Daniel Hamburg of WNUR Sports, home of Northwestern Sports, predicts that Michigan will go 2-6 in the Big Ten next season; finish 5-7 overall.
(Provided by WNUR)
Offense: “To say that the Michigan Wolverines struggled offensively in year one of the Rich Rodriguez era would be an understatement.. While it would be convenient to blame the Wolverines anemic offense in 2008 on the adjustment to Rodriguez’s spread offense, the real issue was that Michigan lacked its traditional store of offensive talent. But that should change with the arrival of freshman quarterback Tate Forcier.”
“Forcier has outstanding arm strength and athletic ability, and will be surrounded by a corps of capable if unspectacular skill players. Senior running back Brandon Minor figures to get the majority of the carries for the Wolverines, and sophomore Martavious Odoms, who led Michigan in both receptions and yards, will be Forcier’s main target at wide receiver. An offensive line which gave up 22 sacks last year returns all five starters. “
Defense: “Michigan’s defense was supposed to be the one of the best in the Big 10, if not the country in 2008, but it failed to live up to its billing. To give a little more bite to the Wolverines D, Athletic Director Bill Martin hired Greg Robinson as Michigan’s new defensive coordinator.” 
“Two returning defensive ends, senior Brandon Graham and sophomore Ryan VanBergen will be crucial to Michigan’s defensive success in 2009. Equally important will be the battle for defensive tackle, with sophomore Mike Martin trying to stave off talented freshman William Campbell.”
Mike Martin's "Get Over Here" Mortal Kombat Wrestling Technique
Some may ask, Why does he have a video of Mike Martin wrestling here? Why, because I’ve wanted to use this video for a long time and I consider this a throw-away prediction! And I wrestled in HS, so I respect Martin.
“Even if the defensive line comes through for the Wolverines, Michigan will struggle in the secondary, where they return only one starter, junior cornerback Donovan Warren. On the opposite side of the field, sophomore Boubacar Cissoko saw some action as back-up last year, but both safeties, Troy Woolfolk and Michael Williams are almost completely untested.”
Special Teams: With so many questions surrounding the 2009 Wolverines, they can at least count on senior punter Zoltan Mesko. Mesko is one of the best punters in the country, averaging 43 yards per boot. However, there is no such certainty with the Michigan kicking game. Junior Bryan Wright handled kick-off duties last season, but will step up to field goals this season. If he falters, the Wolverines could have real problems. Neither of the other kickers on the roster, both upperclassmen, has appeared in a game. Michigan never lacks for good athletes to return kickoffs and punts, and look for Cissoko to be one of their stalwarts.
Overall: “The Maize and Blue will be back…but not this season. First, I have little confidence in Robinson’s ability to turn around the defense. During his three year tenure at Syracuse, Robinson compiled a 10-37 record. Even prior to the college game, Robinson’s star seemed to have faded, as his Kansas City Chiefs’ defenses were among the NFL’s worst.”
“As for the offense, the running game will clearly be the Wolverines’ strength. Brandon Minor seems poised for a breakout season and junior running back Carlos Brown offers a nice change of pace. Michigan needs big contributions from these two and the rest of their deep backfield, because the passing game looks bleak. Forcier is going could be a very good collegiate player, but it is rare that a freshmen quarterback can come in and cut up Big 10 defenses. Without time to learn the game from the sidelines or a Mario Manningham/Braylon Edwards-type target to rely on, I envision a rough transition for Forcier.”
“However, Michigan’s schedule does work in their favor. They play eight of their twelve games at home. Their toughest non-conference foe is Notre Dame, who they will face in the friendly confines of the Big House. Finally, an Ohio State team which figures to rebuilding as well has to come to Ann Arbor, giving Michigan a window of hope of beating their bitter rivals, something which they have failed to do in five seasons. “
Prediction: Overall: 5-7 Conference: 2-6
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