Time to Guess What our 2020 Football Record Will Be

Geez. A-OSU gets Illinois, Indiana and Nebraska. We get Wisconsin, Indiana and Minny. That diary comparing schedules needs to be updated. 

Whatever our record ends up being we will almost certainly be disappointed. 

Between 3-5 to 5-3.

Wins: MSU, Rutgers, Maryland

Tossup: Penn State, Minnesota, Indiana

Losses: Wisconsin, Ohio State

MSU/Rutgers/Maryland should be comfortable wins.

Penn State good but lost 2 great players. Minnesota should be a good game. Indiana usually plays Michigan well and is due a win at some point.

Wisconsin was almost out in the tossup category, but they are always good and reload at RB like Alabama does. Ohio State is the Death Star and Mordor combined.

5-4.  Bowl game will be a toss up depending on match up.  

Feels like 5-3 is most likely, 7-1 the ceiling and 4-4 the floor.  It all sort of depends on what happens at QB and the secondary, and I'm not optimistic beyond "competent" being the answer for either of those groups.

I’m thinking 6-2 and I’d be really happy with that. This year has put a lot of things in perspective and I’m just happy to watch a few games and hope the team gets experience for 2021. 

@Minn W 34-31

Vs M.S.U. W 45-20

@Indiana W 38-27

Vs Wisconsin W 27-20

@ Rutgers W 52-10

vs Penn St W 31-24

vs MD W41-24

@ O.S.U. L 56-31

7-1

Expecting 5-3

Happy at 6-2

Thrilled with anything better

Disappointed and not sure where we go from here at 4-4

I'm guessing 5-3.  

This season is already so weird that I don't care too much about the final record.  I'm just happy to be able to watch some games and cheer for the team.

In five years, Jim Harbaugh's Michigan teams are 1-9 against Ohio State and in bowl games AND 46-9 versus everyone else. Those 9 losses are:

- Road losses to open the season against good teams (2015 Utah, 2018 ND)

- Going to State College or Madison (2017/2019 PSU, 2017/2019 Wisconsin)

- Kinnick at night

- Ridiculous games at home when Sparty was still competent (2015/2017)

COVID means nobody knows anything, but based off that above:

at Minnesota - L (people call for Harbaugh to be fired, Milton doesn't play well)

vs MSU - W (people feel a bit better, but Milton still causes a few tugged collars)

at Indiana - W (a shootout, but everyone is bracing for a 2013-style collapse)

vs Wisconsin - W (defense locks down, Milton makes some crucial throws)

at Rutgers - W (blowout, "we're back, baby")

vs Penn State - W (Michigan opens up a big lead, but PSU almost completes the comeback in a mirror of last year's game)

vs Maryland - W (typical Maryland game)

at Ohio State - L

Crossover - W (maybe against Iowa or a Minnesota re-match)

Bowl - L

7-3 Overall so the standard Harbaugh season. Good, but not great. 

8-1 with the loss not to OSU and not in the plus one game. 

5-3, with two of the losses agonizingly close.

The loss to OSU won't be.

Guessing the extra game will be COVID canceled.

Plus Schembechlerian loss in bowl game, if bowl games even happen.

honest question, will there be a bowl season? I was under the impression that wouldn't happen.

Now back to the question at hand, there are three key unknown areas of concern  - high turnover on OL, DL and oh yeah, a brand new QB (trying not to fall for the pre-season hype), 

6-2 with losses to PSU and OSU. 

If there is a bowl game, I would really like to see a W there. the season end losses just leave such a bad taste for the off-season and recruiting. Yes, OSU win would be the ultimate boost but I feel a strong bowl win would be the positive boost this program needs to bridge the gap.

I don't think the entire season will be played.  I don't think travel for a bowl game will be an available option.  I sure hope I'm wrong.  4-2 six game season.

I'm thinking 6-3, losses to OSU, one of Wisconsin/PSU, and our Dec 19th game. No clue how Milton looks at QB and the OLine. I'm not convinced we play all of the games given the rising case number.

Edit: Supposed to be in reply to the comment about 5-1 with a few games cancelled.

I think you hit the nail on the head.  Trends are bad throughout the B1G footprint.  I live in Chicago, where things are actually going ok, but it feels like the sharks are circling and getting closer.

75% 5-3

25% 6-2

4-3. One game will be cancelled 

6-3

Awesome post execution. Looks like a lot of work.

Really like this team outside of another year with qb problems....so have to say 5-3.

With a win at Ohio once Cade gets in.

Go Blue!

8-1

I am optimistically expecting 8-1, but pessimistically fearing 5-4.

5-3 with losses @Minnesota, vs. Penn State and @OSU.

With an experienced QB, maybe we win this week, but beating last year's #10 ranked team with its QB back is too much to expect. Also, in a "normal" year with the Big House packed, we might knock off PSU, but I see them getting the W this year.  I won't discuss the last game I see as a loss.

Then we play and defeat Iowa in the crossover game.  

Milton improves markedly during the season and we justifiably go into 2021 with great optimism.

I'll preface this with an admission that I am not at all a believer in Milton. When is the last time a QB here lived up to even half the preseason hype? It's admittedly a small sample size, but I have not been impressed at all in the spot action he's had.

With a marginal QB and no go-to receiver, I don't see our offense moving the ball that well throughout the season. With a secondary that's Dax surrounded by hopes and dreams, and again a soft middle of the DL, I can't see us fielding a top-25 defense. For those reasons, I don't think we'll beat any of the big 4.

So it comes down to beating the four bad teams on our schedule. While we should have significant talent advantages at most spots, I could see Indiana, with their somewhat experienced QB and WRs, taking advantage of our weak secondary and okay-not-great pass rush to put up a lot of points. Can we outscore them? Probably, but not assuredly.

So my best guess is 4-4, but 3-5 is certainly on the table with the only wins being MSU, Rutgers, and Maryland. Maybe 5-3 if we get lucky against Minnesota, but I don't anticipate the PSU, UW, or OSU games being particularly competitive this year.

For the cross-over game, 4-4 should put us third in the division, tied with IU but having the head-to-head win. I'd assume UW and Minnesota finish 1-2 in the West, with Iowa and Purdue battling for 3/4. Indiana plays Purdue, so they'd probably end up with Iowa and we'll play Purdue in the 9th game, and should win that if Dax can keep Moore from going off.

I'll go optimistic and say 6-2.

Things could get ugly quick though in the surprisingly real scenario that we run out of quarterbacks.

Having major question marks at QB, CB, and DT is not a good way to go into a season. I'm not inclined to buy the Milton hype. And I think losing Thomas and Collins is probably worth at least two losses. I believe 4-4 is much more likely than 6-2. And I see no reason for optimism with respect to OSU. I hope that I'm comprehensively wrong.