Jim Harbaugh is entering year two at the helm for the Michigan Wolverines, and expectations are through the roof. That comes with the territory after a double-digit win total in year one, but in the same breath, Michigan has been a popular national title pick and that seems aggressive to at least one prominent broadcaster.
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Angelique S. Chengelis of The Detroit News brings word that Kirk Herbstreit (via an ESPN conference call this week) indicated his feelings about Michigan, and they include the fact that the Wolverines are "a year away":
"I personally think they're about a year away. With that being said, it's pretty obvious they're going to be 7-0 getting ready for the big rival game against Michigan State in East Lansing. They've got to go to Iowa and they've got to go to Ohio State.
"If those three games are in Ann Arbor, I might be saying something a little bit different. I just have a hard time imagining them going on the road in those three games and be able to win all three of those. Even two of them would be tough to do. I think they're about a year away from being the team that everybody's kind of excited for them to be.
Herbstreit isn't the first person to spout this opinion, as the Harbaugh plan was always one geared for the long-term. Michigan has been recruiting at a high level since the moment this staff arrived, and the 2016 roster does not include a star-level player at quarterback or running back in the way that a trendy national championship pick might.
At the same time, the Wolverines will lose some prominent talent (Jourdan Lewis, Chris Wormley, Jehu Chesson, Jake Butt, etc.) from the squad after this season, leaving 2017 in more peril than a casual viewer may think. This is a loaded roster at the moment and if the quarterback position comes together, Michigan could surprise Herbstreit and other detractors with a stellar overall performance.
