The Wolverine

September 2022

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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8 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2022 T he 2022 season marks the wel- come return of a time-honored companion Wolverine fans age 20 and under can't even remember. No, they didn't find Charles Woodson an extra year of eligibility. No, a resurrected Bo Schembechler won't be pulling on the aviators and crashing clipboards. This for- mer inhabitant of Michigan Stadium has maize and blue onlookers counting down the final days with breathless anticipation. His name is Expectations. He's been away far too long. Sure, he peeked in at the beginning of the Har- baugh era, although a big rebuild re- mained. He even ducked in momen- tarily after the 2011 season but exited faster than the Crisler Arena crowd in a blowout on a snowy night. Not since Mike Hart and Chad Henne roamed The Big House as players have expectations been so strong. A bully- ing win over Ohio State and a Big Ten championship will do that. Even Jim Harbaugh isn't afraid to ver- balize the swagger he's bringing into 2022. He loves his team and won't shy from projecting goals greatness. "They got their experience being a champion, winning the championship, beating Ohio State … it's transforma- tional for the rest of their life," Harbaugh said of the 2021 Wolverines. "That was great. Now let's see if we can get all four goals — let's beat Michigan State and Ohio State in the same year, let's win the Big Ten championship, and let's win the national championship. Those are our four goals. Let's go attack them." Big talk for a program two years re- moved from a 2-4 season. In reality, this crew stands light years removed from that COVID-infected disaster. The 2022 Wolverines stand more armed and adept than any team Michigan has fielded since 2006, with the possible exception of last year's crew. Harbaugh — who shuns comparisons like he shuns skim milk — touched on that recently. "We're in a better place right now than we were a year ago at this time, and possibly than where we left off last season," Harbaugh insisted. The Wolverines' weighty upside in- cludes: • The best quarterback situation in Harbaugh's tenure, and arguably the most talented since Tom Brady and Drew Hen- son stood one-two. Senior Cade McNa- mara guided the '21 crew to a 15-point win over Ohio State, a blowout victory in the Big Ten Championship Game and a first- ever College Football Playoff contest. By all accounts, he's improved this offseason. Despite all that, sophomore J.J. McCar- thy looms talented enough to be legiti- mately challenging for the starting role. For a coach and a program, that's perfect. • Harbaugh indicated U-M's offensive line could be even better than last year's — the one earning the Joe Moore Award as the best big uglies in the nation. • The running backs, wide receivers and tight ends rooms are ridiculously stocked. Harbaugh insists U-M features the two top tight ends in the nation in seniors Erick All and Luke Schoonmaker. • Returning kicking standouts in grad placekicker Jake Moody and grad punter Brad Robbins. And the defense? No Aidan Hutchin- son, no David Ojabo, no Daxton Hill, etc. No problem, the man in the big of- fice insists. "I have been part of many a team where the no-star defense was the better de- fense," Harbaugh said. "There's more competition within the position groups, and there's more guys hungry like David Ojabo was a year ago — hungry to be great. "As I watch it, I have a sneaky suspicion that we could even be better on defense." Or as senior defensive tackle Mazi Smith puts it, with a smoldering de- fiance: "Just keep doubting. Just keep doubting …" Here's a quick four-quarter look at why Michigan should be no worse than 10-1 heading to Columbus in late November. First Quarter — Colorado State, Hawaii, Connecticut Sure, anything can happen. But it won't. These three teams went a com- bined 10-27 last year and enter 2022 awash in issues. A flood of inexperi- enced Wolverines ought to see extensive action in this extended tune-up. Second Quarter — Maryland, at Iowa, at Indiana Playing in Kinnick Stadium can be a bear. But an expected noon start should take plenty of corn starch out of those close-as-your-earwax Iowa fans, and the Hawkeyes aren't a great match-up for Michigan — check the title game video. Indiana in Bloomington has been scary, but the Hoosiers stalled last season. T hird Quarter — Penn State, Michigan State, at Rutgers It says here, win the first two of these and march into Hades' Horseshoe unde- feated. That won't be easy, but the Wol- verines possess the horses, and in the case of Gang Green, extreme motivation. Fourth Quarter — Nebraska, Illi- nois, at Ohio State The Cornhuskers gave Michigan fits last year. But this isn't a night game in Lincoln. Prediction: the finale will be for entrance into the Big Ten Champi- onship Game and, ultimately, for the conference title. Nothing guaranteed, but … "That's definitely our goal, to win the championship again," Harbaugh said. "We'll fight like hell for Michigan to get that done." ❏ WOLVERINE WATCH   JOHN BORTON An Old Friend Returns To Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh said "We're in a better place right now than we were a year ago … possibly than where we left off last season." PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Editor John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter @JB_Wolverine.

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