Michigan win/loss record prediction thread

I'm gonna wait for the next prediction thread

It will be up probably Thursday

7-5, losses to Penn State, Ohio State

Harbaugh gracefully steps aside at the end of the year 

I'm thinking 7-5, maybe 8-4.

I will make my official prediction after I see how the O line is playing.  

For now just hope the games are entertaining and not cobra head fests.  I mean, I don't really mind being a little bit depressed after a loss, I just hate being disgusted after a loss.  If they play well and still lose that is one thing.  If they play poorly and lose, that is quite another.

Feels like a 7-5 season.

8-4 and my fandom continues to bathe in ennui.

Eat at Arby's

C'mon man, this is Meechigan fer Godsakes...13-0!

Brilliant post...work on it long?

10-0 playing The Game at the end of November with the Big Ten title on the line, same as every year.

I don't know why, outside of some of the lean talent-lite RichRod years we should expect or hope for anything else.

Yeah, but they go 11-1 if Zach C. transfers back, right?

Absolute ceiling is 10-2, and that means absolutely everything breaks the right way. The offense catches fire, the defense progresses week to week, makes sense and becomes anywhere between good to really good by season's end, the QB steps up from being more than a game manager, etc. In this scenario they find a way to steal either the Wisconsin or PSU game, but not both, and lose a not extremely close but still a competitive, respectable game to OSU. Something like 45-31 where OSU scores a late TD in the final minute to make the result look more lopsided than it is, but Michigan still makes them earn the W. NY6 bowl, result depends on the opponent, and hope is alive for 2022. 

Floor is probably 6-6. I don't see this team not making a bowl game, but it can still have a really bad year. Losses to OSU, Wisconsin, PSU, Washington, Indiana, MSU (yes, MSU, it can never be understated just how important that win was for Mel Tucker and his team last year), and an absolutely desperate Nebraska team with a head coach on life support who will pull out all the stops to save his job in front of a home crowd at night. The defensive scheme is fine, but it just gets taken advantage of with no proven depth on the DL, the secondary gets abused with having only one guy who can make plays, the offense still can't take the next step and our QBs can't stop committing turnovers or getting thrown into concussion protocol against Wisconsin. The OSU game is the third consecutive laugher in the rivalry, and is over by halftime. They get thrown into another bowl where they are overmatched against a 9-3 SEC team or a ranked G5 team who are just jacked the eff up to play Michigan, and Michigan, in its annual fashion, plays an uninspiring bowl game and loses by double digits because half the team doesn't want to be there. 

Actual result probably says somewhere in the middle. 7-5 or 8-4, with swapping out the Nebraska and possibly MSU losses for wins. Washington could possibly be a win as well. Michigan isn't beating Wisconsin or PSU on the road without great game plans that are well executed and some luck in the turnover department, and they're not beating OSU no matter what they do. 

There are a lot of question marks across the Big Ten.

As we learned from ranking the enemy even OSU, with a QB that hasn't thrown a ball and a realy green defensive backfield and lbs,  isn't a foregone conclusion and could lose to Oregon week 2. 

Although quite talented, I'm not sold on PSU, with Franklin and Sean Clifford. Indiana has some really strong areas, DB, QB, but an awful Oline so might not keep Penix upright for long. They beat us with offsides last year.

Wisconsin seems to be the most complete team with the fewest question marks.  

We have high ceiling potential in 3 areas. - QB, Oline and Dline. If 1 + 2 are good the offense will be among the best in the division. The transition from Warriner to Moore is interesting.

Even if we get good Dline play, our db's and Ib's are average by Big Ten standards.  Those area will keep us from competing with Wisconsin and Penn.

We have one sure win and almost one sure loss, with coin tosses in between. Washington, Indiana, PSU, Wisconsin, OSU could all come up tails the rest we should win. In the past, Harbaugh won almost all the games he should have and lost the games he shouldn't. If history remains consistent that would mean 7-5. MSU is always a tough out because we are their Superbowl.  I do think we beat one or both of Washington and Indiana, Penix probably won't make to us.

So this is my long way of saying 8-4

8-4. I'm going to venture a guess that we best Washington, feel really good about things, then don't beat the strong teams on our schedule.

But my criteria for success this year would be different than most people's, and not ride so much on the won-loss record. If this team is playing football with some alacrity and poise as the season wears on, with some joyful athleticism rather than a carrot up its wazoo, I will accept that. A lot of that, I believe, rests on whether Jim Harbaugh can give everyone that license. 

Eight and four looks like it could be the ceiling, with losses to Wiscy, PSU, OSU, and Indiana. If they play OSU tough, make it a game down the stretch in the Big House, I will be grateful. 

6-7

Optimistic view-9-3 Lose to Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio State.

Negative view 7-5 Losses Wisconsin, Indiana, Penn State, Washington, Ohio

Realistic View-12-0, Win the conference championship, win the playoff, Champions of the west, oh yea!

I'm glad some receipts were held.  So proud of this team.  They hung together and believed, against an avalanche of doubt.  The best of Michigan.  After 2022, the turnaround will be complete.

bump