Buster Sports

This post is part of the series 2009 Football Countdown

That hideous noise you heard last year were the Michigan Wolverines crashing to the worst football season in school history.

It was bad enough for Rich Rodriguez to scratch out just three wins in his first year directing the venerable program. But losing at home to a second-tier MAC club sent UM spiraling down the toilet. It wasn’t the second-year coach’s entire fault, as he inherited a team light on experience and talent. Now the hope is that an influx of blue-chip recruits can hit the gridiron running and quickly turn around faded fortunes.

Offense: Quarterback is a vital position on any offense, but it goes beyond that in Rodriguez’s spread. Unfortunately for UM last year, the quarterbacks failed to grasp the schemes while displaying the needed skills to excel in them. The end result was more turnovers than touchdowns, and the Wolverines could rarely find their groove. Enter early enrollee Tate Forcier, who took over the reins in spring after last year’s co-starter Nick Sheridan went down with a broken ankle. Steven Threet ‑ UM’s other starter ‑ won’t return after opting to transfer, leaving the quarterback role in a Forcier-or-bust position. Good thing all five starters return to the line. Three seniors will also line up in the backfield, including Brandon Minor, who rushed for nine scores last year. Expect more production from a fairly deep pool of receivers, but that will also depend on who winds up at quarterback.

Defense: It was a nasty omen when Rodriguez admitted prior to the season last year that the team would have to rely on its defense. Unfortunately, the experience couldn’t hold up to the youthful struggles on offense. Only five starters return to the defense that struggled to stop the pass, and just one of those is on the line. Brandon Graham led the team and finished second in the Big Ten with 10 sacks last year. Linebackers Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton return after finishing 1-2 on the team in tackles. UM grabbed only nine interceptions last year, and will now be without cornerback Morgan Trent, who led the secondary with three picks in 2008.

Overall: While UM has perhaps the best punter in all of college football in Zoltan Mesko, it will be fielding a new placekicker. Overall special teams were a huge disappointment, particularly in handing Notre Dame an early insurmountable lead with turnovers. In fact, it was a complete meltdown of the entire team that is the main concern. It wasn’t just issues at quarterback, or a young, developing line that did this team in. However, there remains a solid roster full of talent and some newcomers that are sure to bolster play.

Outlook: The Wolverines split against MAC competition last year. They get two more at home this year in Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan, as well as FCS cupcake Delaware State. Indiana and Purdue also pay Ann Arbor a visit, so it’s likely they will at least better last year’s record. While there is too much work to preclude a run for the Big Ten title, Michigan will be a much-improved ballclub.

Brad Dopke is the national football writer for Buster Sports and can be reached at bdopke@bustersports.com.

Big Ten, Feature, Football, Headline, Michigan