By Alan Gerould, Senior Columnist
NAPLES, FL — The BroncoBlitz welcomes in Ryan Zuke and Aaron McMann who cover the Michigan Wolverines for MLive. Ryan and Aaron will reveal facts and opinions hereto unseen in print anywhere (maybe). No matter, we are happy to have them. Gentlemen, you are now on the BroncoBlitz hot seat.
BroncoBlitz: The Wolverines are coming off a 2-4 season in which the highlight may be that they didn’t lose to Ohio State (game cancelled due to COVID-19). It’s hard to tell who's more frustrated, the fan base , many of whom were not in favor of head coach Jim Harbaugh receiving a contract extension, or Harbaugh, a proud alumni, who has shown some signs that the pressure is getting to him. There is no where to go but up from last season. What do you think Harbaugh needs to do to keep his job and how do you think that plays in to the opener versus Western Michigan?
Ryan Zuke: I don't think this is a make-or-break year for him. I think you have to give this new coaching staff at least two years to turn things around. Plus, the quarterback outlook for 2022 looks even better with McNamara getting another year of experience and five-star freshman J.J. McCarthy entering his second season. With that being said, if the Wolverines finished below .500 and it doesn't look like the program has shown any improvement, things could change. But as far as the opener, I don't think Harbaugh's future hinges on the outcome unless the Broncos can somehow pull off the upset.
Aaron McMann: Simply put, Jim Harbaugh needs to win more at Michigan. The fans and alums are growing tired of the eight and nine-win seasons. They expected him to bring Big Ten titles and CFB berths to Ann Arbor, and while he's gotten the Wolverines close on a couple of occasions - they fell short. Now, Ohio State has been the larger issue here. Not only has Michigan dropped nine straight to their rival, but that losing skid has coincided with the Buckeyes' reign as the Big Ten's king. Until Michigan can beat Ohio State and win a Big Ten championship, Harbaugh will continue to face criticism. As far as the opener on Saturday goes, it's one step in getting Michigan back on track. No one was happy with the 2-4 season last year, and it prompted Harbaugh to make several changes to his coaching staff, including the hire of new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. How the defense develops this fall will determine what type of Michigan has. No one is expecting it to compete, but if Harbaugh and Co. can exceed expectations by winning 8 or 9 games, then folks feel like they can jump back on the bandwagon.
BroncoBlitz: Now that Cade McNamara has won the job at quarterback the Wolverines offense should come into the game hitting on all cylinders. What do you think Michigan will do well in the opener? Where is the offense vulnerable?
Ryan Zuke: McNamara is the starting quarterback, but I think you will see Michigan rely heavily on the run game in the opener. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said earlier during camp that the team didn't run the ball enough last season, so I think they will make a concerted effort to improve in that area. Their offensive line also should be improved, and Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum should be a formidable one-two punch.
Aaron McMann: Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis admitted that he didn't run the ball enough last season, so I expect Michigan to come out trying to establish a ground game early. When they did it run it last year, they were productive - averaging more than 6 yards per carry. The Wolverines get their leading rusher, Hassan Haskins, back and return Blake Corum, who got his feet wet as a true freshman. As for vulnerabilities, Michigan's passing game still isn't truly tried and tested. McNamara still only has two or three meaningful halves of football under his belt, and his lone start at the college level ended with him leaving the field injured. He hasn't had to face a top-tier secondary yet, nor experience the trials and tribulations of a game from start to finish. Saturday will be his first.
BroncoBlitz: The Wolverine defense was uncharacteristically dragged all over the field last season against B1G only competition. Where do you expect the defense to be better? What weaknesses, if any, do you expect the Broncos to attempt to exploit?
Ryan Zuke: The defense is the great unknown heading into 2021. There's usually always some growing pains in a new scheme. Last year, Michigan defensive backs were burned for big plays too often, but I expect to see a lot more zone coverage with Mike Macdonald now running the show. The key will be if the Wolverines can generate more pressure in their 3-4 defense.
Aaron McMann: I expect Michigan to be much better up front. They get Aidan Hutchinson — far and away their best linemen — back after an ankle injury sidelined him for a good chunk of last season, and will look to use him in a more advantageous role as an outside linebacker. Combine that with a deeper, more experienced inside presence and I think the Wolverines will do a better job of stopping the run. However, there are more holes with this defense than in years past. There's a lack of experienced depth at inside linebacker and lack of playmakers on the outside at corner, an area that was exposed last season. Michigan will try to mask some of those deficiencies by playing more zone with five and six defensive backs. But with a new scheme and coordinator, I expect some hiccups in the first few weeks.
BroncoBlitz: Special teams will not likely make or break this game, but you never know. Introduce the uninformed Bronco fan to the placekicker, punter and any other special teams player likely to stand out.
Ryan Zuke: Kicker Jake Moody and punter Brad Robbins both have a wealth of experience, but the return game is still a mystery after Giles Jackson transferred to Washington this offseason.
Aaron McMann: Michigan brings back an experienced placekicker in Jake Moody, who was tasked with sharing duties with Quinn Nordin last year. As a result, Moody mostly handled PATs. But he's 17 of 24 on field goals in his career, including an impressive 10 for 11 as a freshman in 2018. It's a similar story at punter, where experienced veteran Brad Robbins (all-Big Ten honorable mention in 2017) is back after an injury riddled 2018 and 2019. He was the team's primary punter last year, averaging 45.3 yards per boot
BroncoBlitz: Both of these programs are led by former alumni star quarterbacks who are driven to get their Alma Mater to the promised land. Both coaches have been relatively successful with overall winning records but have had difficulty winning the big games on the schedule. The Broncos return all but three starters from a team that was a few crazy plays removed from the MAC Title game. The Wolverines look to be much improved. On Saturday, somethings got to give. Oddsmakers have established the line at 17.5 points and the over/under at 67. What would you think Bronco Coach Tim Lester will attempt to accomplish in order to pull off the upset? Do you think Harbaugh plays it pretty close to the vest? Finally, when the final gun sounds and the smoke clears what do you expect the final score to be?
Ryan Zuke: I think both teams will be able to move the ball, but with fans back in the stands and Michigan seemingly healthy coming out of camp, I think it is able to pull away late. 38-24 final.
Aaron McMann: I do think Western Michigan is going to give Michigan a fight. The Wolverines are breaking in a new defensive scheme and new coordinator, so there are going to be opportunities for the Broncos to exploit mistakes. They'll need to capitalize on each one, and eat up time doing so, but I expect this game to be a bit closer than the oddsmakers suggest. Michigan can score, and likely will, but I think it's going to take them some time to get going. I'll take Michigan to win, 37-24.
Note: just a reminder that I predicted the final to be 41-24.
Ed Kengerski said 38-17. “That’s why they play the game” — Denny Greene
