I think Peppers comes back.

Great competitive game. It had its flaws but we're ready and used to that. 20 wins in two years with a team that used to get stomped. The offensive line will get better and the defensive line will allow us to compete for the big ten title again next year. Walker and Peters will lead this offense with young receivers and the best full back in the NCAA. To come back from what looked like an impending blow out, without your most important player on both sides of the ball. To make this the game of the weekend. The future is bright and it's going to only get better. We'll compete again next year and every year after.

Harbaugh's kids are only freshman. Let him get his talent in here and we will be fine.

Just read Harbaugh's comments about the game.  What a class guy unlike the Florida State Dumbo Fisher.  Great attitude and the guy knows the game; I'm not worried:

“Really the offense in the first half, it was tough sledding. Wilton (Speight) was able to make some plays out of the pocket, really coming up with some first-down throws, extending the play. Was very creative. That kept us moving, kept us getting some first downs, didn't turn the ball over, was really good with the ball all day. Our entire offense was. And our team did everything we asked of them today, starting coming out of the half. Second half, put together a drive, chipped away at the lead by three, and asked them to get a turnover, and thought that would change the momentum, and they did. When we needed the touchdown drives, we got them. So I was just really proud of the effort of our team and also give credit to Florida State. They played a heck of a ballgame, as well.”

"Maybe next year" Sigh Commence the long off season

Both teams have problem holes on the offensive line, so that was a wash. Our line never recovered from losing Newsome. Kalis got abused seemingly all year, Cole had his troubles, and Bredeson is a freshman. Mags held steady though. Both teams had fast aggressive defenses. The difference was our lack of gamebreakers on offense. We need a qb that can make the throws Francois did and AFTER being crushed all night by Charlton, Wormley et al. Speight is what he is. Elusive, decent arm strength, poor accuracy, inconsistent. Chris Davis is gamebreaker--looking forward to watching him develop. Chesson and Darboh are good, but the last wr recruiting class and the '17 wrs should be even better. Having an o-line that gives wrs time to get separation will be nice. Also, wrs with sticky hands.

Sure hope Peters is ready to go next year, because Speight is not the answer at QB. Dude misses way too many open receivers, and too many of his passes end up 6 feet over the receivers heads. He had his good games of course, but his inaccuracy drove me insane all season.

Two years ago if someone said we'd lose by one in the Orange Bowl after back-to-back 10-win seasons, everyone here would have taken it

was, we lost 3 games by a total of single digit. As frustrating as that is, I love the staff and the players. Upgrading talent and their development is in fact a process. Countless variables speed up or slow that process. The future is bright. 10-3 is a very good season. GoBlue

They never shook the Hoke mentality. They still hear mindless clapping in their heads.

Anyone else encouraged by metellus? He had some whiffs but his overall athleticism looks great. Really think he is going to be quite good the next years.

2nd down at our own 25 yard line, 31 seconds remaining.  We need to drive a minimum 45 yards for a field goal attempt...

And our call is a screen pass to our slowest player against a defense full of speedy, sure-tackling players?  Look, even if Smith was a "safety valve" third or fourth progression read, that is still ridiculous.  How about roll the pocket away from the guy who was pressuring Speight or have Asiasi or Wheatley in the game helping double team that guy?  How about a screen pass to Evans or McDoom, who can make a player miss? By the way, where was Asiasi all game long?  He was a stud blocker all year for us in the two-tight end set but I barely recall seeing him last night.  Was he in the doghouse?  Even Panda was limited until the second half.  Just sucks that we went vanilla featuring Smith most of that effing game...so disappointing. 

The last four games of the year, offensively we played a conservative style of football NOT TO LOSE rather than continuing to innovate with the unique set of players we have.  That's on the coaches, who were afraid to take chances with the schemes until the clocks ran out.  Don Brown was the guy who took risks, and yes, when the players made mistakes we got burned, but at least he stuck to his game plan.  Drevno/Fisch (who?) playcalling was disappointing; and the player personnel choices were very questionable, too (starting with, way too much Smith).

You can say that Speight's injury limited us over the last three games. Fine. But after seeing how underwhelming O'Korn was against Indiana, let's get busy preparing Peters and McCaffrey and open up O'Korn's schollie slot.  Thanks for your service, but we need to be looking to the future.     

with that patchy, please-let-us-be-average-today OL that seems assembled by MacGyver with duct tape, toothpicks, and used condoms is nothing short of a miracle. But we're stuck at this elevation until the OL becomes elite-ish. 

No QB is going to give us downfield accuracy without a cleaner pocket. No RB is going to put the offense on his back until the holes open up. Does that happen next year? I don't know, but that's the rate limiting step. 2018 seems like a reasonable guess, but next year's team may surprise after some early-season growing pains.

Remarkable that with such a minor break here or there and we'd be looking at an undefeated team, but that's what life on the bubble is like. Clemson needed a choke by the NC State kicker to get there. OSU needed Buckeye fans officiating The Game. We've gotten some breaks, like the fumbled punt to set up 1st and G at the one, but OL is just too much of a drag on our engine to take advantage.

 

I want a dalvin cook.

I was as mad as anyone with the loss, but blaming the coaching staff as being like Hoke is unbelievable. Does muons think that this team soul have been in the Orange Bowl with Hoke as coach? Or that we would have been the game with Hoke? That game would have been 42-13 if Hoke was coaching. Hell, we were with 2 of our best players and still nearly pulled out the game. We are not there yet, but we are getting closer, especially increasing talent levels.

I thought Taco played his way into the 1st Rd of the NFL Draft. Too bad about Jake Butt. I hope it isn't serious. Great player and great person. Some NFL team is gonna strike gold with him.

and we are already complaining about 10 win seasons. Give him a few years to build a good OL. Wilton is an average QB and could improve but I think in a couple seasons Peters will be a great QB.

It was a good year. Great things are ahead. The o line will get better and playmakers are on the way.

...in 4 of our last 5 losses. Florida St....kickoff disaster, too many big plays, OL mistakes OSU...lots of chances to put game away Iowa...OL can't get a first down to put game away MSU '15...the punt, also OL can't get a first down late in game Combination of coaching, poor execution, not being clutch in big moments, dumb mistakes. We need to be better in tight games. Hopefully the young guys are more talented and can be better than the outgoing seniors, especially on the offensive line. In all four of those losses it felt like the better team lost. Only the 2015 OSU loss felt like we were the lesser team. We could not stop Elliot.

Wow, I just watched the chumps from ohio get their a--es handed to them in a huge shut out. Not saying that we could have beat Clemson, but I think we would have put points on the board and been in the game. Apparently there was some suckeye tool in Arizona trolling Harbaugh. Those fools couldn't move the ball or stop Clemson at all. At least we got tough, came back, and almost beat FSU. We have a lot to be thankful for moving into the new year and it's much better being a Wolverine than a green guy at a party school. Go Blue and happy New Year.

We have a lot to be thankful for in the New Year! GO BLUE and thank you Jim Harbaugh!!!