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Preseason B1G Football Power Rankings Part 3: #5-1

8/29/2019

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By: Alex Drain

We now return for the final portion of our Preseason B1G Football Power Rankings, having already gone through parts 1 and 2 over the past week. Today is the top five of the Midwest's premier football conference, starting with the team from Iowa City: 

5. Iowa 

Last year: 9-4 (5-4) 
Strengths: OL, QB, DB
Weaknesses: Rec., DT, inexperience
Big Question: Can TE Shaun Beyer pick up the mantle of Iowa TE? 

Outlook: Iowa just keeps chugging along as Kirk Ferentz is now amazingly the longest tenured head coach in college football. The Hawkeyes won 9 games a year ago, finishing in the top 25 in S&P+ and now feel energized and ready to try and win their second division title in the now wide open B1G West. The reason for the optimism? They return QB Nate Stanley, who may have a claim to being the best QB in program history (Chuck Long stands in the way though) after a sparkling junior season in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes also return every notable running back and 3/5 of their offensive line, including All-B1G LT Alaric Jackson, who might play his way into a high selection in the NFL Draft, as well as RT Tristan Wirfs who could also be a high pick. The only snag offensively is about who Stanley will be throwing to, as Iowa loses his primary two targets, prolific TE’s TJ Hockenson and Noah Fant, both 1st round draft picks in the spring. While Iowa has a tremendous track record with TE’s (see: Kittle, George), it will be up to Shaun Beyer to pick up the mantle and become a weapon for Stanley. The offense finished 54th in S&P+ a year ago and will likely need to improve, but with a veteran QB back, I think that’ll happen. 

The Hawkeyes lose considerable production defensively, returning just 4 starters from a team that was 11th in scoring defense and 18th in S&P+ overall defense. While they nominally “lose” all 4 DL starters, they return All-B1G DE AJ Epenesa and Chauncey Golston, who had 9 TFL’s a year ago. As a result, the pass rush will likely be just fine, but there are large looming questions about the run stuffers in the middle. They have just 1 returning LB and lose their star hybrid space player Amani Hooker, so the second level will also be tested. Iowa does however return 3 of 4 DB’s, which should be the strength of the defense outside of the pass rush. So, with inexperience all around defensively, it is reasonable to expect the defense to take a small step back. However, if the offense can improve, it can offset that defensive loss and keep Iowa firmly in the top 25, as they were a year ago. And in a division where 8-4 might win the whole damn thing, that’s not too shabby. While traveling to Wisconsin and Nebraska (in addition to @Michigan) are a problem, the Hawkeyes should be considered a top tier B1G West contender, and are my pick to win the division. 

4. Michigan St. 

Last year: 7-6 (5-4)
Strengths: the whole defense 
Weaknesses: the whole offense 
Big Question: Does Brian Lewerke still have the will to live? 

Outlook: It’s fire and ice for Michigan State on offense and defense. The defense should be monstrous and could rival the 2013 unit as the best of Mark Dantonio’s tenure. DE Kenny Willekes is a certified Dude and could be the Big Ten’s 2019 DPOY. He’s joined by DT Raequan Williams and the Panasiuk brothers, who comprise the best DL in the B1G and a unit that was the best in college football against the run last season. But it’s not just the run defense: the overall defense was #2 in college football in S&P+ in 2018, thanks to a very solid #17 rank in passing defense. With 8 defensive starters returning, including LB’s Tyriq Thompson and the star Joe Bachie, the defense should once again carry the day for the Spartans. If there’s one weak spot on the defense, it’s probably the fear of the corners being beaten by athletically superior WR’s on the outside (you may remember Donovan Peoples-Jones on Tre Person last year). This is exacerbated by the fact that MSU’s defense relies heavily on corners in man coverage because they bring the safeties into the box so frequently, but that’s still a rather niche concern. For the most part, this defense is probably good enough to win the conference. It was last year. 

But the offense? Oh boy. If they are blessed with significantly better health, this team could be a conference title favorite. But that’s a big, big “if” given just how injured the offense was last season. Yes, health can sometimes be construed as “luck” but when it happens to literally everyone on your team, there’s something deeper going on. Brian Lewerke is a good enough QB to win the conference with this defense behind him. If he’s healthy. Cody White and Darrell Stewart are a nice 1-2 punch at WR. If they’re healthy. There’s some decent talent on the offensive line. If they could stay healthy. And on and on. Just about everyone was hurt at one time for the Spartans last season and the most concerning areas are at QB and OL. Lewerke seemed to be his 2017 self before injuring his shoulder in Happy Valley in early October, but after that happened, he looked like 2014 Devin Gardner to me: broken and without the will to live. Can Lewerke come back refreshed and healthy? And even if he enters the season, is there any way this offensive line keeps him that way for a whole season? The reports from training camp do not sound positive, with LT Cole Chewins not healthy yet, despite having an offseason to recover. There are even murmurs about starting high 4* freshman G Devontae Dobbs on the OL, which is a very bad sign because true freshman OL should never, ever start. Michigan fans may remember the disaster it was when Ben Bredeson started as a true freshman in 2016. And he’s turned into a great college player! Dobbs is a tremendous prospect just like Bredeson, but again, you shouldn’t be starting a true freshman lineman, period. If you are, there are serious and debilitating issues going on. This offense was S&P+’s 112th best unit a year ago (read: awful) and while they have the pieces to take a huge jump forward, I need to see it to believe it. The defense alone should carry MSU to 7-8 wins but anything beyond that is up to the offense and it’s not an easy schedule, drawing Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio St. on the road. I think State is likely to finish a notch below Michigan and Ohio St., but they have real upside. If they can stay healthy.  

3. Penn St. 

Last year: 9-4 (6-3) 
Strengths: Talent level, impact players on defense
Weaknesses: Inexperience, QB questions
Big Question: Can the defense carry PSU to a conference title? 

Outlook: Much like Michigan State, Penn State is a team that is defense first in 2019, due to heavy losses on the offensive side of the ball. The Nittany Lions lost their illustrious starting QB, Trace McSorley, as well as starting RB Miles Sanders, both starting outside receivers, and 2 offensive linemen. Oh, and they also lost the guy who had been groomed for years to replace McSorley, Tommy Stevens, who transferred to Mississippi State. This means it’s go time for Sean Clifford, a RS So. who has only attempted 7 career passes in his two seasons in State College. Clifford was an excellent recruit out of high school, ranking in the top 200 nationally, so he’s got the talent. There are just an abundance of questions about how ready he is to handle the grueling B1G East slate. The good news for Penn State is that thanks to the tremendous recruiting that James Franklin has done, they have the raw talent on both sides of the ball to be firmly in the conversation with Ohio St. and Michigan atop the conference. Clifford will get to throw to explosive slot receiver KJ Hamler, as well as former 5* RS Fr. WR Justin Shorter, and former top 200 WR recruit Jahan Dotson. At RB, Clifford will be giving the ball off to either 5* So. RB Ricky Slade or top 200 recruits Noah Cain and Devyn Ford. Put simply, Penn State has elite athletes at nearly every skill position. It’s just a matter of whether Clifford can be the spark plug for the offense, especially whether he can seamlessly fit into the RPO-heavy offense, as he is not the rushing threat that McSorley (or Tommy Stevens) was. The sheer talent should make PSU a respectable offense, but they probably take a small step back from last year based on inexperience. 

Defensively, Penn St. is in a very good spot. They return one of the best DE’s in a conference loaded with DE talent in Yetur Gross-Matos, who will likely be All-B1G First Team. They pair him with Shaka Toney off the edge and have returning starter Robert Windsor on the inside. At the second level, former 5* So. LB Micah Parsons is the focal point and should be the team’s leading tackler, as he is put next to two returning starters in Jan Johnson and Cam Brown. While PSU lost star CB Amani Oruwariye and S Nick Scott, they have a pair of returning starters, including the talented John Reid. With 6 overall returning starters on what was the nation’s #11 defense a year ago, this unit should be about the same, if not a tad bit better. The Nittany Lions are dripping with talent at nearly every position, but the overall inexperience of the team (123rd on Phil Steele’s experience chart) may mean that PSU has to wait another year before being considered a favorite in the B1G East, although they do draw Michigan at home (OSU, MSU, and Iowa on the road however). Thus, the most likely projection for Penn State is probably around 8-9 wins, like last season. 

2. Ohio St. 

Last year: 13-1 (8-1) 
Strengths: Talent level, DE, DB
Weaknesses: Inexperience on offense, LB 
Big Question: Is Justin Fields ready to carry the weight? 

Outlook: Ohio State’s 2018 season is truly curious to look at. They were several plays from finishing 9-3 or even 8-4 in the regular season, which would have been a massive disappointment. Instead they finished 13-1 despite a year where the team never looked truly plugged in or well coached. That is, until The Game, when they pummeled Michigan in Columbus to win the B1G East and then were faced with a pair of walk-in-the-park opponents in the postseason in a vastly outmatched Northwestern team and a Washington team with a hapless offense. But despite the 13-1 record, it’s important to remember how close OSU was to disaster: a missed throw to a wide open receiver from Tyrell Pigrome; James Franklin being Frames Janklin and fumbling away a double digit 4Q lead in State College; the Buckeyes riding their punter to beat Michigan St. in East Lansing. If we’re going off the conventional indicators, everything is pointing at a regression for Ohio St.. They led the nation with 4 net close wins, which is a classic indicator for a regression to the mean. They also face a significantly tougher schedule in 2019 than 2018 (again according to Phil Steele), which also generally indicates regression. But then again, everything seems to always go right for Ohio State football, doesn’t it? 

With a new head coach in charge, Ryan Day has huge shoes to fill: precisely the shoes of the best football coach in Ohio State history and (in my opinion) the second greatest college football coach in history, Urban Meyer. Day is an offensive-minded guy and he has his work cut out for him, with just 4 returning offensive starters off of a record breaking unit a year ago. As is usual, OSU has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to raw talent. They have former top 200 recruits at every skill position, like WR’s KJ Hill, Binjimen Victor, Austin Mack, and Luke Farrell, and returning RB JK Dobbins. Really the one position where they lack that talent on the starting unit is the OL, which has just 1 returning starter and has three 3* set to start. Otherwise, it’s insane talent all the time. The big question is about QB Justin Fields. Fields was considered a superstar recruit when signed by the Georgia Bulldogs, who then decided to transfer to OSU after it was clear his path to the starting job was blocked. Fields has the arm strength and athleticism to pick up where Dwayne Haskins left off, but we have not seen much of him in college play and Haskins’ shoes were also massive. Furthermore, while Fields was a big time recruit, 5* QB recruits are very hit-and-miss. Beyond Fields, Day will have to figure out a way to resuscitate OSU’s rushing game after they finished 54th in that category on S&P+ a year ago, despite being top 5 in pass offense. Fields seems to be a better runner than Haskins but is his arm as effective? Only time will tell. 

Defensively, OSU rode the coordinator carousel and made some changes to a group that ranked 26th in S&P+ last year, getting gashed frequently, especially on the ground. Near dead last in preventing explosive plays, the Buckeye defense has a lot of work to get back up to par. DE Chase Young and CB Jeffery Okudah are stars, but they need to get better play from the LB’s and DT’s in order to improve in run defense. As mentioned at the top, the schedule is significantly tougher, having to go to Ann Arbor for The Game and to Lincoln to face the Huskers, not to mention getting Penn St., Wisconsin, and Michigan St. (all in Columbus). All together, the Buckeyes get to play 5 of the top 6 B1G teams in my power rankings not counting themselves. This will be a fascinating year as Ohio St. begins its time after Camelot. 

1. Michigan 

Last year: 10-3 (8-1) 
Strengths: OL, receivers, QB, DE
Weaknesses: Defensive depth 
Big Question: Does Josh Gattis’s system jump start the offense? 

