Philadelphia, PA (Best E Casino) - 2007 SEASON IN REVIEW: After a poor start of historic proportions, the Michigan Wolverines somehow managed to right the ship and put together a very solid season in Lloyd Carr's final year on the sidelines.
Michigan's season-opening home loss to Appalachian State of the Football Championship Subdivision will go down as one of the biggest upsets in college football history. No FCS team had ever knocked off a ranked opponent. The very next week, the Wolverines were trounced at home by Oregon, 39-7, marking the program's worst loss in 39 years. However, Michigan regrouped and won eight straight games, climbing all the way back up to a No. 12 ranking. In hindsight, those two losses weren't all that bad. Appalachian State went on to win the FCS title for a third straight year, effectively scaring off other big-time programs as possible opponents, and Oregon, when healthy, proved to be one of the nation's most formidable squads. However, Michigan was upended at Wisconsin in early-November (37-21), then fell to arch-rival Ohio State (14-3) at home. Despite those setbacks, the Wolverines drew an enticing matchup with Florida in the Capital One Bowl and won, 41-35 to end the season on a high note.
2008 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: New head coach Rich Rodriguez is bringing his spread offense from West Virginia, though that won't be the only new look on offense. Gone are stars Jake Long, Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Adrian Arrington and Mario Manningham. To make matters worse, offensive lineman Justin Boren transferred to, of all places, Ohio State and incumbent quarterback Ryan Mallett bolted for Arkansas over the winter, despite a Web site with over 400,000 recorded requests for him to stay.
"We're going to be very young on offense," Rodriguez said at media day. "I'm not a pessimist or an optimist, I'm more of a realist, and I prefer to tell it like it is. We've lost some of the best players that probably have ever played at the University of Michigan on offense."
So, what's left in the cupboard? Stephen Threet and Nick Sheridan will battle it out for quarterback, neither one of whom attempted a pass last year. Kevin Grady is a talented running back who was expected to challenge for a starting role, but he is currently suspended for a July 2 arrest for drunken driving. Juniors Brandon Minor (6-1, 214) and Carlos Brown (6-0, 213) will get the bulk of the carries. Greg Mathews (39 catches, 366 yards, three TDs) is the only proven receiver, but Rodriguez needs to find a slot receiver for his offense to work.
Sophomore right tackle Steve Schilling (6-5, 295) is the only returnee on the offensive line and will be a leader up front despite his relative youth.
DEFENSE: The defensive line is stacked, and will be a major factor in terms of the team's success in 2008. Returning defensive ends Tim Jamison and Brandon Graham combined for 14 sacks last year and are poised to add to that total this season. Also returning are stout interior linemen Will Johnson (6-5, 285) and Terrance Taylor (6-0, 319), a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection who amassed 55 tackles.
Middle linebacker Obi Ezeh (6-2, 247) is the team's top returning tackler (68 tackles) and will be counted on to provide some leadership to the defense. There are a handful other players competing for the other two spots, with fifth-year senior John Thompson (6-1, 239) and senior Austin Panter (6-3, 231) the most advanced of the group.
The starting cornerbacks are big-time players. Donovan Warren (6-0, 180) was an All-Freshman selection, while Morgan Trent (6-1, 188) handled opposing teams' top receiver. Junior Stevie Brown (6-0, 209) and senior Brandon Harrison (5-9, 206) will be the new starters at safety.
Rodriguez knows that it will be the defense that will lead the charge in 2008. "Defensively we have a few more guys coming back, a little more veterans and we're probably going to be deeper on defense than offense.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Fifth-year senior K.C. Lopata came on midway through the season as the team's kicker and made 11-of-12 field goals. He has the job entering the 2008 season. Punter Zoltan Mesko, at 235 pounds, averaged 41.1 yards as a sophomore and showed good accuracy. Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown both did a solid job returning kicks last year, but with both carrying more of a role on offense, it remains to be seen how they will be utilized on special teams, if at all. The coaching staff is also looking for a punt returner with breakaway potential.
OUTLOOK: The Wolverines play five of their first six games in Ann Arbor, so it will be imperative for them to get off to a decent start. After that, things get dicey, with three of their next four on the road. The lone home game in that span is a tough test against Michigan State. Michigan's season-ending clash with Ohio State will be on the road this season.
Even in Ann Arbor, the expectations are significantly tempered. New players, a new coach and a new system all mean there will be a learning curve as the season progresses. However, the defense should be able to play with anybody. In the end, anything better than a .500 record would have to be considered a success.
