What the college football magazines say about Michigan in 2020 - MLive.com

Summer is here, and that means fall is around the corner with, hopefully, some college football.

And given that there was virtually no spring practice at schools across the country, you could argue that the pent-up demand for the sports (and sports in general) is at an all-time high.

To help get you ready, three of the four high-profile college football preview magazines are on newsstands now, each with their own comprehensive look at the 2020 season.

Last season, Michigan underperformed, finishing 9-4 after back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Alabama in the Citrus Bowl. The Wolverines figure to be in the Big Ten race once again, but there will be fewer outlets picking them to win it all and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Here’s what those magazines are saying, with the fourth, Phil Steele’s College Football Preview due out in July:

ATHLON SPORTS: (Nico Collins on cover)

Preseason ranking: No. 15

Prediction: 9-3, 6-3 Big Ten (3rd in East)

Bowl projection: Outback Bowl vs. Tennessee

All-America team: DL Aidan Hutchinson (3rd team/defense)

All-Big Ten team: DL Kwity Paye (first team/defense), DL Aidan Hutchinson (first team/defense), S Daxton Hill (first team/defense), OL Jalen Mayfield (second team/offense), LB Cam McGrone (second team/defense), RB Zach Charbonnet (third team/offense), WR Nico Collins (third team/offense), DL Carlo Kemp (third team/defense), KR Giles Jackson (third team/specialists)

*Michigan among Athlon’s 15 things to watch this season: “Eight straight losses vs. the Buckeyes (the last five under Harbaugh) are bad enough. Worse, as the initial burst of optimism that followed Harbaugh’s arrival has receded, the gap has grown wider: The last two editions of the rivalry have unfolded as start-to-finish blowouts that made Michigan look like it belonged in a different weight class altogether.”

*U-M’s games at Washington (Sept. 5), vs. Wisconsin (Sept. 26), vs. Penn State (Oct. 3), at Michigan State (Oct. 10), and at Ohio State (Nov. 28) among Big Ten ‘Games to Watch’ this season.

What they said: “In Year 2 of (Josh) Gattis’ offense, it’s crucial that the Wolverines settle on the right quarterback. While no clear favorite is apparent right now, both have the talent to take the position and make it their own."

LINDY’S SPORTS: (Kwity Paye on cover)

Preseason ranking: No. 17

Prediction: 3rd in Big Ten East

Player ratings: Kwity Paye, No. 9 (DE); Cam McGrone, No. 10 (ILB); Will Hart, No. 6 (P)

Unit rankings: DL, No. 7 nationally

All-Big Ten team: DL Kwity Paye (first team/defense), CB Ambry Thomas (first team/defense), OL Jalen Mayfield (second team/offense), LB Cam McGrone (second team/defense), P Will Hart (second team/defense), RB Zach Charbonnet (third team/offense), DL Aidan Hutchinson (third team/ defense)

*OL Jalen Mayfield No. 4 among Lindy’s “Top 10 NFL talent” from Big Ten.

What they said: “Expect another good — not great — season in Ann Arbor. For Michigan to break through, the quarterback and O-line need to emerge. If that happens, OK, maybe Harbaugh finally gets over the hump. But it’s a big hump.”

STREET & SMITH: (Nick Eubanks on cover)

Preseason ranking: No. 14

Prediction: 3rd in Big Ten East

Bowl projection: Citrus Bowl vs. LSU

All-Big Ten team: DL Kwity Paye, DB Ambry Thomas, DB Daxton Hill

*Jim Harbaugh has the “hottest seat” in the Big Ten: “For all the hype, Harbaugh is 0-5 against Ohio State and has yet to get Michigan to the Big Ten Championship Game.”

What they said: “Unlike perhaps any other school, Michigan faces what has been a maddening struggle between what its program is and what its program should be. In five years under coach Jim Harbaugh, Michigan has averaged 9.4 wins. The program has signed multiple top-10 recruiting classes and gone to major bowl games. They’re almost always ranked. On one hand, the Wolverines are consistently solid. On the other, it’s not enough for a school that views itself as a should-be national contender.”

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Read more on Michigan football:

Mailbag: Can Michigan win with a revamped OL?

DE Kwity Paye on Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list

Report: U-M, LSU have discussed future football game

Barack Obama: Jim Harbaugh’s ‘on the right side of this issue'

Podcast: Jim Harbaugh protests in Ann Arbor

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