Outlook: This feels like the year. In the past under Harbaugh, Michigan either had one position that felt like it was going to mean impending doom (QB, OL) or the schedule was incredibly unfavorable (both of the great Harbaugh seasons have had @MSU and @OSU). This time, there’s neither. The starters feel good to great at every position and Michigan gets all the big games at home. Oh, and all of the B1G rivals have real questions, either at QB or on the coaching staff, while Michigan has the same head coach and a returning starter. If not this year, when? That’s the mood in Ann Arbor. At long last, Michigan should have an elite offensive line under Jim Harbaugh, returning 4 starters from late season, all of whom should be locks for the All-B1G team. While Jon Runyan Jr. will always be slightly limited at LT due to his height and arm length, his growth last season under OL coach Ed Warinner was immense. Now, the OL and its QB Shea Patterson should be the strength of the team. But the offense needs to get more dynamic, which is why new OC Josh Gattis was brought in. A fresh offensive mind who studied under offense wizard Joe Moorhead at Penn St. and then oversaw the Alabama offensive transformation with Tua Tagovailoa, Gattis has the credentials and now the talent, to turn Michigan into a top 5 offense in college football. Patterson is a legit QB, there’s a stout OL in front of him, and the Wolverines sport two of the top 5 receivers in the conference in Donovan Peoples-Jones and Nico Collins, not to mention ridiculous depth in Tarik Black, Ronnie Bell, and new freshmen jitterbugs Mike Sainristil and Giles Jackson. If the Gattis system (spread offense) takes off, this offense will be absolutely electrifying. 

And it may need to be for Michigan to win the conference, because they lost a lot of talent on defense, including the heart and soul, LB Devin Bush, as well as both DE’s and shutdown corner David Long. There still is a lot of talent on defense, between former high 4* DE Aidan Hutchinson and LB Josh Ross, returning All-B1G DB’s Lavert Hill and Josh Metellus, and the additions of elite 5* freshman S Daxton Hill and pass rushing machine DE Mike Danna from Central Michigan. But Don Brown will have to scheme around the loss of athleticism in the middle in Bush, in addition to drawing up a plan to shut down Ohio St. after the disaster in Columbus last November. No one is expecting the defense to crumble, but it’s going to take a step back, which is why expected offensive improvement stabilizes the ship and should put Michigan in position to play for the B1G East on the final Saturday of the regular season. With The Game in Ann Arbor this season, it feels like the year and Michigan simply has fewer questions than everyone else, which is why they start as a tenuous #1, but any one of the top 5 teams on this power ranking I could see winning the conference. (Yes I know I just violated the Karma gods by putting Michigan ahead of Ohio State and am expected my tires to be flat the next time I get in my car in addition to the impending suffering on Nov. 30, but this is where things are now). 

Image Credit: https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/styles/marquee_large_2x/public/2018/11/24/ohio-state-michigan-final-score-highlights.jpg
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Michigan Football Season Preview Part 3: The Schedule

8/29/2019

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By: Alex Drain and Evan Oesterle

This is part 3 of WCBN Sports’ Preview of Michigan Football 2019: 

Alex: We’re back for the third and final part of our season preview for Michigan football. Today we look at the schedule, and let’s start with this: what stands out to you most? 

Evan: The last three home games are against Michigan’s three biggest rivals: Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Ohio State. I don’t think that has ever happened before. I don’t even know if we’ve ever played all 3 teams at home in the same season. This is absurd. 

Alex: Good year to own season tickets, eh? 

Evan: It really is. A season opening night game against MTSU, non-conference meeting with Army, and division crossover game with Iowa round out an awesome home schedule. I think they might be playing a high school team at home one week? Can’t remember that team’s name but I think it starts with Rut. 

Alex: But, while Michigan gets the big three rivals at home, it is a brutal schedule. Phil Steele calls it his #9 toughest schedule in the country and obviously November 30 looms as by far the most important game on the schedule. But outside of Ohio State, which game do you think is the toughest on the schedule? 

Evan: I already know what you think is second, but I think it’s the Notre Dame game. In terms of talent, they’re the second best opponent behind only Ohio State. Add in that it’s a rivalry game and comes after back to back road games including a trip to Happy Valley (which I think you’re about to dive into a little deeper) and it scares me quite a bit. The one nice thing for Michigan is that it’s 1) the most lose-able game in that it doesn’t affect their standing in the conference and 2) the last lose-able game if they have conference title and/or CFP aspirations. 

Alex: Notre Dame is by far the second best team on the schedule in my mind, but the intimidating environment in State College is always daunting. Penn State has a tough defense and if it’s a night game, it catapults to number two in my book. But we don’t know if it will be at night or at 3:30 (or could be noon?), and to me that is an important distinction. Happy Valley in mid-afternoon isn’t a big difference with the usual road game. But Happy Valley at night is second only to Kinnick. And with a top twenty team in PSU that is loaded with blue chip talent ... that's not a pushover. 

That said, I do have a lot of questions about Penn State, largely on offense with a new QB and another year farther away from Joe Moorhead. 

Evan: This feels like a make or break year for James Franklin. He has to prove he can win without the three headed monster of Joe Moorhead/Trace McSorely/Saquon Barkley that propelled the program back to national relevance. That game could be massive for both teams. 

Since you brought up Iowa in that Kinnick namedrop, does that one scare you at all? It’s a noon game at home against a much less talented team, but Iowa is among the most consistent and difficult to beat teams in the conference regardless of venue. 

Alex: Iowa is Iowa. They have the same blueprint year after year. They’re going to be physical and tough, with good offensive and defensive lines, relying heavily on the TE’s offensively. And they have talent! They have two potential first round picks at tackle in Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs, in addition to potential top 5 NFL Draft pick in DE AJ Epenesa. I actually picked Iowa to win the B1G West this year (it was a tossup between a bunch of teams) and they’re absolutely good enough to beat you if you’re not on your game, but the ceiling is not super high. The Hawkeyes won’t be dynamic, but they’ll be a tough 8-4 team and at home, if you’re a B1G Championship team, that’s a game you should win, period. 

Evan: Agreed. The non-rivalry home game that scares me a little bit more is Army. They obviously aren’t an extremely talented team, but they went 11-2 a year ago and one of those losses was a one possession road loss to CFP team Oklahoma. They run the ball more than anyone in the country, literally, and with a young, inexperienced interior defensive line, Michigan will be tested early. It shouldn’t be all that close, but with so few possessions, Michigan’s offense and front seven will need to play extremely well against a disciplined team. 

Let’s shift gears. What’s your biggest trap game? 

Alex: It feels too easy to say it, but quite obviously Indiana. The Hoosiers have always given Michigan fits since Harbaugh arrived, playing a pair of OT games in Bloomington and two nerve-wracking games at the Big House. Indiana is a talented team with playmakers on offense (Stevie Scott, Westbrook, Hale) and a new scheme, also being motivated to finish 6-6 after falling a game short each of the last two years. Tom Allen always has his guys ready to play and a week before Ohio St., the Wolverines have to be careful. How about you? 

Evan: I think you hit on the biggest one, but I’ll talk about Maryland instead. It’s another road game and it comes after a rivalry game (ND) before a bye and then another rivalry game (MSU). Maryland should be worse than Indiana, and having a bye helps, but it’s a road B1G game so… 

Alex: Well there’s also the added intrigue between the ongoing feud between Josh Gattis and new Maryland head coach Mike Locksley, who seem to bickering about who gets more credit for Alabama’s offensive explosion last season. It’s going to be a project for Locksley in College Park, but he inherits a team with some talent in transfer QB Josh Jackson and RB Anthony McFarland, who had a huge season last year. Both Maryland and Indiana have the distinction of being in between the big games and could theoretically get lost in the shuffle. Any final schedule thoughts? 

Evan: It’s a difficult slate overall but it’s set up fairly well. Michigan starts out with one of their easiest games of the year, has a bye week before a road trip to Wisconsin, and a bye week before playing Michigan State. The only truly brutal stretch is @Penn State followed by Notre Dame at home. If this team plays to the potential we’ve described in the previous two articles, they should be able to get through it with a [prediction redacted] record. 

Alex:  I too am very fearful of making a prediction after years of coming up short. What I will say is it’s a manageable schedule, more so than last year, which featured the three rivals all on the road. Michigan is currently favored in every game and it could stay that way wire to wire. There are a lot of talented teams but the Wolverines definitely have the ability to make it through and win the conference, potentially even running the table. But with so many tough opponents, the potential for disappointment is also high. So it goes in the Big Ten East.

Image Credit: https://buckeyewire.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/ohio-state-vs-penn-state-halftime.jpg
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Michigan Football Season Preview Part 2: Defense and Special Teams

8/26/2019

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By: Alex Drain and Evan Oesterle

We begin Part 2 of the 2019 Michigan Football Season Preview


Alex: We’re back for Part 2 of the Michigan Football Season Preview on WCBN Sports. Part 1, which focused on the offense, was published late last week and can be found here. Today we will be looking at the defense and special teams. 

Evan: I have a lot more questions to ask of the defensive side of the ball than I did of the offense. Can the linebackers replace Devin Bush? Who’s playing DT? Who are the slot and weak-side corners? Is there a game-changing DE among a crowded and deep group of players at the position? Will Don Brown adjust in big games? There is obviously a lot of talent on the defense, but whether it will all come together in a rebuilding year like it did in 2017 remains to be seen.

Alex: I feel most okay about linebacker. Nobody is going to be Devin Bush but there is a ton of talent in that group. After splitting snaps with Devin Gil a year ago, Josh Ross seems primed for a breakout as a full time starter. He’s not as fast as Bush but he’s still a darn good athlete and has the size to be a thumper in the middle, more so than Bush, who was undersized. At the other spot, I hope that former borderline 5* Jordan Anthony pulls through and wins the job, though Cam McGrone and Devin Gil are still options. An LB group of Ross and Anthony could be the most athletic in Michigan’s history. And then Khaleke Hudson is a star. 

Evan: I agree that the group is extremely athletic. Hudson had an incredible 2017-18 season, but his production dropped a bit last year. Ross and Anthony/McGrone/Gil will need to work to cover the field together like Bush did alone. He can’t be replaced as you mentioned, but the scheme will obviously be different without him. One thing I’m going to be very curious about is how this group is used in the pass rush. Towards the end of the season, Brown stopped bringing blitzes, and that proved to be fatal against Ohio State. I anticipate a lot of Khaleke Hudson in the backfield but other than that I’m not sure.

Alex: Brown’s decision to rarely blitz last year was fine until late in the season when opponents realized that they could single-block Michigan’s DT’s and double the DE’s and completely eliminate any pass rush. That will more or less be true again and I think Brown will have to blitz to generate pressure, risking the potential of being burned downfield. That may be a good idea if Michigan’s safeties are more athletic than in the past. On that note, Daxton Hill and … Brad Hawkins? 

Evan: Dax Hill is very, very fast. He’s also going to be very, very important to this defense. He has to be good in coverage immediately, both as a safety and playing in the slot against slot WRs, TEs, and RBs. He joins Josh Metellus who had an… interesting season last year. He was usually excellent in coverage but made a few awful reads and had a few terrible mistakes including a pair of ejections for targeting. The two of them make up an athletic back line that should give Brown flexibility with his front seven. The emergence of Brad Hawkins as being a playable defensive back could be significant. I’ll let you talk more about that.

Alex: The Hawkins buzz is just that: buzz. We don’t know if it’s a lot of smoke or if there’s actual legs to it, but if Hawkins is an asset in the DB group, it allows Dax Hill to slide to slot corner and use his speed there to form a far better matchup than Tyree Kinnel in the slot from last year. It also bolsters depth in case of injury. That’s especially important because Michigan is replacing a lot at the CB position. They had three guys play pretty much every snap and two of them are gone. Ambry Thomas should be good, if healthy, but his off-season bout with ulcerative colitis seems to have set him back. The hope is he’s back by Wisconsin though. Outside of Ambry and Lavert Hill (who’s an established star), things are very interesting. Vincent Gray? Gemon Green? DJ Turner? We get to find out. 

Evan: The lack of depth at corner definitely scares me. Whether one of the guys you mentioned steps up or not, the corner play will certainly take a step back from how elite it has been recently with the Jourdan Lewis-Channing Stribbling and David Long-Lavert Hill duos. This is probably the position that concerns me the most on the entire team. Another interesting question scheme wise is whether Brown plays more zone. After his defense got torched in Columbus, questions were raised about the viability of his man-press scheme against teams that have elite receivers and are able to get the ball out fast. Now with questionable depth at corner, he may be forced into playing more zone whether he likes it or not.

Alex: I have long been a proponent of Brown playing more zone, and they may need to out of necessity. I think Brown got stubborn in Columbus and stuck to his guns because the defense was so successful that year up to that point. He got outfoxed schematically and they need to come up with an answer, but as we saw last year against Penn St, Brown has had good answers to disastrous performances the preceding year. Things could get a lot better if Michigan can develop an impact guy on the interior of the line. Michael Dwumfour?

