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2017 MLB Playoffs Team Preview

9/24/2017

Written by Jack Molino of WCBN Sports Radio

October is almost here, and MLB Playoffs are just around the corner. As with every other season, over 21,870 innings will be played by the end of the regular season, but that’s never enough to crown the champion. In MLB playoffs, anything can happen. In fact, in last 20 years, 6 wild-card teams have won the World Series (’97 and ’03 Marlins, ’02 Angels, ’04 Red Sox, ’11 Cardinals, ’14 Giants). Could it happen this year?

This 2017 regular season has been a fun one to say the least. From the Indians winning an AL record 22 straight, to the Dodgers losing 11 straight but still having the best record in baseball. But now it’s time for October baseball. Here is a playoff outlook for each team, and the teams battling for a Wild Card spot.

National League

Los Angeles Dodgers (clinched playoff berth, probable NL West Winners)
- General
  - The Dodgers haven’t won the World Series since 1988. Even though have won the last 4 NL West titles (looking to make it 5 straight), they can’t seem to put it together in the playoffs. They have the best record in baseball, but after losing 20 out of the last 26, fans are wondering if they will get the good or bad Dodgers in the playoffs.
- Pitching
  - They have arguably the best starting and closing pitcher in baseball—Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen. However, can Alex Wood, Rich Hill, and the newly added Yu Darvish back up Kershaw in the playoffs? Their pitching rotation has the most wins in baseball and 2nd best ERA behind the Cleveland Indians.
- Batting
  - They have some of best young bats in the baseball in Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager. And with experienced players like Justin Turner and newly added Curtis Granderson, this team can be explosive from the plate. Dodgers fans hope that the bats turn on when October hits, and their youth talent steps up to the challenge in the playoffs.

Washington Nationals (clinched NL East)
- General
  - They seem to be in same boat in the Dodgers; this team has seen recent regular season success but can’t put it together in October. They have won 4 out of the last 7 NL East titles, but have yet to win a playoff series since moving the franchise to Washington in 2004. In fact, the franchise (dating back to 1969 when they were the Expos) does not have NL pennant.
- Pitching
  - 2-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer is their ace, and they can back him up with Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg on the bump as well. After some experimenting, it seems like Dusty Baker has finally put his trust into his closer Sean Doolittle who has 19 saves and 0 blown saves with the Nationals this season.
- Batting
  - Star Bryce Harper suffered a scary injury when he slipped on a wet base, but he will be back in the coming days per sources. They have possibly the scariest heart of the order in baseball: Zimmerman, Murphy, Harper and Rendon. However, the rest of the lineup has seen struggles this season and must be able to support the heart of the order.

Chicago Cubs (probable NL Central winners)
- General
  - The defending 2016 World Series champions saw early struggles. In fact, they were under .500 and they were looking up at the N.L. Central leading Brewers at the All-Star break. Now, they lead the N.L. Central by 5.5 games and look to make it to the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row. This team is turning it on, and they are looking to make it deep into October again.
- Pitching
  - In 2015, Jake Arrieta won the NL Cy Young. In 2016, Kyle Hendricks was untouchable. In 2017, Joe Maddon doesn’t know who their ace is. That’s not to say that their pitching rotation as a whole is bad, but they just don’t have that “guy” that puts confidence in the team when on the bump. All-star closer Wade Davis leads the bullpen (which has some pretty good dance moves if you haven’t seen).
- Batting
  - In 2016, their whole infield were starters in the All-Star game and Kris Bryant was the NL MVP as a rookie. In 2017, they had 0 batting NL All-Stars in 2017…and they lost their valuable lead-off hitter Dexter Fowler to the Cardinals. This year, Rizzo, Bryant and Baez are still putting up good numbers at the dish, but nothing like last year. They seem to be hitting the ball much better as of late, which is a good sign for Cubs fans.

