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On paper, the Michigan Wolverines -- which return nearly every offensive star from a team that finished 11-2 last season -- have to be on the short list of national-championship contenders for 2007. That is, as long as you're willing to overlook those two defensive meltdowns to end last season.
Or the four departing members of that unit about to be picked very high in the NFL Draft.
Or the Wolverines' recent struggles against rival Ohio State (1-5 since 2001) and in bowl games (four straight losses).
With fourth-year starting quarterback Chad Henne, 1,500-yard rusher Mike Hart, elite receiver Mario Manningham and All-America tackle Jake Long all back, it's easy to see why Michigan has appeared as high as No. 2 in the country in various preseason prognostications.
Except that most of those polls were compiled before two potential starters got kicked off the team prior to spring practice.
And before Manningham's playmaking counterpart, Adrian Arrington, got suspended indefinitely.
And before No. 2 tailback Kevin Grady was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
While there's no such thing as a bad spring, at least in the minds of coaches, some of the headlines coming out of Ann Arbor lately have been less than ideal.
National observers have been drooling over the potential of this year's Michigan team since back before last year's Rose Bowl, but some seem to be taking a more cautious approach.
"With the guys we lost, we should probably be more in the 5 to 12 range [in the rankings]," said a person close to the program.
Of the guys Michigan has lost, some were expected. Others weren't.
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