The college football season is less than three weeks away, and with that, top-25 rankings are starting to trickle out. The coaches poll was released on Monday, and Fox Sports analysts Joel Klatt also released a top-25 on Monday. The coaches poll has Alabama football above Michigan football, but Klatt has the Wolverines ahead of the Crimson Tide. The culture remaining the same at Michigan is a big reason why.
“They're both changing head coaches, and yet one went from within and is not changing their culture,” Joel Klatt said during an episode of The Joel Klatt Show. “You see when you go to Alabama, you have this understanding that everything is different. Everything is different. Names, culture is going to be a little bit different. They are going to operate a little bit differently. At Michigan, you go to Michigan and you walk in and you're like, ‘oh, man, everything's different.' They look at you cross eyed because they're like, ‘no, nothing's changed.' Every one is different, but nothing has changed. That's a difference from Alabama. Plus Michigan just beat Alabama. That's why I've got Michigan at number seven.”
The quarterback position is a big question mark for Michigan football
Joel Klatt is high on Michigan this season as he has them at #7 in his poll, but he understands that the QB position is a big question mark for the Wolverines.
“They're going to have to figure out the quarterback position, and I think that's the biggest question mark,” Klatt said. “There's no doubt, but I will say this for whoever takes the snaps, they're going to be able to run the football really well, especially under Sherrone Moore, and he proved that in his job as acting head coach late last season.”
One thing that should keep the Wolverines in any game this year is their defense. It should be one of the best in the country yet again, and Klatt believes that their interior d-line is the best in the nation.
“Defense is going to be outstanding,” Klatt added. “Defense is going to be one of the top two or three defenses in all of college football. Their interior defensive line is the top interior defensive line in the country, hands down. So that will give them a lot of runway to bring along a quarterback.”
However, another challenge for Michigan will be their schedule. Joel Klatt has Ohio State (1), Texas (3) and Oregon (4) in his poll, and the Wolverines play all of those teams. They also play USC, who is #14 in Klatt's poll.
“Now, their schedule doesn't, they've got to face Texas in week two,” Klatt continued. “They're going to have USC coming in in September, so they're going to have to be good right away. But I'm going to throw this out there. Just throw it out there. I don't think anybody is expecting it, except for them. What happens if they beat Texas? Can you imagine the anxiety in Columbus if Michigan actually beats Texas in September?”
One thing is for sure, it won't take us long to see where this Michigan team is at. Matchups with Texas and USC in September will show us a lot.
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