New opinions on schedule
September 6th, 2015 at 12:22 AM ^
September 5th, 2015 at 7:25 PM ^
September 5th, 2015 at 7:33 PM ^
I say 8-4 with losses to Minnesota, MSU, and Ohio.
September 5th, 2015 at 7:34 PM ^
Yes my expectations have changed. I thought that BYU should be a win and that Minnesota and Northwestern should at the very least toss-up's. Now, I don't see how we beat any of those teams. Our future is bright and we'll get back to where we are supposed to, but as far as this season goes...we just don't have the talent. Harbaugh has a massive massive rebuild in front of him. We should be good by 2019 and really start competing by 2020.
September 5th, 2015 at 7:46 PM ^
Thanks for the optimism, Dr. Death.
We're a more massive project than U of SanDiego? In worse shape than pre-Harbaugh Stanford? Did it take Harbaugh 6 seasons to get the 49ers to the Super Bowl?
What's your rationale on that prediction?
September 5th, 2015 at 7:44 PM ^
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September 6th, 2015 at 12:16 AM ^
September 5th, 2015 at 7:39 PM ^
Utah's the best team I've seen (didn't watch UCLA) through the afternoon games. Northwestern's defense looked good, but Shaw is SO conservative. Much worse than Lloyd ever was. Minnesota was about what I expected. That game will be a defensive struggle. In Minneapolis so I still think we drop that one. PSU was atrocious, BYU is good offensively but Nebraska's secondary looked really bad, I'm not sure how much we can evaluate from that performance
September 5th, 2015 at 8:05 PM ^
I wouldn't say MSU has disappointed. They got the win and while it wasn't a vintage performance, they weren't seriously threatened.
PSU, OTOH, looks like they've got problems.
September 6th, 2015 at 11:48 AM ^
In 2013 their defense scored more touchdowns than their offense in a couple of early games against bad teams (including against a 1-11 Western team). They usually have one or more underwhelming non-conference wins a year.
It really doesn't mean anything.
September 5th, 2015 at 8:00 PM ^
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September 5th, 2015 at 8:02 PM ^
Based on one game each for the teams we will face, I hesitate to change my opinions too much because of the time interval in between this weekend and the weekend we will face many of them. I expect some learnings to occur with any team, especially after a typically rusty first week.
That being said, the major disappointment - if you can call it that - was Penn State. I really did not predict a loss to Temple in their case, neve mind one in which Temple could rush two and still get a sack. I really am trying to wrap my mind around that particular play. I won't write them off just yet though.
September 5th, 2015 at 8:10 PM ^
As all the non-homers said before the seaason started Harbaugh will have done a great job if we're at 7 wins.
However, seeing how the kids were positioned to win during the Utah game I believe their execution will catch up quickly. We will all be pleasantly surprised over the course of the season.
September 5th, 2015 at 8:12 PM ^
conclusions from week one. But I like what Minnesota and Northwestern brought to the table as being "better than expected". Penn State will get their shit together to be a seviceble middle Big 10 team could win 8, could lose 8 we'll see. Michigan State screwed around with WMU, they might lose to Oregon but they'll be focussing on us and Ohio State anyway. I never really believed they were #5 and still don't but they will be very good at some point this year.
All things considered Illinois had a nice debut, no idea how good they really are though.
Tell you the truth I was most impressed with BYU today, I might bump them up to as good or better than Utah.
Overall the BIGTEN still looks weak and slow compared to other conferences. Long way to go we'll see how it shakes out but certainly not much to be impressed with from the BIG so far.
September 5th, 2015 at 8:20 PM ^
BYU beat a team suffering from a massive coaching downgrade who is installing a system that doesn't match his players. Granted, on the road, but I think Nebraska is going to be ass and regret the Riley hiring for a decade.
September 5th, 2015 at 8:52 PM ^
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September 5th, 2015 at 8:23 PM ^
I'm seeing 9 or 10... With Hill out, BYU doesn't seem nearly as daunting. Hope he heals up alright.
