Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football look to avoid an early-season letdown as they welcome Army football to the Big House on Saturday afternoon.
Since Jim Harbaugh took over Michigan football, the Wolverines have fallen short of expectations one time after another. And after a season-opening win to start 2019 where Shea Patterson and company were less than stellar, they may be on track to do that again. We’ll find out if that’s the case on Saturday in Week 2 as Army football travels to Ann Arbor.
Patterson was actually benched for part of Michigan’s win last week over Middle Tennessee. His overall stat-line looked fine but his performance was up and down. This is a far cry from what was expected coming into the year as new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, in addition to one of the best receiving corps in college football, was supposed to ignite this unit.
Making matters worse for the Wolverines was their defense looked suspect as well. Having to replace a litany of starters from last year’s team, Harbaugh’s group gave up 21 points to Middle Tennessee last week. Put simply, Michigan needs to tighten up as Army comes to town.
Subscribers to the triple-option, Army football has proven to be a consistently tough matchup for anyone. In the first week of the 2019 season, Black Knights quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. led the way to a grinding 14-7 win over Rice.
Where Army thrives as they control games with their rushing attack is on defense. This is a team that has consistently put up strong efforts on that side of the ball in recent years and is on track to do more of the same this season. Against a shaky Michigan offense, that should be a major factor in this matchup.
How to watch and bet on Michigan vs. Army
Date: Saturday, Sept. 7
Start Time: Noon ET
Location: Michigan Stadium – Ann Arbor, MI
TV Info: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go, FuboTV
Point Spread: Michigan -22
Over/Under: 48
(Odds courtesy of Bovada)
Considering the Over/Under of 48 and the shortcomings that Michigan football showed last week, the 22-point spread feels far too high. Army football isn’t going to be an easy opponent for the Wolverines in any stretch. Take the Black Knights against the spread and take the under as well in this matchup.
Prediction: Though Army will keep this game closer than the point spread indicates, Harbaugh’s Wolverines should be able to pull out the victory here. The question, however, is if Michigan is able to come away from this matchup with anyone feeling like they are true contenders in the Big Ten or otherwise.