Fresno State vs. Michigan Week 1 Big Ten preview | Big Ten Talk | NBC Sports

start with our matchup and a Michigan team against a Fresno State team that won nine games last year and the previous two seasons won 10 plus you look at what they bring back there's still a lot of returning consistency new coach with Jeff Tedford having to step down with health issues but what are you looking for as we get set for Michigan and Fresno State Saturday yeah well first of all starting with Fresno State since you led with them uh even though Jeff Tedford stepped down and he's an outstanding football coach I think his fingerprints will still be very much on the team the coordinators are the same you know so I think the system and everything will be pretty much the same there might be a few wrinkles that mccan brings in as as the OC but um very much the same kind of team this is a team that you mentioned won nine games they started out eight and one and then they hit a slide down the stretch uh Tedford stepped down they played really well in the bowl game uh with Skipper as the interim head coach and he starts the season that way so uh they're a team that has a lot of skill um you know defensively they struggled at at times last year which will be a challenge for them in this game but offensively uh I remember studying them last year because we had Purdue early in the year and they went to Purdue a big 10 team and beat him in the last part of the game and and Mikey Keane the quarterback threw the ball exceptionally well so they've got skill they've got talent I think they'll come in with swagger you know Fresno State reminds me of like a Bo State team that you know they're not afraid to play anybody I mean they'll go play anybody and early in the year is when you want to play a team like Michigan if you're Fresno State because the biggest difference between a Michigan and a Fresno State is as the season wears on the depth the quality depth is not the same with a Fresno State as it is with a Michigan and so but early in the year when they should be as healthy as they can be um this is their best shot to go in there and play well with that uh Fresno so you mentioned Mikey Keane coming back you have Malik sherat at running back coming back it's an offensive line that's expected to return four starters on top of that so you've got experience offensively including on the outside with two of their top receivers returning you mentioned defense being the real uh the real question mark let's call it for the Bulldogs you go up against a Michigan team that while they're not returning necessarily a ton of starters the interesting thing about Michigan is we saw them a bunch last year they were what three four deep at every position so guys who necessarily aren't starters a year ago will be starters now and they bring a ton of experience back with them they do and and the challenge for Fresno State in this ball game not just coming across the country not just playing in front of a 100,00 plus where they're used to playing in front of 40 some thousand at home um but they will not face an offense or defensive line anywhere comparable to Michigan when they play in the Mountain West Conference so uh you know they're going to have their hands full UPF front Michigan wins games in the trenches the last three years the Big 10 Champions they've bludgeoned people and even teams that have equal Talent they've been better up front offensive line is all new all five of those starters last year are somewhere in the NFL may not make a full roster but they're there right now and then uh defensively uh this is an outstanding defensive front they were the best defense in the country last year uh they may not reach that same level but they're two inside tackles of Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham are the best duo of interior defensive linemen in college football and so Fresno State even though they've got some experience on their offensive line they're gonna look across and see these dudes and say whoa we don't see guys like this in the Mountain West Conference yeah you might say Jesse minter's gone but you're bringing wink marale it's the same system he he originated calls himself the OG of this defensive system not to mention they can cut off half the field with Will Johnson at quarterback he might be the best corner in the country at least he's in that conversation so uh very exciting to see what they look like to repeat their their title and their title defense here