Michigan Football may need to find a new season opener

With the COVID-19 outbreak still prevalent in many parts of the United States and the world, college football is currently at an impasse. There have been talks of schools being ready to open again in the fall, but just as many are fearful of the future and what that might mean for their athletic programs.

One of the most polarizing cases is the Pac-12, which is certainly in limbo come this fall. California and Oregon just extended their stay home orders, which automatically eliminates four major programs in the conference.

To work around that, the conference could shuffle its schedule around and delay the start of the season. In doing so, Michigan would lose out on its Week 1 opponent: the Washington Huskies. The game was intended to be played at a packed Husky Stadium, but at this point in time that seems much less likely.

So where does Michigan go from here? The Wolverines won’t be the only ones impacted by this. The Alabama Crimson Tide are set to open up the season against USC, and while they may not be the most desirable opponent, they could be a match for the Wolverines.

Outside of Alabama, the Detroit Free Press mentioned others whose Week 1 would have to be altered:

“Teams that are scheduled to play Pac-12 opponents on Sept. 3-5 are Michigan (at Washington), William & Mary (at Stanford), Colorado State (Colorado), Brigham Young (at Utah), Hawaii (UCLA), Portland State (at Arizona), North Dakota State (at Oregon), Utah State (Washington State) and Northern Arizona (at Arizona State).”

The days are numbered for the NCAA and these conferences to make decisions that could drastically alter the 2020 college football season. We should learn much more about where the season is headed in the next 60 days.

Top Michigan Basketball transfer target to commit today

This offseason for the Michigan Basketball program has been a tumultuous one, but Juwan Howard and staff hope that changes today, as Wake Forrest transfer guard Chaundee Brown will announce his new home:

Brown is a former four-star recruit and was the No. 36 recruit in the nation in the 2017 class.

Last season, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds. He is entering the final season of eligibility if he receives a waiver to play in the 2020-21 season. If not, he would be eligible at the start of the following season.

The talented transfer currently has four Crystal Balls on 247Sports in favor of the Wolverines, but as we have recently learned the hard way, it’s not over until ink has been put to paper.

CBS Sports 2021 NFL Mock Draft includes Michigan defender

CBS Sports recently released their way-too-early 2021 NFL Mock Draft and Aidan Hutchinson found his way onto the list toward the back end of the first round. Hypothetically, the Philadelphia Eagles would snatch up Hutchinson with the No. 28 overall selection.

The piece’s author, Tom Fornelli, had this to say about the budding defensive end:

“Hutchinson showed a knack for getting in the backfield last season, and is one of the more enticing edge rushers to watch in this upcoming class. I don’t think he is a top-10 kind of prospect, but he strikes me as a high-floor guy.”

Several other major media sites have come out with their own mock drafts along the way with offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield and wide receiver Nico Collins earning some love prior to the upcoming season. Strong performances could lead to these projections becoming true.

National Brews:

• California, New York and Texas each announced dates where professional sports could return to action. Arizona and Florida did the same midway through last week.
• The NFL is reportedly testing a new facemask that has surgical or N95 material over it to help prevent debris passing from player to player.
• The NBA intends on keeping the same lottery process after there were rumors that it could be changing.