Michigan Football’s best, worst and most realistic scenarios for 2020

There are plenty of unknowns heading into the 2020 Michigan football, so here is a look at the best-case, worst-case and more realistic scenarios.

As of right now, no one can say for sure that there will be a 2020 Michigan football season. But as head coach Jim Harbaugh essentially said, thinking negatively about it isn’t going to help anyone. So, we might as well keep acting there is going to be a season until there isn’t.

For Harbaugh’s Michigan football program that means another consequential season. There are a lot of questions that need answering the first might be when will Harbaugh get a contract extension? After this year, he becomes a lame-duck coach, so that’s a key development to watch, especially with other coaches already using it against him in recruiting.

On the field, the biggest question comes at quarterback, where Dylan McCaffrey and Joe Milton are set to battle for the job whenever fall camp takes place. The success of second-year offensive coordinator Josh Gattis will also be critically important as will that of Don Brown, who seems to be on the hot seat heading into the season.

While not long ago, I took a shot at some bold predictions for the upcoming season, here is a look at what is the best-case scenario for Michigan next season, along with the worst and the most realistic.

Let’s start with the bad first.

Worst-case scenario (7-5, 0-2 vs rivals)

The obvious worst-case scenario is that the 2020 season is canceled altogether. But in keeping a positive mindset in that regard, if it does happen, the worst-case scenario for Michigan would be going 7-5, with losses to Michigan State and Ohio State.

With road games against Washington, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State, as well as home games against Wisconsin and Penn State, this is possible. Much will depend on the play of McCaffrey and/or Milton.

The choice at quarterback will likely decide how things play out next season, and an injury or Harbaugh playing musical chairs could certainly contribute to a rough year. Losing to Ohio State is bad, but a loss to Michigan State next year, in Mel Tucker‘s first season, would be even worse.

Harbaugh has made very real gains in that rivalry and really against everyone in the Big Ten but the Buckeyes and a 7-5 campaign with a loss to the Spartans would cause a mighty uproar, one Harbaugh might not be able to survive.

Best-Case Scenario (12-1, Big Ten title)

Now that we looked at what could be the worst thing, here is the best, which includes the Wolverines finally beating Ohio State and winning the Big Ten title.

That’s not a prediction. I have decided I won’t predict Michigan to beat Ohio State again until it happens. I just don’t think I will believe it until I see it. But under this scenario, the quarterback job is won and taken over by one individual, who excels under Gattis.

In the ideal world, it’s probably Joe Milton, with McCaffrey finding a way to use his athleticism to contribute. Between the two of them, the offense finds balance and beats Wisconsin and Penn State at home.

Even in the best-case scenario, there will be a bump in the road, because there are four very difficult road games, but Michigan will head to Columbus one-game back, before pulling the upset.

Then, the Wolverines end up facing Minnesota, the same team that beat them in the regular season and Harbaugh, after finally getting revenge on Ohio State, silences the P.J. Fleck crowd by beating the Gophers for the Big Ten championship.

Realistic (9-10 wins)

In the real world, the most likely outcome is somewhere in between the first two scenarios. Of the four road games mentioned: Washington, MSU, Minnesota and Ohio State, it’s hard to see the Wolverines winning more than two, especially with their past road struggles.

Winning that first game, on the road, with a first-time starter at quarterback is going to be tough. It is realistic to believe this team can go unbeaten at home, as it did in 2018, however, with the road schedule and uncertainty at quarterback, which seems likely to bleed into the season, it’s hard to envision winning more than 9-10 games in the regular season.