Things are certainly different heading into the 2024 season for Michigan coming off an undefeated season and a national championship. Even with the playoff now expanded to 12 teams, expect the Wolverines to have some challenges finding themselves back into the field.
New Man In Charge
Jim Harbaugh is gone as the head coach for Michigan. Whether it really was his desire to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, the inability to come to contract terms on an extension, or the looming penalties that still might impact the program handed down by the NCAA, we may never know.
But now Sheronne Moore takes over. He filled in quite well during Harbaugh’s three-game suspension at the end of last season and the players seem to love him. However, he is still entering his first full season as the head man and it’s anyone’s guess how he will perform now that it’s his show. None of this suggests that he won’t be successful but many successful coaches have had less than stellar initial seasons as the man in charge.
Quarterback
Not only is Jim Harbaugh gone and off to the Los Angeles Chargers of the NFL, but quarterback J.J. McCarthy also has departed Ann Arbor after leading the Wolverines to an undefeated season and a national championship. The quarterback battle currently seems to be a two-way competition between Alex Orji and Davis Warren. Jack Tuttle seems to have taken himself out of the running for the starting job due to injury.
Regardless of who wins the job, they will have limited starting experience compared to McCarthy. An early season test against visiting Texas is not optimal this early in the campaign. Michigan will need to rely on their defense to have a chance against the Longhorns.
The D Man
After backing up Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards is the unquestioned starter heading into this season. Last year proved challenging for Edwards as it wasn’t until late in the season that he finally found the end zone. However, Edwards has shown elite talent. He had two long touchdown runs in the 2022 win at Ohio State and then did the same thing against Washington in the natty.
Throughout his career, Edwards has also shown himself to be an excellent receiver out of the backfield. He also showed he could sling in as he threw a perfect 70-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson in the 2021 Big Ten Championship Game v Iowa. The biggest question surrounding Edwards is how will he handle the responsibility of being the guy.
Offensive Line
Last season the offensive line was the backbone of one of the nation’s best rushing attacks. Unfortunately, the Wolverines lost a lot of experience from last season. While they certainly have talent, it will take time for the new unit to gel.
It’s not just a problem that the team has to break in a new quarterback, but usually, the best recipe for replacing a quarterback is to rely on a strong running game. This means that the new offensive line will need to come together quickly, especially with the previously mentioned Texas game looming early on the schedule.
The Schedule
It’s never easy to repeat as national champions, and with the other challenges we’ve already discussed, it would have been helpful if the schedule makers helped the team out a little. No such luck.
We’ve already mentioned the Texas game in week two in Ann Arbor. Two weeks after that USC comes to town. If anyone thought losing Caleb Williams to the NFL would be the downfall of the program then they didn’t see the bowl game against Louisville. The Trojans will be just fine.
Just two short weeks later Michigan travels to Seattle in a rematch of the national championship game. While both teams will have new coaches and quarterbacks, there is no doubt the Huskies will be out for revenge. Three weeks later the Wolverines host a loaded Oregon team. While it helps the Wolverines that this matchup is later in the season giving Michigan time to come together, this will be an extremely difficult game for Michigan.
Lastly the annual version of “The Game” is in Columbus this year where the Maize and Blue will face another loaded team in Ohio State. The Buckeyes will be highly motivated to end their three-game losing streak to Michigan. This is another one that will be anything but easy.
Final Thoughts
Most of the experts have Michigan finishing the regular season somewhere between ninth and 12th in the country which would get them in the playoff. We don’t know yet how many losses will be too many and for which teams. A final record of 10-2 should get them in. A record of 9-3 and it’s iffy to grab a spot. Michigan’s best bet is to find a way to get a win against Texas and USC since they are both at home. It should be a very interesting season in Ann Arbor.
Main Image: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
