Michigan Football: Staff predictions for Wolverines 2019 season

Only mere moments remain until the 2019 Michigan football season launches, therefore the time for prognosticating is upon us.

Expectations are about as high as they can be for the upcoming campaign. Michigan football is the Big Ten favorite according to some and the projected program to represent the conference in the College Football Playoff.

As the year rolls on the story will ultimately be played out on the field with what the Michigan football faithful hope becomes a triumphant reality. Below are the staff’s 2019 season predictions on how the year is going to go.

Matt Helmkamp

I see a one-loss team heading into the College Football Playoff. Wisconsin and Penn State are the trap games of the century for the Wolverines who are expected by many to go undefeated. Of the two, Penn State scares me the most. The trend for the last three years has been the home team blows out their opponent. To make matters worse, the game will likely be at night to a Nittany Lion signature whiteout crowd.

In the end, the Wolverines finish the season 12-2 with a Big Ten Championship and a close loss to either Alabama or Clemson in the playoff. Shea Patterson throws for over 3,500 yards and finishes top ten for Heisman. Zach Charbonnet rushes for close to 1,000 yards. On defense, Daxton Hill will be king.

Chris Peterson

While it’s hard to have faith in Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football after what we have seen the last four years, without Urban Meyer around anymore, Michigan becomes the top dog in the Big Ten East this season.

Shea Patterson is going to be the best quarterback in the Big Ten. The defense will be a typical Don Brown defense and the offense will be a revelation under Josh Gattis. The O-line is stout and the wide receivers are elite.

Predicting any team to go undefeated is tough, but with the three most difficult games at home, I see UM going 12-0 or at least 11-1 and winning the Big Ten East. I also think the Wolverines make the College Football Playoff.

Nick Popio

Entering his fifth year under the helm, Jim Harbaugh has a serious Ohio State dilemma. His squads have sputtered down the stretch with nerve-wracking bowl losses as well. This time around the trend has to stop, no question about it. He’s got a returning quarterback in a new system and a defense that needs to dominate.

The schedule is not for the faint of heart. The Wolverines have to prove they can win on the road against a top-25 school. With stops in Madison and Happy Valley, Michigan hasn’t beaten either on the road since 2001 and 2015 respectively. I believe that those streaks continue until proven wrong and the Wolverines falter against a deadly Ohio State club to finish 2019 at 9-3.

Raine Hernandez

As I mentioned in my previous article, I do think the Offense will be a lot better this season with Josh Gattis as offensive coordinator, with career years from Shea Patterson and the entire receiving core. I am confident that Zach Charbonnet will be the featured-back, with Ben Mason getting more touches even though he’ll be playing on defense as well.

Defensively, Khaleke Hudson should have a bounce-back season, while Josh Metellus can become one of the best safeties in the Big Ten, maybe, the entire country. Also, I think the defensive line will shock some people. I am excited to see what Kwity Paye and Josh Uche can do with more playing time, and we’ve seen it before, Michigan can lose countless starters on defense, yet, Don Brown makes it happen.

I think it’s rather selfish for me to say, but I hate that Michigan football has one of the toughest schedules in the country, while teams like Alabama and Clemson have cupcake-type schedules. There are so many games where I say a possibility that Michigan gets upset in the games against Army, Iowa, even Illinois with Brandon Peters now at the helm at Quarterback.

With that being said, I have the utmost confidence that Michigan can come out of those games as victors (no pun intended). I will say that the games in Madison against the Badgers and the white-out in State College against Penn State are the ones where I see Michigan losing one of those matchups. If the Wolverines can snag at least one win in those games, and run the table (including in the crucial home games against Michigan State and Notre Dame), I can see them defeating Ohio State in the final week of regular-season play.

Obviously, easier said than done. Season Prediction: 11-1, win the Big Ten Championship, lose to Alabama in the College Football Playoff semi-final.

Jacob Shames

On one hand, this could be the year. It maybe should be the year. The Wolverines have arguably the best quarterback, best group of receivers, and best offensive line in the Big Ten, and Josh Gattis has seemingly brought the modern, high-flying scheme to make the most out of all that talent.

Meanwhile, it’s never a great idea to bet against a Don Brown defense. If things go right, Michigan football has more than enough to win the Big Ten — and maybe more — for the first time since 2004.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t crucial, unanswered questions (Who’s the primary ball-carrier? Does the front seven have enough depth? Can an inexperienced secondary hold its own?) and it’s easy to see enough things going wrong that an early loss to, say, Wisconsin, might doom the season from the start.

Ultimately, the season should come down to Ohio State again, and until the Wolverines actually do it against the Buckeyes, it’s hard to justify predicting they will. Michigan goes 10-2 and enjoys New Year’s in Florida again.