Michigan football: 5 bold predictions for 2020

Michigan football bold prediction No. 2: Midseason date with Minnesota is critically important

Before we go any further as we look at the possible turning point for Michigan in the 2020 season, it has to be noted that the Big Ten schedule is about to change drastically. Reports state that the league is likely moving to a 10-game slate of conference-only games. But how that changes the slate for the Wolverines and everyone else remains to be seen.

However, if we’re going to operate under the assumption that many of the games are going to remain the same and will be played in roughly the same timeframe — which is what we’re going to have to do — then picking the potential turning point game for the Wolverines isn’t hard at all as they have a trip to play the Minnesota Golden Gophers right in the middle of the schedule in October.

Fresh off of the best season in program history under the guidance of P.J. Fleck, the Gophers are slated to again be a dark horse in the Big Ten, though with quite a bit more buzz behind them than they had a year ago. They’ll be a tough test for any team in the conference, particularly for Michigan as the Wolverines will need to match them on the scoreboard.

But the placement of the game on the schedule is what’s so important. Again assuming that things stay the same, the Wolverines play Penn State early, which could be a loss. Then they have this date with Minnesota before the finishing stretch that culminates with Ohio State.

If Michigan can go on the road and beat the Gophers, that’s a huge tone-setter for how they finish. If they fail to do so, though, the chance for the season to go off the rails increases precipitously.