5 More Predictions For The 2020 Michigan Football Season
More maize-and-blue crystal ball gazing for the upcoming college football season, including who won't replace Washington on the schedule. To see my previous five predictions click here.
Cade McNamara will be the backup QB.
This is because of two trends I'm seeing. The first is obvious, guys who lose out on starting quarterback competitions tend to transfer. And with the instant-eligibility for transfers rule coming in 2021 at the latest, if someone has spent four years (Dylan McCaffrey) or three years (Joe Milton) waiting their turn and is passed up, the amount of quarterbacks currently in the transfer portal shows it's not likely they're sticking around. Which brings me to the second trend. Everyone from Josh Gattis to Jon Jansen is adamant about publicly including McNamara in this competition. And while I can't see him winning it this summer, don't forget he was a prolific prep star in his own right.
Michigan won't schedule Notre Dame in exchange for the Washington game.
I'm already on record demanding the Big Ten and Michigan not rescue the Irish from any scheduling pitfalls due to coronavirus this fall. Notre Dame had its chance, and jilted the Big Ten twice. It wanted to be on its own, so be it. Nor do I think the Wolverines will substitute Notre Dame for the road trip at Washington that doesn't look like it's going to happen. I can't see Warde Manuel giving Notre Dame a home game at his program's expense, and I can't see Notre Dame agreeing to come to Ann Arbor in consecutive years after what it pulled to originally cancel the series in 2014.
Chris Evans will play a Curtis Samuels-type role.
He was a wide receiver in high school who became a running back in college. And given the depth Michigan will have in the backfield this fall, while only having seven scholarship players at wide receiver, look for Evans to play a hybrid role in Gattis' spread offense similar to what Curtis Samuels did for Ohio State in 2016. Not saying he'll be that impactful, just a similar role.
It will be obvious the two new defensive coaches, both former coordinators, are having input/influence on the defensive game plan.
It can't be a coincidence that after Don Brown got his pants pulled down by Ryan Day and Ohio State again, Jim Harbaugh filled both of his empty defensive assistant coach slots with former defensive coordinators. Particularly when it comes to Bob Shoop, who like Brown has also been a Broyles Award finalist as the nation's top assistant coach. This was probably the best way for Harbaugh to have it both ways. He adores Brown, who except for a game or two a season (see that as the most important ones) has otherwise been a terrific defensive coordinator. However, this allows Harbaugh to hear from more than one voice on that side of the ball at the same time.
Every team in the Big Ten will play a full schedule this fall, it's just a matter of what "full schedule" means with COVID-19.
Minnesota is not going to open the Mall of America on June 1st and then not have college football. Wisconsin is basically spring break right after the state supreme court put the kibosh on further lockdowns. It's doubtful Noah Vedral is transferring to Rutgers unless Greg Schiano assured him they're having football this fall. Michigan's school president and athletic director both sound optimistic about students returning and sports in the fall. Pennsylvania's governor is among the most coronavirus-cautious in the country, but he's also got Penn State in his backyard. And we already know the lengths they go to for their football program.
That leaves Illinois as the state in the Big Ten footprint that seems most precarious at the moment. I have a hard time believing the home state of the Big Ten office is going to do a one-state death penalty while it watches everyone else play. Because that's what not playing this season would amount to, and not just a death penalty for the football program -- but every program within the entire athletic department.
Now, that doesn't mean "full season" may not mean what it usually does. One of the proposals reportedly being discussed is playing just the conference season. I could see that happening, or something with revisions that is now considered for this year only a "full schedule."
