Staff Predictions: Michigan vs. East Carolina 

Michigan kicks off the season Saturday against East Carolina, a team with a lot of question marks and bodies to replace from last year’s 8-5 squad. These Pirates … well, might be booty compared to some of their past giant killers. And we don’t mean that in a good way.

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Their players and coaches are saying all the right things, of course, as you’d expect — “excited for the opportunity,” “shock the world,” “can’t wait,” etc. But this is probably a case of be careful what you wish for. This Michigan team is loaded on both sides of the ball, but especially in the trenches and at the offensive skill positions. We’d go so far as to say the Wolverines are one elite receiver away from being as talented on offense as some of the early 1990s teams that were flat out loaded. Tight end, offensive line, running back, and quarterback … absolutely stacked. 

Head coach Jim Harbaugh won’t be there Saturday, having been suspended for alleged recruiting violations. Recruits won’t be on campus, either, for the next two weekends. Frankly, given the nature of college football recruiting and what we know has been going on for the last several years, it’s ridiculous that Harbaugh has been targeted by the NCAA … but maybe not all that surprising. 

“I’m aware and understand that when someone speaks out in defense of those without a voice, attempts are made to diminish the individual’s character and credibility,” Harbaugh said Monday in an eyebrow-raising moment. “As a former player and current coach, mentoring many of these student-athletes, what I wanted to do is be a voice for the student-athletes …”

And he should add “anyway.” Because in taking this on, he becomes even more of a lightning rod. Satellite camps, one-year transfers, etc. … he’s become a thorn in the NCAA’s side, and it seems some don’t like it. But as long as he’s here, it’s clear he’s not going to be afraid to speak his mind for what he believes in … never has been, never will be. Some have questioned whether it will drive him back to the NFL. We’ll just say that if he goes, that won’t be the reason … it will be because he still has the “itch.”

As for this game, we’re back to give you our picks on a weekly basis, some better than others. Our John Borton has been checking the weather daily to see if he can bring out the Coogi sweaters early this year, Anthony Broome seeing how he can still factor Andrel Anthony as a “breakout player” some week (no, A.B., we are not going to include Oklahoma as a bonus pick this week). Our Clayton Sayfie has thrown in the towel on dunking by the end of 2023 and is now challenging anyone to a free throw contest, while Doug Skene is trying to drum up support among fellow NFL vets to find money for another boat — “NFL Settlement II.” They still found time to offer their opinions on Michigan vs. ECU … the picks: 

CHRIS BALAS: A few years ago, this would have been a scary one. Now, it’s just the first bump in the road. Those wanting better competition in the nonconference, though … it’s coming soon. And be careful what you wish for. MICHIGAN 48, ECU 6

JOHN BORTON: ECU is better than some think. And Michigan comes in a little nicked up. No matter, for a team at home with the highest goals, and no memory whatsoever of Appalachian State. MICHIGAN 41, ECU 13

CLAYTON SAYFIE: Michigan is a bit banged up at wide receiver and in the secondary, but the Wolverines should still roll and make a strong first impression on a beautiful day in Ann Arbor. The offense will be as hot as the 85-degree temperature. Michigan wants to pass it more, and the ECU pass defense, minus two solid rushers, is brutal. Senior running back Blake Corum should run wild, too. ECU lost most of its offensive production from last season, and even with U-M short-handed in the secondary, the Pirates won’t be able to muster up much. MICHIGAN 59, ECU 7

ANTHONY BROOME: We finally made it past what felt like the longest offseason ever and are into game week. In so many ways, this feels like a continuation of last year and the third part of a trilogy. The hopes are that this chapter is more “Return of the Jedi” than “Spider-Man 3” in terms of how it ends. It’s been a weird nine months since Michigan last took the field, headlined by Jim Harbaugh’s flirtation with the NFL, then the subsequent saga with the NCAA. We never lack storylines or things to write about around these parts.

But there are still a few unknowns heading into Saturday despite having a team full of known commodities. We do not know how the group will respond without its head coach on the sideline, and it sounds like there could be some minor injuries that lead to guys being held out. East Carolina lost a lot from last year’s eight-win team but has still put some scares into Power 5 opponents over the years. When push comes to shove, this should be a pretty vanilla game that U-M emerges victorious from, but do not be surprised if it gets weird enough for the country to scramble to log into Peacock midway through the game. MICHIGAN 38, ECU 13 (Editor’s note … next week we’ll get J.K. Rowling to chime in, too)

DOUG SKENE: Warm up game No. 1 will be good for this team to begin the tall task of living up to the preseason expectations.  Looking forward to seeing how dominant the OL and DL can be. I also want to see the passing attack come out of the gate strong. MICHIGAN 48, ECU 13