Michigan has the fourth-best odds to win the 2018 national championship

1/10/2018
BY KYLE ROWLAND
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

ANN ARBOR — Forget about the 8-5 season Michigan just had and the ghastly offensive numbers.

The Wolverines have the fourth-best odds to win the national championship in 2018.

Seriously.

The Westgate Sportsbook in Las Vegas installed UM with 10 to 1 odds to win the College Football Playoff, behind only Alabama (5 to 2), Clemson (6 to 1), and Ohio State and Georgia (both 8 to 1).

There’s considerable excitement surrounding the program because of quarterback Shea Patterson’s transfer. But the national title odds certainly drew a sizable share of mocking reactions.

STAFF MOVEMENT: The Dan Enos hire, one of the worst-kept secrets in the state of Michigan, has been made official.

The former Michigan State quarterback, Central Michigan head coach, and Arkansas offensive coordinator “will coach a yet to be finalized position group on offense,” according to a UM athletics release.

Enos was 26-36 in five seasons at Central Michigan. He had success at Arkansas, though the Razorbacks regressed each season.

The Dearborn native, who helped quarterback the Spartans to a Big Ten championship in 1990, has strong ties to the state of Michigan.

ALL-AMERICAN KID: Donovan Peoples-Jones was named to the FWAA Freshman All-American team as a punt returner.

Peoples-Jones had 320 yards and one touchdown on 40 returns during the 2017 season, averaging eight yards per return.

Peoples-Jones also earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a returner. But the former five-star recruit did have his struggles, including being benched early in the season after a fumble.

He caught 22 passes for 277 yards.

Contact Kyle Rowland at krowland@theblade.com, 419-724-6110 or on Twitter @KyleRowland.