Evan: Cornerback may be the position that concerns me the most, but DT is probably the most important for the defense this season. Stopping the run will be critical against early opponents Army (literally runs the ball more than anyone else in the country) and Wisconsin (Heisman contending running back Jonathan Taylor). But maybe more importantly, Michigan plays its three rivals late in the season at home. In all likelihood, all three opponents (ND - Oct. 26, MSU - Nov. 16, OSU - Nov. 30) will seek to establish the run in the cold Michigan winter. In short, the run defense will be critical all season long. Michigan needs Michael Dwumfour to be healthy. They also need freshmen Mazi Smith and Chris Hinton to develop quickly. I just wish some of the depth at DE could be translated to DT.

Alex: We’ve heard hype in camp about Donovan Jeter and Carlo Kemp, and Michigan probably needs one of those two guys to be a plus run stopper this fall. As for Dwumfour, he was by far the closest to being a complete threat, as he was already strong at pass rushing. If he can become playable in rushing downs, suddenly the whole Michigan defense changes. Smith and Hinton will be great players down the line but I’m unsure if that will happen in year 1. The learning curve at DT is quite steep for true freshmen. 

Maybe the biggest question at DE is what the snap breakdowns will look like? 

Evan: We know that Central Michigan transfer Mike Danna is going to play quite a bit once he learns the defense fully. We know that sophomore Aidan Hutchison has a shot to start at SDE. We know that Josh Uche is going to get a lot of action in pass rushing scenarios. Beyond that, it’s hard to predict (in a good way). Kwity Paye is going to see action, and Luiji Vilain is a name that keeps popping up. Again, the question is, will any of these guys become a star? Danna had excellent production against bad competition last year. Hutchison was excellent in limited action. Uche had excellent production in the middle of the season. But who can emerge as a game-changer?

Alex: Maybe the biggest question is how Michigan consistently gets Josh Uche on the field, because he may honestly be the best per-snap pass rusher in college football, with 7 sacks last season in only a meager amount of snaps. The problem is that he can’t cover anyone and he also can’t set the edge in rush defense. Or at least he couldn’t last season. Is that going to change this year? And if it doesn’t, Michigan will still have to figure out how they can use him more consistently without exposing those deficiencies. Does that mean going with a 3-3-5 look? And if it does, can they defend the run in it (which was the problem when it was tried in 2017)? 

Beyond that, Danna was a machine at CMU last year, but he was facing MAC competition which is totally different than the B1G East. Paye added run defending and but was largely ineffective as a pass rusher. We’ve heard a lot of Kwity Paye praise in the offseason. Does that transfer over? I’m definitely of the belief that Aidan Hutchinson is going to be a star at Michigan, but the important question is can he be that in 2019? I have hope. 

Evan: My overall expectation for the defense is that they’re a top 20 unit nationally that struggles against teams that are balanced. A team like Wisconsin that can’t really throw the ball shouldn’t have much success against this defense. As far as I know, Michigan doesn’t currently have any opponents that can throw really well but can’t run it. But those opponents wouldn’t have much success either… in theory. Can they have a consistent pass rush? As we’ve hit on, that’s probably the biggest key to this season. 

Alex: The baseline expectation should be top 20. Even with some impact players being gone, there’s still a ton of talent, more than most other teams in the country. Let’s be real here: Don Brown made his living early in his career stichting together top tier defenses with very little talent out in the northeast. He got Boston College’s defense into the top 5 and UCONN’s into the top 10. If he could do that with those groups of players, the bare minimum should be a top 20 group, if not more. He had a lot of different wonky schemes back in those days and again it felt like he tried to win with talent alone last year. He’ll need to scheme some more this year but the talent is there. 

Evan: Shall we discuss special teams then?

Alex: Sure. A lot more continuity than this time last year, eh? 

Evan: Yep. While there appears to be battles for both the punt and kickoff return jobs (freshman WR Mike Sainrisitil may win one or both), the kicker (Jake Moody) and punter (Will Hart) spots will remain in the hands of the men who last held them. Hart was very solid throughout the season and should be among the best punters in the conference. Moody was sold as an extremely consistent kicker inside 40 yards with potential to become a great all around kicker. Both should have successful seasons, although it’d be nice if we saw a lot more Moody than Hart. One thing is for sure, whoever wins the return spots is going to be very fast and very good. Stealing the job from either DPJ (punts) or Ambry Thomas (kickoffs) would require a heck of a camp performance. I’m optimistic that Michigan will have a couple kicks at least taken to the house this year. Oh and don’t forget about returning long snapper Cameron Cheeseman. 

Alex: This definitely has the potential to be a great special teams unit because Will Hart was an All-B1G punter last year seemingly out of nowhere (and an SI All-American (!)). While he had issues last season with puting it too far (outkicking his coverage), that’s a better problem to have than constant shanks, which was the case in 2017. The word in camp is that there may actually be a legit competition at kicker between Jake Moody and Quinn Nordin, but I agree that the expectation is that Moody wins it. Consistency is the most important thing in a kicker and Moody brings that to the table, while Nordin … doesn’t, to put it lightly. And yeah, Peoples-Jones and Thomas were both electric returners last year and with Sainristil mixing in, Michigan has big play threat on special teams. On the topic of Cheeseman, this is actually his senior season and Michigan recently picked up a long snapper recruit recently.

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Preseason Big Ten Football Power Rankings: #10-6

8/26/2019

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By: Alex Drain

Welcome to part 2 of our preseason Big Ten football power rankings. Today we will be looking at teams 10 through 6, with part 1 posted yesterday here. Let's dive right in: 

10. Purdue

Last season: 6-7, (5-4)
Strengths: WR, LB
Weaknesses: inexperience, RB, OL, DB’s 
Big Question: Can Elijah Sindelar stay healthy?

Outlook: Right now it’s a battle between Purdue’s Jeff Brohm and Nebraska’s Scott Frost over who is building the biggest rising powerhouse in the B1G West. Brohm’s first two years have been a stunning success in West Lafayette, getting the Boilers to bowls in back to back seasons for the first time since 2011-2012 (only the third and fourth bowls period since 2008) and he just reeled in the nation’s 25th best recruiting class (5th best in the conference) at PURDUE. For a program that has wandered through the wilderness since Joe Tiller’s retirement, Brohm seems to finally be the savior that will helicopter them out of the woods and to safety again. All that said, it’s probably another year away from true liftoff for Purdue, since this is a very, very young team in 2019. They rank #126 (out of 130) on Phil Steele’s experience chart, returning just 3 starters on offense for a unit that was top 20 nationally. The good news is that one of those 3 is Rondale Moore, the electrifying slot jitterbug who toppled our conception of what it means to be a freshman receiver in college football en route to being named a consensus All-American as a true freshman(!!!). However, Purdue loses All-B1G QB David Blough, both notable running backs, and both starting offensive tackles. Elijah Sindelar slides in at QB and his talent level is similar to Blough’s, it’s just been health that has hindered Sindelar’s development. Purdue adds the Gatorade HS PoY for the state of Indiana in David Bell and between Bell and Moore, this should be a pretty good offense again if Sindelar can stay healthy. But that’s a huge “if” on a team with a rickety offensive line. 

Defensively, Purdue dropped off big time compared to 2017, when it was that side of the ball that got Purdue to 6 wins. They got lit up for 30+ points by Northwestern and allowed 24 points to Rocky Lombardi and Michigan St., which was arguably the most laughably hapless offense in college football by late October last season. The Boilermakers return 9 starters on defense and add 5* DE George Karlaftis, as well as LB Ben Holt, a grad transfer from Western Kentucky who will play next to 2nd team All-B1G LB Markus Bailey. The linebackers should be the best unit on this defense and overall, it will no doubt take a step forward. But similar to Illinois, the question is how much, as they were 88th in defensive S&P+ in 2018. With the offense likely to slide back slightly, how much better can the defense be? That’s the question that will likely determine if Purdue gets back to 6 wins. With Steele’s 5th toughest schedule in the B1G, it won’t be easy, but I think there’s enough raw talent on the team to get there. If Brohm can simply get Purdue to 6 wins for a third straight year, that will be a huge victory, continuing to boost the hype and recruiting momentum. While 2019 might not be the year yet for Brohm’s crew, it feels like the train is rolling down the right tracks in West Lafayette. 

9. Northwestern 

Last year: 9-5 (8-1) 
Strengths: DL, LB
Weaknesses: Offense overall 
Big Question: Can Hunter Johnson revitalize the offense? 

Outlook: The Northwestern Wildcats won their first division title under Pat Fitzgerald in 2018, in what was one of the most surprising rides of the season. After the ‘Cats went winless in non-conference play, they went 8-1 in the B1G, with the only regular season loss being a game against Michigan that they led by multiple touchdowns at one point in time. While NW got run out of Indy by Ohio St., they were able to win their bowl game and finish at 9 wins in another spectacular coaching effort by Fitzgerald, especially since they weren’t good statistically. Northwestern was 68th in S&P+, with the #94 offense, yet managed to come close to double digit wins. Few coaches are better at getting more out of less than Fitzgerald but that underlying statistical analysis, as well as their 2 net close wins and #101 experience rank (as calculated by Steele) point to regression in 2019. All the questions lay on the offensive side of the ball, where the Wildcats were just plain bad last season. The good news is that Northwestern returns Isaiah Bowser, who had a fine 2018 season after returning from injury and they add a potential difference maker: Clemson transfer Hunter Johnson. Johnson is a former 5* QB recruit, which means he is the best recruit Northwestern has ever had. With just 1 of their top 3 receivers back and only 2 offensive linemen returning, any hope for offensive improvement rests on Johnson’s shoulders. Can he turn the ship around? 

Defensively, despite returning only 6 starters, the ‘Cats get 5 of their top 6 tacklers back, including three stars: DE Joe Gaziano, LB Paddy Fisher, and LB Blake Gallagher. With a lot of injuries in the secondary last season, there are a number of guys who have started some games back for Northwestern, but still plenty of overall questions. They finished 30th in S&P+ on this side of the ball last year and I think they should be roughly in that ballpark again, though perhaps maybe a tiny bit worse. Overall, Northwestern seems like a team that should be about where they were a year ago. That is, last year they were a 6-6 team who managed to get to 8-4 in the regular season. I expect some of that good luck to wear off and with a tough schedule (@Stanford in week 1, drawing both MSU and OSU out of the east) I see Northwestern around the .500 mark overall, unless Johnson works some magic. 

8. Minnesota 

Last year: 7-6 (3-6) 
Strengths: DE’s, skill positions
Weaknesses: Defensive consistency, turnovers 
Big Question: Can Minnesota get improved QB play? 

Outlook: Which team is the real team? The Minnesota that was a defensive sieve and 4-5 on the season? Or the Minnesota that closed the year 3-1 and was dominant defensively? The big change happened after the canning of DC Robb Smith following a blowout at the hands of Illinois (yes, Illinois), which seemed like it was likely to cost the Gophers a bowl game in PJ Fleck’s second season in Minneapolis. Instead, they allowed just 14.8 points per game after Robb was fired and Joe Rossi was installed at the defense’s helm and won 3 of their last 4, including finally beating rival Wisconsin in Madison to get to 6 wins and then a thrashing of Georgia Tech in the Quick Lane Bowl to finish with a winning record. Now the Gophers return 16 starters, ranking #27 on Steele’s experience chart, and it feels like it’s time for Fleck’s program to take flight, especially in a B1G West increasingly populated by hot young coaches (Scott Frost, Jeff Brohm, etc). The biggest question on offense is about the quarterback position, which saw both a walk-on true freshman start (!?!) in Zach Annexstad, as well as RS Fr. Tanner Morgan. Morgan seemed to be slightly better and with Annexstad suffering an injury in early August, I think Morgan is the guy entering the season. He is armed with some real weapons, including RB Mohamed Ibrahim, and his top 3 receivers last year led by 1,000 yard WR Tyler Johnson. 3.5 starters return on the offensive line and for a team that was very young a year ago (8 freshmen started the Quick Lane Bowl), there is finally some experience for Minnesota and that should mean real improvement for an offense that was just 75th a year ago in S&P+. 

Minnesota was stronger defensively in 2018, finishing 39th in that category, but were particularly weak against big plays (110th in explosiveness), so there is room to grow. They bring back both DE’s, most notably 2nd team All-B1G DE Carter Coughlin, as well as 2 LB’s, and 3 starters in the secondary, and they add NT Micah Dew-Treadway from Notre Dame. I would expect slightly modest improvement from the offense, but they need offensive improvement to be the main catalyst. The Gophers got some luck last season, with 2 net close wins, but they were also incredibly young and with more experience plus a very easy schedule (2nd easiest in the B1G), this should be a year of optimism and success for Fleck. With the B1G West being wide open, there’s no reason that Minnesota can’t be in that conversation. They get both Nebraska and Wisconsin at home, and draw both Maryland and Rutgers out of the east. The baseline for this team should be what they accomplished last year (7 wins). Anything less than that and I think Fleck starts to move onto the hot seat. 

