College football: 10 teams that could be the next Georgia

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh returned to Ann Arbor to much fanfare in 2015 and quickly won 20 games across his first two seasons with the Wolverines. However, Michigan found themselves looking up at Ohio State and Penn State in the division standings both seasons, and the Wolverines took a step back in Year 3, falling to 8-5 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten play to fall to fourth in the East.

As a result, pressure is building for Harbaugh to guide Michigan back into the national championship picture. And there’s reason to think 2018 could be the year that finally happens.

Harbaugh has built a very talented roster at Michigan. In fact, the Wolverines were one of just 11 FBS programs that entered the 2017 season with a national title-level Blue Chip Ratio. The defense is particularly stout, and under the direction of coordinator Don Brown, Michigan has consistently fielded one of the best units in the nation.

The biggest question for Michigan (as it has been since Harbaugh arrived) is quarterback play. The Wolverines used three quarterbacks in 2017, and Wilton Speight (transfer) and John O’Korn (eligibility) are gone. Brandon Peters saw action in six games, including starts against X, and threw for 672 yards and four touchdowns. However, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound rising sophomore also threw two interceptions, was sacked seven times and completed just 52.8 percent of his passes.

Peters has the inside track because of his experience, but he will compete with Dylan McCaffrey and Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson (and possibly Speight if recent reports pan out) for the starting job. Patterson is the true wild card because he was a five-star recruit out of high school and starred at Ole Miss, but suffered a season-ending injury and decided to transfer. We don’t yet know whether the NCAA will grant Peterson a waiver to play immediately, or whether he will sit out in 2018.