I almost wanna put Minnesota as a loss simply cause were on the road, but when was the last time we lost there, the 80s?
September 6th, 2015 at 12:05 AM ^
We only played "there" once. Whole different environment than the met.
September 5th, 2015 at 8:24 PM ^
September 5th, 2015 at 9:49 PM ^
Harbaugh won no titles in 4 years at Stanford. In Shaw's second year he did win a title. So, got to give him that.
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September 5th, 2015 at 8:28 PM ^
More than Hill being out they lost their best player on Defense their 3-4 NT, as wel as a MLB and Safety
September 5th, 2015 at 8:35 PM ^
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September 5th, 2015 at 8:37 PM ^
September 5th, 2015 at 8:38 PM ^
Sticking with 8-4 for now.
I had predicted losses to Utah, BYU, and two of PSU, MSU, and OSU.
After Hill went out for the season, I think we beat BYU at home, and after seeing PSU, I think we beat them away.
But I was a non-Gopher believer, which seems wrong now.
Also, after watching our QB play, I think my preseason expecatations for the position were too high.
So now I'm thinking 8-4 with losses to Utah, MSU, OSU, and the Gophers/hiccup team.
September 6th, 2015 at 7:57 AM ^
September 6th, 2015 at 11:00 AM ^
Yes, I agree. We have a better defense than TCU does. I'm just worried about our offense. If we can find a way to get 17 points, we'll probably be set.
September 5th, 2015 at 8:41 PM ^
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September 5th, 2015 at 9:13 PM ^
September 5th, 2015 at 9:40 PM ^
Look through my maized color glasses: I wonder if altitude had anything to do with the over throws. I was reading the physics of football and it discusses 8% further travel at altitude with a spiral kick. That is about as far a he over threw them deep. Did he throw any passes that long in practice? Shorter passes with less arc were not as effected by the the altitude. I saw a piece on sports science were they moved a basketball hoops hieght, it took 6 shots before the players adjusted. If you extrapolate those data points his throws would have been perfect in Ann Arbor. So we win the rest.
September 6th, 2015 at 12:07 AM ^
Nice try. You may be right but it comes off as another "crown on the filed was too high" excuse we used when we went to Oregon.
September 6th, 2015 at 12:11 AM ^
September 5th, 2015 at 9:50 PM ^
I didn't see much in our last game that leads me to believe we will win 8 games. I'm not quite sure where people are coming up with that. If you don't have a run game, your offense becomes one dimensional and your defense spends the whole game on the field. Fine if your QB is a Payton Manning type throw god, not so fine if your QB is a turnover machine. This has played out over and over again the past few years. We'll devour some cupcakes and everyone will be happy until B1G play starts. Then, once we face some real defenses, like we did at Utah, the wheels will come off. Harbaugh will get this fixed, but it won't be this year. I'm saying 6 wins.
September 5th, 2015 at 10:23 PM ^
Here's what I saw in our game that has me clinging to my 8 wins prediction:
A) Against a very good team, away, in the season opener, late in the game, we were down only one score and driving to tie before that pick-6.
B) Even -3 in turnovers, away, season opener, against a very good team, after a heart-breaking turnover, we came back to score and had an onside-kick for a chance to drive for the tie.
C) Defense only gave up three scoring drives and wasn't beaten easily. Each Utah scoring drive relied on an adjustment their O had made (or their initial gameplan on the FG drive); after that drive, our D shut down the adjustment that had worked once.
D) Our D-line and secondary are very good to excellent. Perhaps elite by year end as Peppers improves. Linebackers are the weakest spot, but if I had to pick a spot on D to be weak, LB would be it (we only play 2 of them on half the downs anyway).
E) There are significant upgrades on the way: Drake Johnson will get healthy, Perry - Rudock connection will be better as Perry gains experience, and we only have 4 more road games vs 7 at home.