National League Wild Card

Arizona Diamondbacks (probable 1st NL Wild Card)
- General
  - The Diamondbacks won the World Series in 2001 over the New York Yankees and have made the playoffs 3 times since. This will be their first time in the playoffs since 2011, and first time as a Wild Card in franchise history. This year, the team doesn’t jump out at you on paper, but this team can be very dangerous in a playoff series.
- Pitching
  - According to collective ERA, this team is the 3rd best team in MLB on the mound. Robbie Ray, Patrick Corbin, and Zach Greinke have been fantastic for this team as starters. Fernando Rodney has 38 saves on the season, 3rd best in the National League.
- Batting
  - Paul Goldschmidt leads the team in about every batting category possible. Adding J.D. Martinez from the Tigers has sure paid off. Players like Peralta and Lamb will help the team from the plate, but do they have enough depth to beat a team like the Dodgers?

Colorado Rockies (probable 2nd Wild Card)
- General
  - The Rockies have been around since 1993, and have made the playoffs 3 times (all as Wild Cards), most recently 2009. This team can hit to say the least (maybe because the air is thinner in Denver). But their weak spot is their pitching—and to win in MLB playoffs, you have to be able to pitch the baseball well.
- Pitching
  - They are ranked 16th in collective ERA, and they have the 8th worst opponent batting average. Kyle Freeland is considered their ace, with players Marquez, Gray, and Senzatela helping out. On a positive note, they have the National League saves leader on their team: Greg Holland with 40 saves.
- Batting
  - Nolan Arenado is an RBI machine, leading the National League in RBI’s again. Charlie Blackmon leads the National League in batting average. They are pretty deep in their order with players like D.J. LeMahieu, Gerardo Parra, and Mark Reynolds all having solid seasons.

Milwaukee Brewers (looking to get the 2nd NL Wild Card)
- General
  - Since 1998,when the Brewers joined the National League, the team has made the playoffs twice—the last being 2011 when they won the NL Central. At the All-Star break this team was leading the division but since then the Cubs have stolen the spotlight. This year, they have struggled from the plate, with the 4th least amount of hits in the National League.
- Pitching
  - Their top 3 starters in Zach Davies, Jimmy Nelson, and Chase Anderson have been superb the whole season. But they have yet to find solid 4th and 5th starters the whole season, as Matt Garza is not what he used to be this season.
- Batting
  - Unlike previous years with Ryan Braun leading the squad, they don’t have a star batter this year. Domingo Santana, Travis Shaw, and Orlando Arcia have all been solid, but this batting lineup is probably not enough to beat a team like the Dodgers.

St. Louis Cardinals (looking to get the 2nd NL Wild Card)
- General
  - This team has proven that they can make a run in October, they just need a playoff berth—they won the World Series in 2011 as a Wild Card. They have reached the World Series 4 times since 2004. However, it seems as if the Cardinals are starting to lose that “Cardinal” magic, possibly missing the playoffs for the 2nd time in a row.
- Pitching
  - With Adam Wainwright getting older, it looks like Carlos Martinez is their ace. Michael Wacha has had a solid season with Lance Lynn contributing as well. They have the 7th best combined ERA in baseball, but this is just not a playoff rotation that can take them far. Maybe they can prove us wrong like they did 2011.
- Batting
  - Like their pitching, their batting is pretty mediocre. Tommy Pham leads the starters in batting average, but players like Dexter Fowler and Matt Carpenter haven’t had stellar season like years past.

American League

Houston Astros (clinched AL West)
- General
  - This will be the second time making the playoffs since moving to the AL West in 2013. They are looking to make it to the World Series for the first time since 2005, and to win their first World Series Championship. Like the Washington Nationals, they dominated their division, as they are looking to win the AL West division by 20 games. After suffering from the devastating Hurricane Harvey, this team has something to play for and they look to bring a World Series to the city of Houston.o
- Pitching
  - Their pitching rotation has the 12th best ERA in baseball, which doesn’t matchup with their overall record which is the 2nd best in the American League. Dallas Keuchel and Brad Peacock have been solid the whole season, but the Astros are looking towards newly added Justin Verlander and now healthy Lance McCullers Jr. to add to the starting rotation. Ken Giles, their closer, is very reliable.
- Batting
  - The Houston Astros are the best batters in baseball, period. They lead the MLB in hits, RBI’s, runs, OPS (I could go on and on). With Jose Altuve leading the squad with the best average in MLB at .346, opposing pitchers are going to have trouble with these guys.

