The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 15 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Women's lacrosse midfielder Annabelle Burke has yet to compete in her first collegiate contest at Michigan, after coming to Ann Arbor from her hometown of Glenview, Ill. She has brought quite the résumé with her to Michigan, having earned All-America honors during her sophomore through se- nior seasons at Loyola Academy in the northern Chicago suburb of Wil- mette. Burke also helped lead her high school club to a 26-2 record and a lacrosse state championship during her freshman campaign, a dose of first-year success she'll look to repeat in her new home. Here are a few other interesting facts you may not have known about her: Nickname: "Most people call me A.B. on the field, because Annabelle is kind of long." Favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor: "That's a hard one, but I'd have to go with Bigalora [Wood Fired Cucina]." Best meal she can cook by herself: "Avocado toast with mozzarella, to- mato and balsamic. It's hard to beat." Hobbies: "I like reading. I also have four younger sisters, so I enjoy baby- sitting." Favorite TV show: "I finished 'All- American' on Netflix during quarantine and really liked it. I can't wait for the next season to come out." Favorite movie: "'Parent Trap' or 'The Blind Side.' I can't decide between the two — they're both classics." Dream vacation: "Fiji would be pretty cool." Favorite place she's been to: "My grandma has a house on the beach in Groton Long Point, Conn. All my cousins and I go up there every summer and it's really fun. We tube and water ski there." Favorite professional athlete: "[Former New England Patriots and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quar- terback] Tom Brady. I'm a big Patriots fan." Role model: "My dad. He got me into lacrosse and is very outgoing and social. I try to be like him when- ever I meet new people." Why she chose Michigan: "It was the perfect combination of academ- ics, athletics and the social life. When I visited, the coaches and the girls were unlike any other team I'd ever seen. After stepping onto the field, I knew for sure I wanted to come here." What she hopes to do after la- crosse: "I hope to either be a law- yer or do something on the business side of things. I'm in the Ross School of Business, so my goal is to be the CEO of a big company. It's a little far- fetched, but it's a dream of mine." Her overall experience at Michi- gan: "I've loved it and have nothing bad to say. My team is awesome and the older girls have all been great — I look up to them so much. I also love the coaches and the school in general. My classes are all interesting and the professors have been very accommodating." — Austin Fox Burke was a three-time high school All-American, earning national honors in her sophomore through seniors seasons. PHOTO COURTESY ANNABELLE BURKE Getting To Know Women's Lacrosse Freshman Midfielder Annabelle Burke The Big Ten released its third version of the 2020 football schedule following the reinstatement of the season, and Michigan's is one of the toughest in the conference. The Wolverines begin the campaign by taking on Minnesota on the road and face Wisconsin Nov. 14 for their second cross divisional game. Of course, the Maize and Blue will also take on in-division heavy- weights Ohio State (Dec. 12) and Penn State (Nov. 28), meaning the squad will face the four highest-ranked Big Ten foes possible from the Associated Press' pre- season poll (No. 24 Iowa was the only other conference program besides No. 16 U-M or a U-M foe to make the listing). Below is a breakdown of all eight of U-M's known regular-season opponents for this upcoming season, examining how they fared a year ago, and just how good they're projected to be heading into the late-fall season. National pre- season rankings were used so that all teams — the Big Ten and those that have already started playing — were evaluated on the same scale. It's important to note that ESPN's SP+ rankings take into account returning production, recent history and recruit- ing, while its Football Power Index (FPI) is a predictive rating system that mea- sures team strength and uses it to fore- cast game and season results. — Clayton Sayfie MICHIGAN AND ITS 2020 FOES IN PRESEASON RANKINGS Opponent 2019 Record AP Poll SP+ FPI Average* Ohio State 13-1 2 1 2 1.7 Penn State 11-2 7 7 5 6.3 Wisconsin 10-4 12 8 8 9.3 Michigan 9-4 16 21 16 17.6 Minnesota 11-2 19 20 20 19.7 Indiana 8-5 — 27 26 26.5 Michigan State 7-6 — 49 58 53.5 Maryland 3-9 — 77 68 72.5 Rutgers 2-10 — 106 83 94.5 * Not including AP Poll if the team did not make the top 25 TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT MICHIGAN'S REVAMPED SCHEDULE