The Michigan Wolverines enter the 2022 season looking to capitalize on last season's momentum. The Wolverines made the College Football Playoff for the first time in 2021 and renewed confidence in AP-award-winning head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Michigan will have to replace many key players if it wants to repeat last season's success. The Wolverines will face the most pressure on defense, where they return just three starters. Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo and Dax Hill are among the biggest losses on defense.

The offense fares a little better with seven returning starters. However, Michigan must still replace two starting offensive linemen and star running back Hassan Haskins. Another top 10 recruiting class helps to ease the blow, though. With starting quarterback Cade McNamara back, the Wolverines should still contend for the Big Ten crown.

The expectations are high for Harbaugh's squad to follow up its success in 2021. But how will the Wolverine's season go? Here are three Michigan football predictions for the 2022 season.

Watch College Football Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)

3 Michigan Wolverines 2022 College Football Season Predictions

3. Blake Corum leads the Big Ten in rushing.

Blake Corum burst onto the scene with a stellar 2021 season. The junior running back rushed for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards per carry.

Corum accomplished all of that while being the second-string back. Haskins was the feature back in the Wolverines offense, rushing for 1,327 yards and 20 touchdowns. However, he averaged just 4.9 yards per carry, much lower than Corum.

With another year under his belt and now being the feature back, Corum will emerge as one of the country's elite rushers. He has a great chance to lead his conference in rushing yards in 2022.

The Big Ten has no shortage of talented running backs. Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson and Wisconsin's Braelon Allen should also compete for the league's top rusher. However, Corum has the talent and offensive scheme in place to help him take home the Big Ten rushing crown for Michigan football in 2022.

2. Jake Moody will win the Lou Groza award again.

The Wolverines lost key players on both offense and defense, but their special teams remain rock solid.

Jake Moody rebounded from an awful 2020 season to become one of the nation's best kickers in 2021. He hit 92 percent of his field goal attempts, tied for the third-highest rate in the Power Five. He also converted all 56 of his extra-point attempts.

For his outstanding kicking performance, Moody won the Lou Groza award as the country's best kicker. Only one player won the award in back-to-back years, Florida State's Sebastian Janikowski in 1998-99. With a strong offense beside him, Moody will become the second player ever to win consecutive Lou Groza awards.

1. Michigan will finish 10-2 and make the Rose Bowl.

The Wolverines have plenty of time to break in their new starters. Michigan's September slate consists of four home games against Colorado State, Hawaii, Connecticut and Maryland. Those teams combined to go 17-33 in 2021, so Michigan football should easily start the season 4-0.

Michigan's schedule ramps up in October, starting with a road contest against Iowa in October. The Wolverines crushed the Hawkeyes 42-3 in the Big Ten Championship Game last year, but the Hawkeyes are out for revenge. Iowa returning 17 starters from last year's team will help them upset the Wolverines for their first loss of the season.

The rest of the month features a road matchup with Indiana and home games against Penn State and Michigan State. The Wolverines will rebound from the loss to earn key victories in these rivalry matchups. They should also breeze through their early November slate of Rutgers, Nebraska and Illinois to earn a 10-1 record.

Michigan defeated its arch-rival Ohio State for the first time since 2011 last year. The Buckeyes will be out for blood on November 26 in Columbus, and C.J. Stroud will lead them to avenge last year's loss. Ohio State then claims the Big Ten East title and moves on to the championship game.

Not all is lost for Michigan, however. The Wolverines should be the next-highest ranked Big Ten team behind Ohio State, meaning they'll get the Rose Bowl berth if the Buckeyes make the playoffs. It's not quite the College Football Playoff, but playing in the Granddaddy of Them All is a great end to a great season.