Michigan vs Western Michigan Predictions

* DENARD ROBINSON

  It wouldn't surprise me if Denard Robinson has a monster game.  With the offense switching to a pro-style look Robinson should be able to stay healthy and rely more on the running game and short passes.  I still think he will run the ball 10-15 times but his passing numbers should be more efficient and significantly more than last year.

12 rushing attempts 105 yards 1 TD ,  19-26  220 yards  2 TD


* RUNNING BACKS

  I believe the starting running back come gameday will be Michael Shaw over Fitzgerald Toussaint for two reasons. 1) Experience  2) Consistency.  Toussaint has yet to put a full season together mainly because of injuries.  Over the course of his career Shaw hasn't put up gaudy numbers but has shown he can contribute on offense with his career 4.5 YPC.  Since there's no go-to back, here's the numbers for the running backs as a whole.

25 attempts  125 yards,  2 TD


* WIDE RECEIVERS

  I expect Junior Hemingway to have the best game for the receiving corps.  Junior is a fifth year senior with plenty of experience and a big body to go with it.  He should give Denard a big target to hit on those West Coast offense slants.  I just feel like this is his year to break out for the Wolverines.

Hemingway -  9 catches,  110 yards  1 TD
Roundtree   -  6 catches,  60 yards    1 TD


* DEFENSE

  I'm sure I along with most Michigan fans was ecstatic when I heard Brady Hoke was bringing in close friend Greg Mattison from the Baltimore Ravens.  Mattison is arguably one of the greatest defensive minds in football right now.  I've been very impressed from the things I've seen and heard from this spring and fall.  With a more physical and consistent defense I think the Wolverines will shut down Western Michigan for most of the day and prove that most of Michigan's defensive woes over the past few years were due mostly to coaching.

Will hold Western Michigan to 260 yards of total offense and 2 TD


* FINAL PREDICTION

  The game may start out a little closer than most Michigan fans will like but the Wolverines defense will come into their own as the offense pounds their way down the field.

Michigan wins easily  38-14

Michigan Commit Joe Bolden Impresses

I was very excited the day I heard that LB Joe Bolden of Colerain High School (OH) verbally committed to Michigan.  I mean who couldn't use a 6'3 225 lb tackling machine that also has great awareness on the field and always seems to know where the ball is going.  ESPN aired Colerain's first game of the season today against the 24th ranked team in the nation from Florida.  I watched most of the game and came away very impressed with Bolden's leadership and all around athleticism on the field.  I don't know his exact stats but he was in on a lot of tackles, threw a 35 yard pass on a fake punt (yes he punts for his team too), and narrowly missed a pick six that tipped out of his hands and into a fellow Colerain players who took it down to the 5 yard line.  Colerain ended up winning the game and a lot was due to the great play of Joe Bolden.  This kid has a great head on his shoulders and is definitely one to look for when he suits up in the maize and blue.  I see a future star on defense.

Denard Robinson EXPLODES

Rivals has just named Denard Robinson the most explosive player in the nation and who could blame them.  With his combination of speed and a better arm than most people give him credit for, he gives offensive coordinators nightmares.  I've heard from many people that Denard will have trouble adjusting to the new pro-style scheme that Borges has brought in but what they fail to realize is that he was under center in high school.  He is actually quite comfortable playing under center and is definitely a good enough athlete to soak everything up like a sponge that he is learning.  I'm really excited to see what Robinson can do when he stays in the game, the entire game.  He got hurt too many times last year trying to run for his life 25 times a game.  With a more balanced run game and short quick passes to get the ball out of his hands he should hopefully be able to stay a lot healthier and that can only help Michigan's chances.

Michigan Back On Top

It's a great thing to see that Michigan is back on top of college football's pedestal once again, at least in recruiting that is.  We've yet to play a game but it's hard not to get excited about the way Brady Hoke has managed to get a Top 5 class in his first year on the job.  Scout is the highest on Michigan giving them the #1 class in the nation.  Rivals lists Michigan as having the #2 ranked class in the nation with ESPN not being so high on Michigan and ranking them #5.  No matter what the major recruiting sites say I've been blown away this year.  With the quick start and early commitments from high quality recruits, Hoke has turned around the program and made it feel like Michigan again.  He has managed to completely dominate the Midwest like Michigan used to do every year and also received commitments from almost the entire top 10 players in the state of Michigan.  It's great to be a Michigan fan!