Boston Red Sox (probable AL East winners, clinched playoff berth)
- General
  - Winning the World Series 3 times (’04, ’07 and ’13) in the 21st century, this team has had great success in the playoffs. This season, they have been just solid and consistent. But their biggest problem is lack of power. They are 4th to last in HR and 5th to last in slugging percentage. Without David Ortiz at the heart of the order, this team has to have good base running and lots of hits to be able to score runs in October.
- Pitching
  - Chris Sale has been dominant (2.75 ERA and over 300 K’s this season). Whether or not he wins the AL Cy Young over Corey Kluber, he is easily the best strikeout pitcher in baseball with his nasty slider. But what happened to 2016 AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello? After a 22-4 record last year, he is currently 10-17. They are paying David Price 30 million USD, so Red Sox fans hope that he will be back for the playoffs after his elbow injury this season. No worries in the closer position, as Craig Kimbrel is one of the league’s best.
- Batting
  - As said before, they are not very explosive from the plate. However, they are consistent; they have the 3rd most hits in the American League. Mookie Betts is their best batter, but he will need help from players like Eduardo Nunez, Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts if they want to be able to win games and support their pitchers in this year’s playoffs.

Cleveland Indians (clinched AL Central)
- General
  - No one really knows what Terry Francona is feeding his team, but whatever it is, it’s working. They are the hottest team in baseball, after winning 22 straight and their last 27 out of 28. They are looking to avenge themselves after losing the World Series last year to the Chicago Cubs in game 7. To be honest, it is hard to find a weak spot in this team, they can hit, pitch and close out games. They look to beat out the Astros for home-field advantage in the American League now.
- Pitching
  - Two words: Corey Kluber. He has great off-speed stuff, he is calm and collected, and he also a 2.35 ERA. The Indians have the best pitching in the MLB with a collective 3.35 ERA. With Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco behind Corey Kluber, this team shouldn’t have any problem on the mound. Cody Allen has been a dominant closer and Andrew Miller is now off the DL.
- Batting
  - Some days it is Encarnacion, some days it is Ramirez and Santana, or even Lindor. This team, like the Nationals, has an incredible heart of the order. However, players like Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis, and Austin Jackson will need to help out the heart of the order. With great pitching, this team’s bats don’t have to be incredible in the playoffs, just enough to support the pitchers.

American League Wild Card

New York Yankees (probable 1st AL Wild Card)
- General
  - They have won the World Series 27 times, the last being 2009. They missed the playoffs last year, and that never goes over well with Yankees fans. This year, they have basically trailed the Red Sox in the AL East the whole year, but they have proven that they can beat them. Yankees fans hope to see the Red Sox in October.
- Pitching
  - Luis Severino is the Yankees new ace. When he is on, he is untouchable and one of the best in the American League with an ERA of 3.03. They look towards C.C. Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka, and Sonny Gray (from the Athletics) to pitch well in the playoffs. However, they need to win the Wild Card game where Severino will be on the mound. After some struggles this season, Aroldis Chapman from the Cubs is their playoff closer.
- Batting
  - ALL RISE. Possible the greatest hashtag in the MLB, according to Yankees fans. Aaron Judge looked like he was going to be the AL MVP at the All-Star break, but he has had a bad second half of the season. Nonetheless, he has very good season stats along with players like Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorious, Chase Headley and Starlin Castro.

