Michigan Wolverines Preview, Predictions & Season Win Total Pick

sportsgrid.com

14 August 2023

Jim Harbaugh’sMichigan WolverinesCollege Football Playoff appearance in 2022. From the hot seat to the king of the Big Ten, the headman and his Wolverines proved there was nothing fluky about their success. After winning 12 games in 2021 and 13 in 2022, the Wolverines are shooting for at least 14 wins in 2023.

Michigan Wolverines Preview

2022 Record: 13-1 (9-0); Big Ten Finish: 1st in B1G East (Big Ten Champs)

Head Coach:Jim Harbaugh:Overall: 132-52

Offensive Coordinator: Sherrone Moore (3rd Year; 6th w/ UM)

Co-Defensive Coordinator: Jesse Minter (2nd Year), Steve Clinkscale (2nd Year; 3rd w/ UM)

Michigan Wolverines Futures FanDuel Odds

National Championship Odds: +850 | CFB Playoff Odds: +125

B1G Championship Odds: +180 | B1G East Odds: +120

Win 10+ Games: -550 | Undefeated Regular Season: +250

Regular Season Wins: OVER 10.5 -148 | UNDER 10.5 +120

Michigan Predictions & Picks:Buy or Sell B1G | Buy or Sell National Championship

Michigan Preview: Why You Should Be Bullish

The trenches! Michigan is loaded on both sides of the ball along the line of scrimmage. The Joe Moore Award-winning O-line (for the second-straight season) returns three starters, while they added three high-level transfers from the portal. By Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy’s count, the Wolverines have seven seniors with a chance to play at the next level. With at least eight B1G-starting caliber defenders, the D-line may be just as deep. Senior DT Kris Jenkins leads the way, while big things are expected from sophomores NT Mason Graham and EDGE Derrick Moore. The lines are a microcosm for a roster stacked with talent at every position.

Michigan Preview: Why You Should Be Bearish

There is only one potential weakness on this team: the CB2 and the overall depth at the cornerback position. There’s no shortage of candidates, but none are proven at this level. The favorite in the offseason was true sophomore Amorion Walker, a freaky athlete with sprinter speed at 6’3″ who is switching from wide receiver but is coming off a rough spring game. They added Josh Wallace (34 career starts) in the portal, but it remains to be seen how the UMass transfer fits. As fall camp gets underway, he appears to be the safest bet to win out (at least to start the season), with Ja’Den McBurrows also in the mix.

Breakout Player:CB Will Johnson, Sophomore

While Johnson isn’t coming out of nowhere, he didn’t make his first career start until November of last season. He made some All-Freshman teams, but the former five-star wasn’t even an All-B1G honorable mention. He was just scratching the surface. As a true sophomore, he’s expected to compete for All-American consideration while providing lockdown coverage as Michigan’s CB1. With eight tackles against OSU and two picks in the B1G Championship, Johnson flashed his elite talent. By season’s end, we could be tabbing Johnson as the best cover man in all of college football.

Michigan X-Factor:QB J.J. McCarthy, Junior

The former 5-Star recruit is an elite talent…by far the most gifted quarterback of the Jim Harbaugh era. The team’s ceiling is his. This is a very talented Michigan squad, but they’re a notch behind Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State in the battle of the (recruiting) stars. Those teams, who also happen to be the three programs ahead of the Wolverines on the National Championship odds board, are all breaking in a first-year starter at quarterback. If Michigan is to bridge the gap in 2023, the fastest path is through McCarthy, who has the arm, talent, and athleticism to be a first-round pick. If Michigan’s most important player has a special season, so will the Maize & Blue.

Michigan Schedule Analysis

For the second straight season, Michigan will not play an out-of-conference Power 5 opponent (East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green). They don’t leave Ann Arbor until September 30 (at Nebraska), avoid the top two teams in the B1G West (Wisconsin and Iowa), and might not play a ranked foe until November. That’s when things get tricky, as the Wolverines close the season with at Penn State, at Maryland, and vs. Ohio State. We should note that game in Happy Valley will not be a “white out” game, and Harbaugh is 2-0 in non-white-out games at Beaver Stadium. The last three weeks will be challenging, but the schedule is set up for success.

Michigan Prediction: OVER/UNDER 10.5 Wins

Michigan won 11 regular-season games in 2021 and 12 in 2022. This is Harbaugh’s best team at Ann Arbor, and the Wolverines could be the favorite to win every game this season, albeit a small one at Penn State (currently -2.5) and versus Ohio State (-1). Who else is beating them in the regular season? I’m not as bullish as I was on the Wolverines last season (9.5 wins) when it felt like the books were giving money away, but I’d be surprised if Michigan ends up with more than one loss going into December. It’s the only program in the Big Ten that returns its head coach, both coordinators, and starting quarterback. It’s playoff or bust.