Advertisement

Michigan, Michigan State football 2023 season predictions: Record, rivalry, breakout star

carlos monarrez, rainer sabin, jeff seidel and shawn windsor, detroit free press
·7 min read
1

Free Press sports columnists Carlos Monarrez, Jeff Seidel and Shawn Windsor and Big Ten insider Rainer Sabin share their predictions for both the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans for the 2023 college football season:

Carlos Monarrez

Michigan

Final record: 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten). Forget Jim Harbaugh’s on-again, off-again, on-again suspension. The Wolverines are easily the class of the conference and will cruise to their third straight Big Ten title.

Will Michigan beat Ohio State: The question isn’t whether Michigan will win. The question is whether Buckeyes coach Ryan Day will survive a third straight loss in "The Game." He probably won’t — and he definitely won’t if it’s another Big House beatdown.

Breakout star: Sophomore cornerback Will Johnson has been named one of college football’s top 50 players by Pro Football Focus, which also said he would have been a top-10 pick in this past NFL draft. Johnson will approach double-digit interceptions and inch closer to being the No. 1 overall pick in 2025.

Michigan State

Final record: 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten). The bad news is it’s a repeat of last season. The good news is the Spartans will look better doing it.

Will Michigan State beat Michigan: No, and I’m willing to bet several cheeseburgers on this. It will be a tough loss to a bitter rival, but MSU will keep it closer than you think at Spartan Stadium, where we should expect peak Harbaugh trolling.

Breakout star: Does Payton Thorne count? Sorry, too soon? How about redshirt junior Maliq Carr? He has matured and is embracing being an all-around tight end. His success might not be measured in stats as much as it will be in providing an example for a growing team.

Rainer Sabin

Michigan

Final record: 12-0 (9-0). There is always hype around Michigan football. But this year it is justified. After two consecutive conference titles, the Wolverines have serious momentum, a stacked roster and a manageable schedule. Players have said that they view this as a “championship or bust” season. Believe them. They have what it takes to make it to Houston in January.

Will Michigan beat Ohio State? After watching the Wolverines march into Columbus and demolish the Buckeyes on their own turf last November, there is no reason to doubt U-M beating OSU for a third straight time. The fact this edition of “The Game” will be played in Ann Arbor with a new starting quarterback taking the snaps for Ohio State only raises the likelihood Michigan will be the victors once again.

Breakout star: TE Colston Loveland. As a freshman, Loveland became a bigger piece in the offense towards the end of the season. His contributions in consecutive victories over Ohio State and Purdue in the Big Ten title game demonstrated his playmaking ability. They led some to suggest Loveland could become the best tight end to ever play at Michigan.

Michigan State

Final record: 6-6 (4-5). The Spartans are saddled with one of the most challenging schedules in the nation. They now have to navigate it with a new starter at quarterback and an iffy receiving corps that lost their two best players, Jayden Reed and Keon Coleman. But Mel Tucker says this team is more talented, top to bottom, than any of his previous MSU squads. Maybe that will result in a better defense and ground attack that will help MSU get across the finish line with bowl eligibility in hand.

Will Michigan State beat Michigan? The residual impact from the aftermath of a 22-point loss to its rival last October still lingers. The Michigan Stadium tunnel incident only raised the temperature of this in-state feud. It should give MSU plenty of motivation to take down Michigan. But the Wolverines are too good this year and have a strong enough defense to limit a Spartans’ offense with a lot of question marks.

Breakout star: RB Nathan Carter. The transfer from Connecticut has generated a lot of buzz and some have indicated he even bears a resemblance to Kenneth Walker III, the breakout star of MSU’s 2021 season. If Carter can come close to matching Walker’s exploits, MSU’s trajectory could change in an instant.

REPLACING STARS: Michigan State passing game could get a boost from this one spot

Jeff Seidel

Michigan

Final record: 12-0 (9-0). The Wolverines run through the Big Ten behind a senior-heavy offensive line and those two dynamic running backs, sprinkling in some early-game downfield throws. The Wolverines will win in Indy and get to the CFP. And J.J. McCarthy will push them over the top. Cue the confetti. Harbaugh gets his natty.

Will Michigan beat Ohio State: Michigan is stronger where it matters the most in this rivalry — on the line of scrimmage.

Breakout star: Running back CJ Stokes. Michigan is going to win a bunch of games by a big margin. There is no reason to put any extra mileage on Blake Corum or Donovan Edwards until the big games. So Stokes is going to get the rock behind that fantastic offensive line and rack up some breakout numbers, setting himself up for the future.

Michigan State

Final record: 7-5 (4-5). The Spartans will be improved and win the games they should — Central Michigan, Richmond, Rutgers, Minnesota, etc. — but drop the big ones against the Big Ten big boys. Pull off one upset and this could be a surprisingly fun season in East Lansing. Call me crazy, but part of me thinks it could happen.

Will Michigan State beat Michigan: Ah, no. No, no, no.

Breakout star: Bai Jobe — the four-star freshman edge player. Jobe has a great story, tremendous talent, huge expectations and his performance will match the hype.

Shawn Windsor

Michigan

Final record: 11-1 (8-1). The Wolverines will be back in Indianapolis this December. They’ll knock off whomever they face from the Big Ten West. They’ll beat Penn State on the road and Ohio State at home. It’ll be like old times, which means they’ll lose to the Spartans in East Lansing. And I’ll keep the right to change my mind when I’m asked to pick this game the week they play.

Will Michigan beat Ohio State: Yes. This is the 90s again, right? And Ryan Day is John Cooper. Ok, not really. But the Buckeyes no longer have C.J. Stroud, and the Wolverines still have J.J. McCarthy, along with home-field advantage.

Breakout star: McCarthy. Obvious? It shouldn’t be. True, he won a lot of games last season, but he mostly oversaw a lot of wins. This year, with more emphasis on the passing game, McCarthy should finally ascend near the top of college quarterbacks.

THE PICKS: Michigan football game-by-game predictions for 2023 season

Michigan State

Final record: 7-5 (5-4). The Spartans should be better defensively and better at the line of scrimmage in general. This should give them more chances than they had a year ago. Seven wins will be tough, but it’s only two more than last season.

Will Michigan State beat Michigan: For those who think there is a “Blue Wall” at the Free Press, here is a little evidence. No, Michigan won’t beat Michigan State. I could be wrong, clearly. But what matters is the Spartans should have a chance. And that should be reflected here.

Breakout star: Whoever wins the starting quarterback job, naturally. Beyond that, Maliq Carr, the tight end with NFL ability who is desperate to prove he can block and be on the field more this season. Carr’s blend of size and speed has tantalized his coaches for a while now. It’s time to produce.

Catch "Free Press Sports with Carlos and Shawn" every Thursday morning at 5 and on demand on freep.com/podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football, Michigan State predictions for 2023 season