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Part 1 of 2
The reasons why Jim Harbaugh can lead Michigan Wolverines football to 10 wins in 2015
by KC Joyner
The consensus opinion on Jim Harbaugh's year one impact as the Michigan Wolverines head coach is that he will improve upon last season's 5-7 mark.
That may be considered faint praise since last year's win total was tied for the second-lowest since Bo Schembechler took over the program in 1969, but the truth of the matter is, this program could clear the double-digit win bar in 2015.
Here are 10 reasons Michigan could post at least 10 wins this season.
(Note: Unless otherwise specified, the metrics referenced below are from games against Power 5 opponents and the rankings indicate Michigan's placement among the 65 Power 5 teams.)
1. Upgrade at quarterback
The Wolverines have many options to upgrade a 43.2 Total QBR mark that finished 10th in the Big Ten.
The leading candidate after spring practice is Shane Morris, but Jake Rudock could end up under center at the start of the 2015 season. The Iowa transfer was tied for third in the Big Ten in Total QBR in 2014 (72.5) and has the benefit of moving to a play-calling system that is conceptually quite similar to the one he used.
2. A deceptive amount of experience in its pass-catching corps
The Wolverines completed only 189 passes in a 12-game slate last year (ranked tied for 11th in the Big Ten) and lost 62 of them when Devin Funchess declared early for the NFL draft. They bring back four players who racked up at least 10 receptions last year. The leader among this group is Amara Darboh. He posted a first down or touchdown on 72.4 percent of receptions against Power 5-caliber competition, a mark that ranked fourth among Big Ten wide receivers with at least 20 receptions.
3. Impact plays from the defensive front seven
The Maize and Blue return four starters from a front seven that ranked second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss per game. This group was also primarily responsible for Michigan finishing third in the conference in sacks per game (2.8). A repeat of that latter number could be possible because of the addition of five-star recruit Jabrill Peppers, who moved to safety this spring but looks poised to make an impact all over the field. Harbaugh gave Peppers an "A-plus" grade for his spring practice efforts, a showing that made Peppers one of the Big Ten's top five freshman breakout players.
4. Tough run defense
Michigan's defense should also be able to count on its ability to stop the run. Last season the Wolverines held five Power 5 teams to under 100 yards rushing in a game. To put that performance into perspective, there were only eight other Power 5 teams that equaled or surpassed this mark, and no other team had more than six games of this caliber.
5. Improved turnover volume
One area where the Wolverines defense struggled badly last season was turnover creation, as they ranked next to last in the Big Ten in interceptions (four) and tied for last in forced fumbles. New defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin should be a big help here. In his two seasons at Florida, Durkin led a platoon that ranked 16th among Power 5 teams in turnovers forced per game (1.89). He may not get Michigan's defense to that level in one season but even an improvement to par would significantly increase the turnover volume.
The reasons why Jim Harbaugh can lead Michigan Wolverines football to 10 wins in 2015
by KC Joyner
The consensus opinion on Jim Harbaugh's year one impact as the Michigan Wolverines head coach is that he will improve upon last season's 5-7 mark.
That may be considered faint praise since last year's win total was tied for the second-lowest since Bo Schembechler took over the program in 1969, but the truth of the matter is, this program could clear the double-digit win bar in 2015.
Here are 10 reasons Michigan could post at least 10 wins this season.
(Note: Unless otherwise specified, the metrics referenced below are from games against Power 5 opponents and the rankings indicate Michigan's placement among the 65 Power 5 teams.)
1. Upgrade at quarterback
The Wolverines have many options to upgrade a 43.2 Total QBR mark that finished 10th in the Big Ten.
The leading candidate after spring practice is Shane Morris, but Jake Rudock could end up under center at the start of the 2015 season. The Iowa transfer was tied for third in the Big Ten in Total QBR in 2014 (72.5) and has the benefit of moving to a play-calling system that is conceptually quite similar to the one he used.
2. A deceptive amount of experience in its pass-catching corps
The Wolverines completed only 189 passes in a 12-game slate last year (ranked tied for 11th in the Big Ten) and lost 62 of them when Devin Funchess declared early for the NFL draft. They bring back four players who racked up at least 10 receptions last year. The leader among this group is Amara Darboh. He posted a first down or touchdown on 72.4 percent of receptions against Power 5-caliber competition, a mark that ranked fourth among Big Ten wide receivers with at least 20 receptions.
3. Impact plays from the defensive front seven
The Maize and Blue return four starters from a front seven that ranked second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss per game. This group was also primarily responsible for Michigan finishing third in the conference in sacks per game (2.8). A repeat of that latter number could be possible because of the addition of five-star recruit Jabrill Peppers, who moved to safety this spring but looks poised to make an impact all over the field. Harbaugh gave Peppers an "A-plus" grade for his spring practice efforts, a showing that made Peppers one of the Big Ten's top five freshman breakout players.
4. Tough run defense
Michigan's defense should also be able to count on its ability to stop the run. Last season the Wolverines held five Power 5 teams to under 100 yards rushing in a game. To put that performance into perspective, there were only eight other Power 5 teams that equaled or surpassed this mark, and no other team had more than six games of this caliber.
5. Improved turnover volume
One area where the Wolverines defense struggled badly last season was turnover creation, as they ranked next to last in the Big Ten in interceptions (four) and tied for last in forced fumbles. New defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin should be a big help here. In his two seasons at Florida, Durkin led a platoon that ranked 16th among Power 5 teams in turnovers forced per game (1.89). He may not get Michigan's defense to that level in one season but even an improvement to par would significantly increase the turnover volume.