7. Wisconsin

Last year: 8-5 (5-4) 
Strengths: Running game 
Weaknesses: DB’s, passing game  
Big Question: Is the Wisconsin OL factory still functional? 

Outlook: Wisconsin won less than 9 games for the first time since 2012 in 2018, a tremendous disappointment for a team that was preseason top 5. They dealt with considerable injuries defensively and despite the usual punishing ground game to help play-action, the offense sputtered in the passing game. Then in the offseason Wisconsin lost 4 of their 5 offensive linemen from 2018 and saw starting QB Alex Hornibrook transfer, leaving huge questions on that side of the ball and burying the Badgers at 95th on Phil Steele’s experience chart. The rushing game should not be questioned, after Wisconsin finished 3rd in efficiency last season, and with 2,000 yard RB Jonathan Taylor back, it should be cruise control as usual on the ground. That is the strength of the team. But what about the passing attack? That starts and ends with QB play, where Jr. Jack Coan was named the starter over Tr. Fr. Graham Mertz. Mertz has gotten all the fan buzz and will likely be a star in Madison down the line, but in year 1, it seems like Coan will be the guy. Starting at QB as a true freshman is not easy, even if you are a top recruit. Coan got into a few games last year when Hornibrook was hurt and didn’t exactly instil confidence that he can be a legitimate, B1G champion QB. The other huge question is whether the Badgers OL can protect their QB. Wisconsin has been the best factory for churning out offensive linemen in college football, but that will be put to the test with 4 new starters. All B1G center Tyler Biadasz returns but it will be a lot of question marks around him. 


Perhaps the most surprising part of last year’s Wisconsin squad was how poor the defense was, cratering to 29th in S&P+. The Badgers sustained significant injuries, especially on the DL. The hope is that things are more stable in 2019, getting DT Garret Rand back from injury and a hopefully healthy season from DE Isaiahh Loudermilk. They lose 3 of their 4 LB’s (including stars Ryan Connelly and TJ Edwards) and while they have talent and Wisconsin is known for pumping out linebackers, there are important questions there. The secondary was very shaky last season and they lose their steady safety D’Cota Dixon, meaning they will need some guys to step forward. With better health, the defense should improve but there’s also a chance the offense could regress if they can’t figure out OL and QB. Wisconsin absolutely has the talent to win the B1G West, but their brutal schedule could get in the way. Wisconsin draws Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State out of the east (yowza) and has to go on the road to Nebraska and Minnesota. There should be some improvement in Madison in 2019, even if the tough schedule might not end up showing it.

6. Nebraska

Last year: 4-8 (3-6) 
Strengths: QB, WR, OT, DL 
Weaknesses: RB, LB
Big Question: Who will emerge at RB? 

Outlook: Earlier in this article, I noted that #9 Northwestern was a far worse team statistically than their 9-5 record indicated. Nebraska is the flip side of that coin: a team far better than their dismal 4-8 record. They finished 49th in S&P+ last season, which was similar to Purdue and Minnesota (45th and 44th, respectively), two teams that each reached 6 wins in the regular season. Everything about Nebraska’s 2018 season indicates that they’re going to return to the mean this season, and that mean is far better than their 2018 record indicated. They had 4 net close losses, which led the nation and is a classic indicator of a team that will improve significantly on its prior record. Additionally, they had remarkably bad turnover luck, another indicator of a team whose record is likely to significantly improve. Furthermore, once the team adjusted to the Scott Frost system, things turned around, and they finished 4-2 after starting 0-6, and those two losses were one possession defeats on the road against New Year’s Day bowl teams (Iowa and Ohio St.). All of this has myself and many others riding the Husker wagon heading into the 2019 season, as they face the easiest schedule in the B1G according to Phil Steele. 

As for the personnel, it starts and ends with Adrian Martinez, whose strong freshman campaign has him in a position where he could be the best QB in the conference in 2019. The dual-threat youngster is the perfect fit for Frost’s spread system and Martinez was behind a rickety OL in 2018. With 7 returning offensive starters, including star slot WR JD Spielman and both tackles, this is an offense that should be dynamic. But, it needs an answer at RB, with the Huskers losing RB Devine Ozigbo and the backup Maurice Washington being in legal issues. With the interior of the line also losing pieces, the running game is the one question offensively. On the flip side, the Huskers have valuable experience on the DL and add a NT transfer from Oklahoma State. While they lose 3 of the top 4 tacklers, they return 3rd team All-B1G LB Mohamed Barry and also get 3rd team All-B1G CB (and man with a tremendous name) DiCaprio Bootle back. The defense was a dismal 112th against the rush last season, but with Barry manning the second level and depth and experience on the DL, that aspect should improve. Overall, it’s a team that isn’t super experienced, but they are in the second year of the Frost system, which is when UCF made the jump. With a returning QB who is a budding star and a very favorable schedule, Nebraska is my  co-B1G West favorite (with Iowa), but any one of Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota could take home that division. 

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Preseason Big Ten Football Power Rankings: #14-11

8/25/2019

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By: Alex Drain

The college football season is now officially underway, although the Big Ten season does not begin for another few days. In order to tide you over the final stretch, WCBN Sports is going to be releasing its preseason B1G Football Power Rankings in three parts. Today, part 1, looks at the cellar dwellers of the conference, #14-10. Let's dive right in:


14. Rutgers 

Last season: 1-11, (0-9) 
Strengths: RB 
Weaknesses: Offense, rush D 
Big Question: Does the offense have a pulse? 

Outlook: Chris Ash enters year 4 at Rutgers and after signing a deal worth $11 M when he was named head coach in 2015, he has earned just under $1 M per win that he has gotten for the Scarlet Knights ($6.6 M per year through three seasons, 7 total wins). Not good. While I don’t really fault Ash (who is going to do better at Rutgers?), the lack of any progress has to be disheartening to all 8 Rutgers football fans. They went just 1-11 a year ago, the worst of any of Ash’s three seasons and it’s hard to think of a worse offensive season by a B1G team in recent memory than Rutgers in 2018. Rutgers was 123rd offensively in S&P+, including 130th in success rate, 121st in explosiveness, and 130th in passing offense. That last number is because Artur Sitkowski, Rutgers QB, had 4 TD and 18 INT (!!!!) with a 49.1% completion percentage. Sitkowski was a true freshman last year and so the expectation is that he will improve with a year of starting under his belt, especially since he wasn’t a bad recruit at all (#395 nationally). Sitkowski is armed with a decent running game at least, with Raheem Blackshear and Isiah Pacheco both having >500 yards on the ground last season. There are 8 overall returning starters including 3/5 on the offensive line. This group has to get better, right? Right? 


Defensively, Rutgers wasn’t that bad last season, finishing a respectable 67th in S&P+ last season, led by a 66th ranked pass defense. There are only 5 defensive returning starters and for a unit that was quite bad against the run (94th), there is certainly room for considerable improvement. Rutgers does add Michigan transfer Drew Singleton at LB who should see significant playing time, but otherwise there’s not much here to point out. Rutgers should be able to win home games against UMass and Hugh Freeze’s Liberty Flames, but they will be underdogs against Boston College and every B1G opponent, and it’s hard to believe that this is more than a 2 win team until it happens. 

13. Illinois

Last season: 4-8, (2-7) 
Strengths: Running game (RB + OL) 
Weaknesses: Entire defense, passing game
Big Question: How will QB Brandon Peters fit in the spread running scheme? 

Outlook: Illinois, unlike Rutger, is an actually interesting football team and program with tangible strengths and weaknesses. It’s year 4 for Lovie Smith at Illinois (yes, he’s still coaching there) and they’ve only won 9 games in 3 seasons, but the Illini are coming off the best season yet, finishing 4-8 and actually winning 2 B1G games. While the university seems to be in for the long haul with Lovie’s rebuilding project, it does feel like there needs to be some results sooner rather than later. The strength of the team is the run game, after they installed a new offensive coordinator last season who implemented a spread option, Rich Rod scheme. This resulted in a respectable offense that ranked 9th best in college football on the ground and 38th in explosiveness, thanks to a strong offensive line, a mobile QB (AJ Bush), and their first 1,000 yard running back since 2010, Reggie Corbin. The bad news is that their passing game was largely nonexistent, limiting the overall offensive S&P+ to 70th nationally, and their defense was an atrocity (115th nationally). With Illinois returning most of its OL and Corbin, this will remain a strength but two questions loom in order for Illinois to reach a bowl:

1.) How will new QB Brandon Peters fit into the existing offensive scheme?  

2.) Can the defense become mediocre instead of godawful?

Starting with #1, the new QB is Michigan transfer Brandon Peters, who is by far more talented (he was a borderline top 100 recruit in 2016) than Bush, but seems to be an odd fit for the scheme. So much of Illinois' offensive success last year (when it happened) rested on Bush's mobility to give teeth to the spread option offense. But with the largely immobile Peters at the helm, it begs the question of how the offense will change. Peters gives Illinois a decently experienced starter who will improve the passing game no doubt, but will it come at the expense of the success of the ground game? As for #2, Illinois has a ton of returning starters (they’re the #31 most experienced team nationally according to Phil Steele) and plug in some highly talented transfers from USC and Washington. The defense will get better, if only because it can’t possibly be worse. With an easy non-conference schedule and drawing Rutger from the east at home, Illinois should be able to get back to 4 wins, but they’ll need two upsets to get to a bowl and maybe convince Lovie to quit his audition for Duck Dynasty and shave the damn beard. 

12. Maryland 

Last season: 5-7, (3-6) 
Strengths: Skill positions, DB’s  
Weaknesses: Defense, youth in general
Big Question: Can Mike Locksley be a real head coach in college football? 

Outlook: There’s a new coach in College Park, as Mike Locksley finally returns home to the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) and takes over the Terps, a match made in heaven for the DC native. At face value, it would seem to be a home run hire for Maryland: Locksley is under 50 years old, can recruit like it’s nobody’s business, and has an impressive track record of previous stops … except for that one time he was a head coach. That was 2009-2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico where Locksley was not running a meth lab, but instead coaching the UNM Lobos and he proceeded to take a stable but slightly underachieving program and nuked it. New Mexico went from a consistent bowl team under Rocky Long to winning just 2 games in 28 tries before the Lobos finally put Locksley out of his misery. However, if you look past that catastrophe in the desert, Locksley is a guy with an otherwise great track record, being a catalyst for the bonkers Juice Williams year under Ron Zook at Illinois (that earned him the UNM job) and since then being the co-OC (with Michigan’s Josh Gattis) at Alabama, as the Tide have transitioned to being a dynamic spread offense. 

So what is Locksley being handed at Maryland? It’s a team that went 5-7 a year ago, despite all the craziness in the offseason that led to coach DJ Durkin being fired for killing a player. Under interim coach Matt Canada, the Terps were one misfire from QB Tyrell Pigrome to a wide open receiver from upsetting Ohio St. (sorry for bringing that up, Michigan fans) and playing in a bowl game. This year’s team will likely see a new QB in the building: VT transfer and Saline, Michigan HS star Josh Jackson, who was solid for the Hokies, though injuries led him to be Wally Pipp’d and with it came the transfer to Maryland. With 2nd team All-B1G RB Anthony McFarland and most top receivers back, as well as the addition of Buffalo transfer and star MAC TE Tyler Mabry, the skill position pieces are there to have a compelling offense in Locksley’s spread system. The problem is that they have a leaky OL that is replacing three starters and Jackson’s career has been littered with injuries. The Terps were #2 in the country in explosiveness on offense last year, but can they keep Jackson healthy? Defensively Maryland needs to replace 6 starters, including star safety Darnell Savage who was a first round pick of the Green Bay Packers. All-B1G 2nd team SS Antoine Brooks is back and they add an OSU transfer at LB, as well as mixing in true freshman CB Nick Cross, the best recruit Maryland has ever had. That said, there are serious issues on the DL and it is likely to be a rebuilding season. Maryland has the 2nd toughest schedule in the B1G and the 11th toughest nationally by Phil Steele’s metric and while they could be an exciting team to watch if Jackson stays healthy, I don’t think they’ll get to a bowl this season. If Locksley can just not do whatever the heck it was he did to poison the well in New Mexico, he could be a great hire as a program builder, but it’s going to take some time for this young team. 

