The Michigan Wolverines suffered their first loss of the season last weekend on the road against Oklahoma. Now, the Wolverines need to bounce back, and they need to do it without head coach Sherrone Moore. Associate head coach Biff Poggi will serve as head coach for the next two games while Moore serves a two-game suspension. Up next for Michigan is Central Michigan this Saturday, so let’s make some bold predictions for the matchup.
Bryce Underwood will throw for 300+ yards
Expect Michigan to unleash Bryce Underwood this weekend. If the Wolverines
are going to be a contender this season, they need to let Underwood play to his full potential. The play-calling last week isn’t going to cut it, and now Michigan can really only afford one more loss if it wants to be a College Football Playoff team. This is the final non-conference game of the season, and then Michigan starts Big Ten play at Nebraska. This is the time to get Underwood acclimated and ready for conference play.
Underwood is going to be able to throw the football more this weekend, and he is going to take advantage of the opportunity. He will throw for over 300 yards, and he will connect for a couple of passing touchdowns as well.
Michigan will have 500+ yards of offense
The most important aspect of this game against Central Michigan is getting Underwood and the offense some confidence. There are concerns about this unit after the Oklahoma game, and those concerns are warranted. However, these get-right games can go a long way.
Central Michigan is the easiest game remaining on the schedule, and the Wolverines are going to look to take advantage. If the coaching staff is being honest about truly wanting an explosive offense, they need to show it, and they need to implement it before Big Ten play starts. Expect to see some creativity this week, and against a lesser opponent, Michigan will have a lot of success and put up 500+ yards of offense.
Michigan will shut out CMU
While the offense is definitely the biggest concern, the defense hasn’t looked as dominant as we expected through two weeks. The Wolverines have been fine on that side of the ball, but against an opponent like CMU, they need to look strong.
After losing to Oklahoma, this Michigan team is going to be angry. There is also some extra motivation this week with Sherrone Moore starting his two-game suspension. The Wolverines will be playing with a chip on their shoulder, and they won’t let the Chippewas put points on the board. Michigan will win the game, 41-0.
