohio were present at the Ohio State game.

Also in attendance was 5-star Canton, Ohio running back Bri'onte Dunn, who committed to the Buckeyes in Sept. 2010, but has been looking elsewhere.

With Dunn at the game was his cousin, 2013 Michigan commit Dymonte Thomas, a 6'3" safety from Alliance, Ohio. 

Coach Meyer, who's had quite a bit of success at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida, is a fan of the spread offense. Dunn, who's more of an I-formation tailback, may now be leaning  toward the Wolverines.  

"I know (Meyer's) a winning coach and I know in the past he ran the spread," Dunn told cantonRep.com. "I have to talk to him to see, but I don’t want to go to a school that runs the spread.”

Under Hoke, Michigan is slowing transitioning away from the spread and into a power-I/west coast offense. 

A Solid Returning Nucleus  

Other than center, defensive tackle and tight end, Michigan's starting lineup will be intact in 2012. 

Robinson, Fitz Toussaint, Stephen Hopkins, Jeremy Gallon and Taylor Lewan will be among the returning starters on offense, while Jordan Kovacs, Kenny Demens and Craig Roh will lead the defense. There's also a good chance Darryl Stonum will return after a disciplinary redshirt season in 2011.

Yes, the Wolverines are back, and we can all look for a brighter 2012. That is, of course, if they get by Alabama in the season opener.