11. Indiana

Last season: 5-7, (2-7)
Strengths: Skill positions, experience
Weaknesses: Defense, OL 
Big Question: Who the heck is playing QB? 

Outlook: It feels like bowl or bust in Bloomington in 2019, after Tom Allen’s Hoosiers have fallen just short of a bowl two straight years. With 7 offensive and defensive starters returning, Indiana is #26 on Steele’s experience chart, giving them the battle tested readiness to face the daunting B1G East. They made some shake-ups in the offseason, with Kalen DeBoer replacing Mike DeBord at OC, which was a necessary move after DeBord’s stale offense was 55th in S&P+ despite quite a bit of talent, a far cry from former coach Kevin Wilson's dynamic offenses of yesteryear. DeBoer seems to be a genuinely smart hire by Allen, a dominant NAIA coach who has posted a good track record as an OC at Eastern Michigan and Fresno State, and is only in his mid-40s, as opposed to the retread types you normally see on the Coordinator Carousel. He’s being given some nice toys to play with, as 1,000 yard rusher Stevie Scott returns and both of the top 2 receivers, Donovan Hale and Nick Westbrook are also back. The big question that looms over all of this though is similar to Illinois: who in the world is going to be the QB? Peyton Ramsey is a serviceable (and returning) B1G starter, just one who seems to be fatally flawed on deep balls. It appeared that Michael Penix Jr. (what a terrible last name) might jump Ramsey on the depth chart last season before a devastating injury, and he’s back and ready to compete. Indiana also added Utah transfer Jack Tuttle, who was a solid 4* recruit and is immediately eligible. Whoever emerges will either be uninspiring but veteran (Ramsey) or inexperienced but more talented than almost any other Indiana QB in recent memory (Penix or Tuttle). The OL is replacing three starters though, which is the biggest question mark on what could be a quite good offense if DeBoer’s system takes off and they can find the right QB. 

Defensively, they are much more experienced than in 2018. Marcellino Ball plays their version of Michigan’s VIPER position, and he’s a Dude. 3 of 4 DB starters return, but there are some talented underclassmen who could fight for playing time. It’s not a unit with a ton of surefire playmakers, and it’s going to need to get better after finishing 75th in S&P+ nationally a year ago. In particular, their pass defense was 104th and so Tom Allen’s going to have to do real coaching to make this team better. Overall, they should be on the cusp of bowl eligibility again and it’s going to come down to close games. Indiana has an easy schedule for a B1G East team, as the three non-conference + Rutger games should give them 4 wins easy and then it’s not hard to see them winning at least one more. However, it’ll come down to the ability of Indiana to win on the road in College Park or West Lafayette, or pull an upset at home against Ohio St., Michigan, or Northwestern to get to 6 wins. I’m not sure they get it done, but for Tom Allen’s sake, they need to. 

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Michigan Football Season Preview: Offense

8/22/2019

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By Alex Drain and Evan Oesterle

Welcome to WCBN Sports’ 2019-20 Michigan football preview series. Alex and Evan will preview the offense, defense, special teams, and the rest of CFB over the next week before finally getting to the Middle Tennessee State preview.

Evan: A lot has changed since the last time you heard from us. Several former Michigan players are now playing pre-season games for NFL squads and they’re being replaced by some pretty talented young players. A pretty important new coordinator has joined Jim Harbaugh’s staff. Ohio State is no longer being coached by an all-time great.

Much has also stayed the same. Michigan fans are desperate for a win against the Buckeyes and a conference championship. The team is receiving a tremendous amount of national hype, being ranked as high as #3 in some pre-season polls. Michigan State’s entire offensive staff from last year that led the team to being the #128 offense in the country per S&P+ is still employed by Michigan State to coach offense.

We are less than 2 weeks from kickoff so let’s get rolling with a preview off the offense. Here’s what I have to say: SPEED. IN. SPACE.

Alex: Good morning in Ann Arbor, because it’s finally 2005 when it comes to the Michigan offense, as they are moving out of the dark ages and trying to catch up with the rest of college football. While Michigan fans may have some apprehension with spread offenses because of what happened last time the Wolverines tried a switch from pro style to the spread (Rich Rod), it’s important to remember a few things: 1.) the personnel at play actually suits the preferred style of offense (Ryan Mallet is not the QB of the future), 2.) after a… rough transition, Rich Rod’s scheme did produce one of the most dynamic offenses in college football with Denard at the helm (it was the defense that did him in), and 3.) while this is going to be a spread offense, it won’t be the run-run-run Rich Rod QB option. Instead, expect this to be more like Penn St. with Saquon, Godwin, and McSorley, or (most optimistically) Alabama last year. It will be a pass-first spread.

Evan: It will be pass-first for sure. I’ll use that as a segue into this offense’s biggest strength: wide receivers. As if the trio of junior NFL prospects Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black, and Nico Collins wasn’t enough, Michigan went and got themselves some elite speed in the slot with true freshmen Giles Jackson and Mike Sarinsitil. Ronnie Bell returns as a sophomore who produced some solid catches in garbage time last year, and the hype around another freshman, Cornelius Johnson, grows by the day. This group has everything you could ever want from your receivers - size on the outside, speed on the inside, experience, and a heck of a lot of talent. The biggest problem will be getting them all enough reps.

Alex: In a review of game film from the Ohio State game from last season (I hate myself), I was dismayed to realize how many targets Michigan was giving to TE’s in big moments, most notably Zach Gentry. It was nearly a 50-50 split between TE’s and WR’s in the first half, and look, while I liked Zach Gentry and all (he got drafted!), he was basically just tall. That creates size mismatches with LB’s and CB’s, but he lacked the dynamic aspect that Michigan possesses in the WR’s, and to finally see the most talented players on the offense, the WR’s, be the focal point will be huge. Donovan Peoples-Jones has the athleticism to dust literally every corner in America, even the hyper athletic ones you find at Ohio State, Clemson, and Alabama. Nico Collins’s size and hands (80% contested catch rate, 0 drops) make him impossible to cover. It was incredible to rewatch The Game and see Collins dunking on Buckeye corners all game long. And then there’s Tarik Black, who has been suffering from Bill Walton Feet his first two years at Michigan, but in both 2017 and 2018, he entered the #1 dude on the depth chart at wide receiver, ahead of the two guys we just mentioned as being unstoppable. If he can just stay healthy. 

Evan: I’m confident Black will be able to stay healthy because the second foot injury was allegedly not related to football. Regardless, there is so much depth that Shea Patterson will have his choice of targets all season long.

Right? Shea is gonna be the starter… right?

Alex: As long as he’s healthy yes. There is a scenario where he gets Wally Pipp’d by Dylan McCaffrey if he goes down at some point but Shea is the #1 guy. He left some things to be desired when he fell behind in games, and he did have issues panicking, but he threw 22 TD’s to just 7 INT’s, completing at nearly 65%. He won in East Lansing and would represent a Michigan QB with starting experience against Ohio St. getting a second hack at the Buckeyes for the first time since Devin Gardner’s corpse was dragged into the ‘Shoe in 2014. That’s significant. With another year to get better and make changes, he should be improved and also there’s the reality that this offense probably suits him better than the one they were running last season. Shea’s legs were deadly when used, and that was evidenced against Michigan St. and Wisconsin. Now he’ll be in an offense where he’s being asked to play the role of a Tua or a Trace McSorley, rather than a Jake Rudock or Wilton Speight game manager. 

Evan: People forget that Shea was the #4 overall recruit/#1 QB in the 2016 class. He doesn’t have an arm like Josh Allen, but he does just about everything else well. I’ll say briefly that McCaffrey is an incredible talent, and will be excellent in 2020 - as you mentioned, the one way we see him this year is a Jacob Eason-Jake Fromm situation where Shea goes down early and loses the job to injury. But I have full confidence in Patterson. His biggest critics point to his big game performance: an awful first half and game ending fumble in South Bend against Notre Dame week 1 and a rough game in general against Ohio State in Columbus to end the season. The Notre Dame game felt mostly like the Tim Drevno effect at play: an O-Line that gave him 0 time to throw for 90% of the game. The OSU game was flat out embarrassing for every part of the team so I can’t hold that against Shea individually. Given the weapons he has to throw to, his playmaking ability (scrambling/throw-on-the-run, ball-fakes on options, etc.), and the new offense, I anticipate him being a Heisman contender if he can stay healthy in the new offense. 

Alex: The only real question mark on offense is the RB position, where feature back Karan Higdon departs and #2 Chris Evans is no longer with the team for academic reasons, leaving a pretty big hole and an open debate among the fan base over who will win the starting gig. Where do you stand on this matter? 

Evan: Tru Wilson is being publicly proclaimed as the starter. Honestly, that isn’t as bad as people make it seem. He’s a former walk-on, sure, and that alone will scare people, but Tru is an excellent pass blocker and averaged 5.9 ypc last season. “But it was in garbage time!” Not all of it, and even so, if you take a deeper dive into the film, he’s excellent at finding the hole every time. He runs North and South. That’s invaluable in a running back. However, I think true freshman Zach Charbonnet will overtake him by midseason. Charbonnet was a consensus top 150 recruit and top 5 running back. He has good size, speed, and some solid moves. I don’t put too much stock in high school film, but his is among the best I’ve seen from a running back Michigan has been in the mix for besides Najee Harris. He is the real deal. Obviously as a freshman, he’s got a learning curve. But once he hits that curve, which I anticipate happening midway through the season (probably around the Penn State game), he will be the #1 back. There’s also Christian Turner, who impressed with a touchdown run that got called back in the bowl game (one of the few bright spots for Michigan). He should provide a good change of pace from Charbonnet and provide depth, but I think a majority of the snaps will go to Charbonnet and Wilson. One last note: Gattis really values pass blocking. Like really, really values it. This makes sense given the scheme. As I mentioned, Tru is an excellent pass blocker. This will keep him on the field quite a bit.

Alex: I consider myself a Tru-ther so to speak, when it comes to Michigan’s #1 back. What Wilson lacks in true athleticism he makes up in vision and smarts, and yes, pass blocking. In all likelihood though, I see this as some type of a Roman Triumvirate between Tru, Turner, and Charbonnet. Charbonnet obviously has the most upside and there is a scenario where he has a JK Dobbins-like rookie campaign given that he finished as the #46 overall player in the 247 composite and the #4 RB nationally, on the edge of 5* territory. His scouting report reads something to the effect of “shifty like Chris Evans, but tough like De’Veon Smith”. He’s going to be really, really good. Turner obviously has upside too, and I think it will depend on the situation. Charbonnet and Turner will probably be better for stretching the field, with the ability to hit holes hard, while Wilson will probably be more of a short yardage back and pass-blocker. As you mentioned, the depth chart may change as the season goes on, but Tru is fine, and that’s perfectly okay. 

It should also be noted that Mike Sainristil and Giles Jackson, the aforementioned freakishly athletic freshmen slot dudes, will get some carries as well, and will line up as an H-Back on some occasions. They may well be used similarly to Ohio State H-Backs of yesteryear such as Curtis Samuel and Parris Campbell, to create mismatches with linebackers that you may remember in such horrifying moments as Saquon on Mike McCray. I suppose we never mentioned tight ends, before diving into the offensive line. 

Evan: I don’t have a ton to say. I’m not all that high on Mckeon. He’s had minimal production despite a lot of time on the field. I think it’s a joke that people have him as a top 10 tight end on draft boards. “This scheme has a lot of passing and he was previously on the field a lot in a different scheme so he should get reps” doesn’t do it for me. Nick Eubanks has more speed and is a better route runner, albeit a worse blocker. Mustapha Muhammad was a solid recruit, but redshirted with an injury last year. I can’t imagine the tight ends poaching a ton of targets from a deep receiver group anyways.

Alex: As the Nick Eubanks Fan Club President, I think there is a very real role for him given that he averaged 19.6 yards per reception last season. Both he and McKeon have speed and can be used as weapons down the seam. There’s also true freshman Erick All, who is an intriguing option and has gotten a lot of summer camp hype due to his huge size and great hands. Since there are only so many targets to go around, I can’t see him being used for much more than as a red zone weapon, but it is another example of the litany of weapons at Josh Gattis’s disposal. 

Onto the best offensive line in the Big Ten? 

Evan: I know most Michigan fans are still recovering from 2017 offensive line PTSD… but holy cow is this line going to be good. They should be a top 5 line in the whole country.

