Last year, Michigan football wrapped up the season on quite a high note. The Wolverines secured victories in their last three matches, including triumphs over the eventual national champs, Ohio State, and an Alabama team that many believed should have made the cut for the College Football Playoff.
Despite having a solid returning defense, an overhauled offense, and a favorable schedule in terms of opponents, Michigan’s prospects don’t seem to convince everyone.
One skeptic in the mix is CBS Sports analyst Tom Fornelli. Recently, he laid out his predictions for the wins and losses of each Big Ten team. Despite Michigan’s strong finish last year, Fornelli foresees the Wolverines dropping four games this season.
His breakdown reads:
Wins: New Mexico, Central Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington, Michigan State (away), Purdue, Northwestern (away), Maryland (away)
Losses: Oklahoma (away), Nebraska (away), USC (away), Ohio State
In his analysis, Fornelli remarked that although he had banked on Michigan following their national title win last season, his confidence in them this year isn’t as strong. While the victories over heavyweights like Ohio State and Alabama seemed impressive, he believes they served as cover-ups for deeper team issues and many key players from that title-winning group have moved on. Fornelli acknowledged the promise of the new talent, notably Bryce Underwood, but anticipates some hurdles as they adjust. His bet? Michigan falls short of 8.5 wins this season.
The Wolverines managed to win eight out of their 13 games last year, even with an offense that struggled to put points on the board and against a tougher lineup of opponents. Could they indeed stumble in the four games sketched out by Fornelli? Certainly; hitting the road for three of those matches increases that possibility. Oklahoma and Nebraska have made bold moves in the transfer market, boasting strong quarterback play, while USC remains a bit of an enigma. Although Ohio State consistently fields stellar teams, they’ve fallen to Michigan several times over the past four seasons.
In our view, Michigan has a good shot at racking up 10 wins. They ended last year by toppling two giants that few thought they could. Plus, with most of the key players from the Alabama win returning—contrary to Fornelli’s assumptions—there’s a lot of potential for upward momentum.
