MGoPodcast 12.4a: For Content and Depression, the 2020 Offensive Preview
1 hour and 48 minutes
We are back because we are supported by awesome sponsors. The show is presented by UGP & The Bo Store, and if it wasn’t for Rishi and Ryan I would be a trade magazine editor with uncool t-shirts.
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1. Quarterback
starts at 1:00
Joe Milton is a Pahokee dude, Dylan McCaffery is going to graduate and transfer, which leaves us pretty light, no offense to the Cade McNamara hype we don't believe. Functional athleticism. QBs at Michigan after three years.
[The rest of the writeup and the player after The Jump]
2. Hot Takes and Hot Backs
starts at 21:35
Some of us believe in Charbonnet more than others, but the low thinks he's the best back since Hart, and the deepest stable of backs since, wow, the 1990s? Also Seth starts on about BEN MASON.
3. Tight Ends and Wide Receivers
starts at 54:52
There are a lot of fast little guys again, except Corn John. Erick All counts as a receiver. Eubanks could go downfield more, the slots can play outside, the fullback can line up at H-Back.
4. Offensive Line
starts at 1:30:57
A lot of things can go wrong and it will still be pretty good. Not worried about Vastardis, Hayes and Mayfield are the best tackles in a minute.
MUSIC:
- “Seems Like a Long Time”—Rod Stewart
- “Do the Dirt”—The Meters
- “Body Movin'”—J Dilla
- “Across 110th Street”
THE USUAL LINKS:
He looks like MMA Mr. Potatohead.
October 12th, 2020 at 8:28 AM ^
There remains no basis for doubting the abilities of Cade. The young man is a winner-a hard-nosed competitor who simply gets the job done. If Milton and McNamara remain healthy Michigan will be as good at QB as they have been in the Harbaugh era.
October 12th, 2020 at 8:55 AM ^
It does seem the level of doom for Mcnamara is off the charts even for the usual high level of doom from the MGo staff.
Even if you don't believe the "he was Bama's top target" stuff he was a solid recruit that has been in the system and training for 2 years now. I would expect solid play at a minimum with upside.
To equate this situation to Russel Bellamy is really a cup is half empty and it has bugs in it kind of view.
October 12th, 2020 at 9:48 AM ^
I think you are right on. He should be a capable back-up at this stage of development, given his recruiting profile. The 24/7 composite was 0.905 - 4* - #268 natl. - #7 Pro. I think the bigger problem is that Michigan has 2 QBs that could be capable; after that is a cliff.
October 12th, 2020 at 10:08 AM ^
Agreed. QB3, and not QB2, is the line for We gon' die.
October 12th, 2020 at 11:26 AM ^
"To equate this situation to Russel Bellamy is really a cup is half empty and it has bugs in it kind of view."
They didn't say anything remotely close to calling this a Russell Bellamy situation.
October 12th, 2020 at 9:43 AM ^
I like your optimism.
October 12th, 2020 at 10:51 AM ^
We just don't know that. We have no basis to say Milton will even be as good as Shea. He may be much better, he may be much worse. The range of possibilities this year at QB is vast.
I think the offense will be considerably better than last year overall assuming Milton can make most of his reads. He's probably at least as fast as Shea. It's year 2 of Gattis. I think Charbonnet is going to be awesome and was mostly held back by injury last year. The run game actually wasn't great last year despite the experienced OL. A good run game would go a long long way towards helping the pass game. Most likely scenario is Milton is talented and shows it but also inconsistent.
It's funny. I felt like I was one of the more optimistic ones here after last season and now approaching the season plenty of people seem supremely confident even in our RS freshman QB who hasn't played a down. At least he enrolled early.
October 13th, 2020 at 9:09 AM ^
With respect to Shea, he was an above-average QB that lacked something when playing elite teams. We don't know about Milton or McNamara, but the bar is just not that high. A solid, game manager QB that makes the right decisions would be an improvement imo.
October 12th, 2020 at 11:10 AM ^
There's a difference between doubting McNamara's abilities and having no data on them. He has never seen a live snap in college. We have only seen him in one spring game, when he saw time at the very end with eighth-stringers and walk-ons. He could be good, bad, or competent, but there is no way to know.
October 12th, 2020 at 8:34 AM ^
I'm praying that Mason comes back for another year next year for that photo to be on the cover of HTTV
October 12th, 2020 at 1:08 PM ^
One would think he'd be back because he loves football and the coaches love some Bench Mason...but I think he has real NFL possibilities. Dude can be a wrecking ball on special teams alone and that's highly underrated. Whoever Harbaugh still knows in the NFL is going to get a glowing recommendation on Mason.
October 12th, 2020 at 8:34 AM ^
Asking this question here because I feel this comment section tends to be the least snarky.
When do game times get released? I always thought 10 days in advance but could be wrong.
October 12th, 2020 at 9:09 AM ^
Television times are usually released in three different time frames:
- Before the season
- 12 days before
- 6 days before
Night games are often announced before the season, though they can also be done during the 12-day window. AFAIK you can't announce a night game during the 6-day window. Traditionally, you couldn't do a night game in the last three weeks of November unless both teams agreed to it. Obviously that time frame may need to change since the COVID schedule goes deeper into the calendar than normal.
I may have missed something but I think what I wrote is fairly accurate. MGoUser Alton is really knowledgeable about this stuff. If there were a way to send him a message through the website (there isn't) that would be helpful since he knows this stuff inside and out.
October 12th, 2020 at 9:02 AM ^
On one hand, I think MGoBlog are being their usual cautious selves given the lack of live snaps for, well, every QB on the roster.
OTOH, McCaffery has to know that Michigan plays in a headhunter conference. Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan State at the very least are incredibly dirty programs. The backup QB typically sees significant playing time.
But McCaffery couldn't displace a half-crippled Patterson last season, and this year chose to sit out entirely. Did he lose the backup job to McNamara??
October 12th, 2020 at 10:05 AM ^
I always got the feeling that the job was gonna be McCaffery's after the Wisconsin game last year... until they cheap-shotted his brain into oblivion and the staff had to ride with Shea for the duration.
October 12th, 2020 at 11:38 AM ^
You can add Indiana to that list. They may not go for the head all the time, but they cheap-shot people on a regular basis.
I'm still cautious about Purdue from Wilton Speight's injury there, but that seemed more like a one-off.
October 12th, 2020 at 3:55 PM ^
Let's be fair to Indiana. Tom Allen's teams go kneehunting, not headhunting.
October 12th, 2020 at 10:26 AM ^
Roman Wilson had 61 catches as a senior for 1025 yards and 11 TDs. It was as a junior where he had 32 catches (for 803 yards and 7 TDs). I think you may be underrating where he currently is.
October 12th, 2020 at 11:41 AM ^
Please, for the love of all that is holy, someone outbid FuegoBox so those awful voices go away.
October 12th, 2020 at 1:13 PM ^
I think Brian's intro to the bit is actually pretty funny, but Seth...and Ace...just, well.
But all in all just great to have these podcasts back and talking real football.
October 20th, 2020 at 10:26 AM ^
Milton isn't the starter by default. By all accounts, he won the starting job and won it with authority, over a redshirt junior who was very highly thought of.
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