Michigan Wolverines
Overall Rank # 39
#8 Big Ten Conference 
Michigan Team Page
2010 Record: (7-6, 3-6)
2010 Bowl: Gator Bowl vs. Mississippi State (L 14-52)
Coach:Brady Hoke ( 34-38, 0-0)
Offensive Coordinator: Al Borges
Defensive Coordinator: Greg Mattison
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Denard Robinson, QB, 1799 Yards
Passing: Denard Robinson, QB, 2570 Yards
Receiving: Roy Roundtree, WR, 935 Yards
Tackles: Jordan Kovacs, DB, 66
Sacks: Ryan Van Bergen, DL, 4
Interceptions: Cameron Gordon, DB, 3
Other Key Returnees: RB Vincent Smith, WR Darryl Stonum, LB Kenny Demens
Key Losses: LB James Mouton, DB James Rodgers
The Michigan Wolverines got off to a fast and exciting 4-0 start last year. Most of us can recall all the hype about Denard Robinson after those four games, and the Heisman Trophy buzz he created. Things quickly turned sour for Michigan when they entered Big Ten play. The powerful Big Ten teams destroyed the Wolverines, who only managed to win three of their nine contests. This all led to the firing of Coach Richard Rodriquez, who had an awful and disappointing tenure in Ann Arbor. They hired former San Diego State Head Coach Brady Hoke to be his replacement. Coach Hoke has a reputation as a proven winner, and has been very successful at turning programs around.
Strengths:
The Michigan Wolverines are a very young team, so they are only improving by the day. Their offense is spearheaded by the duel threat Denard Robinson, who has proven to be one of the most explosive players in the country. No matter what style of offense you run, a threat like Denard Robinson makes your team a threat to score on any given play. This makes Michigan’s offense explosive and scary. The grunt of winning football games is going to have to be shouldered by the offense for Michigan to be successful. They ranked 8th in the nation overall in yards per game, and 25th in scoring offense and will have to duplicate those numbers again this year. On top of all-world college quarterback Denard Robinson, the Wolverines also return their number one wide receiver and top running back. This trio will make the nucleus for an offense that looks to score quickly, often, and in bunches.
Weaknesses:
The Wolverines offense may impose fear on defenses, but their defense does not scare any offense. Any team that faces Michigan knows they are going to be preparing for a track meet. Their defense gave up 450 yards per game, and just over 35 points per game. If Michigan wants to have any chance at winning more games in 2011 their defense must be improved. They were young last year, so the experience they gained should have helped. The Wolverines missed a lot of tackles last year so that is one fix that is relatively easy. The defense is returning most of its starters, so I would doubt the unit will be as bad as it was last year, but it still will not be very good. The defense is changing scheme and hopefully for Michigan the change of scheme plus the experience that was gained last year will equal drastic improvements.
The Bottom Line:
The Michigan Wolverines have lots of talent on both sides of the ball. They have a very explosive offense that is going to have to carry the team to victory. The biggest question on the offensive side of the ball, is how well will Denard Robinson adapt to the new scheme. The Wolverines will be an improved team this season, but the biggest question mark is still the defense. We know the defense really cannot be any worse, so the improvement of the defense is the biggest key to their success. The offense will still be able to put up gaudy numbers and carry the team to victory, but the defense needs to improve substantially for the Wolverines to have any chance for a truly successful season. Don’t expect the Wolverines to compete for a Big Ten title, but they certainly will be better and should be involved in some much closer and exciting games as Michigan starts their pursuit of getting back to national relevance. Make sure to mark your calendar for September 24th, when San Deigo State, the former team of newly hired Head Coach Brady Hoke, visits the Big House.
Projected Bowl: Ticket City Bowl
2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 238.54 (13th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Passing Offense: 250.15 (36, 2)
Total Offense: 488.69 (8,1)
Scoring Offense: 32.77 (25, 3)
Rushing Defense: 188.92 (95,10)
Pass Defense: 261.85 (112, 11)
Total Defense: 450.77 (110, 11)
Scoring Defense: 35.23 (108,11)
Turnover Margin: -.77 (109,11)
Sacks: 1.38 (98,7)
Sacks Allowed: .85 (T10, 1)
Madness 2012 NFL Draft Rankings:
#74 Ryan Van Bergen
#90 David Molk
Madness 2011 Football Recruit Rankings:
#138 Justice Hayes
#171 Brennen Beyer
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