Michigan football vs. Arkansas State picks: Will Wolverines bounce back with big win?

Michigan football gets its first chance to rebound from last week’s crushing rout by Texas as Arkansas State, led by former CMU coach Butch Jones, visits the Big House at noon Saturday.

Five Free Press sports writers make their picks between the Wolverines, who are favored by more than three touchdowns, and the Red Wolves.

Tony Garcia

Arkansas State is expected to compete for the Sun Belt this year and can throw the ball. Michigan gets the perfect opponent against which to fix its run game — the Red Wolves’ defense is No. 114 in the nation, allowing 199 yards per game. This is the week Michigan’s offense gets back to basics and Kalel Mullings goes over the 100-yard mark with two scores. The pick: U-M 30, Arkansas State 7.

SCOUTING THE RED WOLVES: Michigan vs. Arkansas State football prediction and scouting report

Carlos Monarrez

With a fat new contract in hand, head coach Sherrone Moore needs to prove he’s worth it with a resounding bounce-back game against the 2-0 Red Wolves. That shouldn’t be a problem, considering Arkansas State’s weak run defense. The Wolverines will have such an easy time they’ll be able to start planning for USC at halftime. The pick: U-M 38, Arkansas State 13.

Rainer Sabin

Arkansas State’s unblemished record should probably have a loss pinned to it after a controversial call at the end of its opener against Central Arkansas went in its favor. This isn’t a great team, and it shouldn’t pose much of a threat to Michigan. But the Wolverines, with a languishing offense and underperforming defense, are a bit of a mess at the moment.

The shellacking administered by Texas last weekend removed Michigan’s aura of invincibility, and it may take a while for the Wolverines to recover from the beatdown. It’s why this game could be uncomfortably close in the early stages before the reigning national champs assert their supremacy and pull away. The pick: U-M 33, Arkansas State 14.

Jeff Seidel

The Wolverines are gonna win this game, I have little doubt. But I’m so interested to see how Michigan looks against a team like this. Because it will put the Texas debacle into some perspective. Was Texas so dominant because it’s headed for an appearance in the national championship game? (Probably.) Or did Michigan look so bad because they lost so much talent? This game will give us a clue. The pick: U-M 31 Arkansas State 10.

Shawn Windsor

Hey, we have no idea who the Wolverines are. Is Fresno State really good? Will Texas be the national champs? I bet Michigan is somewhere between its first and second performances. Though that could be a scary place, too. The pick: U-M 27, Arkansas State 16.