Michigan Football Preview 2017

2017 Michigan Football Preview

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 137 BY RYAN TICE Ohio State returned just six starters in 2016 and still made the College Football Playoff despite the loss to Penn State, which allowed the Nittany Lions to sneak away with the conference title. The Buckeyes lost a few key pieces for this fall, but return far more proven experi‑ ence than they did a year ago, and they'll be looking for the clean sweep this year with a better ending than the 31‑0 defeat to Clem‑ son in the national semifinals. That was the first time in Urban Meyer's head coaching career that one of his teams was shut out. OSU's power spread has led the Big Ten in rushing each of the last two seasons, fin‑ ishing 11th nationally last year with an aver‑ age of 245.2 yards per game. It should be strong once again with Mike Weber now a redshirt sophomore following his 1,096‑yard and nine‑touchdown debut. Fifth‑year senior quarterback J.T. Barrett added 845 yards and nine scores of his own on the ground, and during his career the two‑ time top‑10 finisher in the Heisman Trophy voting has racked up 6,381 passing yards and 2,465 rushing yards with 100 combined touchdowns (69 passing). The duo will be operating behind one of the nation's best offensive lines. Four starters return up front, led by fifth‑year senior Billy Price, a first‑team All‑American who has started all 41 games the last three years and is making the same move that third‑round NFL Draft pick Pat Elflein made last year, shifting from guard to center for his final year of eligibility. Jamarco Jones, a second‑team All‑Big Ten choice last year, returns at left tackle and goes into the season ranked as the No. 2 senior tackle in the land by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. Offensive weapon Curtis Samuel will be missed after rushing for 771 yards and eight scores, but Weber can handle the increased workload. Samuel's absence will be more noticeable in the passing game — he hauled in 74 passes for 865 yards and seven scores. The second‑ and third‑leading receivers are also gone after combining for 59 catches for 754 yards and 12 scores. The squad's top four returning pass catch‑ ers combined for 66 receptions, 766 receiv‑ ing yards and five touchdown grabs in 2016, but redshirt junior Parris Campbell is ex‑ pected to emerge as the No. 1 option despite just 13 career catches. Senior tight end Mar‑ cus Baugh has the best numbers from last fall, having snared 24 passes for 269 yards and two scores. The wide receivers and tight ends were the only position group not ranked among the top 10 nationally by Athlon — but they still checked in at No. 21. The team's strongest unit is the defensive line, which boasts several All‑America candi‑ dates. Defensive ends Tyquan Lewis, a fifth‑ year senior who has paced the squad with eight sacks each of the last two years, and Sam Hub‑ bard, a redshirt junior who has 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in his first two years, were both first‑round choices in the way‑too‑early 2018 mock draft done by ESPN's Todd McShay. Behind Lewis and Hubbard are sophomore Nick Bosa, who debuted with seven tackles for loss and five sacks in limited action last year and is the younger brother of 2016 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Joey, and se‑ nior Jalyn Holmes, who had 8.5 tackles for loss in 2016. Both starters return at tackle, but sophomore Robert Landers (7.5 tackles for loss as a backup) might be the best there. The linebackers are similarly loaded, thanks to returning starters Jerome Baker, a junior, and Chris Worley, a fifth‑year senior. The two combined for 153 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and three interceptions a year ago. The secondary returns just one starter after sending three first‑round picks to the NFL, but like everywhere else former highly touted recruits will step in wherever there is a va‑ cancy — such is life at the top under Meyer. The program has averaged 12.2 wins per year in its five years with the coach, but cap‑ tured just one Big Ten crown. The Buckeyes enter a season where anything short of not only a conference title but also a national champion‑ ship would be considered a disappointment. Notes Ohio State "only" had seven NFL Draft picks in 2017 after sending 12, including five first-rounders and 10 among the top 100 selections, to the league the year before … The 2017 group featured six among the first 70 choices … Both coor- dinators are former Big Ten head coaches — second-year defensive boss Greg Schiano helmed Rutgers from 2001-11 (and the NFL's Buccaneers the following two seasons), while new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson led Indiana from 2011-16. ❏ Big Ten Favorite Buckeyes Are Stocked For Another Playoff Run 2017 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2016 Result Aug. 31 at Indiana W, 38-17 Sept. 9 Oklahoma W, 45-24 Sept. 16 Army — Sept. 23 UNLV — Sept. 30 at Rutgers W, 58-0 Oct. 7 Maryland W, 62-3 Oct. 14 at Nebraska W, 62-3 Oct. 28 Penn State L, 24-21 Nov. 4 at Iowa — Nov. 11 Michigan State W, 17-16 Nov. 18 Illinois — Nov. 25 at Michigan W, 30-27 (2OT) PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: Mike Weber, R-So., RB — With the losses at the skill positions, Weber will take on a much bigger role in the offense … The 5-10, 214-pound Detroit na - tive is one of just two returning letter winners in the backfield (sophomore Demario McCall is the other) … The Big Ten Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference choice averaged 6.0 yards per carry and hauled in 23 passes (al - though they gained just 91 yards). Defense: Tyquan Lewis, 5th-Sr., DE — The reigning Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year was the highest- ranked Ohio State product in the way-too-early 2018 mock draft done by ESPN's Todd McShay, coming off the board at No. 22 … ESPN cohort Mel Kiper Jr.'s No. 3 senior DE … In addition to last year's team-high eight sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, he forced three fumbles. Fifth-year senior J.T. Barrett is a two-time Big Ten Quarterback of the Year and enters 2017 with a 26-4 record as a starter. PHOTO COURTESY OHIO STATE ATHLETICS OHIO STATE BUCKEYES• NOV. 25 • GAME 12 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: U-M leads 58-49-6 First Meeting: U-M 34, OSU 0 (Oct. 16, 1897, at Ann Arbor) Last Meeting: OSU 30, U-M 27 (Nov. 26, 2016, at Columbus, Ohio) Head Coach: Urban Meyer, 61-6 at Ohio State (6th year) and 165-29 overall (16th year) 2016 In Review: 11-2 overall, 8-1 Big Ten (t-1st East) Final 2016 Ranking: No. 6 in Associated Press and coaches' polls Returning Starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense, 1 spe - cialist) Last Bowl Appearance: 2016 (Fiesta/CFP Semifinal, vs. Clemson, L 31-0) Big Ten Conference Championships (last): 35 (2014) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: J.T. Barrett (2,555 yards, 24 TD, 7 INT) Rushing: Mike Weber (1,096 yards, 9 TD) Receiving: Marcus Baugh (269 yards, 2 TD) Tackles: Jerome Baker (83) Sacks: Tyquan Lewis (8.0) Interceptions: Jerome Baker (2)

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