Football is finally back, and the Michigan Wolverines are taking center stage Thursday night as they kick off the college football season in Utah against the Utes.

The last seven years have been a disappointment for Michigan. After the program failed to bring home a Big Ten title under Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke, former U of M quarterback Jim Harbaugh returned to Ann Arbor in hopes of putting Michigan back on the map.

He's got his work cut out for him in the opener against a talented veteran team on the road.

Here are five things to look for Thursday as the Harbaugh era begins.

Quarterback play

No, it's not exactly going out on a limb to say the Michigan quarterback is a player to watch, but Michigan has had an even greater need than most teams at the position over the past several years, highlighted by a turnover-riddled 2014 season.

Michigan was among the worst teams in the country in most passing categories last season, throwing for 10 touchdowns (ninth fewest in FBS) and 18 interceptions (seventh most in FBS, most in Big Ten). That, combined with a mediocre 58 percent completion rate, landed Michigan with the 19th-worst passer rating in the country (109.7).

Harbaugh hasn't budged on naming a starter to the media, though he admitted he's told the team who will start. The two candidates are fifth-year senior and Iowa transfer Jake Rudock and returning backup, junior Shane Morris.

Rudock makes more sense for the Wolverines this season. He's a veteran, he takes care of the ball and he has two years' worth of starts in the Big Ten under his belt.

Rudock won't put up Heisman-type numbers, nor will he showcase excellent athleticism, as Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner did at times over the past four seasons. But Rudock gives the offense a reliable, veteran quarterback to lead it through a transition into Harbaugh's new system.

In his final season with Iowa, Rudock threw for 16 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He completed 61.7 percent of his passes for a passer rating of 133.5. Clearly Rudock, who also has a summer working with Harbaugh under his belt, is a major improvement under center for Michigan.

If Morris does pull off the upset and win the starting job, he'll need to greatly improve his completion percentage and take much better care of the ball. In five games last season, Morris completed just 35 percent of his passes and threw three picks, compared to no touchdowns.

Morris does have a huge arm and would give Michigan a more explosive downfield threat. But for an offense that should be led by its rushing attack, Rudock is the safer option out of the gates.

Turnover margin

While we're talking about interceptions, let's take a look at Michigan's overall turnover landscape from 2014. Last season, Michigan was the fourth worst team in the country with a minus 16 turnover differential, coughing the ball up 26 times and forcing just 10 turnovers on defense.

In order to turn the team around this season, Harbaugh will put a heavy focus on forcing turnovers and taking care of the ball. In his very first year as an NFL coach in 2011, Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers to the best turnover margin in the NFL at plus 28. He knew the key to resurrecting the 49ers was to win the turnover battle, which San Francisco lost the year before his arrival, an awful 6-10 campaign.

In total, San Francisco posted a plus 56 differential in four years under Harbaugh, never finishing worse than 8th in the NFL. His strategy worked: The 49ers hadn't had a winning season since 2002, but Harbaugh led them to three straight NFC title games in his first three years. San Francisco lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions each of those seasons (played in one Super Bowl -- 2012).

Turnovers, more than anything else, can change a season.

Kick and punt return makeover

Turnovers and negative plays crippled the Michigan offense beyond repair during the Hoke era, but poor special teams also played a role in the team's inability to put points on the board. An already struggling offense was regularly asked to drive 75 or more yards downfield because the kick and punt return games were nonexistent.

But now a new group of returners will get a chance to flip the field for Michigan.

Last year's starting kick and punt returner, Dennis Norfleet, was dismissed from the team during the offseason after three seasons in Ann Arbor. Norfleet returned 94 kicks and 18 punts during his career but never scored. He was beloved for his straight line speed, but Norfleet quickly learned it takes much more to be an elite returner.

Last season Michigan ranked 92nd in the country in yards per punt return (6.29) and 87th in yards per kick return (19.87). Poor field position put the offense behind the eight ball before drives even started.

This season, special teams coach John Baxter has better options at both returner spots.

Jehu Chesson is listed as an option for both kick and punt returns heading into the opener. The senior wide receiver has solid speed, but he hasn't shown great elusiveness on offense over the last two years. Chesson has 24 catches for 375 yards receiving in his career and his combination of size and speed would make him, at the very least, a passable returner.

The more explosive option is redshirt freshman Jabrill Peppers, who missed most of last season but returned to camp as one of the best pure athletes on the roster. Peppers showcased dominant return skills in high school and has the playmaking ability to be a true home run threat.

If Michigan decides to split the duties, Peppers is more likely to return punts, while Chesson handles kickoffs.

Where will Jabrill Peppers play?

Speaking of Peppers, he'll take the field Thursday for the first time since an injury all but erased his freshman season. Peppers is hands down the most intriguing player on Michigan's team heading into the season, not only because of his elite athletic ability, but also because of the variety of roles he could play during his career.

Harbaugh hinted in August that Peppers has a chance to be a three-way player and take snaps on offense, defense and special teams. Peppers was moved from cornerback to safety in the secondary this year, but he also played wide receiver during high school. Peppers has elite speed and quickness and was a dynamite playmaker heading into college. He also presents the highest ceiling for Michigan at kick returner and, especially, punt returner.

Since Peppers has already dealt with injuries during his young college career, Michigan's staff might decide to take it slow with the former five-star recruit. But there's a great chance Peppers will line up for all three units throughout the course of the season. For the opener, look for him to start at safety and help return punts, at the very least.

A strong Linebacking corps

Michigan's linebacking corps should be the strength of the defense at the beginning of the season as three seasoned veterans top the depth chart. But can the seniors fill the giant hole left by Jake Ryan, who graduated after making 112 tackles last season?

The brunt of the burden will fall to Joe Bolden, who started all 12 games last season and made 102 tackles. Bolden was named a co-captain of the team last week and enters his final season with 187 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five sacks in his career. Bolden will have to take over as a presence in opposing backfields to lessen the blow of Ryan's departure.

In the middle, Michigan will get a boost from Desmond Morgan, whose 2014 season ended due to injury after the opener against Appalachian State. Morgan was a steady contributor during his first three seasons on campus, averaging 74 1/3 tackles and 4 2/3 tackles for loss per year.

Morgan can get into the backfield and drop back into coverage, making him a valuable and versatile defensive anchor in the middle of the field. If he returns to his pre-injury form, he'll have another strong season at linebacker.

The third piece to the starting lineup is James Ross III, who started seven games last season and made 32 tackles. Ross took a step back from a stellar sophomore season, when he recorded 85 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Ross is a bit of a question mark compared to his fellow starting linebackers, but he has a chance to be a disruptive force off the edge.

What to expect:

Jim Harbaugh will undoubtedly put Michigan in its best position since the better part of a decade - nothing on his coaching resume suggests otherwise. But in the first game, against a strong team, coming off a five-win season, Thursday will be an uphill battle for the Wolverines.

Utah won nine games last season and enters as a solid favorite, but a well-coached Michigan team will have a chance, especially if it can stay close late into the second half.

One thing is certain: Unlike in recent years, Michigan will improve significantly throughout the course of the season. Thursday will simply be a starting point to kick off this highly-anticipated coaching staff's regime.