With no Michigan State, Ohio State, or Michigan on the schedule (until potentially the BIG Ten Championship game), the schedule is certainly in their favor. Toughest obviously is the first game vs. LSU in the heat of Texas in late August. Other than that the toughest game is likely at Iowa, but they lost some talented LBs to the NFL.

Once again WR is the biggest question mark. No Abbrederis to lean on this year. Wheelwright is likely the most talented WR they have, Love and Frederick the next two with Erickson and Doe likely the ones to see the most action. Hopefully Wheelwright and Love can take a big step forward; otherwise teams will likely be stuffing the box to stop the run. Two of the five true freshmen WRs are already gone - four star recruit Watkins got homesick after a week and left (he had been making questionable decisions since he turned 18), and Jones didn't make it academically and went to Toledo. One other recruit is gone (Cizauskas) and a fourth may not make it academically either (Trezy).

Running back is thin, having been hit by injuries. Jackson sustained his fourth major knee injury and is done and Jeff Lewis left the program. One of the two true freshmen - Deal or Kinlaw - will need to step up and take the role of the 3rd RB and occasionally run the jet sweep.

DL might be a little small. No more Allen & Hemer. Sounds like they may start Herring at DE and Zagzebski at NG; 277 is a little small for a 3-4 NG. If Goldberg can take a step forward that will really help. Four new starting LBs, but the outgoing OLBs weren't that talented and some were more suited for DE in a 4-3. Biegel is more talented than any of them, but needs to stay healthy. Jacobs is more talented too. Obviously no more Borland.

As light as the schedule is this year, it is exactly the opposite in 2016 - vs. LSU in the opener, then a mid-major (Akron) and a cupcake (Georgia State), then... at Michigan, at Michigan State, vs. Ohio State (then at Iowa and vs. Nebraska). Ouch.