At left tackle, Jon Runyan Jr. was first team All-B1G and should be an All-American candidate.
At left guard, Ben Bredeson was second team All-B1G and should be an All-American candidate (he’s also a captain).
At center, Cesar Ruiz was third team All-B1G and should be an All-American candidate.
At right guard, Michael Onwenu was third team All-B1G and… you get the point.

The one question mark has been RT, where Andrew Steuber and Jalen Mayfield have been battling out. With a recent knee injury to Steuber, the job is Mayfield’s. He’s the one new starter and doesn’t have much experience, but he’s an excellent athlete and should provide good versatility in a zone-blocking scheme. I am very, very, very, very excited for the line to be one of the biggest strengths of the entire team rather than a crippling weakness.

Alex: With regards to Mayfield, there are a few things to mention in order: 

1.) Andrew Steuber started The Game and the Peach Bowl and was fine in both, roughly equivalent to Juwann Bushell-Beatty, who was the starter before injury 
2.) It is reasonable to expect that Steuber improved in the offseason pre-injury
3.) The insider whispers before Steuber’s injury was that Mayfield had pulled ahead at RT. 

So, if Mayfield was already a tiny bit better than Steuber 2019, who was better than Steuber 2018, which was about the same as JBB 2018, then I don’t feel outrageous in saying that right tackle is probably improved, even with a first time starter. Regardless, it’s good that Mayfield has asserted himself so quickly because he’s now on the track to stardom and in line to start this year at RT and then slide over to LT in 2020 and be a 2-3 year starter there before having a chance at a high NFL draft pick. His combination of athleticism and length mean that he has a real shot at following in the footsteps of Taylor Lewan, Jake Long, and Jeff Backus as a superstar LT, and that ride begins right now. 

But besides, Mayfield, all of those other guys you mentioned are really good, and will be an asset in pass protection and run blocking, which is huge because Michigan will face the 4th, 8th, 9th, and 11th best defensive lines in the country according to Phil Steele (MSU, OSU, PSU, ND, respectively). They will face Steele’s 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 9th best draft eligible DE’s (Young, Epenesa, Willekes, K. Kareem, Y. Gross-Matos, Okwara). 

Evan: I wish I could unread that. 

Alex: Should we get into overall thoughts on the offense? 

Evan: Yes, I’ll try to forget what I just read. Overall, I’m very optimistic about the passing game. The receivers and O-Line are the best position groups on the team and I’m a big Shea believer. Michigan should be top 5 nationally in passing offense. I’m a bit more concerned about the run game, but it should be fine. The numbers won’t be huge, but they’ll need a competent rushing attack to close out close games (Michigan plays the preseason #5, 9, 15, 18, 19, and 20 with two of those on the road - OSU, ND, @PSU, @Wisco, MSU, Iowa - so they will have close games regardless of how explosive the offense is). There should be several players in contention for national awards as well. Patterson should be in the Heisman mix as well as all the major QB awards, DPJ or potentially Collins/Black should be a Biletnikoff Award candidate, and everyone on the offensive line should take home B1G Ten honors and be in the mix for All American awards.

Alex: Last year it felt like the pieces were being slightly misused and that the results (25th nationally in offense via S&P+) did not match the talent. The goal of the Gattis system is to modernize the offense and to bring it more into line with the talent level. My baseline goal is improvement into the top 10 in S&P+ offensively with 9.5 returning starters (Higdon gone, RT situation I’ll count as a half starter). For what that looks like on the field, the average top 7 S&P+ offense over the past two seasons produced 519 yards per game and 42 points per game, which would be a 100 yard uptick in yardage and a full touchdown per game uptick in scoring. Most importantly, it will be important to have an offense in which the run game and the pass game feed off each other and an offense that doesn’t move at a glacial pace even when down multiple scores late in a game. Variation and cohesion is key. 

Evan: It should be interesting to see the offense be the strength for the first time under Jim Harbaugh. Not that the defense will be bad, but the offense should take its place as the elite unit of the team. More on the defense in the coming days though.
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2019-20 English Premier League Prediction

8/9/2019

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Picture
Via the Guardian
By: Nick Hornburg

Folks, we’re back.

The English Premier League returns this weekend. Following one of the tightest title races in the history of English football last season, Manchester City outlasted Liverpool on the final day to win a second consecutive title. As a new day dawns in England, we appear to be in for an outstanding season. Liverpool and Manchester City are back for another riveting title race, Tottenham finally moved into their new stadium, Arsenal is back for another run at returning to the Champions League, Chelsea and Manchester United are both taking former legendary players for a spin as managers, and this season may have the best middle class in the Premier League era. Further down the table, Huddersfield, Fulham and Cardiff were relegated last season, and Norwich City, Sheffield United and Aston Villa have come up in their place. With the depth that the league has this season, point totals at the top likely won’t be as high, and the teams are close enough that the season could go many different ways. Here is one way…

20. Newcastle United -- Relegation
Last Season: 13

Viva la Rafalución! Newcastle’s administrative incompetence finally seems to have come back to hurt them. Manager Rafa Benitez, finally out of patience with owner Mike Ashley’s unwillingness to invest in the club, has walked out the door, and most of Newcastle’s goals have left with him. Center forward Salomón Rondón followed Benitez to China and shadow striker Ayoze Pérez was sold to Leicester City. The Magpies already had one of the weakest squads in the league last season, but were kept afloat by timely goalscoring and Benitez’ tactical mastery, and now both of those are gone. Newcastle has turned to Steve Bruce to succeed Benitez, and has signed striker Joelinton and winger Allan Saint-Maximin to try and replace Perez and Rondon. Joelinton and Saint-Maximin both have talent, but they’re both young players who are untested in a uniquely challenging Premier League. There is some quality in this squad, center backs Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schär, along with left winger Matt Ritchie and new left back Jetro Willems are strong, stubborn players, and pivot midfielder Jonjo Shelvey’s talent has never been in doubt, but this squad is woefully undermanned, and the anger with Mike Ashley has boiled over to a point where St. James’ Park, one of the best home atmospheres in England, may not be the most comfortable ground to play in for the home side. This really is a sad story, Newcastle are a club rich in tradition with some of the best fans in England, and Steve Bruce is a fine manager, but this isn’t a situation they’ll be able to get out of. On the bright side, Mike Ashley, one of the worst owners out there, openly wants to sell, so maybe a sale makes relegation a bit more palatable.

19. Brighton & Hove Albion -- Relegation
Last Season: 17

Brighton’s second consecutive season in the top flight was a little bit too close to relegation for comfort, but they survived nonetheless. However, the club, displeased with how close it came (they cleared the drop by two points) and the Seagulls’ pathetic goal output (35 goals in 38 games), fired manager Chris Hughton and replaced him with Graham Potter. Potter isn’t a stranger to tough situations, he had a great run at FK Östersunds in northern Sweden, but he’s coming off a mid-table finish in the Championship with Swansea City. One thing he will have in his favor, and the biggest reason for Brighton fans to have hope for survival, is that Brighton still has one of the best center back pairings in the English top flight. Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk both received interest from other clubs but ultimately they are still Brighton players, and their central defense, along with the pair’s goal contributions off of set pieces, will make them a tough out for anybody, and they should be able to scratch out a few unexpected draws. Unfortunately, a common theme with relegation-threatened clubs is goalscoring, or lack thereof. Glenn Murray is a warrior (13 league goals in 2018-19), but he turns 36 next month, and the next highest goalscorer was Duffy (5 goals). Potter made a pair of shrewd signings in Belgian left winger Leandro Trossard and French striker Neil Maupay. Trossard provides pace out wide, and Maupay should work excellently in a partnership with Murray, with service coming from Pascal Groß once again. I like Potter, he’s a good manager with room to grow, and he’s met a good match in Brighton, a well-run club that isn’t prone to panicking, but this season is going to be tough, and Brighton won’t be able to outrun the speeding train this time.

18. Norwich City -- Relegation
Last Season: 1 (Championship)

This is a tough one. Norwich ran roughshod over the championship last season to the tune of 94 points and 93 goals, winning the second tier with room to spare. Manager Daniel Farke managed Borussia Dortmund II before coming to England, and the influence of Jürgen Klopp is apparent. The Canaries won the championship the fun way: by throwing everything they had at the opponent’s net. While this had the result of scoring 93 goals, it also had the drawback of an extremely suspect defense, with 57 goals conceded, a shocking number for a promoted team. Norwich has bought very little in this transfer window, which suggests that whatever may come, this team is going to ride it out with Farke, these players, and the wild, athletic setup that got them this far, an admirable decision, but one that could cost them. Norwich controlled the ball last season, and the attack was multi-faceted, but 29 of the 93 goals they scored came from Finnish target man Teemu Pukki, who won the Championship Golden Boot. Mario Vrančić was the only other Norwich player to score double digit goals last season, and while they are more than competent, high goal totals don’t always translate to the top flight, especially when Norwich isn’t going to monopolize possession the way they did on their way up. If Norwich is truly committed to holding the course, they’re going to be fun to watch, but they’re also going to be on the losing end of a lot of three or four-goal losses. This, combined with the natural fall in goals that comes with moving up a tier, means Norwich’s idealism will be heading back down, but with the firepower and fearlessness they have, they won’t go quietly.

17. Aston Villa
Last Season: 5 (Championship)

Fool me twice, shame on me. After losing in the promotion playoff final in 2017-18, Aston Villa got over the top last season, defeating Derby County in the playoff final to secure promotion after three seasons underwater. One of England’s proudest clubs, manager Dean Smith has had a very busy summer, with the Villains loading up on attackers, bringing in wingers Jota and Trézéguet, and striker Wesley. Making Anwar El Ghazi’s loan move permanent will also help with continuity. Unfortunately, Villa is playing a bit of a dangerous game. Their hot streak that led to their promotion was largely powered by striker Tammy Abraham, who they took on loan from Chelsea. To Aston Villa’s chagrin, the 25-goal scorer has returned to Stamford Bridge, and they suddenly have a lot of goals to make up. Fortunately, the forwards will have a lot of opportunities, being supported by a midfield trio of John McGinn, Conor Hourihane, and in particular, attacking midfielder Jack Graelish. Graelish may be the most talented player on any of the promoted sides, and Villa’s attack will benefit accordingly, however their defense requires some faith. They conceded 62(!) goals last season, but they’ve done well in the summer, making Tyrone Mings’ and Kortney Hause’s loans permanent and bringing in proven defenders Ezri Konsa and Björn Engels, along with taking swings on Southampton castoff Matt Targett at left back and Manchester City academy product Douglas Luiz to anchor the midfield, and most crucially, bringing in veteran Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton. All of these signings point to a stress-free season for Villa, but the spectre of Fulham looms large. The Cottagers were the last promoted team in 2018-19, and spent £100 Million on transfers. They were a complete disaster, getting relegated in record time. Now here comes Aston Villa, spending £100 Million on transfers in an attempt to guarantee survival. I’ll say they stay up, but only just.

16. Sheffield United
Last Season: 2 (Championship)

Sheffield United surprised everybody last season by securing their second promotion in three years, a meteoric rise for Chris Wilder’s men akin to Bournemouth’s several years ago under Eddie Howe. Howe is still around, and Bournemouth is beginning their fifth consecutive season in the Premier League this weekend, and now it will be interesting to see if the Blades can do the same. Wilder’s team has a lot more balance than Norwich, with a little bit less attacking firepower (78 goals in 2018-19), but much more defensive solidity (led the championship in clean sheets). Also in contrast to Norwich, Sheffield United hasn’t been shy about new recruitment. They signed Everton legend Phil Jagielka, who should at least provide leadership behind the scenes (nobody’s quite sure if he can actually still play), and former Swansea striker Oliver McBurnie should augment an already strong strike partnership of Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick. In particular, the 23 year-old McBurnie should allow Wilder to rest his other two strikers (both over 30) periodically, which is huge in a league where survival, particularly for a newly promoted team, can be so dependent on savvy strikers scoring timely goals (see: Murray, Glenn). It’s been a sound transfer window for the Blades, letting an experienced defense be (retaining Manchester United loanee Dean Henderson in goal is also a huge help) while getting some competent attacking help for an already fairly strong team going forward, along with a few dice rolls on Bournemouth washout Lys Mousset and talented headcase Ravel Morrison. This season is not going to be easy by any measure, championship goals don’t always translate well to Premier League success, but Sheffield United have enough goalscorers that they should feel confident in their ability to find the net. Additionally, the blood runs hot in Sheffield, and Newcastle United demonstrated two years ago the potential for a newly promoted club with a few well-timed goals and a tough home ground.

