Season Predictions
Okay so I am really bored and need to get people talking. So what better then some 12-0 predictions? I'm just joking, but I am going to give my REALISTIC expectations for this season and feel free to tell me what you guys think.
First off let me say that the majority of these games are very winnable.
Western Michigan
I think we go into the Big House with an attitude that we really want to make a statement. I think Western Michigan will give us troubles early on but I see Tate and the offense really starting to get in the zone and pull off a big win. Thus ending our first game losing streak.
Notre Dame
If we don't turn the ball over 5 times like we did last year I think we are well favored to win this matchup. We are at home this time so I think we pull off the win. Michigan wins in a close brawl.
Eastern Michigan
We come into this game 2-0 and completely shun Eastern Michigan for our third in a row!
Indiana
We have owned Indiana for as long as we played them, I don't see that changing at all. Michigan wins easily.
Michigan State
Our first big challenge of the season. We go into a hostile East Lansing with a lot to prove. Ringer and hoyer are gone. I think we will start to see the "freshmen mistakes" being that this will be Tate's first away game. We fall early and our experienced leaders pull us out with a close win.
Iowa
I don't see Michigan keeping its streak alive in this one. I think we fall short and go back to Ann Arbor with our first L of the season.
Delaware State
Big time win. Allows some of our players to rest and get ready for Penn State.
Penn State
With our players rested from our easy win over Delaware State, I think we come into this one with all guns blazin'. Our team is confident and everyone believes in the system by now. I see big points by both teams in this one. Michigan hangs along until the very end and gets it done at home.
Illinois
With our players tired and beaten from a close win over Penn State, I think we fall at Illinois. The wear and tear of a Big Ten season starts to kick in.
Purdue
With all of Purdue's talent gone. I think we pull an easy one outta this one.
Wisconsin
This one can go either way. It's gonna be close and I will call this one 50/50.
OHIO STATE
The grand daddy of the season. OSU is getting off two tough games with Iowa and Penn State the weeks before. We come in ready. We blitz the 240 pound Pryor like crazy and come up with a few big plays. Minor and Brown carry the load in a close victory over OSU. WE HAVE TO WIN THIS GAME!!! Enough is enough.
8-4, 9-3, or 10-2.
7-6 and a bowl game. We'll upset somebody, but we'll have some ugly, mistake-filled losses.
I love the optimism and I hope you are right. I have to say though that I tend to think this may be a little bit lofty. I agree that all of these predictions sound good enough but you have tokeep in mind that Tate is going to make some of those typical Frosh mistakes. I see us being better than last year by a bunch but I will be surprised beyond all belief if we can actually pull off a 10 win season. 7 seems to be realistic and with a few lucky bounces we may get 8 with the outside slim chance of a 9th. Nothing would make me happier than to finish the regular season with 10 wins but I think as long as we make it to a bowl this season I will be contented.
6-6 and then win the Motor City Bowl.
And no, I'm not just saying that because I live within walking distance of the Rogers Centre.
Edit: who am I kidding? Yes, that's the only possible reason I'd say that.
I love TO. I live in Sarnia dude, way to represent Ontario.
That's why we moved here. I grew up in the Detroit area, went to school at Miami (not that Miami).
I agree, enough is enough. UM must beat tuos this year. Like most people, I think we will win a game or two we should'nt and lose a game or two we should win. I think UM will be somewhere around 8-4, + or - a game.
i think we lose the illinois, iowa, and penn state game. if we beat wisconsin, we beat osu. we lose to wisconsin, we lose to osu.
It's hard to guess a record. But I see 6-8 wins EASILY, yes, EASILY.
At Iowa, at Wisconsin, at MSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State games are the win/loss games.
It may very well happen.
And I hate to be technical, but every game is a win/loss game.
If you honestly think Western Michigan, Penn State and at Illinois are in the bag, either: (1) you didn't watch the 2008 season; (2) you are way too myopic as a Michigan fan; or (3) all of the above.
I predict that we will have 7 more of these threads before the season actually starts.
on the number of 12-0 predictions?
After seeing the team play at your spring game I would be pretty surprised if you don't improve substantially. But I don't think that improvement will always amount to a win.
I really think that 6-6 is an achievable goal with a bowl invitation.
Losses being to ND, MSU, Iowa, Penn State and Ohio State. I think the Illinois game is a toss up and it will depend on which offense is hitting on all cylinders.
7-5 could definitely be do-able but they could just as easily drop a game that michigan is favored in.
Really every game is a toss up. The way I see it, we have a 50/50 chance in every game. Win or lose, it's 50/50. Right?
gave those kind of odds.
Games are not decided by a coin toss.
game b/w the Steelers and Lions way back in the day was!!
I do not see us losing to MSU. I don't feel like looking it up -- but when is the last time we lost back-to-back to MSU?
But so was Michigan's last losing season (prior to last year).
...in 2008, both sides of the ball were horrid. But, by the end of the year, the offense was functional other than the QB position. The defense had no clue what it was doing on the deep pass (think the bomb against NW, the long OSU passes, the Notre Dame game).
I'm a Minnesota season ticket holder. Ted Roof came in last year and simplified things - the team improved from dead last in defense in FBS to around 80th. It caused a turnaround from 1-11 to 7-6.
