Newsstand: Aidan Hutchinson believes Wolverines ready to get over hump
Michigan football is entering year three of a contention window that has them in the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff hunt. Unfortunately, the last two years have come to an end with no success in the postseason.
Former Wolverine edge defender Aidan Hutchinson was part of the team that busted through the ceiling and got to the CFP for the first time in 2021. His squad wound up losing to Georgia in the Orange Bowl, then he had to watch his alma mater falter against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl last season.
He’s ready to see Michigan take that next step, and thinks it can.
“I can’t be heartbroken again at the playoffs,” Hutchinson said on The Rich Eisen Show. “Just that last year (against) TCU, that should have never ever, ever been at a loss. But I think the boys are gonna turn the page. I think the boys got a chance to win. I hope they get over that semi final hurdle. I think if they win the (semifinal), the boys win it all.
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“They gotta get over that first round hurdle. But I think expectations are through the roof. (They have) all the talent in the world, same coaching staff, like nothing should change.”
Hutchinson was a Heisman Trophy finalist during his final season at Michigan in 2021, finishing with a program-record 14 sacks. He was able to parlay his play into being selected with the No. 2 overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2022 NFL Draft. Hutchinson was one of the best rookies in the league last season with 9.5 sacks and three interceptions on the year.
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Michigan quote of the day
“It’s not just the fans who adore him, either. He’s changing young lives. These aren’t just special players he’s producing, but incredible people, as down-to-earth a group as we might have seen in the last 25 years. From the stars, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum, and their charity work, to the walk-ons and their desire to play, graduation rates … it’s humming. Harbaugh will credit the parents first, as he should. But it also starts at the top, and his willingness to adapt.”
– The Wolverine’s Chris Balas on Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh
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