Michigan Football: Five Bold Predictions For 2023
Coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history, Michigan Football fans are now looking ahead to what the 2023 season could bring. The Wolverines will almost certainly be ranked in the AP Top 3 to begin the year, and it's likely they'll be favored in every single regular season game on the schedule.
With so much optimism and excitement surrounding the football program in Ann Arbor, we look into the future and make five bold predictions for 2023.
1. Michigan will lose a regular season game
https://www.si.com/college/2021/11/16/jim-harbaugh-explains-pants-catching-on-fire-michigan-penn-state
Let's get this one out of the way right out of the gate. Michigan hasn't had back-to-back undefeated regular seasons since 1947-48, and I don't expect it to happen in 2023. The Wolverines will need to navigate a difficult seven game stretch that consists of five road games:
- Sep. 30: at Nebraska
- Oct. 7: at Minnesota
- Oct. 14: Indiana
- Oct. 21: at Michigan State
- Nov. 4: Purdue
- Nov. 11: at Penn State
- Nov. 18: at Maryland.
I think Michigan's only loss of the 2023 season comes against one of those five opponents, although it wont prevent the Wolverines from winning their third consecutive Big Ten Championship.
2. JJ McCarthy will break Michigan's single-season touchdown passing record
Even in a run-heavy offense, McCarthy was just four touchdown passes away from breaking Michigan's single-season touchdown passing record of 25 - currently held by Chad Henne (2004) and Elvis Grbac (1991). With a full year of experience under his belt, and Michigan making another run at a national championship, the junior quarterback will break the single-season record and finish the 2023 season with 27 touchdowns through the air.
JJ McCarthy 2022 Passing Stats:
- CMP: 208
- ATT: 322
- YDS: 2,719
- TD: 22
- INT: 5
3. Roman Wilson will finish as Michigan's leading receiver
Although Michigan has no shortage of weapons at the wide receiver position, there's one guy who seems primed to take over as the top target in 2023. As one of the fastest players on the roster, Roman Wilson can pose a problem for an opposing defense in several different ways. Whether it's bubble screens, lining up in the slot, or taking the top off of a defense, there's little doubt that Wilson will become a go-to target for JJ McCarthy this Fall.
Last year, it was veteran Ronnie Bell who finished the season with a team-high 62 receptions. This year, it will be Wilson who steps into the WR1 role and finishes the season with 60+ receptions.
Roman Wilson 2022 Receiving Stats:
- REC: 25
- YDS: 376
- TD: 4
4. Blake Corum will win the Heisman trophy
Arguably the top returning running back in the nation, Blake Corum had a legitimate shot at winning the Heisman trophy in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 11. He missed Michigan's final three games and still managed to finish the year with 1,463 rushing yards - just 266 yards away from the No. 1 spot in all of college football.
With an offensive line paving the way that is full of future NFL draft picks, Corum will likely be squarely in the Heisman discussion once again in 2023. If he can remain healthy, he's got a great shot at becoming the fourth Heisman trophy winner in Michigan Football history - joining Tom Harmon (1940), Desmond Howard (1991), and Charles Woodson (1997).
Blake Corum 2022 Rushing Stats:
- ATT: 247
- YDS: 1,463
- TD: 18
5. Michigan will win the National Championship
The Wolverines have been on the doorstep of a national championship in each of the last two seasons, only to be bounced in the CFP Semifinal each time. In 2021, it was a dominant Georgia team that prevented Michigan from playing for a national championship. In 2022, it was the underdog TCU that ended Michigan's championship hopes. In 2023, the Wolverines will finally take the next step and win the whole damn thing.
Offensively, Michigan features an experienced quarterback in JJ McCarthy, the top backfield in the nation with Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, an offensive line that has won the last two Joe Moore awards, and a whole host of WR/TE targets that can pose a major problem for the opposing defense.
Defensively, Michigan is pretty much set at every single position on the field - with a slight question mark at one of the corner positions. Outside of that, the Wolverines return experienced players like DB's Mike Sainristil, Rod Moore, RJ Moten, and Makari Paige, DL's Kris Jenkins and Rayshaun Benny, LB's Michael Barrett and Junior Colson, and edge rushers Jaylen Harrell and Braiden McGregor. Even better, Michigan has several young players who received a tremendous amount of playing time during their freshman season in Ann Arbor, including guys like CB Will Johnson, EDGE Derrick Moore, DL Mason Graham, and DL Kenneth Grant.
Top to bottom, the Michigan Wolverines have one of the most complete teams in the nation - which is why I'm picking them to win it all in 2023.
