Detroit Sports Yap with Knapp: 2022 Michigan Football Season Predictions
After a 12-2 2021 season with a Big Ten Championship and a CFP appearance, could the Wolverines repeat?
The Michigan Wolverines are back and ready to do it again after having a complete turnaround in 2021, winning the Big Ten Championship, defeating Ohio State, and appearing in their first-ever College Football Playoff. Despite the losses on the defensive side of the ball with defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, alongside safety Daxton Hill, the defense still has plenty of talent all across the board. Former 5-star defensive end Eyabi Anoma joined the team late as he enrolled just last week, transferring from UT Martin, giving the defensive line a late addition to a group that will be looking for a leader on the edge.
The offense is the most talked about spectacle as the quarterback battle is still ongoing between Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy. We will find out who will be the starting quarterback come September 3rd, but my hunch will be the returning starter, McNamara. Outside of the dueling quarterbacks, you have a solid 1-2 punch on the ground with Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards at running back. You can't forget about the loaded receiver room with Cornelius Johnson, Ronnie Bell, Andrel Anthony, AJ Henning, and Roman Wilson. Also, do you know the offensive line that won the award for best offensive line last year? Well, despite losing two players due to the NFL and graduation, the team reloaded with the second place Rimington Award winner for the best center in the country last year by adding Olusegun Oluwatimi, so expect the line to simply reload and possibly repeat as the best offensive line in the country.
Even the special teams have some clout behind them. First Team Preseason All-American kicker The Wolverines' Jake Moody is back for his senior year, giving the Wolverines an automatic machine at the position. Punter Brad Robbins returns for his final year as well, in what could be the top specialist duo in the country.
Overall, a lot of key pieces are returning to this team, and while some new faces will appear, this team is ready to defend its title and attempt to repeat as Big Ten Champions. If they do, it will be the first time since 1991-1992 that the team was able to capture back-to-back Big Ten Championships solely. To do that, Michigan has to do what it did last year, or possibly better. They went 11-1 before the postseason, with their only loss coming to Michigan State. This year, 11-1 could do the trick, as long as that lone loss isn't to Ohio State.
Will the Wolverines be able to return to Indianapolis and, potentially, the College Football Playoff? Find out my season predictions below!
WEEK 1: COLORADO STATE
It starts with the Colorado State Rams, who lost their best player in tight end Trey McBride and will have a new head coach in Jay Norvell. Speaking of new coaches, in all three non-conference games, Michigan will be taking on a new head coach in every game. First-year head coaches can bring growing pains to a team, especially when they are on the losing end of things. It takes time for a new head coach's style to be put in place and for it to work. If one of the first three games of your tenure is against a defending conference champion that had a college football playoff appearance, you are probably going to have a bad time.
Things are not going to be fun for those players as the Wolverines will be at home with over 100,000 fans cheering them on in the season opener and the game will be over by halftime. We will get to see both quarterbacks play, possibly some freshmen on both sides of the ball, and guys will get meaningful reps as backups will hit the field in the second half. Michigan easily wins the game, and they begin the season 1-0.
Michigan 56 - Colorado State 7
WEEK 2: HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS
The toughest of the non-conference schedule sees the Rainbow Warriors from Hawaii fly on into a night game in the Big House. Every night game in Ann Arbor is electric, no matter the opponent. While Hawaii will put up more of a fight than the Rams in Week 1, Michigan will again have their backups out on the field come the second half; this time it might be in the fourth quarter instead of the third. Hawaii's new coach and former player, Timmy Chang, will get a rough loss on the road, and the Wolverines will look towards next week.
Michigan 45 - Hawaii 10
WEEK 3: UCONN HUSKIES
Out of the three non-conference games for the Wolverines, this one is the easiest as UConn is coming off of a 1-11 season and the team hasn't had a winning season since 2010 when they were in the Big East. Former UCLA head coach Jim Mora now leads the Huskies as their new head coach, and despite him being a good coach for them, he won't be good enough to take down the Wolverines, on the road, in his third game with the program. Michigan will once again have the backups come out, but this time it could be the second quarter instead of the second half. Michigan will finish the non-conference slate undefeated and head into the Big Ten schedule primed and ready to go.