Minnesota Twins (probable 2nd AL Wild Card)
- General
  - They are looking to make the playoffs for the first time in 7 years. They have sort of lived in the shadow of the Indians in the AL Central this year, but don’t look too far past this club. They aren’t the best on paper in leading categories, but this team can win games.
- Pitching
  - With Ervin Santana leading the rotation with a 3.34 ERA, Jose Berrios, Kyle Gibson, and Bartolo Colon are their other starting pitchers. They are 22nd in combined ERA, so pitching is not their strength. Brandon Kintzler is now on the Nationals, so Matt Belisle takes over in the closer spot.
- Batting
  - Yes, Joe Mauer is still on the Twins. This has been hitting the ball well recently. Eddie Rosario, Jorge Polanco, Byron Buxton are all solid hitters this year. The question for the Twins team is if Miguel Sano will return before the playoffs start.

Jack Molino

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NFL First Team All-Michigan

9/7/2017

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NFL First Team All-Michigan
By Daniel Thompson

As the NFL season kicks off tonight and this weekend, more rookies who played at Michigan will be starting their careers than any other season before. In 2017, 11 players from Michigan were drafted, which not only set a school record, but was also the largest amount players drafted from any school. No more than 3 players from Michigan were drafted in any other draft class since 2008. So now that there might be enough talent to do so, I’ve attempted to put together an NFL starting lineup, comprised exclusively of former Wolverines. Talent won’t be spread out evenly between positions and there won’t necessarily be a player available to plug every hole in the roster. I am going to limit myself to only choosing from players on NFL rosters or who are still actively seeking to join a roster, even if Charles Woodson might have 11 more years of experience than the entire defensive backfield combined. For the sole purpose of speculation, I will try to put together the best starting lineup I can and try to guess how well they might actually perform in the NFL. To make this doable, I’ll assume injuries don’t exist and that the starters could play every snap for the entire season.

OFFENSE
For obvious reasons, this will be an extremely pass heavy offense. No former athlete to play primarily running back at Michigan is currently on an NFL roster or still listed as an active NFL player. Options at receiver are either unproven or underwhelming. Nonetheless, this offense could still put up above average NFL numbers thanks to the most famous Wolverine in football history occupying the most important spot on any NFL roster.

QB: Tom Brady
It doesn’t get any simpler than this. Brady has done more with less than possibly any other quarterback in NFL history. He turns rejects into Pro Bowlers and finds ways to win in almost any situation. He should have no problem thriving in spite of the lack of talent at skill positions.
RB: Denard Robinson
Going into this list, I knew I would have to get creative at a few positions. Thankfully the Jaguars already did that for me. Robinson isn’t actually on an NFL roster at this moment, but he might be at some point this season, he even worked out for the Cowboys on Friday, September 1st. I could have gone with Joe Kerridge, who is actually on the Packers’ roster. But Robinson has been by far the most successful former Wolverine ball carrier in the NFL over the past decade. With 1,041 career rushing yards and an average of 4.0 yards per carry in four seasons, Robinson’s numbers are good enough to justify a spot on an NFL roster. The last Wolverine to reach 1,000 career rushing yards in the NFL was Anthony Thomas, who hasn’t played since 2007. With defenses focussed on protecting against the pass, Robinsons speed could catch defenses off guard throughout the game and we could reasonably hope to see him put up starting running back numbers.
WR: Devin Funchess
Funchess is the obvious choice as the only Michigan receiver currently to have played a snap in the league. He has disappointed for a second rounder, but he’s the only Michigan wideout to play two full seasons in the NFL since Braylon Edwards and Mario Manningham both retried following 2013. While he’s far from a good first, or second, option at receiver in the NFL becoming the main target on a much more pass heavy offense would certainly boost his numbers, which currently sit at 27.2 yards per game for his career. Funchess’ 6’5” frame would also make him a great red zone target and allow him to play a tight end role like he did for MIchigan.I have a feeling he’d experience a Chris Hogan-esque leap forward in production once he starts catching passes for the greatest quarterback to ever play.
WR: Amara Darboh
The Seahawks took Michigan’s leading receiver at the end of the third round this offseason. Darboh and Chesson are the only other wide receivers on an NFL roster beside Funchess.
WR: Jehu Chesson
The quality of this wide receiver group will be mostly determined by how good Chesson and Darboh turn out to be, and there won’t be many options if they bust. Hopefully they’ll be impactful players long enough for Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black to arrive. Chesson was selected by the Chiefs in the fourth round, 33 picks after Darboh.
TE: Jake Butt
Butt was arguably the best tight end of the 2017 draft class. He was named a first-team All-American and the Kwalick–Clark Tight End of the Year in both 2015 and 2016, over OJ Howard, Evan Engram, and David Njoku, who were all selected in the first round. Even if Butt did not have as great of measurables as the first rounders, he certainly would’ve been selected much earlier than the fifth round if not for his second ACL injury. If the injury does not affect his play, he could easily be a starting NFL tight end.
LT: Taylor Lewan
Lewan has lived up to his expectations as the 11th overall pick in 2014. In 2016 he was selected for his first Pro Bowl appearance and was named number 72 on the NFL’s Top 100 players of 2017 countdown. Lewan’s emerging status as a top five tackle in the NFL makes him worthy of defending the GOAT QB’s blind side. Perhaps most importantly, he scored his first career touchdown on a three yard pass in 2016.

