Eight Michigan football preseason predictions we’re confident in

With quite a bit of regularity in the college football offseason, we take to these pages and conjure up our bold predictions. This is in a similar vein, but slightly different.

While the bold predictions are meant to somewhat forecast things that are kind of out there, yet have some sort of rational basis behind them, too often are they mere predictions, rather than being ‘bold.’ So we’re switching gears here, instead taking a look at things we’re confident in.

In a way, some of these could be ‘bold predictions,’ some might be obvious. Regardless, these are the Michigan football opinions we have with conviction as the Wolverines enter the 2022 season.

1
The defense will still be among college football’s best

Photo: Isaiah Hole

The national narrative is that Michigan will take a big step forward offensively and a big step backward defensively. That’s, in large part due to the returning production on one side and the lack of experience on the other. With Mike Macdonald having departed for the Baltimore Ravens, that raises more concerns on the defensive side of the ball.

However, we think it will look about as good, albeit different, this upcoming season.

Jesse Minter might have had a not-so-great season at Vanderbilt, but that’s an impossible place to coach. He, like Macdonald, comes from the Ravens, and hasn’t changed the scheme in Ann Arbor. Most everyone who will play on the defensive side of the ball prominently played quite a bit last year.

Think of how Michigan put a lot of freshmen on the field in 2016 on defense. Most expected the 2017 group to take a giant step back, and instead, there was no drop-off. While replacing Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo’s production might not come from two players on this roster, we still think the defense will be, at worst, a top 30 unit.

2
The offense will not live up to fan…