If Robinson can improve the pass defense on what we saw last year, well, that is a start. Functional pass defense would have helped win the Northwestern and Purdue games last year.
If the offense plays like it did against Penn State, Purdue, Minnesota and the first half of the Ohio State game (which I think it will), we would have beaten Utah and Toledo.
Guess what - there - we would have been 7-5 last year just by flipping those games.
Now, look at 2009. Going INTO the season, the offense will be settled and the running game will be a strength. The team should beat Western, Eastern and Indiana. If the team is clicking and the defense is sorted out by Robinson, well, Notre Dame is in the mix.
We will defeat Delaware State.
I'm pretty sure the team will be able to defeat Purdue this year.
There are six wins right there. Even if the defense sucks, I still see five wins as the floor. If the defense is functional and the offense doesn't take half the season to work, well, that's how you get to 7-8 wins.
but I think we can expect a reversion to offensive ineptitude during at least one game that we don't expect (meaning against a mediocre team) and another game where we lose Tate to some sort of injury. That's how i think we stay around 6-6 or 7-5 tops.
Prediction? Pain.
As a MSU fan you have great knowledge of this. Thanks for the insight.
7-6. Losing our first and last games to the almighty WMU Broncos! Still 2 years away!
I'll say 8-4. We'll kick Notre Dame's ass at home (sorry guys, no monsoon this year and we're not Hawaii, get ready for another double-digit beatdown...) We'll beat MSU too, I think they really weren't very good last year and are in for a big fall this year. However we'll lose those tough road games and probably lose to tOSU too unfortunately, they're still too far ahead of us in overall talent. As long as we keep it close and have a good showing in the bowl game though it all sets up real good for next year....
I could have sworn that Notre Dame also played in the rain when we played them in the rain. I could have been mistaken though.
I predict we play 13 games and win [x] of them. Which means we lose [13-x] of them.
Well, I guess I just predicted at least 6 wins. Dammit! I did not want to make an actual prediction!
The weather was a factor, though. It made coming back from the 21-0 gift given them that much more difficult.
I agree with your sentiments; the offense will be much improved and I believe Tate will be reliable and effective. If he stays healthy. The running game should be very effective; Brandon may have a season that puts him up for consideration for the Doak Walker, while an 'O' line with a year's experience under its belt will be a plus.
The biggest question marks are on the defensive side of the ball. I feel Coach Robinson was a great hire simply for the maturity and stability he brings to the position; I think the guys can look up to him and trust in what he does.
Still, all the analysis can't incorporate the fate and fortune that will be involved this year. We didn't have to be 3-9 last year, we could just as easily been 6-6. The same could be said about some of the successful seasons our Big Ten Brethren had. It's just the way it worked out. That said, I could see a 10-2,9-3 season just as easily as us going 7-5 or 6-6.
I don't see why we discount ND so much, they probably will have a ten win schedule (do to the weakness of it, but they're still sdequate.) They're more experienced also, and this will be Tate and Denard's second game. A lock this is not.
6 or 7 wins max. I'll be satisfied.
Way too many young and unproven players at critical positions, and new coaches also with something to prove (Gerg) for me to be more optimistic than that. More likely to be 5-7 than 9-3.
....but we could have easily been 1-11 if we hadn't had that huge comeback vs Wisky and if Sheridan hadn't suddenly played out of his mind vs Minn.
If the team doesn't get hit with the injury bug at KEY positions or one of the leaders...I can see substantial gains from last year. A new defensive cord with the glow of his NFL past...a BIG plus. Certain games are winnable. Losing to a team like EMU or Purwho can't occur. Strong showing against teams like PSU,NL (this one should be winnable)or the Illini will tell us alot. Spanking sparty butt would go a long way establishing a roadmarker for which way we're going.
Hopefully our team won't have a identity crisis week to week.
If we don't win at least seven games...I will be disappointed.
look what Pryor did his freshman season behind an experienced and talented offensive line? They went 10-3 with losses to USC and Texas. Did OSU really have that much more talent than we do this year? Probably, but there is a ton of talent surrounding the freshman quarterback with lots a returning starters. I think the floor for this team is 9-4. maybe they could have 10 wins. Probably not 11. They'll either go 8-4 and win a mediocre bowl game or 9-3 in the regular season and lose to a better SEC or Big 12 team in a decent bowl.
"Did OSU really have that much more talent than we do this year?"
Simply put, yes.
I appreciate the optimism, but I think we have to be realistic here.
Pryor > Forcier
2008 OSU experience > 2009 UM experience
13 and NATIONAL CHAMPS!!!
I see 8-4...with a good chance at 9 wins if a bounce or two goes Michigans way. But a bad bounce or two and they could finish with only 7 wins.
7 wins. Either by going 7-5 in the regular season, or by going 6-6 and getting a very winnable bowl opponent. We'll be much better at the end of the year, so if we go 6-6, whatever team we're paired with in our bowl will be quite outmatched.
6-6 minimum, 7-5 hopefully, 8-4 awesomeness.
I'd take beating msu/osu and losing to ND, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Although obviously beating osu would be more difficult and less likely than losing to any of those teams, hell, you never know.
Aren't we due for a little bit luck these days?