University of Michigan
OVERVIEW: It didn’t take coach Brady Hoke long to make the Wolverines a national power once again. After three unceremonious seasons under former coach Rich Rodriguez, Hoke, in his first year as coach, led Michigan to 11 wins last season and an overtime victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl in January. Now it’s time to see if Hoke and the Wolverines can keep it up and maybe even accomplish more, like a Big Ten title.
OFFENSE: The offense returns five players, including the most important, quarterback Denard Robinson. Last year the 6’0″, 195-pound Robinson ran for 1,176 yards and 16 touchdowns and threw for 2,173 yards and 20 touchdowns. Three of the five starting linemen also return, but Robinson will be without some of his weapons from a year ago. Wide receivers Martavious Odoms and Junior Hemmingway have graduated, and running back Fitzgerald Toussaint has been suspended by Hoke indefinitely for an drunk driving arrest earlier this summer. Plus, wide receiver Roy Roundtree just had arthroscopic knee surgery, leaving his immediate future in doubt, so there are questions on the offensive side of the ball heading into the season.
DEFENSE: The good news on the defensive side of the ball is that the Wolverines return six of the starting back seven players from a season ago. The bad news is that three of the four starting defensive linemen, including second-team All-Big Ten defensive tackle Mike Martin, are gone. What that possibly means in a conference where teams like to run the ball is that teams may be able to run better on Michigan. Safety Jordan Kovacs and linebackers Jake Ryan, Kenny Demens, and Desmond Morgan will have something to say about that.
OUR TAKE: Here at High School Sports Scene, we think if the Wolverines can pass a huge test in week one and beat defending national champion Alabama at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, the sky could be the limit for Hoke and his team. And there is a good possibility that the Wolverines could win their first Big Ten title since 2004. But that’s a big “if.”
COACH’S COMMENT: “Last year, we had a group of seniors that came together and did a tremendous job of leading the football team. And at the same time, those guys who were juniors, or those guys who played a lot of football, understand now the expectations are in their hands. And we’re excited about that, but we had a disappointing year a year ago when you don’t win the Big Ten championship. And at Michigan, we’ve not won that championship since 2004,” Hoke said at this year’s Big Ten Media Day.
SCHEDULE:
9/1 Alabama 7 p.m. at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas
9/8 AIR FORCE 3:30 p.m.
9/15 MASSACHUSETTS 3:30 p.m.
9/22 Notre Dame 7:30 p.m.
10/6 Purdue 4 p.m.
10/13 ILLINOIS 3:30 p.m.
10/20 MICHIGAN STATE TBA
10/27 Nebraska 7 p.m.
11/3 Minnesota TBA
11/10 NORTHWESTERN TBA
11/17 IOWA TBA
11/24 Ohio State noon