Maybe Lewan could line up as a slot receiver for the All-Michigan team as well.
LG: Michael Schofield
Schofield was a starter for the Broncos during their 2015 Super Bowl run in his second season, and started every game for the Broncos in 2016. Schofield was waived this offseason and joined the Chargers, but is clearly a player teams can win with.
C: Graham Glasgow
Glasgow played center at Michigan, but is now one of very many players to switch between guard and center in the NFL. As a rookie in 2016, Glasgow won the starting left guard job six games into the season. No former Wolverines are currently listed as a center, so Glasgow is the most logical choice to be the center for this team.
RG: Patrick Omameh
Omameh went undrafted in 2013 and spent the 2013 season on the 49ers’ practice squad. In 2014 Omameh started every game for the Buccaneers. He started the first seven games for the Jaguars in 2016 before suffering a season ending injury and re-signed with the Jaguars in the 2017 offseason, and should offer starting level guard play for the All-Michigan team.
RT: Erik Magnuson
Magnuson earned All-Big Ten first-team honors in 2016 and is another member of the impressive group of rookies Michigan sent to the NFL in 2017. Despite going undrafted, Magnuson made the 49ers 53 man roster. Although the 49ers’ roster is one of the worst in the NFL, Magnuson is the only other Wolverine tackle currently on an NFL roster. Former first overall pick Jake Long’s retirement this offseason prevents the All-Michigan team from having a line built entirely out of NFL starters.

DEFENSE
The talent on defense is stronger but also more unevenly distributed. Due to an abundance of strong pass rushers, I chose to run a 3-4 defense to get as many great pass rushers on the field at once. This team’s front seven is probably their most complete position group, but defensive backs are certainly their least experienced. All four defensive backs are rookies. Jabrill Peppers’ linebacker skill sets also allows this defense to run a blitz heavy 3-4. The strength of the defense’s front seven means several early round picks such as Chris Wormley and Ryan Glasgow won’t make the starting line up.

