Washington vs. Michigan Week 2 college football odds: Wolverines star receiver Ronnie Bell out for season

Saturday's season opener for the University of Michigan and embattled coach Jim Harbaugh was a good news/bad news situation. The Wolverines were able to rout Western Michigan 47-14 and could show up in the new Top 25 polls Tuesday, but U-M has lost star receiver/returner Ronnie Bell to a season-ending knee injury, it was confirmed Monday. Michigan opened as a 6-point home favorite for this Saturday's game against Washington.

Bell, a senior captain, led the Wolverines in catches and receiving yards in both 2019 & 2020. His lone catch against Western Michigan was a 76-yard touchdown from Cade McNamara that frankly turned the tide because it was just a 10-7 U-M lead before that grab with 9:18 to go in the second. Bell also had a terrific one-handed catch ruled taken away due to offensive pass interference on the previous drive.

On a 31-yard punt return a bit later in the second quarter, Bell injured his knee and had to be carted off the field. He was later seen in a wheelchair in the stadium's tunnel, so this season-ending diagnosis sadly isn't a huge surprise. Some are questioning why Harbaugh even used his top receiver on punt returns after he didn't last year. It was Giles Jackson in 2020, but he's gone now.

"Unfortunately, Ronnie will be out for the season," Harbaugh told reporters on Monday. "He has a knee injury, it's a shame. Fortunately, everything is surgically repairable."

Cornelius Johnson should take over as the No. 1 wideout; he had two catches for 15 yards against WMU. Bell could be replaced in the starting lineup by the Daylen Baldwin, Roman Wilson or A.J. Henning. Baldwin's lone catch Saturday was a 69-yard TD in the fourth quarter from backup QB JJ McCarthy. The victory marked the 50th in Harbaugh's Michigan coaching tenure (50-22).

While Michigan might get into the Top 25 on Tuesday – polls are Tuesday this week because of Louisville-Ole Miss on Monday – No. 20 Washington surely will fall out after a stunning 13-7 home loss Saturday to FCS school Montana.

QB Dylan Morris hurled as many interceptions against Montana (three) as he did in four games during last year's shortened season. The Huskies scored their fewest points at home since 2010 and overall since 2017. The Grizzlies were the first FCS team to beat a ranked FBS team since North Dakota State won at No. 13 Iowa 23-21 early in the 2016 season.

Just for a point of comparison, four years ago Washington beat Montana 63-7. It's not out of the question that Morris is benched this week and Coach Jimmy Lake goes with touted five-star freshman Sam Huard at QB – although Huard was technically No. 3 on the depth chart vs. Montana.

It's the first meeting between the Huskies and Wolverines since a 2002 opener won at home by Michigan when both were ranked in the Top 15. Much has changed since then. 

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