For more than a decade under Lloyd Carr, things were good for the Maize and Blue. There was a National Championship win in 1997. There were Big Ten Champion trophies and Rose Bowl berths. Then, after wining the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day in 2008 over a top-10 Florida team led by Tim Tebow, things changed.
2012 Program Preview - Michigan
In came teh RichRod and a 3-9 season, Michigan's worst in more than 40 years. Recruiting was solid, albeit unspectacular, but the results on the field just weren't acceptable. Despite having a successor for his system in Denard Robinson (who is individually more impressive) to Pat White at West Virginia, the Big Ten proved too much for RichRod who over three three years finished with a 6-19 conference record.
In came Brady Hoke last year after successful runs as head coach at Ball State and San Diego State building a reputation as a fierce recruiter. That reputation is only getting stronger in Ann Arbor.
After an 11-2 season in 2011 capped with a thrilling Sugar Bowl overtime victory against Virginia Tech (their first BCS bowl win in more than a decade), things are looking up for the Wolverines. Oh, and they beat that team Hoke doesn’t like so much for the first time since 2003.
The program and Hoke are right where they want to be. The question is if things continue on this trajectory or if 2012 is a setback.
After the jump, the prospects worth noting as well as some games and matchups to pencil into your calendar.
References
Maize n Brew (SB Nation Michigan community), Off Tackle Empire (SB Nation conference community), SB Nation Detroit, SB Nation team page, official team site, Bill Connelly’s preview for SBN
Notable offensive prospects
| Name | POS | Yr. | Early projected Rd (notes) |
| Denard Robinson | ATH | Sr. | 3 |
| Roy Roundtree | WR | RS Sr. | 5 |
| Taylor Lewan | OT | RS Jr. | 1 |
| Fitzgerald Toussaint | RB | RS Jr. | 5 (suspended indefinitely for DUI) |
Notable defensive prospects
| Name | POS | Yr. | Early projected Rd (notes) |
| Craig Roh | DE | Sr. | 3 |
| J.T. Floyd | CB | RS Sr. | 4 |
| Kenny Demens | ILB | RS Sr. | 5 |
| Jordan Kovacs | SS | RS Sr. | 6 |
| Thomas Gordon | FS | RS Jr. | 7 |
| Blake Countess | CB | Soph. | N/A |
| Desmond Morgan | OLB | Soph. | N/A |
Summary
There are some really interesting prospects here, led by Lewan, offering talents on both sides of the ball. I don’t see Robinson as an NFL quarterback, but he’s far too athletic and speedy to not warrant a decent mid-round pick. There are plenty of defensive prospects worth tracking throughout the season. I could see Demens and Kovacs both rising closer to day two options.
The long-term story looking ahead to the 2013 NFL Draft and beyond is the strength of the freshman class and the current 2013 commit list which is particularly outstanding. If it holds, Hoke and the Wolverines are going to be an incredibly potent team in the years ahead.
Key games
Alabama (home*) - Week 1 (Sat., Sep. 1 - 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC)
* to be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX
After last year’s LSU-Oregon matchup, this year’s Cowboys Stadium Classic is proving to be mandatory viewing for college, and NFL Draft, fans. Certainly, Bama will be the favorite. Despite having pushed some wonderful talents to the NFL (especially on defense), the defending national champions don’t look much worse for wear. If Michigan can hold their own against the Tide, it will send a message to the rest of college football that the Wolverines aren’t all promise and potential.
Michigan St. (home) - Week 8 (Sat., Oct. 20 - TBD)
Please let this be good. Please let this be good. No seriously, I’m begging. Please let this be good.
Michigan State is now in their best shape as a program since the late '80's (if we want to play a game of "what if", bear in mind Nick Saban was the head coach at Michigan State in the mid-90's. Nick Saban). Mark Dantonio helped Kirk Cousins guide the Spartans continue to reach bowl games as the program has gone bowling since the 2007 season. More satisfying for MSU fans was picking up a bowl win, their first in that stretch. Obviously there are concerns at QB where Andrew Maxwell picks up where Cousins left off. The receiving corps is an accumulation of question marks as well. But the offensive line and defense as a whole (despite the departure of DT Jerel Worthy) should be strong enough for Michigan State to compete every week in the Big Ten.
That being the case, this should be a huge contest. MSU has won the last four Paul Bunyan trophies, so Michigan will be hungry to send Denard Robinson off with a win in this rivalry. Speaking of rivalries...
Ohio St. (away) - Week 13 (Sat., Nov. 24 - 12:00 p.m. ET, ABC)
Uh...I guess I have to say something here...
Michigan and Ohio St. have football teams. They play each other once per year. To be general, they do not find each other on friendly terms. In sporting terms, this is a revelry.
Analysis.
Key matchups
QB Denard Robinson v. Alabama’s entire frickin defense, Week 1 - Sat., Sep. 1
Robinson’s NFL prospects largely depend on his ability to run into space. In the season opener, there’s a good chance he’s running for his life. Last year, Oregon lost the Cowboy Stadium Classic, but did so in good form; yes, there is such a thing. The rest of their season proved as much, winning the Rose Bowl and losing only one game, that by just a field goal. I think Michigan could be in a similar situation. A season-opening loss to Bama won’t necessarily define Michigan’s season; that fate rests largely in Robinson’s hands...and feet.
ILB Kenny Demens v. Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez, Week 9 - Sat., Oct. 27
It seems odd to count this as a matchup, but given Martinez's versatility I think it's a fair suggestion. Given the departure of some notable talents from the Cornhuskers after their first season in the Big Ten (Lavonte David, Jared Crick, Alfonzo Dennard chiefly), it's a bit difficult to project Nebraska's chances in 2012. They'll still have Martinez, RB Rex Burkhead and a host of defensive talents. But without a premier WR (and no, Kenny Bell isn't there yet), the offense is going to require Martinez to throw the ball better in 2012. If Demens can force Martinez to throw more often by helping limit his effectiveness on the ground, it would improve Michigan's chances of repeating last year's 45-17 trouncing of Nebraska.
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