Mark My Words!: Annual Dose of Preseason Predictions from a Very Optimistic Michigan Fan

As the 2014 season gets set to unfold I've got a slew of bold statements, biased outlooks, and straight-up facts that should help in getting any Wolverine fan excited. Yes, I do believe it pays to be positive, even if I've been proven wrong more times than not as of late. This year will be different, mark my words!

Anyway, here are some things to think about as the season approaches:

Facts:

• 80% of the roster last season was made up of first and second year players who will now be true sophomores, true juniors, and redshirt freshmen.
• At least 18 freshmen got significant playing time in 2013, with several collecting a few starts and three making the conference's All-Freshman Team (Kalis, Butt, and Henry).
• There are more four and five-star former recruits on the roster now than there has been since 2007.
• Brady Hoke has graduated all 69 of the seniors he has coached since arriving at Michigan nearly four years ago.
• Attrition has gone down considerably under Hoke as well. Only seven of the 27 kids Rich Rod brought to Ann Arbor in 2010 graduated, according to MLive.com's Nick Baumgartner. 
• The 11-2 season that Hoke and Co. had in 2011 was led by seniors that were originally brought in by former head coach Lloyd Carr, and not Rich Rodriquez as a lot of people seem to believe. 
• Devin Gardner is the first fifth-year senior to be the Wolverines' starting QB since John Navarre in 2003. Coincidentally, the Wolverines won a conference championship that year. 
• This is the first class of graduating seniors and upperclassman leaders that were originally brought to Ann Arbor by Hoke and his staff in 2011.
• When Hoke took over in 2011, there were only eight scholarship players along the offensive line. That number is currently at 16.
• WR Devin Funchess is the best NFL prospect Michigan has had at the position since Braylon Edwards in 2005.
• Every position group on the entire team has multiple players returning with starting experience.
• There are All-Big Ten award-winners returning on offense (Funchess), defense (Countess, Ryan), and Special Teams (Hagerup). 
• Michigan is among the top 10 teams in the last 25 years in terms of winning percentage. In that same time span they have also won one national title, nine conference titles, and have had two players win the Heisman in Desmond Howard (1991) and Charles Woodson (1997). Woodson is also still the only defensive player to ever win it.
• In the last 25 years, Michigan is 7-4 against the SEC in bowl games, including a win over an Urban Meyer and [Heisman-winning] Tim Tebow led Florida Gators team in 2008. Coincidentally, that was the same year the Wolverines lost to Appalachian State in the season opener.

Opinion:

• This is the deepest and most talented defense in Ann Arbor since the 1997 unit that led the program to a national title.
• The Rich Rod era was one of the lowest points in Michigan football recruiting...ever! I am so glad to see the last remnants of his lackluster regime graduate this year. Although, I did love Denard Robinson I really like Devin Gardner right now. So it hasn't all been bad. The point is that we have been suffering the effects of Rich Rod's lackluster performance as a recruiter the last two years.
• Not having Taylor Lewan around will be good for the team. He seemed to be more of a negative presence on and off the field. I believe the young O-line will be much more productive as a whole without him.
• Despite still being vastly unproven, this is the deepest and most talented offensive backfield I have seen at Michigan in a very long time as well. There are two former five-star recruits (Green, Issac), two four-star recruits (Smith, Hayes), and at least one three-star (Johnson) all competing for playing time at running back, with a former five-star (Gardner), two four-stars (Morris, Speight), and a three (Bellomy) at QB as well. With all the recruiting hype and O-line woes aside, I believe this group can be uber-productive. More so as the season progresses.
• The "Go Blue" uniforms are great and will help sell the brand on national television. I think Michigan is doing a good job with these alternate unis and not overusing the idea. Although, I would still love to see a "Great Lakes" concept uniform come to fruition.

The new "Go Blue" uniforms.

The "Great Lakes" uniform concept.

Predictions:

• The Special Teams' kick/coverage units will be among the top 20 in the nation.
• Will Hagerup will return to be an All-Big Ten punter and an All-American candidate, as well as a Comeback Player of the Year candidate.
• The Defense will be THE best in the Big Ten and will rank among the top 10 defenses in the nation. 
• There will be at least one All-Big Ten player (and possibly more) in each of the three position groups on defense.
• LB Joe Bolden will make the All-Big Ten team for the first time.
• Devin Gardner will account for over 40 all-purpose TD's (rush, pass, rec) and his name will get tossed into the Heisman talk at some point in the season. 
• Devin Funchess will catch at least 70 passes and 10 TD's on his way to being named First Team All-Big Ten again. 
• Shane Morris will get some snaps under center with Devin Gardner lined up out wide or at running back, but Gardner will maintain a strong hold as the starter throughout the year. 
• The O-line and backs will come together to produce one of the best rushing attacks in the conference.
• OT Mason Cole, WR Freddy Canteen, DT Maurice Hurst Jr., and DB Jabrill Peppers will all make the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. DT Bryan Mone and OG David Dawson will also get consideration at some point but probably won't make the cut. All-in-all, this could be one of the best freshman classes this team has seen in a decade or so, despite the relatively low numbers (16 recruits). 

The Boldest of Bold Statements:

The Wolverines will not lose to Appalachian State and will then go on to a 11-1 regular season record, which could land them in a three-way tie with Michigan State and Ohio State for first place in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference. FYI, the winner could be decided on how many championships each team has won. For the record, Michigan leads the conference with 42 titles and Ohio State is second with 34.

Go Blue!!