Michigan football has lost three-straight games to the Ohio State Buckeyes, but there's plenty of hope around Ann Arbor that the Wolverines will turn things around in a hurry in Jim Harbaugh's first year as UM head coach. We're buying in. Here's 5 Reasons Michigan Can Beat Ohio State This Season.
1. The Ceiling Of Brady Hoke's Leftover Recruits
62 percent of the signees in Brady Hoke's three full recruiting classes were rated as four- or five-stars by most recruiting services. To put that into perspective, only six programs did better at bringing blue-chippers home during that time frame. The average of the rest of the Big Ten's teams during Hoke's stay in Ann Arbor? 11 percent.
If the top-billed recruits from the end of Hoke's tenure live up to their skill sets, Harbaugh will have plenty of ammunition to work with against the defending champs.
2. Harbaugh's Track Record Of Success
Remember -- the San Francisco 49ers averaged just under six wins over the eight seasons (and three coaches) prior to hiring Harbaugh. The next three seasons (2011-13), Harbaugh averaged 12 wins and made three-straight conference title games and one Super Bowl.
Prior to that at Stanford, Harbaugh notched a monumental win over then-#2 USC in his first year (2007), before incrementally building the program into a powerhouse that finished off his four-year stay with a 12-1 record and a #4 finish in the final AP Poll.
Harbaugh gets the job done. No ifs, ands or buts.
3. Jake Rudock's Been Down This Road Before
Iowa missed Ohio State on the schedule in 2014, but transfer quarterback Jake Rudock did some pretty solid work against the Buckeyes the last time he faced them on October 19th, 2013. Rudock's efficiency wasn't the greatest (19 of 34), but he found seams in the Buckeyes' defensive schemes en route to three touchdown passes. Rudock's as close to a veteran game manager as there is in college and he won't be shaken by the task ahead.
4. Jabrill Peppers
Peppers’ freshman campaign was shortened dramatically by an injury and re-injury of his ankle. However, he’s a five-star talent who'll make the entire secondary instantly better with his ball instincts, along with giving the return game a jolt. If he can stay healthy and live up to even 75% of his true potential in 2015, he'll be a true game-changer when the Wolverines and Buckeyes take the field.
5. Michigan Has Been THIS CLOSE As Of Late
Last year's 42-28 loss was closer than the score indicates, and Michigan lost the two games prior by a combined six points to Buckeyes teams that were both ranked in the top five. If the Wolverines did that with Brady Hoke at the helm, imagine what they can do with Jim Harbaugh at the wheel.
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