Michigan Football: 2016 Game-by-Game Predictions

Ohio State Buckeyes

November 26, Michigan at Ohio State, TBA

It was all smiles during the NFL draft as Ohio State saw player after player drafted. But now those players are in the NFL and Ohio State is left returning only six starters from last year’s team. Fortunately for OSU, head coach Urban Meyer is an elite recruiter and already has players in place to step in.

The issues with reloading at 16 spots are cohesion, development and depth. How well will this team be able to work as a fluid unit? Have they gained enough experience? Who’s going to fill in the depth spots behind the new starters?

Ohio State will be tested in week three when they travel to Oklahoma. After that they shouldn’t be tested until week 12 at Michigan State and week 13 vs Michigan. Another advantage for Ohio State is that the questions above will be answered by then.

While there are a lot of starters to replace, one position that is strengthened is quarterback, where J.T. Barrett won’t be looking over his shoulder anymore. Ohio State will rely heavily on Barrett early in the season as the team gains experience.

Redshirt freshman running back Mike Weber of Cass Tech (Detroit) looks to be the guy asked to replace Ezekiel Elliot. He won’t be alone though; Curtis Samuel also looks ready to help carry the load.

All-American Pat Elflein is transitioning from guard to center for similar reasons as Michigan’s Mason Cole. It’s such an important position that more and more teams are putting their best offensive lineman there. Keep an eye on Jamarco Jones who is now taking over at left tackle.

When defensive coordinator Chris Ash left for the Rutgers head coaching job, he was replaced by Greg Schiano. Schiano will have more talent to work with than he ever had as the head coach at Rutgers (and maybe even more than he had in Tampa Bay).

Middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan is a stud and the unquestioned leader of this year’s defense. Defensive end Sam Hubbard looks to be a star in the making but the defensive line as a whole won’t be as impressive as last season. Gareon Conley is the new number one cornerback and Erick Smith should be a force at safety.

Prediction:

Strap in here folks as this one could be a classic Michigan v Ohio State showdown. Right now, Michigan looks to have several positional advantages, but Ohio State won’t be the same team in November. Until Michigan proves they can win in Columbus, this still looks like a game that should slightly favor Ohio State.

Michigan loses (11-1, 8-1)

Next: NFL Draft 2017: Top Prospects from Michigan

Big Ten Championship

While a loss to Ohio State could end Michigan’s Big Ten title hopes, not all may be lost. If Michigan State is able to replicate what they did last year and beat Ohio State, then we would go to tie breakers and then it’s anyone’s game.