F) Finally, given our coaching staff and where we're coming from, I'll take the gradient of our general improvement over that of any other team in the conference. That's a good thing because as of today, I only see MSU, OSU, and Minny with head starts over us.
There are a lot of assumptions there, sure. Maybe Utah wasn't as good as I thought. Maybe our WRs only looked strong because their CBs are poor. Maybe Drake will never get healthy. Maybe our kicking game will implode. But I'm thinking that the odds are that Utah really is good, that Darboh, Perry, and Harris are threats, and, most importantly, that Drake will get healthy. We'll see.
September 6th, 2015 at 12:23 AM ^
5 scoring drives, they missed two key FG's. Different game if they make thsoe
other than that, all excellent points
September 6th, 2015 at 2:23 AM ^
those were LONG FG in college, and they only got to try one of those because they coverted a pass on 3rd and 20 to get into range. I know that with their kicker those 45+ yard FG's were good plays, but for an average college kicker those were not gimmies.
I'll take our defense giving up 45 yd. FG attempts all season.
September 6th, 2015 at 9:56 AM ^
The other field goal followed 4-5 yard TFLs on 2nd and 3rd down.
September 6th, 2015 at 12:33 AM ^
I agree with C and D, I think our defense will be good, but it they could be even better if the offense could keep them off the field. The problem is, when your QB is having to force throws because of constantly being in a 3rd & long situation, interceptions are going to happen. In terms of B, I really wish Utah wouldn't have gifted us those garbage time points. They looked like they were in prevent, just letting us pick them apart knowing we were killing time. People shouldn't be hanging their hat on that series.
September 6th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^
About the last scoring series, yeah, they were in prevent mode. The drive is definitely discounted in my mind because of that.
But still, a lot of teams can't take advantage of that, eg us the last few years. The fact that we did take advantage of it is encouraging to me. Not 10-2 encouraging, or even 9-3 encouraging, but enough to cling to my 8-4 prediction.
We'll see. I could certainly be wrong.
September 6th, 2015 at 8:41 AM ^
I'm sticking with 8-4 as well, but 7-5 looks a lot more likely than 9-3. 6-6 actually looks more likely than 9-3 too.
Minnesota gave it to TCU and will be good.
Northwestern isn't a push over and I thought they would be.
BYU lost their QB, but isn't a pushover and I thought they would be.
I think we have the bones of a team that could be really good by the end of the year, but the last seven years our teams haven't really had huge leaps in productivity throughout the year. I still believe in HARBAUGH, but some things are going to have to align.
September 6th, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^
That is very sound reasoning and it lifted my optimism for this year UP.
I was at work Thur night in Phoenix and their was a HUGE group of people from Michigan there lots of UM fans and the talk all week was about Utah and the optimism was realllllly High. I think alot of us were secretly hoping they would come out and just Crush Utah and dominate like the good ol days and while it wasnt spoken I knew people were secretly hoping for it.
The next morning the mood was somber. Sound reasoning knows Harbaugh is going to turn this around and probably sooner rather than later and that analysis above got my spirits back up..Thanks
September 6th, 2015 at 3:09 PM ^
September 5th, 2015 at 10:13 PM ^
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September 5th, 2015 at 10:41 PM ^
September 5th, 2015 at 10:56 PM ^
UNLV has hung with Northern Illinois tonight. They might not be as big of a pushover as last year too.
September 5th, 2015 at 11:02 PM ^
September 5th, 2015 at 11:50 PM ^
BYU's backup QB still lead them to a victory over Nebraska in Memorial Stadium. Might not be the easy win we were expecting.
And MSU has teased us before with early season losses (ND a while back, CMU, etc.), but they always come out strong for us.
September 6th, 2015 at 8:03 AM ^
September 6th, 2015 at 8:14 AM ^
September 6th, 2015 at 9:01 AM ^
by the end of the season. I'm still holding to my 8 or 9 win season. NU may be a tougher game but PSU should be a win as their offense is a real tire fire! MN will be a toss up and I still think Harbaugh will upset one of our two visitors of MSU or OSU.