The Wolverine

2020 Football Preview

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 21 "To the extent that he was hired to make conference championships, major bowl games and top-10 finishes realistic expecta- tions again, mission accomplished," Athlon explained. "To the extent that he was hired specifically to beat Ohio State, on the other hand, the mission has turned into an alba- tross that has come to define his tenure. "… Barring a revelatory turn from a new quarterback, Dylan McCaffrey, the outlook against another loaded outfit in Columbus is just as bleak. Until that dynamic changes, the din surrounding Harbaugh's future can only get louder." Athlon also does an interesting segment each year where it speaks with anonymous football coaches to discuss other programs, with several giving their unfiltered takes on Harbaugh and the Wolverines in 2020. "It's crazy to think they're judged on Ohio State, because they've done a really fantas- tic job with the program and developing guys and recruiting, but it is what it is," one anonymous said. "When you look across the position groups at the NFL talent, when you look at their development and their schemes, this is as complete a program as you would want," another chimed in. "They're just falling short against their rival." LINDY'S They have Michigan picked slightly lower than Street & Smith's and Athlon do, pegging the Wolverines at No. 17 in the nation and third in the Big Ten East behind Ohio State and Penn State. "The defense looks like the strength of the squad, led by the line and secondary," the publication began, while discussing the good news for U-M in 2020. "The running back spot drips with talent, led by Zach Charbonnet." The bad news segment was obvious, fo- cusing on the team having to replace its quarterback and four offensive line starters. "Expect another good — not great — sea- son in Ann Arbor," Lindy's opined. "For Michigan to break through, the quarterback and O-line need to emerge. If that happens, OK, maybe Harbaugh finally gets over the hump. But it's a big hump." The publication named the team's return- ers at both wide receiver and running back as its biggest strengths, and also noted how the Maize and Blue have "players with NFL potential" on all three levels of the defense. "The Wolverines are very thin up front defensively and in need of more big skill in- side," they wrote while describing potential problems, to go along with the new starter at quarterback and a revamped offensive line. Lindy's tabbed Collins as the "team MVP" and Henning as the club's "top newcomer." "Michigan's best receiver last year, Collins is one of the best jump-ball receivers in the game," the publication noted. "He's physi- cal, big-bodied and draws double teams; needs more help from his QB, though." It referred to Henning as a "slippery of- fensive weapon" who is "cut from the same athletic cloth" as Jackson and another sopho- more, Mike Sainristil. The outlet had plenty of praise for other individuals as well, calling Paye the ninth- best defensive end in college football, Mc- Grone the 10th-best inside linebacker and fifth-year senior Will Hart the game's sixth- best punter. They had Mayfield as the fourth- best NFL prospect in the entire Big Ten and an "emerging star" for the Wolverines. Paye and Thomas landed on Lindy's All- Big Ten first team; while Mayfield, Mc- Grone and Hart were placed on the second team; and Charbonnet and Hutchinson were named to the third team. Lindy's only included one of Michigan's position units among the 10 best in college football, though, ranking the defensive line at No. 7 overall. "The Wolverines have done a good job stockpiling talent up front," Lindy's ex- plained. "This year's group has a collection of difference makers in Kwity Paye, Aidan Hutchinson, Carlo Kemp and Chris Hinton. [Redshirt freshman defensive tackle] Mazi Smith is a player staffers hope develops." Lindy's singled out 'Three Big Questions' for Michigan in 2020: "What's the big-pic- ture perspective for Jim Harbaugh? What are the choices at QB? Who will become the new viper?" The magazine also tabbed U-M's "Key Number" as 118, which are the total amount of points U-M has given up to OSU each of the past two years. They opined that the number is "indicative of not enough speed on U-M's defense versus elite teams." Three U-M contests ranked the top 16 conference and best 16 non-conference games nationally for the 2020 season: the opener at Washington (sixth, non-confer- ence), and the Big Ten tilts with Ohio State (sixth, conference) and Penn State (15th, conference). Lindy's began its final overview of U-M's 2020 campaign by explaining that the club underachieved last season, and will have an even younger roster this time around. "The Wolverines will look to find a way out of the rut they've found themselves in over the past three seasons under Jim Har- baugh — who is now entering his sixth year without a Big Ten title or a playoff appear- ance," the publication concluded. ❑ Lindy's identified redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield (No. 73) as the fourth- best NFL prospect in the entire Big Ten and an "emerging star" for the Maize and Blue. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Michigan In 2020 Bowl Projections Street & Smith's — Citrus vs. LSU Athlon — Outback vs. Tennessee SportingNews.com — Outback vs. Auburn CollegeFootballNews.com — Outback vs. Auburn SaturdayTradition.com — Outback vs. Tennessee 247Sports.com — Outback vs. Auburn Note: Lindy's did not make bowl projections

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