15. Burnley
Last Season: 15

As many expected, Sean Dyche’s squad didn’t take to life in European competition all that comfortably. The squad was worryingly thin, and having to balance both the Europa League and the Premier League took its toll, as the Clarets were eliminated from the Europa League early and their Premier League performances left much to be desired until January. Once January came along, Burnley went back to being Burnley, and a string of tough performances saw them clear the relegation zone by six points. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier for them now. Sean Dyche did what he always does in the transfer window, staying quiet while adding a piece or two to complement and tight-knit core that has largely remained unchanged. Unfortunately for Dyche, the star of Burnley’s second half, goalkeeper Tom Heaton, has been sold to Aston Villa, so it will most likely be Nick Pope in goal. Burnley did add to their stable of strikers in buying Jay Rodriguez, who scored 22 goals in the championship last season, and he will no doubt add support to Burnley’s reliable strike team of Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood. More hope for Burnley comes in the form of another standout from last year in teenager Dwight McNeill. The academy product will line up opposite Jóhann Guðmunsson on the wing, and those two will look to attack the flanks and support the strikers. Elsewhere, Burnley bolstered their midfield with the loan signing of Chelsea flop Danny Drinkwater, and still has a strong, cohesive back line, led by center backs James Tarkowski and Ben Mee, which will make Burnley as tough to beat as they always are. Burnley, as always, will be thin, and Dyche’s seeming contentment with grinding out draws and close wins, while serving him well, may hold them back from really making noise in the league, but for small clubs like Burnley, survival is paramount, and Dyche’s unapologetically rough style of play will ensure them that. As usual, there will be no such thing as an easy win against Burnley.

14. Southampton
Last Season: 16

I picked Southampton to go down last season, and about a third of the way in, it looked like I was right. The Saints were floundering under manager Mark Hughes and the St. Mary’s Stadium seemed resigned to their doom. However, after Hughes was fired, Southampton rebounded under former RB Leipzig manager Ralph Hasenhüttl, and maintained their top flight status for another season. Now, optimism has returned to Southampton, as the “Alpine Klopp” is expected to restore Southampton’s more ambitious days under managers such as Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koemann. Hasenhüttl’s transfer activity has been modest, but practical, making Danny Ings’ loan move from Liverpool permanent, along with bringing in new striker Che Adams and winger Moussa Djenepo to bolster an attack that desperately needs help. Djenepo and 2018-19 standout Nathan Redmond will move the ball into dangerous areas, but Southampton hasn’t had a consistent goalscorer in years. Maybe Ings improves on the seven goals he scored last season, or maybe Adams makes the difference. Southampton’s midfield looks to be strong once again, as James Ward-Prowse scored seven goals last season, and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg is a force in the middle of the park. The defense is a bit worrying however. There are some talented pieces, and the center back pairing of Maya Yoshida and Jannik Vestergaard, when healthy, can be effective, but overall, the defending has the potential to submarine Hasenhüttl’s designs on returning Southampton to the top half of the table. Hasenhüttl did a great job in a tough situation last season, and it’s nice to see Southampton back on the rise for the first time since Ronald Koemann and Sadio Mané were there, and they will make progress this season, but the Saints are still a few steps away from knocking on Europe’s door.

13. Crystal Palace
Last Season: 12

Palace fans can breathe a massive sigh of relief. Yet another summer transfer window has passed, and yet again, Wilfried Zaha is still a Crystal Palace player. The Ivorian winger is a uniquely skilled player, and is one of the best in the league with the ball at his feet, and he will be as important to the Eagles’ season as ever. Palace has been relatively quiet in the summer, but the signings they have made should help. They made Jordan Ayew’s loan move permanent, brought in two veteran central midfielders in James McCarthy and Víctor Camarasa, and bolstered their defense with the signing of former Chelsea captain Gary Cahill. McCarthy and Camarasa will reinforce an experienced and competent central midfield, led by James McArthur and Luka Milivojević. The flanks also boast talent, with Max Meyer having a strong preseason and Andros Townsend coming off a strong season. Up front, Zaha will move around the opposition’s defenders as he always does, but Palace’s striker, Christian Benteke, has a lot to prove. Benteke has scored a grand total of four league goals in the last two seasons, which, as you can probably guess, is not very good. Benteke is now in a contract year, so now it’s on him to prove he can still play. Also in the final year of his contract is Benteke’s manager, Roy Hodgson. Hodgson’s (presumably) final act in English soccer has been impressive, with the disgraced former England manager having rebuilt his reputation by taking a Palace side that was presumably doomed in 2017-18 to the top half of the table, and following that up with another mid-table finish last season. Hodgson will have a challenge on his hands regarding his back line, because while Zaha is still in south London, right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is not, with the young star off to Manchester. Fortunately, Gary Cahill should help stabilize the defense, and Joel Ward should be able to step in for Wan-Bissaka, even if the attack may fall off from the right back position. Hodgson has vehemently denied speculation that he intends to retire once his current contract expires, and why wouldn’t he? The veteran manager is enjoying quite a second wind in south London, and he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. With Zaha still around and a good staple of talent beyond him, Hodgson can keep his impressive run going at Selhurst Park, further solidifying the Eagles’ status as a worthy Premier League side.

12. Watford
Last Season: 11

I picked Watford for relegation last season. The loss of Richarlison, and the perpetual instability at the club, was destined to catch up to them, or so I believed. Instead, Javi Gracia turned out the be the manager the Hornets were looking for all along, with the spanish boss following up his second half of last season with a strong first full season as Watford’s manager, finishing comfortably in the middle of the table and taking Watford on a surprise run to the FA Cup final (they lost to Manchester City). This season, Watford isn’t losing anybody significant, and they’ve upgraded in a few areas. Gracia brought in veteran defender Craig Dawson to reinforce a defense that hurt more than helped last season. Gracia also made a pair of exciting transfers in attack as well, raiding the bargain bin for former Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck and setting the club’s transfer record for winger Ismaïla Sarr. Welbeck provides support up front for the aging Troy Deeney, and Sarr provides a dangerous presence out wide opposite last season’s standout, Gerard Deulofeu. On the other side, Watford’s defense could be problematic, even with Dawson’s help. The Hornets conceded 59 goals last season, and while Dawson and Craig Cathgart make an experienced pair, left back José Holebas is limited athletically, and right back Kiko Fermenía had some nervy moments. The defense does have a big help in Will Hughes, who is one of the more industrious midfielders in England, and Watford’s midfield will be impressive, with Abdoulaye Doucoure and Roberto Pereyra supporting the forwards. The defense will certainly still be concerning, but Watford is strong going forward, and that alone should make for an exciting season at Vicarage Road, and who knows? Maybe Watford can go two full seasons without firing a manager.

11. Bournemouth
Last Season: 14

Speaking of exciting attacks and morbid defending, meet Eddie Howe. Eddie Howe has been the brightest young English manager for years, and he showed it again last season, leading the smallest club in the top flight to a season that was stronger than their final position would suggest, and the Bournemouth lifer’s dream run on the south coast continues. Unique to much of the rest of the league, the Cherries have not made any significant moves, instead choosing to maintain continuity, which can be both good and bad. On one hand, Bournemouth’s attack last season was outstanding. Bournemouth boasts one of the best strike pairings in England in Callum Wilson and Joshua King (27 combined league goals), along with three dangerous wingers in Ryan Fraser (who was second in the league in assists last season), Junior Stanislas and Jordan Ibe, and a pair of strong central midfielders in David Brooks and Jefferson Lerma. Unfortunately, there is a reason Bournemouth finished at 14th despite all of that attacking talent. Bournemouth’s defense could best be described as ghastly, conceding 70 goals (!) across the season. Center back pairing Nathan Aké and Steve Cook have talent, but deciding not to bring in any defensive help at all is bold to say the least. Howe is gambling on his defensive line improving with another year together, and is counting on the same with his attack. Keeping the attack together was Bournemouth’s biggest victory of the offseason, and if the defense merely progresses to the mean (or even is only bad, not dreadful), it could be a fun season at the Vitality Stadium.

10. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Last Season: 7

Wolves hit the ground running last season, qualifying for the Europa League and cementing their status as the best newly promoted team of the Premier League era. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo consolidated the club’s gains in the transfer window, making Raúl Jiménez’ loan move permanent, as well as signing defensive midfielder Leander Dendoncker and taking in center back Jesús Vallejo on loan. The team will be a joy to watch once again, with the attack littered with athletes such as winger Diogo Jota, Adama Traoré, Ivan Cavaleiro, João Moutinho and Jiménez himself, all supported by a world-class pivot midfielder in Rúben Neves. The defense had a few glitches, but Wolves still boast a veteran group that can support the attack, and they also have an international goalkeeper in Rui Patrício. With all of this quality, it’s fair to ask why they won’t run off to another season in Europe. The answer is simple: The Europa League. Historically, teams tend to struggle quite a bit when trying to balance the Europa League and the Premier League, including large steps back taken by each of the last two teams to finish in seventh (Everton and Burnley). Wolves are teeming with talent, but depth may be a concern. However, do not expect Wolves to step back to the degree that Everton and Burnley did (both flirted with relegation), so while the Europa League will definitely take its toll, expect another strong and exciting season at Molineaux.

9. West Ham United
Last Season: 10

After a rough start to life in west London, Premier League-winning manager Manuel Pellegrini steadied the ship and turned in a strong season at West Ham, finishing in the top half despite contending with a few unfortunate injuries. Pellegrini owes much of his club’s success last season to a pair of breakout performers in defensive midfielder Declan Rice and winger Felipe Anderson. These two breakout players, along with strong seasons from midfielders Mark Noble and Michail Antonio and center back Issa Diop, obscured how much injuries inhibited the Hammers. Winger Andriy Yarmolenko only played in ten games, and midfielder Jack Wilshere only played in seven. With all of those players back and fit, Pellegrini took to the transfer window for a few key signings. Attacking midfielder Pablo Fornals was brought in from Villareal to create chances in the final third, and West Ham splashed the cash to bring in French striker Sébastien Haller to replace West Ham’s only significant offseason loss: striker Marko Arnautović. Once again, this should be another exciting season at the London Stadium, with Issa Diop anchoring an athletic backline, protecting veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, an industrious midfield pairing of Rice and Noble, behind a high-flying attack consisting of some combination of Anderson, Fornals, Antonio, Yarmolenko and Haller. The Premier League is incredibly deep this season, boasting the strongest middle class of teams in years, and with a veteran manager and exciting young talent, West Ham should be right in the thick of it.

8. Leicester City
Last Season: 9

Leicester could look quite different from what we’re used to next season. The Foxes’ 2015-16 League Title, as well as each season since, has primarily been staked upon being one of the most dangerous counterattacking sides in the league. Claudio Ranieri won the league with that strategy, and Claude Puel maintained it for his season in charge. Now, Leicester are riding high after a strong close to last season, spurred by the appointment of former Liverpool and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers will move Leicester to a more possession-based style of play, and he has the personnel to do. Securing midfield anchor Youri Tielemans permanently is huge, and Belgian midfielder Dennis Praet figures to strengthen Leicester’s midfield and help move the ball into the final third. Praet will most likely support Leicester’s great weapon, playmaker James Maddison. Maddison was a revelation last season, and now he’s the perfect triggerman for creating chances for stalwart striker Jamie Vardy (18 goals last season), along with a few goals of his own (Maddison scored seven, second on the team behind Vardy). Unfortunately, Leicester only lost one player of significance in the transfer window, but it’s a big one in center back Harry Maguire. Maguire was important, but Leicester still has enough bodies in defense that his loss should at least be partially mitigated. Fullbacks Ben Chilwell and Ricardo Pereira should operate well in Rodgers’ system, and some combination of Wes Morgan, Jonny Evans and Çağlar Söyüncü should be able to man the center of the defense in front of veteran goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Rodgers may have been a bit of a disappointment at Liverpool, but now he has quite an opportunity for a second act in England at the King Power Stadium, and if everything falls together nicely, he might have another shot at Europe as well.

