Michigan will be without head coach Jim Harbaugh today and quite frankly that leads me towards the over even more. East Carolina is a wonderful school with great folks but they're walking into a buzzsaw today. Every player, every coach, anyone with a Michigan credential is going hard in the paint for Harbaugh today. The scoring shouldn't stop even when running the football because, well, this is an elite offense with power. The Wolverines defense is legit as well and will provide the offense with more than plenty of opportunities to find the end zone at will. Maize and Blue looking for blood today.

Minus Coach Jim Harbaugh winning will not be a problem for Michigan against East Carolina. Yet, from a spread stand point the number is to big. Michigan will virtually have to play mistake free football and not settle for any field goals. To high of a spread here take the big underdog in East Carolina.

For Michigan, the absence of suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh is less of a concern than that of offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore. The Wolverines are fortunate to face a rebuilding foe, but East Carolina has been a pest against big-boy opponents recently with competitive losses to South Carolina, North Carolina State and Cincinnati. Though Michigan has yet to play, it's already coping with injuries. Two DBs and a pair of WRs might see their season debuts delayed.

With eight returning starters on offense, I expect Michigan to once again be one of the more potent offenses in college football. Led by QB J.J. McCarthy and RB Blake Corum, expect the Wolverines to score early and often against the Pirates. Michigan scored 50+ against all three non-conference opponents in 2022 and I wouldn't be shocked to see them do it again, even without coach Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines (suspension).