Michigan football is getting the band back together and it’s clear what the plan and expectations are for next season.
The Wolverines are coming for it all.
There’s no denying that a variety of factors played into the decisions for Blake Corum, Trevor Keegan, Zak Zinter, Cornelius Johnson and Kris Jenkins to spur the NFL Draft and return to Ann Arbor for one last go-around. For Corum, you can make the case that his knee injury played a big role in coming back.
However, one thing is abundantly clear with the desires of each returning player next season: no one liked how the season ended and that is going to change.
With the reinforcements U-M had through the transfer portal and, of course, the returning players, the Wolverines are well-equipped to make another deep run this season. Sure, there are some question marks to be answered but the depth chart is looking as deep and talented as it has ever been under Jim Harbaugh.
The expectation shouldn’t be about being competitive in the Big Ten, to not worry about what Ohio State is doing. The expectation is to sweep conference play and take the next step in the College Football Playoff, the great white whale that has plagued the program the last two seasons.
The TCU game was a missed opportunity and the players are well aware. The team is coming back for one final crack at what has eluded them.
Outside of what happens on the field, the players forgoing the draft and returning to the program also speak of the culture change Harbaugh has constructed since the 2020 season.
Of course, it takes a village to run a program, with Harbaugh hiring the right mixture of people to keep things humming and being the right amount of hands-off when it comes to allowing his assistants to coach.
The fact that staff turnover, at least so far, has been minimal also speaks to the level of trust each coach has in the program and how the culture has been established by all involved.
For those hoping for U-M’s downfall, it appears that plans will be placed on hold for at least another 365 days of hoping and wishing.
The expectations will be high, the highest they’ve ever been. It should come as a surprise to no one that the Big Ten championship is no longer a goal but an expectation. This team has all the tools and experience to do it again.
The band is back together.
This time, U-M is embarking on a worldwide stadium tour ready to cash in a check for all the marbles.
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