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Michigan football came in ranked No. 8 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 9 in the AP Top 25 this preseason, but you’d think that the Wolverines have fallen off a cliff.
Given the departures — head coach Jim Harbaugh, the entire defensive staff, strength coach Ben Herbert, star players like J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, and Mike Sainristil — it stands to reason that Michigan could take a step back. Meanwhile, Ohio State and Oregon are loaded with talent and prevailing wisdom is that one of the two will win the new-look Big Ten.
However, Joel Klatt says not so fast.
Though he also has those two teams above the Wolverines, he understands what Michigan is and that it didn’t get to where it’s been the past three seasons by accident — or even by having a bunch of track stars at the skill positions. It won by being physical up front and it’s much different than any other team that its opponents will see on the schedule.
Thus, don’t count Michigan out, even though it’s not the favorite to win the conference.
“If you’re a Michigan fan listening to this, you probably slapped the dashboard, threw something down, spit out your drink, and you’re like, ‘What do you mean? Who’s the threat? We’re the defending national champions. Who’s the threat to the team we just beat three times?’ I get it. I get it,” Klatt said. “And fair enough, that’s why Michigan is the biggest threat to those top two.
“I do believe that there is somewhat of a consensus that Ohio State and Oregon are at the top, and that Michigan, because of everything that they lost, is gonna have to be somewhat of an underdog this year. I think that that’s fair. It’s a fair sentiment. And yet, if you are a Michigan fan, or certainly inside of that building, you’re sitting there thinking to yourself, ‘What is this guy talking about? We just went 15-0. We did…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/joel-klatt-explains-why-michigan-223652541.html
Author : Wolverines Wire
Publish date : 2024-08-14 22:36:52
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