The Wolverine

2020 Football Preview

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 51 What are your expectations for year two of the Josh Gattis offense? Bender: There should be more continu- ity than last year. The difference between the near-disaster against Army and the late- season streak before the Ohio State loss was striking. Michigan really did turn a corner in the second half of the loss to Penn State, but how far it goes depends on whether Dylan McCaffrey or Joe Milton really takes off in that starting quarterback role. There are plenty of other questions, and the Wolverines averaged 31.7 points per game last season. If they want to seriously contend for a Big Ten championship, then that number needs to jump by at least a touchdown. That won't be easy. Lassan: I like what Gattis and Harbaugh had working over the second half of the sea- son, but the quarterback battle and offensive line remain unsettled going into the fall. And with a limited offseason, the offense could be a work in progress early in the season, espe- cially with a tough path against Washington, Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan State and Minnesota all in the first seven games. I think we may see the Wolverines have an up-and-down start to the 2020 season. How- ever, I expect this group to improve over the second half of the year and finish on a high note to give Harbaugh and Gattis a strong foundation for 2021. Patterson: I'm not expecting the offense to "take off" to start the year because of the turn- over at quarterback and on the offensive line. Seeing how that switch flipped in the Penn State game confirmed the coaches' assess- ment that the offense was "close" during a bumpy start to the year, and certainly the strong finish is proof positive that Harbaugh made a great hire in bringing Gattis to Ann Arbor. Michigan's offense could even be really good against average or lesser opponents, but Washington, Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State could be four of top 15-20 defenses in the entire country. Gattis' influence might be felt the most in 2020 by what he's able to do from a game-planning perspective against those elite units more than sky-high season totals or averages in the stat book. Rittenberg: There's a chance for contin- ued progress, but so much depends on the quarterback spot and whether he can be an elite player or just an adequate one. Gattis' track record at wide receiver is excellent, and I expect a really good year from that group. Michigan has a nice group of backs, and the offensive line could be a strength. But it really comes down to McCaffrey and Milton, and whether the starter performs at his best on the biggest stages. VanHaaren: The offense is replacing a lot along the offensive line, and obviously there are some questions about who takes over at quarterback and how ready they are. Both bring a lot to the table. McCaffrey has more experience but has also had some injury issues, including a concussion last season against Wisconsin. That being said, there are quite a few op- tions at receiver, and the running back spot has some of its best options in a while. Those pieces at receiver and running back are going to be key for moving this offense forward. If you want speed in space, you have to have re- ceivers who have speed and can create space. They have those players on the roster now, and while they're still inexperienced, they are what this offense needed. I don't think the offense will come out of the gates on all cylinders, but I do think the offense will hit a stride and start to perform at a higher level, closer to what Gattis had envisioned in the beginning. Will Harbaugh finish his career at Michigan, or do you see another NFL stop in his future? Bender: The next two or three years will be interesting because I'm not sure even Har- baugh could withstand a 0-7 or 0-8 record against the Buckeyes. I truly believe he wants to finish his career in Ann Arbor, but keep in mind he has the fifth-best winning percentage among NFL coaches with at least four years of experi- ence. That carrot will always be there, but I'll take Harbaugh at his word. He stays with the Wolverines. Lassan: This is an interesting question, as I can envision the NFL making a run at Harbaugh if Michigan underachieves or un- certainty remains about his contract following the 2020 season. However, I'm going to guess Harbaugh remains in Ann Arbor and finishes out his coaching career at Michigan. Patterson: As long as he's healthy, I ex- pect Jim Harbaugh to be coaching football. Whether that's at Michigan, in the NFL or at Western Kentucky, I think he's going to be an active part of the coaching community. My gut says his willingness to coach will outlast his Michigan tenure, but that's tied more to my belief that he'll be coaching well into his 60s and possibly beyond. If Michigan wants to be the place where he finishes his career, then I think he'll do it. I just don't know what the institutional attention span or long-range plan looks like from Michigan's side of things. I'll say this: there's no one better in the country to run Michigan's program right now than Jim Har- baugh, and I don't see that changing in the near future. Rittenberg: Another NFL spot remains likely, unless Michigan turns a corner and starts winning the Big Ten regularly. You could argue Harbaugh won't leave until he breaks through against Ohio State, but I also wonder how long he can resist the NFL pull if the program keeps falling short against its archrival. VanHaaren: I don't think Harbaugh would leave without accomplishing something ma- jor, as in winning a conference championship or national championship. I don't believe he would come back to Michigan only to leave without anything tangible to hang his hat on or add to the history books. Like I said earlier, I think he has a solid staff right now that can help build the pro- gram he wants at Michigan, so I think he'd want to see that through. He's 56 years old, has his kids growing up in Ann Arbor, where he grew up, I think a lot of that means some- thing to him. If I had to guess, I would think he finishes his career at Michigan. I don't know what NFL job could open up that would be able to offer him more than what he has at Michigan, not just monetarily but overall. ❑ "There's no one better in the country to run Michigan's program right now than Jim Harbaugh, and I don't see that changing in the near future." CHIP PATTERSON, CBS SPORTS WRITER Our expert panel was encouraged by the U-M offense's improvement under coordinator Josh Gattis throughout last season and feels his attack will only become more effective as he recruits more ideal fits to Ann Arbor. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL

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