It's no secret that Michigan football is not at the same level it was three years ago, when it won the national championship. But the building blocks are there to potentially challenge in the Big Ten and beyond. However, the Wolverines will likely go not as far as head coach Kyle Whittingham will take them as much as quarterback Bryce Underwood.
On his Always College Football podcast, analyst Greg McElroy put the maize and blue in his second tier of Big Ten teams, but noted what Underwood might be able to do in his second year that could help propel Michigan to the upper echelon once again.
"The Michigan Wolverines are also in tier two," McElroy said. "Now they won the national title a couple of years ago. They sent a top-five all-time draft class
to the pros and have spent kind of two years trying to kind of find their footing, right?
"The Sherrone Moore era ended in December, and the program needed stability more than anything else. And they got the definition of stability. That was Kyle Winningham, who spent 21 years turning Utah into a machine. Now he sees a real path to winning an elusive national championship there in Ann Arbor. And Michigan first-year head coaches tend to deliver. Six of the last seven won eight games, and five of those seven beat Ohio State.
"So here's where I am with those that are bullish about the Wolverines, because the whole season kind of hinges on one thing, and I kind of like the setup right now. It hinges on Bryce Underwood, who just a couple of years ago was the No. 1 overall recruit. The freshman year was a bit of a grind; it is for most people. 11 touchdowns against just nine interceptions, very conservative offensive identity throughout most of the year. But even as a passer that's still kind of trying to learn how to adjust to the speed of the game, he still did some great things with his legs. He ran for over 500 yards, had six touchdowns. Now he's paired with offensive coordinator Jason Beck. And if you look at what Beck did, he ran one of the most improved offenses in the country at Utah last year. And his quarterback there, Devon Dampier, he rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 29 touchdowns over the last two seasons. It was a bit of a power spread scheme that's built for exactly what Underwood does best. And in year two, in a scheme that really fits his skill set, that's where a top overall recruit could potentially turn the corner.
Success might center on Underwood, but it doesn't rely solely upon him. In fact, McElroy pointed out several areas where the Wolverines have either talent or some deficiencies that should essentially tell more of the story this season.
"You have a five-star freshman back in Savion Hiter, next to Jordan Marshall in the backfield," McElroy said. "Those guys are a really nice tandem there at running back. You get a rising star and wide receiver, Andrew Marsh. You get an elite cornerback duo, and the pieces are there.
"Now there is a bit of a concern at the linebacker room, because that's a bit of a rebuild, if you will. But the edge rush should be quality by bringing in Utah's John Henry Daley, who had 11 and a half sacks last year. Now there is a caveat, because he is working back from an injury that was kind of, what, late in the year last year, November thereabouts."
Ultimately, the biggest inhibitor, in McElroy's eyes, is the schedule. The Wolverines have a daunting slate, but if Michigan can get a few unexpected wins, then the sky truly is the limit.
"So this is a tough slate, though. It's a tough schedule. Michigan does draw all three of the league's title-tier teams. They host Indiana. They have to travel to Oregon and to Ohio State. You add in Oklahoma in the nonconference and Penn State at home, that's four of the top 12 teams in the country all on one schedule. Now there is one break, is that they don't really have to leave home until the end of October. Add Iowa, a road trip to Minnesota, Michigan State, and UCLA; those are games that could absolutely turn what is a promising season into a disappointing season. They gotta get those toss-ups for sure. Because if they can get all of those, then they could be eyeing nine, 10 wins potentially. And 10 wins with this schedule should lock up a College Football Playoff spot."
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Can Michigan football return to the top tier of college football?