Michigan 63 - UConn 0
WEEK 4: MARYLAND TERRAPINS
After a cupcake of a non-conference schedule, the Wolverines now begin Big Ten play at home against Maryland. This game is an easy way to get into the conference schedule and won't be a difficult game for the Wolverines. While Taulia Tagovailoa is still at quarterback for the Terrapins and the offense is backed by plenty of upperclassmen, the Wolverine defense shouldn't have much trouble slowing down the offense of Maryland. The Maryland defense, which will be the toughest the Wolverines will have faced so far this season, shouldn't be too tough, and with the Wolverine’s offense getting even better than last year's 59-18 victory, this one could be a similar result.
Michigan 52 - Maryland 17
WEEK 5: @ IOWA HAWKEYES
This will be the first major test for the Wolverines in 2022. After a month straight of playing at home against average to below-average talent, the Wolverines will go on the road to Kinnick Stadium to take on the team they beat for the Big Ten Championship back in December of last year, the Iowa Hawkeyes. Michigan hasn't had the best luck on the road in Iowa, with their last win being in 2005. The Wolverines are on a four-game losing streak in Iowa spanning from 2009 to 2016, and with this game seems like it could be at night, which makes the atmosphere more intense, it will be a close game that could come down to the wire.
Iowa still has a tough defense, which was ranked higher than Michigan's last season, and Michigan's offense put 42 points on them last year. Michigan won't be able to do that again on the road this season. Michigan will have to claw and fight to get points. Luckily for them, the Iowa offense wasn't putting up points last season, ranked 121st, and the offense lost its best offensive lineman in Tyler Linderbaum. Michigan shouldn't have an issue stopping Iowa, but putting up points will be tough and, in the end, they will put up enough to win.
Michigan 24 - Iowa 13
WEEK 6: @ INDIANA HOOSIERS
After taking on Iowa on the road, Michigan has another hurdle in what is usually a chippy game against the Indiana Hoosiers. From 2015-2018, the games with the Hoosiers have been close, but from 2019–2021, whoever won seemed to have won by more than two touchdowns, but it was still a challenge to do so. This year, I believe Michigan can put down Indiana easier than they tried to last year, which was a 29-7 win in the Big House at night.
Indiana lost their playmakers on offense and with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. transferring away, the most important position on the field is now up for grabs. With a new quarterback under center and new players needing to step up, this one could get ugly if Indiana isn't able to slow down the Wolverine offense.
Michigan 42 - Indiana 10
WEEK 7: PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
In what was a crucial victory for the Wolverines last season, the Nittany Lions now have to take on Michigan in what COULD be a night game in Ann Arbor, as the maize out games usually are at night, but with the uncertainty of the records, this game or the one following could be under the nights.
Nonetheless, let's talk about the game, and this could be a close one for the Wolverines. Penn State has returning quarterback Sean Clifford at the helm again, and despite losing star wide receiver Jahan Dotson to the NFL, this offense still has some players who could be stars, like Keyvone Lee at running back or Mitchell Tinsley at wide receiver.
The defense for Penn State could be the difference, as multiple starters are gone and the secondary is where the Nittany Lions could have the most trouble recovering. Michigan's explosive passing offense could fly high here and put up some good points against Penn State. Under the lights would amplify the game and give the Wolverines the extra energy they could need to put this one away. I don't see it being as close as last year, but Penn State might surprise some people.
Michigan 38 - Penn State 21
WEEK 9: #15 MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
Back to where we were in 2015 and 2017. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is back to having a losing record against Michigan's in-state rival, the Michigan State Spartans. Despite turning things around and being 3-2 against them back in 2019, ever since Mel Tucker has taken over the program, Harbaugh hasn't beaten them yet. Yes, the 2020 season was abysmal, and the refs did make a controversial call last season that took away a touchdown for the Wolverines, which would have turned into a victory for Michigan. Regardless, Harbaugh will finally defeat Mel Tucker's Spartans this season.
Last year, the offense lived through running back Kenneth Walker III, and while they did land running back Jalen Berger on the transfer portal, the offensive line lost three starters as well. That puts more pressure on quarterback Payton Thorne to be the main offensive weapon and put up more points through the air.
The defense for Michigan State didn't lose much overall, which alone could be very helpful in the matchup this year against an explosive Michigan offense. While the Wolverines won't blow out the Spartans as they did in 2019, the Wolverines' offense is better than the 2019 offense, the defense could stay the same, if not get better, and I can't see the Spartans keeping up with Michigan like they did last season.
