Strength: Defensive Line
Jabrill Peppers and Jourdan Lewis receive most of the attention, but the Michigan defensive line is going to be outstanding.
Led by potential first-round draft pick Chris Wormley, the Wolverines boast a true two-deep unit. If Taco Charlton, Bryan Mone and Maurice Hurst Jr. start with Wormley, Rashan Gary, Ryan Glasgow, Matt Godin and Chase Winovich will compose the second unit.
“We were up there [last year],” Wormley said, per Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com. “This year, [the expectation] is to take the next step and, without question, be the best defensive line in the country.”
Weakness: Uncertainty at Quarterback
Two factors work in Michigan’s advantage. Jim Harbaugh helped Iowa castoff Jake Rudock become a sixth-round draft pick, so the concern level probably isn’t high. And the schedule allows for a slow start from the new quarterback.
Still, the battle between John O’Korn and Wilton Speight has potential championship implications. Defense will carry the Wolverines, but the quarterback will need to come up clutch a few times in 2016.