DE: Frank Clark
Despite only starting five games last season Clark recorded 10 sacks in 2016 and emerged as one of the league’s top pass rushers in his second season. Of the 16 players to total 10 or more sacks in 2016, only three started less than 10 games. If Clark continues to improve headed into his third season, he could be the best pass rusher on nearly every NFL team, and the centerpiece of a very talented All-Michigan front seven.
DE: Taco Charlton
The Cowboys selected Charlton with the 28th overall pick in the 2017 draft after he recorded 10 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss for Michigan in his senior season. He’s not as proven as a NFL pass rusher as other Wolverines turned pro, but his 6’6” frame puts him at the size of an average NFL tackle, making Charlton a very exciting prospect.
DT: Alan Branch
Alan Branch is possibly the only Patriot who doesn’t get enough attention from the media. He’s one of the most underrated DTs in the NFL and is coming off of arguably his best season ever at the age of 32 where he posted a career second best 26 tackles and recovered Matt Ryan’s Super Bowl fumble. Branch has never made the Pro Bowl despite receiving second team all-pro honors from football focus in 2011, where he only recorded 21 tackles. He’s been very consistent since his third season in 2009, and can be expected to put up average starting defensive tackle number at the very least this season.
OLB: Brandon Graham
Graham has had a pretty volatile career, but he’s coming off his best season at 28 years of age. As the 13th overall pick of the 2010 draft, Graham suffered an ACL tear that shortened both his 2010 and 2011 seasons. In 2013 he transitioned to linebacker where he saw enough success to re-sign with the Eagles to a four year $26 million deal. After switching back to defensive end in 2016, Graham had a career high 41 tackles, was named an AP all pro second-teamer, and made the 2017 NFL Top 100 list at 93rd. It’s hard to look at that success this year and move him back to linebacker, but his numbers in 2015 and 2014 were nearly as good as 2016, averaging only .5 more sacks and 4 less tackles a season in 2015 and 2014 than in 2016. Moving Graham to linebacker will cause him to see a slight decrease in production, but will allow the All-Michigan team to put the most talent on the field as possible.
OLB: Ben Gedeon
In the 2017 draft, the Vikings used a 4th round pick on Gedeon and named him their starting Sam linebacker, making him their primary blitzing linebacker, on September 5th. The Vikings’ defense finished third and sixth respectively in yardage and points allowed among all teams in 2016.
ILB: David Harris
Since 2009, Harris has started 127 out of 128 possible regular season games, and is 28th among all active players on the games started leaderboard. Harris has been one of the most consistent yet least celebrated players over the past decade, with 708 career tackles going into tonight’s game. He’s arguably the best veteran never to have been named to a Pro Bowl and has only one AP second team all-pro to his name in 2009. The Jets released him in June as part of their tanking initiative and he was picked up by the Patriots. So don’t be surprised if he has a breakout season and finally gets the recognition he deserves.
ILB: Jake Ryan
In his second season he became a starting inside linebacker for the Packers and has recorded 132 tackles in his first two seasons. It appears Ryan should be a consistent starter at linebacker for the foreseeable future.
CB: Jourdan Lewis
If not for Peppers, Lewis would have been the star of the Wolverine’s defense in 2016. Despite missing three games to injury to start the season Lewis was named a first-team All-American in both 2015 and 2016, and was selected by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2017 draft, just three spots ahead of teammate Delano Hill. Lewis begins the theme of prospects with high ceiling that haven’t proven anything in the NFL yet in this All-Michigan defensive backfield.
CB: Jeremy Clark
Clark returned to Michigan as a redshirt senior only to suffer a season ending ACL tear in the fourth game against Penn State. This injury left him unable to run for scouts at the combine or Michigan’s pro day. In fact, he’s still on the Jet’s reserve/non football injury list on their roster. Despite this injury, the Jets still used a sixth rounder on Clark. In our fantasy world without injuries, Clark would have gone even higher in the draft and should be expected to be a decent NFL corner.
SS: Jabrill Peppers
Even though his versatility has been utilized all over the field, Peppers will have to stick with his best position due to a glaring lack of safety depth on this roster. Before 2017, Michigan hadn’t had a safety get drafted before the 7th round in the entire 21st century. Thankfully, a great defensive draft class in 2017 makes it possible to fill out a starting line up with starting caliber players. Jabrill would still be able to utilize his versatility on this team as his linebacker skill set and experience allows this defense to do what it does best: get in the backfield. The defensive line and outside linebackers can thrive knowing Peppers can function as a third linebacker if need be.
FS: Delano Hill
The Seahawks drafted Hill in the third round this offseason, largely thanks to his 4.47 40 time. Peppers ran a 4.46. The speed at safety would allow both of these players to keep up with nearly any receiver in the NFL. Despite a defensive backfield composed entirely of rookies the safeties will be two athletic players who went in the first and third rounds, which is above average draft stock invested in the safety group.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K/P: Kenny Allen
Allen served as both roles for the Wolverines last season and performed well enough to justify a spot on an NFL roster in both disciplines. He signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent, but was cut on September 1st. Allen still could make it in the NFL as some team will inevitably suffer an injury at either position or cut their kicker or punter over performance.
KR: Jabrill Peppers
Regardless of what you think about Peppers’ ability to play coverage in the NFL, his floor as an NFL player is an electrifying returner.
LS: Open Tryouts
Your guess is as good as mine.

