The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 125 East Division 1. Ohio State (11-1 overall, 8-1 Big Ten): The Buckeyes are loaded at just about every position after returning 15 starters from a 2016 team that went 11-2 and made the College Football Playoff. Their biggest keys to success this fall will be how sophomore H-back Demario McCall performs in place of the departed Curtis Samuel, and whether or not sophomore receivers Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor can be the leaders of a receiving unit that was subpar in 2016. 2. (tie) Penn State (10-2, 7-2): The Nittany Lions return 18 starters from their 2016 Big Ten championship team and should be even better in 2017. Like Ohio State, Penn State appears to be stacked at every position — led by redshirt junior quarterback Trace McSorely and junior running back Saquon Barkley — so the biggest question will be whether or not it can sustain the same level of success it experienced during the second half of last season. 2. (tie) Michigan (10-2, 7-2): Although U-M returns just five starters from last year's 10-3 squad, it has recruited at an extremely high level in recent years and is very talented — but also very young and inexperienced. Michigan will likely start six sophomores on defense alone, and their performance — along with the development of redshirt junior quarter- back Wilton Speight and a mostly inexpe- rienced offensive line — will determine whether or not the Wolverines remain among the nation's elite in 2017. 4. (tie) Michigan State (7-5, 4-5): Fol- lowing an embarrassing 3-9 season, the Spartans are one of the toughest teams in the conference to project. A lot will depend on the play of redshirt sopho- more quarterback Brian Lewerke. He has a talented backfield to work with in junior LJ Scott and fifth-year senior Gerald Holmes, and a budding star at receiver in sophomore Donnie Corley, but question marks surround several other areas on the team. 4. (tie) Indiana (6-6, 4-5): The Hoosiers played in back-to-back bowl games under former head coach Kevin Wilson, but his dismissal due to alleged player mistreat- ment has the program at a bit of a crossroads. The schedule is brutal for new coach Tom Allen, but if Indiana can get consistent play out of fifth-year senior quarterback Richard Lagow and find a replacement for early NFL draft entrant Devine Redding at running back, the Hoosiers could extend their bowl streak. 6. Maryland (4-8, 2-7): DJ Durkin took the Terrapins to a bowl game during his first season on the job last year, but returning to one is going to be a daunting task. Mary- land's running game (199.5 yards per game) ranked fourth in the Big Ten last year, and returns junior Ty Johnson and sophomore Lorenzo Harrison. However, the Terps don't appear to be particularly strong anywhere else, with the exception of linebacker. 7. Rutgers (3-9, 1-8): The Scarlet Knights were arguably the worst power confer- ence team in the country last season, so they have nowhere to go but up in head coach Chris Ash's second season. The emergence of redshirt junior quarterback Giovanni Rescigno late last season and the return of fifth-year senior receiver/ special teams standout Janarion Grant from injury are positives, but Rutgers likely will only be favored in two or three games this fall. West Division 1. Wisconsin (9-3, 7-2): The Badgers have seven starters, plus more with start- ing experience, back on a defense that ranked seventh nationally last year (301.4 yards allowed per game). If redshirt sophomore quarterback Alex Hornibrook continues to progress and the duo of redshirt junior Chris James and redshirt sophomore Bradrick Shaw are as good as advertised at running back, the Bad- gers should repeat as West division champs. 2. (tie) Northwestern (9-3, 6-3): With 16 starters back, expect the Wildcats to carry the momentum from last year's 6-3 finish into this season. Redshirt junior quarterback Clayton Thorson and senior running back Justin Jackson should be one of the better backfield duos in the country, and a secondary that was the worst in the conference last year should actually now be a strength with the return of injured redshirt junior cornerback Keith Watkins. 2. (tie) Nebraska (8-4, 6-3): After a 7-0 start, the Cornhuskers lost four of their final six games. Things are headed in the right direction in Lin- coln, though, and 2017 could exceed expectations if redshirt junior quar- terback Tanner Lee is better than an- ticipated. There are some major ques- tion marks — most notably the front seven on defense — that need to be answered, but it helps that Wisconsin, Ohio State and Northwestern all come to Lincoln. 4. Minnesota (7-5, 5-4): Former head coach Tracy Claeys had a very success- ful 9-4 season in 2016, but was fired due to off-the-field issues, which led to the hiring of the highly coveted P.J. Fleck. The Gophers are actually in de- cent shape at every position on the field, with the exception of quarterback — fifth-year senior Connor Rhoda will likely be the starter, but he has little game experience. 5. Iowa (6-6, 3-6): The Hawkeyes took a step backward last year, finishing a disappointing 8-5. With record-breaking quarterback C.J. Beathard off to the NFL, it's fair to expect more regression, especially considering how poorly his potential replacements — sophomore Nathan Stanley and redshirt junior Tyler Wiegers — played in the spring game. The defense should be outstanding for the Hawkeyes, but other than fifth-year senior running back Akrum Wadley Iowa doesn't have any weapons on offense. 6. (tie) Illinois (4-8, 2-7): The Illini stumbled to a 3-9 finish in head coach Lovie Smith's debut campaign and return only eight starters (five offense and three defense) in 2017. The receiving duo of senior Malik Turner and redshirt junior Mike Dudek is one of the few bright spots on a team that will probably be fa- vored in only one conference game. 6. (tie) Purdue (3-9, 2-7): Jeff Brohm — who posted a 30-10 record at Western Kentucky — has been hired to turn things around in West Lafayette. With some tutelage, redshirt junior quarterback David Blough could actually turn into one of the better signal-callers in the conference, but a defense that ranked 91st nationally last year will be the main issue. Ohio State Over Wisconsin: If fifth-year senior quarterback J.T. Barrett stays healthy, Ohio State should be the team that emerges from a loaded East. Penn State and Michigan will both challenge for the division title, but the Buckeyes have the most tal- ent of anyone in the conference. Wisconsin, on the other hand, ap- pears to be the best team in the West. The Badgers' defense would certainly keep a potential championship game against Ohio State close, but the offense won't be able to put up enough points to win against the Buckeyes. Ohio State 28, Wisconsin 14 Athlon dubbed new Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck the second-best hire in the country this offseason, grading it an 'A.' PHOTO COURTESY MINNESOTA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Big Ten Championship Game Prediction Predicted Order Of Finish