7. Chelsea -- Possible Europa League Qualification
Last Season: 3

I’m going to regret this pick. Chelsea had...an interesting 2018-19 season. Maurizio Sarri was brought on as manager at the last possible second, and the Blues labored through a campaign rife with bad results, upset fans and...a third place finish and a Europa League title? Yes, it was an odd turn of events, one that ended with a great final touch: Sarri leaving to become the manager of Juventus. In the next episode of the perpetual soap opera that is Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich has turned to an old hand as the next manager. Frank Lampard had a fine first season in management, guiding Derby County to the promotion playoffs before losing the final to Aston Villa, and his initial success, along with his status as a Chelsea legend, got him the top job at Stamford Bridge. It helps that Lampard took in a few young Chelsea players on loan at Derby and did well with them, because he doesn’t have much of a choice but to use them. Chelsea had a bit of a troubling offseason, being assessed a transfer ban barring them from making any new signings in the summer aside from making Mateo Kovačić’s loan move permanent, and the most notable thing to happen to them was losing Eden Hazard, arguably the most talented player in club history. Christian Pulisic, arriving following a loan at Dortmund, is a great player, but he’ll need to adjust to playing in England, and he can only replace so much of Hazard’s production from the left wing. Aside from Pulisic, Chelsea’s attack is going to be reliant on aging veterans such as Olivier Giroud, Willian and Pedro, and young players getting their first real taste of the Premier League, such as Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount. It also doesn’t help that both Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are currently nursing injuries. On the positive side, the midfield should still be strong, with the Blues boasting a strong engine room of N’Golo Kanté, Ross Barkley, and Jorginho, and Chelsea’s fullback pairing of Cesar Azpilicueta and Emerson Palmieri is as reliable as they come. However, the center of the defense could be another problem. David Luiz and Gary Cahill are gone, and the depth is thin. While this can be partially offset by an excellent goalkeeper in Kepa Arrizabalaga, the penalty box could be a danger area. Unfortunately, Lampard is managing with one arm tied behind his back in his first season at Chelsea, and while his status as a club legend should mean a lot, this is a tough job for and inexperienced manager, and Chelsea, with an impatient owner and a spoiled fanbase, is not a club known for putting up with teardown seasons like what this is shaping up to be.

6. Everton -- Europa League Qualification
Last Season: 8

I avoided falling for it the last two seasons, but this year, I’m taking the bait. Everton had an outstanding finish to last season, capped by a resounding 4-0 victory against Manchester United, and spirits are high on Merseyside yet again. Marco Silva, who Everton courted for months prior to his appointment, had his struggles, but ultimately has the club rolling back toward the top of England’s middle class. Now, just take a look at the forwards. Richarlison was a revelation for the Toffees last season, scoring 14 goals, and midfield sniper Gylfi Sigurðsson scored another 14. Meanwhile Richarlison’s opposite winger, Bernard, also impressed in his debut season in Everton colors. And now they’ve gotten bolder. Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been a weak link in Everton’s attack for a while now, but now Silva has brought in Italian teenager Moise Kean to lead the line. If Kean is as good as his talent allows, with Richarlison, Bernard and Sigurðsson in support, and former Arsenal attackers Theo Walcott and Alex Iwobi coming off the bench, this team will be deadly. One trouble spot to watch is central defense. Losing defensive midfielder Idrissa Gueye hurts, and Everton’s late-season resurgence was catalyzed by Chelsea loanee Kurt Zouma, who has returned to London. Silva has brought in Jean-Philippe Gbamin to replace Gueye, and he appears to be content with the next man up to replace Zouma. Yerry Mina was a disappointment last season, but if he improves with more time in England, he’s an exceptional talent to slot next to Michael Keane. The fullbacks, however, should be strong, with Mason Holgate and Lucas Digne proving to be useful, and Everton’s midfield is stocked with a good mix of talent and experience. Making Andre Gomes’ loan permanent was perhaps the best move Everton made in the summer, and former Manchester City player Fabian Delph should help behind the scenes. Everton has had about a dozen false dawns in the last 20 years, so this level of optimism is dangerous, but Marco Silva looks to be the right man, and he has the players to push Everton even further up the league.

5. Manchester United -- Europa League Qualification
Last Season: 6

At this point, Manchester United is a bigger soap opera than Chelsea. After doing everything short of openly begging to be fired last season, Jose Mourinho finally got the sack in December, and former United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjær came in to clean up the mess. The first few months were excellent, with a rejuvenated side playing loose, exciting football and winning games at a rate that saw the baby-faced assassin named the full-time manager going forward. Unfortunately, a collapse soon followed, and now Manchester United has no idea what it wants. Manchester United had to labor through another awkward transfer window, with Paul Pogba openly wanting out, Jesse Lingard getting himself in trouble, and Romelu Lukaku being sold to Inter Milan. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Solskjær. The Norwegian managed to bag a pair of big defensive signings in right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka and center back Harry Maguire, as well as a talented young winger in Daniel James. Unfortunately, defense is where the Red Devils need the most help, and Wan-Bissaka is great going forward, but he’s still raw defensively, and there are questions over how good Harry Maguire actually is. On paper, a back four of Diogo Dalot, Maguire, Victor Lindelöf and Wan-Bissaka should be fine, but now that Nemanja Matić is well beyond his best years, they have little protection. The midfield is also a bit of a mess, with Matić fading and Fred still yet to impress anybody. The attack also has question marks, because while Romelu Lukaku never adjusted to life at Old Trafford, he was their only true center forward, and now he’s gone. Marcus Rashford has talent, but he’s underperformed as a goalscorer recently, same with Anthony Martial, and nobody really knows what to do with Jesse Lingard anymore. All of this leads to Manchester United’s season hinging on one man: Paul Pogba. The French midfielder is still one of the best players in the world...when he feels like it, and while he appears to have a good relationship with Solskjær, and he hasn’t yet gone on strike, nobody’s quite sure if he can be relied on consistently. If Pogba is back in top form, a lot of the attack problems can be masked, and if the defense progresses to the mean, United could rebound a bit, but expect a tough season at Old Trafford, and one which will test the patience of a notoriously impatient fanbase and board.

4. Arsenal -- Champions League Qualification
Last Season: 5

In early March, Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium. At that moment, new manager Unai Emery was a resounding success. Arsenal were comfortably in the top four, with no big opponents remaining, and a return to the Champions League (and St. Totteringham’s Day) was in the Gunners’ grasp. What followed next? Complete and utter collapse. Arsenal took a handful of painful losses, capped off by a 1-1 draw against Brighton that effectively ended their top four hopes, and the first season following Arsene Wenger’s retirement ended with a 4-1 beating at the hands of Chelsea in the Europa League Final. It was a painful end to a season in which Arsenal did make progress. Let us not forget that even with a dreadful final two months, Arsenal was a mere two points away from finishing third. Cognizant of how close they were, Arsenal had the most active transfer window in club history, bringing in a string of players as they gear up for another run at qualifying for the Champions League. Bringing in central midfielder Dani Ceballos on loan was a shrewd move by Arsenal, particularly as they lost Aaron Ramsey at the end of the season, and deadline day moves for left back Kieran Tierney and center back David Luiz should bolster a defense that let them down way too many times last season. However, the crown jewel of the transfer window was Lille winger Nicolas Pepe. Pepe scored 22 goals in France last season, and placing him alongside Alexandre Lacazette and golden boot-winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should make for a wild ride that would make Wenger at his most idealistic blush. Goalkeeper Bernd Leno and defensive midfielder Lucas Torreira were hits last season in their debuts in London, and Torreira anchoring a midfield that is suddenly quite deep holds a lot of promise. Just as well, Arsenal suddenly has wide players they haven’t had previously, with Reiss Nelson returning after an impressive loan at Hoffenheim, and Pepe coming in. Unfortunately for Emery, the defense will probably still be frustrating. Hector Bellering and Rob Holding are still recovering from ACL injuries, and Kieran Tierney likely won’t be ready to go at the start of the season. Additionally, the center back position is where help is most needed, and while David Luiz is the kind of ball-playing center back that Unai Emery has relied upon everywhere he has managed, it’s not certain that he can help with keeping the ball out of the net. However, once everything is accounted for, Arsenal’s defense, when healthy, is young, talented, and loaded with potential, just like most of the first team, and if Ceballos’ creativity from deeper midfield can revive Mesut Özil in a way that nobody has done since Santi Cazorla was roaming the middle of the park for Arsenal, this season is going to be an attacking masterpiece. The defense will hold them back again this season, but even a slight improvement will help, and with all the goals they’re expected to score, it’s about time Arsenal were reacquainted with fourth place.

3. Tottenham Hotspur -- Champions League Qualification
Last Season: 4

North London is going to be awesome. Tottenham Hotspur had another strong season under manager Mauricio Pochettino, finishing fourth in the Premier League, while making a surprise run to the Champions League Final (they ultimately lost to Liverpool). Now, they move to the brand new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is finally complete, Spurs finally made some moves in the transfer market. Chairman Daniel Levy brought in central midfielder Tanguy Ndombele early in the window, and he should be an upgrade in the middle of the park, and closed with a par of deadline day signings: bringing in attacking midfielder Giovani Lo Celso and left back Ryan Sessegnon. As with many other clubs in the top half, Spurs have more attackers than they know what to do with, as the core four of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Son Heung-Min and Christian Eriksen are all still around, along with Champions League Semifinal hero Lucas Moura, and now Lo Celso joins the mix, making  for a delightful problem for Pochettino to have. The defense had their struggles last year, but they were able to retain Toby Alderweireld, which should help them stay at least at last season’s standard. The midfield was already decent defensively with Eric Dier, Harry Winks and Moussa Cissoko, and now Ndombele should provide a deeper attacking threat. This is a strong team with some depth, enough that Pochettino’s men should be able to separate themselves from the big clubs below them, but it remains to be seen whether they can break into the top tier. There are some troubling storylines to watch for Spurs fans: Eriksen has one year left on his contract and wanted to leave in the summer, Alli has underperformed for two years, Pochettino, for all his success, still hasn’t won a trophy, and it’s unclear whether the debt incurred from building the new stadium will result in future austerity. But for now, this is a team rich in attacking talent with one of the best managers in the world, playing in a brand new stadium, there aren’t many reasons why they shouldn’t be able to at least put a little pressure on the league’s heaviest hitters.

2. Manchester City
Last Season: 1

This pick is not grounded in logic. Manchester City came out on top of a title race that came down to the final day, winning their second consecutive title. Now, most of the squad is back, and they made two additions: midfielder Rodri and right back João Cancelo. Just as they were last year, City is loaded, with Sergio Aguero (21 goals last season) back for another campaign, supported by backup striker Gabriel Jesus and flanked by wingers Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez. Further back, Rodri should replace the aging stalwart Fernandinho in defensive midfield, and the attacking midfield will still be strong with Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva. The defense will once again be teeming with talent, and center back pairing John Stones and Aymeric Laporte will be tough to beat once again. There is no reason the Cityzens can’t repeat as title winners, but one thing is paramount: Pep Guardiola. The Catalan genius is in his fourth year in Manchester, and he has never lasted longer than four years at any one club, and he later admitted that he never should have stayed for his fourth year in Barcelona. Additionally, the spectre of the Champions League looms large, and a pair of quarter final exits will have Guardiola laser-focused on bringing the European trophy to the Etihad Stadium, and with Leroy Sane’s recent ACL injury and captain Vincent Kompany’s departure, depth might be strained. For these reasons, City could take a step back in the league, enough to relinquish the top spot, although they will still doubtlessly win something, maybe even the Champions league. However, maybe Guardiola finds that he loves life in Manchester and wants to stay, and City puts the league to the sword once again. That would not be a bad bet.

1. Liverpool
Last Season: 2

This is a sucker bet, and I’m taking it. Liverpool came as close as you can get to winning the league without actually winning it, losing out to Manchester City on the final day by one point. However, they rebounded and avenged the previous season’s loss in the Champions League Final, this time returning to Anfield as European champions. Jürgen Klopp’s resurrection of Liverpool has been a sight to behold, and while they didn’t make any significant new signings, they do receive some welcome help. The Reds’ attacking output looks all the more impressive when you consider that they were starved of goals from midfield, as they rode with a hard-working but offensively limited midfield trio of Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum. Now, after missing the end of the season with injuries, Naby Keita is back, and after missing all of last season with injuries, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back, and those two should provide more firepower from the midfield than they had last season. That said, the midfielder they did use played a big part in a fantastic defensive record, as did center back Virgil Van Dijk, who once again will lead a stingy back line, flanked by the best fullback pairing in the world in Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The attack will be dangerous once again, with wingers Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane yet to find their match, striker Roberto Firmino looking to bounce back from a season where he often looked like he wasn’t at full fitness, winger Xherdan Shakiri providing pace off the bench, and young gun Divock Origi looking ready to make a major contribution to the season. This is the thirtieth season since Liverpool last won the league, before the Premier League was even established, and now, they have as good a chance as they’ve ever had to bring it home, and Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool revival will be complete.

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