FINDINGS
Thanks to having the right talent in the right places, this team could actually be competitive in the NFL. The only three positions to be drafted with the first overall pick since 1997 are quarterback, defensive end, and tackle. It should be no surprise that the three most important positions in the NFL are the quarterback, the guy who rushes the quarterback, and the guy who protects the quarterback. Brady, Graham, and Lewan were the three Wolverines who made the 2017 NFL top 100 and received multiple votes for first team all-pro. The entire front seven of the defense as a whole would be an above average unit in the NFL. Obviously this team’s performance would be very hard to predict given that 10 rookies will have to start. If the front seven can stop runners before for small gains and keep quarterbacks uncomfortable, the risk of inexperience at defensive back can be minimized. Likewise, if the decent offensive line can keep Brady upright for a few seconds each play, he should be able to move the ball downfield and catch defenses off guard when the offense opts for a run. If players never got injured and teams only played their starters for the whole game, I would expect this team to win about nine games a season. I doubt many other colleges could put together such a strong NFL roster thanks to how difficult it is to find a franchise quarterback, much less produce the winningest quarterback in NFL history.

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2017 Michigan Football Regular Season Preview

9/1/2017

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by Will Yang

I’m gonna start out this preview with a look at some Michigan players I see making a big impact. I went over an entire depth chart preview in my podcast, “The Big Yang Theory” earlier this month. Starting with the defense, Rashan Gary and Mo Hurst are potential all American players on the defensive line. Mike McCray is the defense’s lone returning starter and a team captain. These three players will for sure be making an impact this year. Khaleke Hudson is a guy I like. He is filling in at the VIPER position for Jabrill Peppers which is a hybrid linebacker/safety role. Hudson is a guy who is super physical in the box and has coverage skills (he played safety last year). Devin Bush is a true middle linebacker and I expect him to be blitzing a lot under Defensive Coordinator Don Brown, and living in the backfield either stopping the run or in the pass rush. Both Hudson and Bush are sophomores and while they didn’t start last year they saw time on special teams. The secondary is inexperienced and unproven and will be the weakest unit on defense.

On offense, Wilton Speight will likely be the starter and I expect him to make a large improvement in his third year with Jim Harbaugh. He already had a good grasp of the offense last year, but struggled with accuracy. Also the addition of passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton should help create more protections to give Speight more time in the pocket. Mason Cole is a senior and is starting at left tackle; he is one of the best offensive lineman in the Big Ten, and should be the bright spot on the offensive line which is Michigan’s weakest position group on offense. Tarik Black is a true freshman that coaches have been raving about in the offseason. He is super polished and versatile despite not having played a single snap of college football. Lastly, Chris Evans is a guy who I expect to have a breakout year. He primarily took 3rd down duties last year and he should have a much heavier workload in his sophomore season.

Obviously, any team can win on any given Saturday, but realistically, there are only 4 games Michigan can lose this year. Michigan opens with Florida in Cowboys Stadium. Florida has 10 players suspended including their best player, Antonio Callaway, and leading running back Jordan Scarlett. Florida has a strong defense and could give Michigan’s offense some trouble. They have some inexperience in the secondary and lost senior safety Marcell Harris for the year. If Speight and the passing game can get going, they can overwhelm Florida’s defensive backs.

