Michigan Football: 10 predictions for the Wolverines in 2022

7.) Michigan beats Michigan State by multiple scores.

Harbaugh has often been criticized for his record against his rivals, mostly Ohio State, but two recent losses to Mel Tucker and the Spartans certainly have not helped end that narrative. This season, however, the Wolverines are in excellent shape to knock off the Spartans, and significantly. While MSU’s offense will likely remain dangerous with the return of QB Peyton Thorne, WR Jaylen Reed, LT Jarrett Horst, and the addition of former Colorado star RB Jarek Broussard, they will not have the same explosiveness that Kenneth Walker brought to the table on offense.

And despite Mel Tucker’s defensive background, the Spartans have been thoroughly underwhelming each year under his guidance on that end, finishing just 55th last year in scoring defense and with arguably the worst secondary in the Power 5 conferences. With little chance of that taking a significant leap forward, the prediction here is that the Wolverines’ offense is too overpowering for a watered-down MSU offense to outscore, leading to a 31-17 victory in Ann Arbor for the Wolverines this fall.

8.) Freshman RB C.J. Stokes emerges as RB3 for the Wolverines.

Right now there is almost no doubt that Michigan football will have a very strong duo at the top of their RB depth chart. Junior Blake Corum is back for the Wolverines this fall after rushing for 952 yards last season. He certainly would have been over 1,000 yards on the year had he not gone down an ankle injury late into the season, but his absence also gave space for then-freshman back Donovan Edwards to see significant snaps.

The former four-star recruit carried the ball 35 times last year as a true freshman, racking up 174 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, while absolutely dissecting Maryland’s defense as a pass catcher out of the backfield as well, a whopping 10-catch, 170-yard performance.

The search is on, however, for a third back in the rotation. Harbaugh mentioned both true freshman C.J. Stokes and second-year back Tavierre Dunlap when discussing the third running back spot early this preseason. Stokes has impressed, and it is my prediction that the freshman running back out of South Carolina emerges as Michigan’s best option behind Corum and Edwards this season.