Michigan 38 - Michigan State 24
WEEK 10: @ RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS
After a grueling victory over Michigan State, Michigan goes to Piscataway, New Jersey to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who last year almost upset the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. Michigan was held to just 20 points against Rutgers last season, with only Georgia holding them to fewer points with 11, but this year shouldn't be the case. Michigan's defense came up big in that game last season, and this year, with Rutgers losing its best two players in wide receiver Bo Melton and running back Isiah Pacheco, the offense could very well take a step back. Michigan's offense will be better than last season, so points shouldn't be an issue here.
Michigan 35 - Rutgers 10
WEEK 11: NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
The best way to understand how Nebraska football was in 2021 was to look at the 2021 Detroit Lions. Both teams had losing records, only winning three games each, with eight of their nine losses being by one score or less, and the outlier being a nine-point loss to Ohio State. This team fought hard and made its opponents have to fight as hard as possible to defeat them. This year, Nebraska could be a sneaky good team out of the Big Ten West, but I can't see that being the case.
Quarterback Taylor Martinez is gone, and in comes Casey Thompson, a transfer from Texas. While Nebraska still has plenty of veteran players across the board on offense, the defense is young and could be the biggest weakness for them in this game. While it won't be as close of a game as it was last year, Nebraska will once again put up a fight, but it won't be enough.
Michigan 38 - Nebraska 21
WEEK 12: ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
The game before the Ohio State game is always interesting, no matter the opponent. Could the Wolverines look ahead and stumble into a loss or barely get by? Or could they focus on the opponent of the week and capture a victory and go into the Ohio State game off a win? Last year against Maryland, Michigan showcased a new wrinkle in their offense with running back Donovan Edwards. That game alone had an impact on him against Ohio State, as the Wolverines were able to score their first touchdown off a play where it appeared that Edwards was getting the ball, but he didn't, and the defense bit, turning it into an easy score for the Wolverines.
This year, Michigan takes on Illinois, a team it hasn't played against since 2019 when the Wolverines won 42-25. Michigan hasn't lost to Illinois since 2009 and I don't see this year being the year they do it again. Illinois has a young receiver room that will be tested heavily with the Wolverines' veterans at cornerback, so the passing game won't be doing much for the Fighting Illini. Michigan will have a repeat of last season, heading into the Ohio State game with a big victory.
Michigan 49 - Illinois 10
WEEK 13: @ #2 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Harbaugh finally got the monkey off his back last season against the Buckeyes, ending an eight-game losing streak to Ohio State. While Harbaugh finally has his first win against the Buckeyes, can he capture his first win in Columbus, Ohio? That's something the Wolverines haven't been able to do since 2000. Last year, Ohio State didn't look the part; while Michigan came prepared to play, they seemed like the favorites instead of the underdogs. Michigan has to keep that same mentality heading into the game this season.
Ohio State isn't going to let last year slide; they are going to work even harder this year to make sure they get their revenge and make up for last year's loss to the Wolverines. Being at home helps the Buckeyes as well, and despite them losing their top two wide receivers in Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Ohio State keeps reloading with talent, and we saw it in the Rose Bowl victory last season. This year, expect Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. to lead the charge at the receiver position, and with quarterback C.J. Stroud still under center, this offense will be deadly once again.
The biggest question for Ohio State is their defense. They hired former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to take over after he led the Cowboys to a top-five defense in the country last season. The Buckeyes didn't lose much on defense through the draft or graduation, so the defense should be an improved unit overall. The bad thing for Ohio State is that the Wolverine offense also got better and improved, along with a somewhat new coaching staff.
Overall, this game could go either way, but as of right now, I think the Wolverines are capable of repeating as winners, ending the season 12-0 and heading into the Big Ten Championship game as the favorites as they eye a return to the College Football Playoff. In three months, my answer could very well change; hell, it could change next week! Right now, though, I have a good feeling that Michigan got better than Ohio State did in the offseason and they have a real shot at defeating them once again.
Michigan 38 - Ohio State 35
Michigan Final Record 12-0 (9-0)
Conclusion
Michigan going undefeated two years after a disastrous 2020 season seems insane, but they only had two losses last year; one of them was controversial while the other was plain as day. Michigan did lose some key players on defense, mostly, but the depth they have all around is great, and somehow could even be better than last year’s squad.
If Michigan ends the season undefeated, they will certainly win the Big Ten Championship game and go into the College Football Playoff as a top-two seed. Now, who they play depends on if they can make it to the finals, but there is no point in predicting who can make it there in August. We can make those predictions if they come out to be true.
How do you see the 2022 Michigan football season going? Do you agree with my predictions? Do you think the opposite? Let me know on Twitter @BKnappBlogs and follow me for more content and subscribe to my Substack here, it’s FREE!!