GBMWolverine: Michigan Football -- Western Michigan at Michigan -- Predictions

Posted at 6:00am — 9/2/2011

GBMWolverine: Michigan Football — Western Michigan at Michigan — Predictions

After reading our predictions for the Western Michigan game come to our message board and make your prediction and comment on what you believe will happen Saturday.

CoachBt:

Calder helps keep score closer than game should be. Denard Robinson is to much for Broncos to contain.

Western Michigan 28
Michigan 38

Doc4Blu:

Prediction time: another year, another team, but to me the culmination of the first part of the Coach Brady Hoke era. No one is apologizing and responsibility for all, and by all, seems accepted. There is plenty to like about what is going on and challenges have been issued.

Team 132 has to be pumped, but the team must also be poised. There will be a time Saturday when all three segments of the team will need to rise to succeed. Western brings in some play-makers and sound coaching. They will be pumped as well, maybe even sneaking a peak at Toledo or ASU tapes.

Michigan’s special teams need to be at least adequate. The easiest path for Michigan is to play without turnovers and pound the ball, both points are in question, as is so much really. I still look for the Wolverines to loosen the edge.

I believe the staff has done a first-rate job of making progress since April.

Based on what was written in the previews section.

Western Michigan 21
Michigan 34

ErocWolverine:

Getting excited for Michigan football once again. The team will be exciting to watch this year (IMO) and once again Michigan will have their moments of looking very good and probably very bad which happens when you have a new staff, new offense, new defense, and players playing for the first time.

Have a lot of game experience coming back which should be a good thing, but not always especially when your defense was ranked #110th in the country last season. The new coaches will help that is for sure, but don’t expect miracles right out of the box and would be happy to see a improvement around the 60-70 range for the ranking of the defense.

Now to the Western Michigan game. Think Michigan will start fast, slow down in the second quarter and then turn it on again. With a new system it might take some time to get everything going especially going “live” for the first time with a new opponent in the season opener.

The defense will still struggle some what, but nothing like we have see the previous couple of years. A lot of players in new roles, and more playing time so your hoping for a lot of players to step-up and take the next step. Will it happen? Let’s hope so.

The special teams still scares me to death. Maybe once inside the stadium again everything will be just like we have heard in practice. That very first kick is going to feel the tension in the whole stadium as 110,000 fans have their eyes on the kicker and seeing if they have improved. A lot of pressure on them and they know a lot of people will be holding their breathe on that first kick.

Maybe just getting confidence from the coaching staff and not being put down on road trips when the coaches say we was looking for a kicker on the side of the road on the way to the game will help this season. Kickers are usually a different breed and confidence easy easily shaken so the best thing is to encourage not discourage them (IMO).

The offense. The biggest question mark because stat-wise last year they was really good, but didn’t show much when it counted in the big games. Will the offense need to produce like they did last year? No and I think that will be a good thing along with not rely on Denard solely to move the football. It is okay to rely on receivers, tight ends, running backs to move the ball because as Bo said it is always about the Team, the Team, the Team.

Really looking forward to seeing what this team can do this year and glad to see Coach Brady Hoke have an opportunity to lead this team. Also believe we will be in every game this season and fans won’t be thinking about leaving at halftime or the end of the third quarter to get back to tailgating.

Western Michigan 13
Michigan 32

MaizeMan:

Western Michigan 7
Michigan 31

Mike Fitzpatrick

Here is my prediction for the opener.

Go Blue! I think we win this Saturday. Final score? I truly have no idea. This is because I have so many questions heading into the opener that can only be answered by seeing the team play.

On offense – I think we will find ways to score, and I am anxious to see how our running game looks. Bottom line – we have Denard, so I’m not worried.

Defense is another story, and still worries me. I have the utmost confidence in Coach Mattison and his ability to teach and inspire the D. To me this game, like most of our season, will hinge on improvement from the defense. I hope we are pleasantly surprised. So, if the D has improved, even slightly, we walk away from the Big House very happy this Saturday. By Saturday evening maybe we’ll all have a better feel for where the D is as a unit, and what we can expect from them the rest of the way.

Special Teams – I hope and pray we have some success early from Gibbons and Wile. I will be holding my breath each time we punt, extra point, or attempt a field goal. Along with the D, we need to see some positive results in the kicking game and special teams. Other than that, I have no worries. Let’s enjoy the opener! Go Blue!

Western Michigan
Michigan — We Win!

WerlsWolverine:

I would really like to predict the score to be 31-10 but after last year, I cant. To many bad memories.

Lots of question marks on this years team: Denard passing, the offensive line, a running game (besides Denard) the defense, special teams.

Every coach on this staff is an upgrade over the previous and every area of the game should be improved, but it will take time due to talent and depth issues on this roster.

Western Michigan 21
Michigan 31

Yostmeister:

I have an air of anticipation for this season, if anything, to bring back some national respect to our program.

I believe that it begins with a turnaround on defense- something I know can and will happen eventually.
I don’t believe we have a vintage team from our past, nor the personnel to remind us of that- but- I do believe coaching and attitude make a big difference, even if the talent is thin.

On offense, I don’t know what to expect- thin at running back, our top receiver red-shirted, and a questionable offensive line. In Denard we trust- and a cut-down on turnovers.

Still, I believe this team will be respectable in 2011-12, and will post a minimum eight wins. I’ll be disappointed with anything less, especially if a few of those wins aren’t against our chief rivals. I’ll be even more disappointed if Michigan is run out of the stadium again this season, especially after the manhandling in the bowl game.

The schedule isn’t all that easy, but it is back loaded. That is a good thing for this team, gain some confidence heading into what will be a showdown in October in East Lansing. Of course, that is assuming that the team handles an overrated Irish team again and doesn’t stumble against any of the other non conference and B1G foes.

WMU has talent, but can’t match the talent at Michigan- nor the intensity of the first home game of the season. I expect a close two and a half quarters before Michigan pulls away.

Coach Hoke and change is here.

Western Michigan 16
Michigan 34

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