The Michigan Wolverines won their first Big Ten title in 17 years last season. Jim Harbaugh was finally able to beat rivals Ohio State, and the Wolverines made the College Football Playoff for the first time. This team is going to take a step back in 2022 though without standout defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and star linebacker David Ojabo. Hutchinson and Ojabo combined for 25 of Michigan’s 34 sacks last year, so this defense won’t be nearly as disruptive as it was in 2021.
Regular Season Wins for the Michigan Wolverines
Over 9.5 -142
Under 9.5 +122
Jim Harbaugh has led the Wolverines to four 10-win seasons in his seven years in Ann Arbor. Michigan has finished with 10 or more regular season wins three times under Harbaugh, so this line takes his recent history into account.
Roster
Michigan has the potential to have one of the best offenses in the country this season. Nine starters return from last year’s team, including starting quarterback Cade McNamara and dangerous backup J.J. McCarthy.
McNamara completed 64.2% of his passes for 2,576 yards (7.9 YPA) with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions last season. He is the better passing option, while McCarthy is used in certain packages because of his mobility.
The offensive line is one of the best in the nation, only allowing 14 sacks last season. Three of five starters return from last year’s unit including Second Team All-Big 10 left tackle Ryan Hayes and guards Zak Zinter and Trevor Keegan. Center Olusegun Oluwatimi transfers in after starting for three years at Virginia, and Karsen Barnhart has experience at a few positions up front.
Hassan Haskins is now in the NFL, but Blake Corum was the more effective back for the Wolverines last year. Corum ran for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging a whopping 6.6 YPC last season. Donovan Edwards should be the No. 2 back, and he showed explosiveness as a freshman in 2021.
The receiving corps will get a big boost with the return of Ronnie Bell. He missed all of last season due to injury, but he is back and should be one of the top options for McNamara. Cornelius Johnson was an all-conference pick last year and is the leading returning receiver, and tight end Erick All should be an all-conference selection in 2022.
The Wolverines may have some real issues on defense this season, especially early in the schedule. Eight underclassmen are expected to start for Michigan, so there are going to be some growing pains.
This secondary should be the strength of the defense as D.J. Turner and R.J. Moten were solid as starters last year, and Gemon Green and Rod Moore each started several games. However, the front seven only has two returning starters, and the defensive line won’t be able to get the same pressure it did last year only rushing four.
Taylor Upshaw is the top returning pass rusher on the roster, but he only recorded 2.5 sacks last year. He will have to bring those numbers up in a big way, as there doesn’t look to be another pass rushing threat. Mike Morris is more of a stand-up defensive end, and Mazi Smith is a run stuffer in the middle of the defensive line.
Schedule
The good news for Michigan is that this non-conference schedule is not difficult, giving a young team time to come together. The Wolverines should have no trouble against any of the teams they face in September, and their first tough game will come on October 1 when they have to face Iowa in Iowa City. They are going to be sizeable underdogs on the road against Ohio State at the end of the season, but that is the only game where they definitely won’t be favored.
Prediction
This is a tough call as Michigan will likely win either 9 or 10 games in 2022. The Wolverines only have two difficult road games, and they get to face Penn State and Michigan State at home. Because of the juice, the ‘Under’ is the play here, and the Wolverines can’t afford many injuries on defense given the lack of depth on that side of the ball.
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