College Football Futures: Living in the past is a frequent critique of the Michigan Wolverines college football program, which is the winningest in history but has only one national championship since 1948 and just one top ten final ranking since 2003. The Wolverines are coming off a 7-6 record last year as they seem to be regressing under fourth year head coach Brady Hoke, who went 11-2 in his 2011 debut season with an 8-5 mark in 2012. What was worst of all about 2013 was that the Maize and Blue came off as a team that was soft and entitled and rendered helpless in a 29-6 loss to the intra state rival Michigan State Spartans in which they were physically abused to the point of resembling rag dolls being thrown around. Hoke has not developed the power running game that he so desires and this is a make or break year to get that done. Michigan opened at BetDSI as a +9000 choice to win the BCS national championship with an over under win total of 7.5 -160 over and +135 under.
New OC
Doug Nussmeier arrives from the Alabama Crimson Tide to coordinate the offense. While at Bama Nussmeier ran the prototypical offense that Hoke and the Michigan faithful dream of with power running and play action passing and no frills. Nussmeier inherits seven returning starters led by senior QB Devin Gardner, who was inconsistent and often confused in running the Al Borges offensive system that was more complex. Gardner has been highly complementary on how Nussmeier has simplified the attack and could have a big year as a result. Of concern is an offensive line that has not been able to generate any kind of reliable ground attack. Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison has eight starters back and may have his best defensive unit yet in his four years at Ann Arbor.
Handicapper’s Notes
Michigan has covered the spread in 11 out of their last 17 home games but has covered just nine out of 25 games as an away favorite. Michigan is a dangerous 7-3 ATS under Hoke when coming off a straight up loss.
Our Prognosis
Improvement is likely but the schedule is tough in the new Big Ten East Division. Michigan should clear 7.5 wins in 2014!
