Michigan Football: Wolverines must ignore hype in pursuit of Big Ten title

It’s been four years into the Jim Harbaugh era at Michigan football and 2019 looks like his best chance to secure a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Preseason predictions mean little to nothing these days. That didn’t stop the Big Ten media from releasing their educated prognostications by picking Michigan football to win the conference for the first time since 2012.

The East has been primarily represented by their rivals since the East and West were split into divisions in 2014. Now it could finally be the time for the Wolverines to take over with a manageable, yet daunting schedule ahead.

The fact of the matter is that the Wolverines cannot let their egos get inflated by this. It’s a nice thing to look at, but in reality, it’s way easier said than done. With Urban Meyer retired, Michigan State visiting the Big House and Penn State searching for new leadership on the field, Michigan football appears to be in the driver’s seat to hoist the trophy for the first time ever in early December.

To add on to that the Wolverines have to get through all of the above plus Army, Notre Dame, a road game at Wisconsin and the potential stumbling block at an always pesky Indiana team. They will have certainly earned the honor if they are able to overcome one of the hardest schedules in the country to win the conference.

It’s a mighty task set upon any program by placing a target on their back, let alone a squad that has a major Ohio State problem. The race may eventually come down to another showdown with the Buckeyes in late November which would be a dream come true or a nightmare depending upon how people view it.

Time will be the ultimate outlier to see if Michigan can truly accomplish this recent insurmountable hump of getting past the Buckeyes and on to the title matchup.

Coach Harbaugh must preach humbleness while also remaining hungry to strive for replicating these lofty preseason expectations. One can argue that this upcoming season will be his toughest to date. Throwing in the addition of Josh Gattis to a new, uptempo offense and a defense that may take a step back with all the departures, can only add to the pressure of a win-now season.

Consistency needs to be the key throughout the entire year to fight through all of the obstacles that will no doubt get in the way of one of the most important seasons of Michigan football.

To sum it all up, Michigan cannot get ahead of itself when it steps onto the stage against Middle Tennessee. Expect coach Harbaugh to prepare his club from day one like every contest is a must-win situation. He can’t afford to do anything different.

Nonetheless, the 2019 season is going to be a can’t miss from the first snap to the last and it will come down to the mentality that is instilled in this program in what has to become a championship or bust mentality.