Michigan Football Predictions: GBMW Staff Takes a Crack at it

We’re only a few days away now from the 2016 Michigan football season, and the GBMW staff has its predictions in with explanations.

Our staff is growing, and with that comes varying opinions and expectations about what Michigan football is capable of doing this season.

Related Story: What's a successful season for Michigan?

Some of us are more optimistic than others, but on the whole there’s obviously good reason to believe the Wolverines are going to be a pretty good team in 2016, even without the benefit of knowing for sure who’s going to start at quarterback on Saturday.

It’s not often we get to collaborate as a staff, so I gathered the troops and asked them four things:

1. What will Michigan’s regular season record be?
2. What will Michigan’s conference record be?
3. Will Michigan play in the Big Ten title game?
4. Will Michigan make the playoff?

Everyone was then given the opportunity to explain their positions.

We’ll go one at a time.

David Cuff

"Michigan’s season really comes down to three games: at Michigan State, at Iowa, and at Ohio State. When it comes to the MSU game the Wolverines have the superior team, but anything can happen on the road in a rivalry game. I still have Michigan winning that game. At Iowa is another tough match-up, but Michigan’s defense will help it win the turnover battle and pick up a close victory.I have Michigan finishing the regular season 11-1, and that one loss I believe will be to OSU. A much as I’d like to see the Wolverines beat their biggest rival to cap off an undefeated regular season, I think OSU will have their number for one more year. OSU will likely come into the game with one or two losses (I definitely see the Buckeyes losing to Oklahoma), but a win over Michigan would still put them in the Big Ten Championship game. It will be a huge season for Michigan, but it will fall just short of its Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff goals."

Chris Gibbons

"Expectations are incredibly high for Michigan’s 2016, and I’m inclined to believe the hype, and I truly think Michigan has the best roster in the Big Ten. The only issue is that even great teams end up struggling on the road against rivals, and Michigan has to deal with what should be very good Iowa, MSU and OSU teams in enemy territory. I think the Wolverines will be able to come on top in two of those contests, but I think they drop one (most likely against the team down south) which could cost them a Big Ten Championship or playoff opportunities. If we don’t see Michigan in the playoff, we’ll see it at the Rose Bowl."

Grant Dossetto

"Michigan under Harbaugh has yet to prove it can run the ball through a Big Ten schedule with consistency. While four starters return from last year’s squad on the O-line, there will need to be marked improvement in the quality of play. Whether the current seniors, namely Ben Braden and Kyle Kalis, are capable of that is an open question. If they aren’t, Michigan will find itself in a lot of toss-up games against teams that are stout defensively.Michigan returns a quality defense but not one that looks fundamentally better on paper than the group that took the field in 2015. Returning zero linebackers will most likely become a problem for the defense against spread offenses and against quality quarterbacks. Penn State is changing offensive schemes and C.J. Beathard is set to break out on the national scene. Sometimes a schedule isn’t so much who you play but how your opponents stand to be able to attack your weaknesses.Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa, and Ohio State (the last three on the road), plus an Indiana team that took Michigan to double overtime a year ago: that is a collection of six games that could be seen as toss-ups collectively. Michigan should beat Penn State at home but Ohio State in Columbus looks daunting and it evens out to 50 percent odds in the six games."

Douglas Brouwer

"I’m looking at a tough November schedule on the road for Michigan, and even though I’d like to see the Wolverines take all three against Little Brother (OK, Michigan State), Iowa, and Ohio State, I predict that Michigan will most likely drop two of those three games."

Michael Moeller

"Make no mistake about it, this Michigan team is better than any since 2006, even without an experienced starter under center. Between how freaking good the defense is going to be and how much faith I have in the coaching staff to at least make sure the offensive line and quarterback won’t actively hurt the team, I see 11 wins and a conference championship on the horizon. Assuming Don Brown and Jabrill Peppers (LB edition) can stop the spread, this team can compete with anyone in the country.Having both OSU and MSU on the road is a nightmare, even though both squads lost a lot of talent to the draft last year. I think both games end up as wins nonetheless. The Iowa game has me worried, though. The schedule gets wonky at the end of the year: Michigan travels to Kinnick to meet a potentially quite good Iowa team, sandwiched in between the OSU and MSU games, and the two home games during the final five weeks are Maryland and Indiana. That’s pretty roller-coastery; I don’t see the team coming out of that stretch unscathed. It’ll still be enough to earn a spot in the CFP, where I’ll take my chances with this coaching staff over just about anyone else’s."

Mike Clark

"I see this season’s schedule as being basically three separate mini schedules smashed together.The first four games, all at the Big House, should amount to a 4-0 start. If any of those four (Penn State?) jump up and bite the Wolverines, look for the world’s most famous khakis to spontaneously combust at the press conference after the game. But I see that 4-0 start happening.The middle four would seem to be where the Harbaughs earn their keep this year.I have no logical reason for this, but I feel like Wisconsin will not be a huge test this season.  Maybe it’s the fact that it’s at Michigan, I don’t know. But they’d better have things running smoothly, and be at full strength, for what might be the most grueling game on the schedule, at Michigan State.  If they are hitting their stride at this point in the season, then I think the Wolverines’ talent will beat whatever Sparty has in store. 8-0 at this point.In the final four games, I think the Fighting Ferentzes might have blown their wad last season and played over their heads. I don’t see that happening again this year. So I think the Wolverines win in Iowa City. Finally, and please keep your pitch forks on the garage wall….please! I have a really difficult time seeing the maize and blue winning the grudge match in Columbus. The Wolverines are chock full of young talent, but my concern in this game is that young talent. I’m not sure they will be up to this task. 11-1.Fear not, though. All is not lost. I see a scenario where both Michigan and Ohio State wind up in the mix for the national title. The debate will be loud and long about whether a one-loss Michigan team that didn’t even play in its own conference championship game has any right playing for it all. Debate notwithstanding, I can see it happening."

"I think Michigan is going to have a great season. And Harbaugh gets a defining road win at MSU. But Ames, Iowa continues to be a nightmare destination for the Wolverines. They lose there and the game at the end against that team from Ohio."

Tyler Fenwick

"I’m a pretty big believer in Michigan this season, but I have to say that playing like a playoff team doesn’t get you in the playoffs. If it did, count the Wolverines in. There’s a hiccup: Michigan has to play at Iowa, at Michigan State, at Ohio State. I feel like I’m going out on a limb by saying Michigan takes two of those games. It’ll be a great season—not quite great enough."

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Love us or hate, that’s what we think.