The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1523593
36 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Junior cornerback Will Johnson was named the CFP National Championship Defensive Player of the Game after notching 4 tackles and 1 interception against the Washington Huskies. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF Top Five Goals In 2023 Michigan won't be favored to win a fourth straight Big Ten title, but the Wolverines still have plenty of talent returning. Here are the top five goals for the 2024 team in head coach Sherrone Moore's first year. 1. Head into the finale at Ohio State with a chance to make the title game. Yes, one of the top goals on the board inside Schembechler Hall each year is to win the Big Ten. That won't change. At the same time, there are very few teams (if any) that can lose 18 players to the NFL and not take a step back. The defense is good enough to keep these Wolverines in every game, and there's talent on offense. The schedule is brutal, though — they'll need to win at least one of Oregon and USC at home, and, most likely, at Washington to set up a game at OSU in which the winner heads to Indianapolis. 2. Make the playoff. This year's College Football Playoff will feature 12 teams, and that means some two-loss teams are going to make it … maybe even a three-loss squad. Last year, for example, LSU was just on the cusp with a 9-3 record, followed by a handful of other three-loss squads. Again, the Wolverines have the defense, and with a tough schedule, they could also potentially have a résumé in which three losses gets them in. 3. Find the right combination on the offensive line. There's a lot of talent up front, but these guys haven't played together much. Veteran Myles Hinton is a question mark at left tackle — can he pass block well enough? — and there aren't many "true" left tackle options behind him. The Wolverines will be breaking in a new center, as well (likely senior Greg Crip- pen), and will have at least three starters who haven't played much college football. How they jell could determine how quickly the offense clicks. 4. Figure out the quarterback position. And not just for this year, but the future. The Wolverines didn't have a true heir apparent to J.J. McCarthy ready to go, failed to secure a better option from the portal this spring and now must hope one of Alex Orji, Jack Tuttle or Davis Warren emerges at the position. Freshman Jadyn Davis is still considered to be a year away from starting material but his talent is evident. U-M has its class of 2025 quarterback in Carter Smith from Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot. If the Wolverines don't have their guy this year, they also need to be flexible and prepared to move swiftly in the portal, which has become a high-stakes game for top QBs. 5. Continue progress on the NIL front. This made the list last year, and the collectives stepped up to nearly triple their contributions. They'll be the first to admit they need more given that some rivals are reportedly doubling them in "salary cap."