The Michigan Wolverines return with a lot of expectations this fall, and rightfully so. From the emergence of quarterback Bryce Underwood to coach Sherrone Moore continuing to plot how his team might return to the College Football Playoff, the hype in Ann Arbor couldn't be more plentiful.
However, USA TODAY college football writer Robert Bondy suggests Wolverines fans may want to pump the breaks after all, as Moore's plan to develop Underwood still has to play out on the field first.
Bondy listed the Wolverines at No. 5 in his way-too-early Big Ten power rankings, but it may not be enough to get the Wolverines over the College Football Playoff hump.
"Can superstar five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood come in and make an instant impact for the Wolverines?" Bondy wrote. "He's going to need to if Michigan wants to return to contending for a Big Ten title since the Wolverines are losing a lot of key players off this past year's squad. This spot in our power rankings is more of a temporary holding spot as we wait and see how good Underwood truly will be right away for the Wolverines."
More questions should be answered as the Wolverines' spring game draws closer, but for now, it remains to be seen whether Moore can deliver on the premise that Underwood's flip from LSU to Ann Arbor was no fluke.
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For now, without those answers about Underwood, it's hard to put a clear cut label on the in-state prospect, much less if Moore can elevate the Wolverines from an eight-win team to a 10, 11, or 12-win team.