Because of the hype generated by Jim Harbaugh, Jordan Brand and many other entities, the Michigan Wolverines have picked up the "overrated" label in some circles of the college football world. However, one Big Ten analyst recently took a closer look at the team in Ann Arbor and was blown away by what he saw.
Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News brings word from Gerry DiNardo of the Big Ten Network, and the former LSU, Indiana and Vanderbilt head coach changed his mind about the Wolverines.
"This is not what I expected. I went into the tour saying Michigan is overrated. I'm backing off that. I think they're rated accurately. I thought because of all the offseason publicity people bought into that because of all that attention."
"They're absolutely better than I thought."
DiNardo isn't the first person to change his tune after seeing the on-field talent, but when compared to the "other" Big Ten power in Ohio State, he doesn't see much difference in terms of overall ability.
"Do they have as much talent as Ohio State? Again, I don't think there's that much difference. I don't think Ohio State beats them because they have more talent. I don't think Michigan wins because of more talent. We're back to whoever plays better in that game. They've (the Wolverines) closed the gap."
Jim Harbaugh and company will be tasked with proving the detractors wrong this season, and the only way to do that is to upend the likes of Michigan State and Ohio State between the white lines. While nothing is assured, Michigan has a very talented and deep roster of contributors, and the Wolverines will have their opportunity to showcase that group in the very near future.
