2 0 1 8 S E A S O N P R E V I E W
2017 RECORD 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten
COACH Jim Harbaugh (28-11 in three
seasons at Michigan; career record: 86-
38)
SERIES RECORD The Wolverines lead
the all-time series, 13-8.
MOST RECENT MEETING Saquon
Barkley and Trace McSorley scored three
touchdowns apiece, as Penn State
romped to a 42-13 victory over visiting
Michigan in front of a White Out crowd
on Oct. 21, 2017.
EXPECTED STRENGTHS The NCAA
might have solved the Wolverines'
biggest problem when it cleared quar-
terback Shea Patterson to play in 2018. A
ense's struggles. Harbaugh has de-
scribed Michigan's o>-season QB battle
as a four-man race, but it would be a
surprise if the 6-foot-2, 203-pound
Patterson doesn't prevail. On the other
side of the ball, Michigan should have a
terri a strong season in which he hit
11 of 13 ense, Young and
Kelly-Martin saw limited action last
year, combining to rush for 377 yards. On
defense, the biggest concern is the line-
backer corps, where three new starters
must be found following the graduation
of Ben Niemann, Bo Brower and Big Ten
Defensive Player of the Year Josey Jewell.
That trio combined for 122 starts over the
course of their careers, so there's not
much experience returning here. Even
the upperclassmen haven't played much,
except for special teams duty.
SCHEDULE Do you remember a few
years ago when Iowa parlayed a favorable
schedule
(among other things) into a
berth in the Big Ten Championship Game
and a surprising shot at the College Foot-
ball Playo>? We're not saying that's
going to happen again in 2018… but holy
cow, just look at this slate: All three of the
Hawkeyes' nonconference games (vs.
Northern Illinois, Iowa State and North-
ern Iowa) will take place at Kinnick Sta-
dium, as will three of their toughest Big
Ten games (Wisconsin, Northwestern
and Nebraska). The schedule is also note-
worthy for what it
doesn't contain. The
Hawkeyes will only have to face one
member of the East Division's top eche-
lon, as Ohio State, Michigan and Michi-
gan State do not appear on their slate this
year. They do face Penn State at Beaver
Stadium, where they were pounded 41-14
in 2016. But otherwise, this schedule is
the de an upset in the
teams' Big Ten opener, it's not inconceiv-
able that they could be unbeaten heading
into their Oct. 27 visit to Beaver Stadium.
OUTLOOK The longest-tenured active
coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision,
Ferentz is one victory away from sur-
passing Hayden Fry as the winningest
coach in Iowa history. With seven
starters back on o>ense and six on de-
fense, it shouldn't take him long to get
that win. Nor should he have much
trouble building on his lead against a
schedule that is over=owing with
winnable games. It's hard to say at this
early juncture how Scott Frost's arrival
at Nebraska will shi@ the balance of
power in the Big Ten's West Division. It