Florida is starting redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks along with a lot of inexperience at the offensive skill positions (with Callaway and Scarlet out). Florida’s offensive line is good, but Florida’s offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier’s vanilla play calling will be no match for Don Brown’s exotic scheme. This should be an easy victory for Michigan who will be wearing all maize uniforms for the first time since 1928.

The next big game will be October 21st against Penn State in Happy Valley which will be a ‘white out’ night game. Penn State is ranked in the top 5 pre season mostly based off of their hot finish last year. Running back Saquon Barkley is a favorite by many to win the Heisman and is the best running back in the country. A lot of the success of Penn State’s offense came with the deep ball, but Penn State loses its number 1 deep threat weapon Chris Godwin to the NFL. This will hurt Penn State’s offense a lot more than people think. Mike Geseke was another great pass catcher and red zone threat. So yes, Penn State has some true superstars on their team, but their roster isn’t as deep top to bottom as Michigan’s, and I think Michigan can shock the Nittany Lions on the road.

Wisconsin is another team ranked in the top 10 preseason. They had an elite defense last year, and should have a good defense this year. They lost one of their best defenders in Jack Cichy for the season, which will hurt them tremendously. The problem last year with Wisconsin is that their offense can stagnate at times. Wisconsin loses their top two running backs from last year to the draft. They bring back their quarterback Alex Hornibrook and best receiver Jazz Peavy. This game will be late in the season, but if Wisconsin can’t figure out their offensive woes by then, Michigan will walk into Madison and leave with a win.

The Michigan Ohio State game is the best rivalry in college sports and anything can happen in a rivalry game. Ohio State improved their running back situation with true freshman J.K Dobbins started their opener against Indiana over Mike Weber and looked very impressive in their opener against Indiana. Granted, Weber is recovering from a hip injury, but Dobbins already looks like he is better than Weber was last year. The offensive line, which was dreadful in 2016, has looked improved this year as they bring back 4 of 5 starters. Quarterback J.T Barrett is well… J.T. Barrett. The same quarterback OSU has trotted out for the past 3 years returns for his senior season as a Buckeye. Not super athletic and not the strongest arm, but a true game manager who makes the right decisions within the offense. He is a very accurate passer, but only in nice weather. The receiving core is returning but probably OSU’s weakest position group. They have depth at the WR position, but no receiver has stepped up to be a consistent player within the offense. Paris Campbell is OSU’s most talented receiver and he will likely step up if anyone does.

OSU’s defense will be great. Their already elite defensive line from last year are all returning. Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, Nick Bosa are just some examples of OSU D-lineman that have All-American potential. Chris Worley slides from outside to middle linebacker and Jerome Baker continues to be one of the best and most versatile linebacker/safety hybrids in the country. OSU’s secondary is questionable. OSU lost three defensive backs in the first round of the draft. Returning cornerback Denzel Ward has received a lot of hype this year, but he doesn’t have experience playing heavy minutes. The rest of the secondary has very little experience. If Michigan can develop its passing game by Thanksgiving, they can surely exploit OSU’s secondary. But they need to protect Speight against OSU’s pass rush.

Unlike a lot of teams Michigan will face this year, Ohio State has an elite coaching staff. They bring in Kevin Wilson to be their Offensive Coordinator who runs an up-tempo attack. Michigan will need to establish good depth by the end of the season on defense or they will be gassed by this hurry-up offense. Defensive Coordinator Greg Schiano is just as good as Don Brown. And Urban Meyer is an elite head coach. I think if the weather is good, OSU’s offense will roll over Michigan’s defense that is just not deep enough, and the Buckeyes will win. But if the weather is ugly, Michigan can stack the box and contain the run. Michigan has better depth at the running back position, and can eek out just enough points on offense to win.

This is a regular season preview, but if Michigan runs the table, which I think they do as long as Doug Nussmeier remains Florida’s offensive coordinator, Penn State’s role players don’t step up, Wisconsin’s offense remains stagnant, and the weather is ugly against Ohio State, Michigan plays Northwestern in the Big Ten championship game. If they win, they will face USC, Florida State or LSU in the playoffs.

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