Wolverines Kick Off 2013 Season on Saturday
The University of Michigan football team enters the 2013 season ranked No. 17 in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches polls. The Wolverines who take the field for Saturday's season and Home opener against Central Michigan are a relatively young squad; however, they are a favorite - along with Nebraska - to take the Big Ten Legends Division title.
NCAA College Football pundits are saying that the Wolverines' 2013 schedule is the toughest in the division, with back-to-back blockbusters against Michigan State and Nebraska in early November, and perennial nemesis Ohio State looming large as the team's last regular season opponent.
Youngsters Expected to Grow Up Fast
Michigan coach Brady Hoke's 2013 Wolverines' fate rests heavily on the shoulders of untested freshmen and sophomores. Some of its anticipated playmakers saw slim to no time on the field during game day last season, according to the Detroit Free Press. Although coaches often begrudge the need for youngsters to make an immediate and impactful contribution, it's a fact of life in today's big-time college football world.
Will Kyle Kalis, a highly touted redshirt freshman offensive guard, solidify new starting quarterback Devin Gardner's right side? On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison has unquestionable talent in Ondre Pipkins, Joe Bolden, James Ross and Jarrod - all true sophomores - but can they live up to their potential?
As you ponder those debate-starter questions in the back of your mind, allow the front of your mind to enjoy these tasty tidbits about the forthcoming Wolverines season:
- Home field advantage: UM plays the Cornhuskers and Buckeyes at home, where it's 14-0 the past two years
- Freshness Dated: Devin Gardner replaces Denard Robinson as full-time signal caller
- Yin-Yang Offensive: potent running game balanced with big-arm QB
- No Easy Outs: Wolverines saw 18 turnovers in five of its 2012 losses
2012 football Season Recap
Michigan ended its 2012 season on the first day of 2013 (Jan. 1) with a heartbreaking 33-28 loss to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Going into the game, the Wolverines were ranked No. 18 in the BCS and No. 19 in the AP polls.
There weren't many highlights to the season; however, there was one REALLY HUGE one. On Oct. 20 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan slipped past in-state rival Michigan State 12-10, snapping the Wolverines' four-game losing streak to the Spartans, and giving the football program its 900th win - the first college football program to reach this achievement.
