College football: Biggest Achilles’ heel for every Top 25 team

College football 2018: Biggest Achilles’ heel for every Top 25 team

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) celebrates and holds up the CFP Trophy after the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /

12. Michigan

Achilles’ heel: Brutal road schedule

Full disclosure, I very much wanted to put down Jim Harbaugh as the Achilles Heel of the Michigan Wolverines. At this point, how can anyone not look at this team and have questions about the fiery head coach? Yes, he’s polarizing and proven at both the college and pro levels of this game, but he just hasn’t met the expectations that came with his hiring in Ann Arbor to this point.

The only reason that Harbaugh isn’t listed as the Achilles Heel for the Wolverines this season is a tired argument, but a valid one. He truly hasn’t had a quarterback to make his offense work throughout his tenure.

While part of that may be on him for his choices, recruiting or even his inability to develop players, some of is just plain bad luck at the position. With Shea Patterson coming in and high-level young players like Dylan McCaffrey behind him, that excuse won’t exist if Harbaugh fails to succeed again this year. But until that happens, he does have the benefit of the doubt in that regard.

No matter the quarterback though, things are not going to be easy for Michigan this season when they make their way through their schedule. Starting off in South Bend against Notre Dame is brutal enough. But they are also at Michigan State and at Ohio State in Big Ten play while also drawing games against Wisconsin and Penn State on the schedule as well, even if those games are at home.