Game week is here and Michigan football will begin life without Jim Harbaugh and company as they vie to continue this modern-day success. The offense returns one starter, while the defense is championship-caliber again.
The Big House will be rocking for one of the most anticipated moments in Michigan football history. Questions will finally be answered as we react to how team 145 will fare coming off of a 15-0 season.
Here are three things that I want to see when Michigan football begins its title defense on Saturday night.
1. For Alex Orji to complete at least 70% of his passes
First of all, I expect Donovan Edwards and his backmates to get a heavy workload on Saturday evening, but when the time comes to pass, Michigan football fans like myself want to see efficiency. Orji is not J.J. McCarthy, but this offense is built around the quarterback not turning it over when passing and handing the ball off.
It's not out of the realm of possibility to do it against Fresno State. Their pass defense was just inside the top 50 last year. Based off of what we've seen in the past Michigan's offense will probably throw it no more than 20 times, especially if the running game is working. If they can do this then it will ease the nerves of some in Ann Arbor who are understandably wary of the passing attack with Texas looming.
2. To see several new faces get considerable action
There's no guarantee that Michigan football will win convincingly on Saturday, but if they do then they should share the wealth when it comes to playing time. The ideal plan would be to play the starters for about two and a half or three quarters, then let the backups finish the contest with two or three drives.
This includes freshman, redshirt sophomores and transfers. Jadyn Davis would be the first player to come to mind, even if it is in garbage time.
Make it easy for him to get comfortable and see if he can be relied upon down the line instead of redshirting. Playing his classmates like Jordan Marshall, Brady Prieskorn, showcasing the offensive line depth, a Cole Cabana sighting, and the leg strength of Dominic Zvada on offense should all be realistic goals.
Defensively, Jyaire Hill will have a ton of eyeballs on him. Jaishawn Barham is getting hyped up as the next can't-miss linebacker. Can he deliver after the Junior Colson departure?
Cole Sullivan is another name who has been tossed into the equation as playing early. And don't forget about Zeke Berry, who has the burden of filling the vacancy left by Mikey Sainristil in the slot.
3. A dominant defensive performance
Fresno State has some playmakers on offense, but Michigan's defense is clearly better. Holding them to under 300 yards of offense, grabbing a turnover or two or three, and getting to Mikey Keene consistently should all be priorities under the lights. The Bulldogs will not face a goliath like Michigan football the rest of the year, so this is their Super Bowl.
Without Jeff Tedford on the sidelines could give the Bulldogs a reason to fold up even before the marathon starts or motivate them to outdo expectations. Their offensive line is littered with senior starters and will be a stern test out of the gates for Michigan football in the trenches.
Wink Martindale reboots his college coaching career in the best possible situation. He will have some challenges to overcome though in building more depth and following in the footsteps of two of his students who have proven to outcoach their mentor in a short time span.
Wink already has two top 10 picks in the making as headliners with a third first rounder in the conversation, which is more than Jesse Minter and Mike MacDonald produced when they came over from the NFL.