The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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4 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2024 REALITY CHECK & SOME PERSPECTIVE After Michigan's historic three-year run culminating with a National Champion- ship, I don't think the Wolverines can real- istically make the 12-team College Football Playoff until the 2026 season. Not only did they lose almost the entire starting of- fense, this included two of Michigan's best ever at QB and RB. J.J. McCarthy is an elite talent and the first real standout at the position since Chad Henne. Blake Corum (a vastly more talented Mike Hart) was a walking first-down machine and the heart of that championship team. Michigan also lost key pieces from the deepest defense in the country, which allowed them to stay fresh until the final whistle. Also, Jim Harbaugh and that staff are arguably the finest in Michi- gan's storied history. Most are now gone to the NFL. I see Michigan going 8-4 at best this year and 6-6 at worst. 2025 might not be much better with a road game at Okla- homa and a Big Ten that looks to be even tougher with great proven coaches at Ne- braska and Michigan State. Harbaugh has to take some of the blame for this plight and leaving Sherrone Moore and his staff in a tough position. Harbaugh's NFL flirtations (and also NIL pay-for-play) prevented Michigan from truly capitalizing on that three-year run in recruiting. The failure to bring in a top QB prospect in every class is glar- ing. In addition, the uncertainty of Har- baugh's NFL intentions and J.J.'s NFL de- cision prevented Michigan from having a chance with the top transfer portal QBs last December. To reach the 2026 playoffs, the staff must finish off the 2025 class strong and then hit the transfer portal hard. They need to get a top-flight QB to be a bridge until Jadyn Davis, Carter Smith or Brady Hart are ready. They also need a proven #! receiver and a couple of DTs since Ma- son Graham and Kenneth Grant likely will skip their senior years to enter the NFL draft. Then, they need to have a truly elite 2026 class. If they do these things, Michi- gan should have the talent and depth to win the Big Ten in 2026 and at the very least make the 12-team playoff. So, give Moore time and don't judge him until af- ter that season. As a subscriber to The Wolverine for over 34 years, the recruiting coverage has never been better since EJ Holland arrived. He also loves cats and hates Notre Dame, so you know he is a good guy! Kevin G. Smith Orange, Calif. October 2024 • Vol. 36, No. 4 ISSN 1048-9940 TheWolverine.com Senior Editor Chris Balas Senior Writer John Borton Staff Writers Clayton Sayfie Anthony Broome EJ Holland Zach Libby Drew Hallett Contributing Editors Stu Coman Matt Herb Cathy Jones Chris Riffer Steve Downey Layout And Design Jeanette Blankenship, Chris Miller Contributing Photographers Lon Horwedel, Per Kjeldsen, Dominick Sokotoff Cover Photo Lon Horwedel Editor & Publisher Mark Panus Business Analyst Sarah Boone Circulation Manager Tristin Shears Advertising Sales Maria Taustine (502) 552-4390 Customer Service Crystal Clayton, Cathy Jones (800) 421-7751 The Wolverine is published monthly. A one-year (12 issues) subscription is $74.99. The Wolverine is printed at The Papers in Milford, Ind. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Wolverine, P.O. Box 2331, Durham, NC 27702. Periodical postage paid at Durham, NC 27702 and additional offices. 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