Alphabetical Team Breakdown part 4

The University of Michigan and head coach Lloyd Carr are approaching nearly a decades worth of sitting on laurels and fondly remembering their halycon days of 1997. In fact, Captain Rustbelt, can recall a few disgruntled student-writers, in the pressbox of a 2002 UW-UM game in Ann Arbor, bitching about the Wolverines not having won an outright Big Ten title in a decade... Pfft, losers, U of M fans are sooooo impatient, ever hear about an Illinois fan complaining about a lack of titles? I didn't think so. Still, things as they are, many fans, pundits feel this might be "the year" for Michigan. Well, it won't be.

Michigan has got a jacked up, silent, but, oh, so deadly offense this year. Chad Henne is the prototypical U of M qb who gets better and better each year. See: Brady, T., Navarre, J., Hensen, D., et al for a comparison. Plus, Mario Mannigham and Steve Breaston are incredible talents at wideout, the O-line is solid if not spectacular. The crux of Michigan's offense and their season at large rides on the health of Mike Hart. If Hart stays injury-free, the Wolverines will be riding his talents into a January bowl game-think Outback Bowl more than Rose Bowl.

With Michigan's relatively unknown commodity of an offense, much of the criticisms have been directed at Michigan's defense. Michigan does have an amazing defensive line that is stronger and much more menacing than granite.Arguably this d-line is the best of the Big Ten and is anchored by the twin forces of Alan Branch and LaMarr Woodley; there are few teams who will be having season high rushing days against this unit.

But, when your vulnerable back seven is facing Brady Quinn, Drew Stanton, Drew Tate and Troy Smith in one season there will be many opportunities for bad things to happen. And bad things will happen. Sure Michigan is going to be able to contain one of the aformentioned qbs, Rustbelt feels it will be Drew Stanton, but who knows? Michigan's going 9-3 and will be booking flights to either Orlando or Tampa for the New Year's holiday. Of course this will do little to assuage the venom U of M fans and alumni will be spitting in the direction of Lloyd Carr following another year of losing to Notre Dame and the Ohio Stae University.


"Awwww, raspeberries! Another two losses to the teams I'm not a'sposed to lose to."