Practice Bits: Nick Sheridan? Seriously? Seriously.
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Carlos Brown pitching the ball; via the Daily.
There was another open-ish practice yesterday. It was significant for two events. Event #1 was Mike Shaw smoking guys. Jim Carty:
The freshman from Ohio sprinted past the first defensive player, then cut back around the second. If that had been all he did, it would have still been an impressive display of speed and shiftiness, but highly touted freshman corner Boubacar Cissoko was still between Shaw and the end of the cone.
Shaw hinted at a move and then simply squared up and pancaked Cissoko. Rolled right over him. With authority.
"Ohhhhhhh!" went the team.
"Wow," whispered a reporter.
Shaw and McGuffie were specifically called out as freshmen who will be contributors this fall:
"(They) are two guys who will not be redshirted," Rodriguez said Tuesday. "The biggest (issue) as freshmen coming in is, can they mentally handle the schemes and the pace? Those two have shown they can so far. They've done enough to convince us they can contribute as freshmen, and I think as much mentally as physically.
"They're both fast, explosive players that I think are good with the spread system, so we're excited about it. As much as anything, I like the way they practice. Coming here in the summer helped. They're practicing like they've been here longer than a couple weeks."
Elsewhere in the youth movement on offense: Odoms and Robinson are obviously taking hold of the slot position. Toney Clemons, the nominal spring starter at the position, is now moving between the slot and outside receiver. Kevin Koger got special mention when tight ends were discussed; sounds like that DE move is off the table; Barnum and Khoury mentioned in a question about which true freshmen OL have a shot to play. No O'Neill, about which more later
Event #2 was a seismic shift in the quarterbacks competition. You can read this on any of the premium sites or in the Carty article, and I believe it to be true: Nick Sheridan, not Steven Threet, is your probable starter. The media got to see Sheridan significantly outperform Threet yesterday in the 30 minutes they were allotted. I have some inside baseball on this one suggesting that this is no smokescreen or motivational ploy and that Sheridan is currently the legitimate favorite to start against Utah. Hide the children.
This may not be hugely important. No matter who starts chances are he struggles at some point and the other guy gets a chance to prove himself. But the assumption that it was Threet with Nick Sheridan an emergency option is right out. According to Rodriguez, Feagin...
Justin has been okay. He was a little hampered the last couple days with a sore shoulder. This morning he looked a little bit better, but he has got a long way to go, more mentally than anything else, because there is so much for him to learn.
...does not seem a viable option yet.
Inside bits! A previously-reliable emailer provides practice insights from someone with an opportunity to take in an entire practice session:
- Practice is extremely intense and the tempo is high. This would normally be blah blah blah but this individual has seen a lot of different colleges practice; this is a notable difference between Michigan and the typical program. Coaches were a little too intense, maybe, choosing to yell at guys instead of showing them how they screwed up. Notable exception: DC Scott Shafer, who was a technique hound instructing everyone on the defense.
- The offensive line, as expected, looks rough. O'Neill has a great frame and upside but is not ready to play this year.
- Confirmation that the young tailbacks looked excellent; Shaw "one of the fastest players I've ever seen in college."
- Thumbs up to Cissoko.
- Regarding EEEE Barwis: it's not so much that Barwis is a god who raises wolves and all that, but that Michigan's previous regime was hopelessly out of date. Of all the football factory schools, Michigan had a reputation around the NFL for having the least prepared, least conditioned athletes. [I find this a little hard to believe given all the guys who leap directly into NFL starting roles, but this guy's assessment comes from a place of great credibility. It does seem clear that some guys had ample motivation and training (Edwards, Hart), but others (Watson) were just this side of "blogger." -ed]
- Trent is "way ahead" of where he was last year at this time and is the best NFL prospect on the defense. (Of players eligible for the next draft, so it's basically just him and the DL. I don't know if that's good. Next bullet.)
- The defensive line plays too "stiff" -- not exactly sure what the upshot of this is -- and was not as impressive as Michigan fans might hope.
- Not shocking: things are "ridiculously open" compared to the Carr regime.
Let's see Weis try this. Entertaining tidbit from Mark Snyder:
[Rodriguez was] standing over kicker K.C. Lopata as well, trying to rattle him on each successive kick, wagering something out of our earshot. Yet it became abundantly clear when the kicking drill was done and Rodriguez himself hit the deck and cranked out a bunch of pushups in the middle of the field. Rodriguez's energy with the players was clear and they all seemed to be engaged by his interaction.
And finally we can say what we've been waiting to say. The uniforms are official, the pads are on, and there's no quarter left for Michigan football fans:
The away jerseys suck.
I just read that whole thread.....and I'll never get that half hour of my life back.
Is there such a thing as a "memory enema"? If so, I need one.
"I believe this movie. A dude could jump off a mountain and not hurt himself, 'cause he did brace himself, and knew something about the levels of gravitivity and polarity."
I've got it, it's really stewie mandel. That explains everything ......... or........... does it?
So let me see if maybe I understand Hunter's point on the QBs/liars thing now. If I understand it, it goes like this:
1. RichRod said he would adapt his system to the talent available.
2. RichRod starts Sheridan, who struggles.
3. Threet comes in and starts throwing lasers miles downfield, and winning games.
4. Hunter starts questioning why Threet wasn't the starter all along, and concludes that it can only be that RichRod never intended to adapt his sytem, but instead chose the QB who most approximated Pat White in a winged helmet - Sheridan.
This logic is flawed, primarily because RichRod is focusing on his system, which involves 11 players on offense, not just the QB. Granted, in the NFL QB Challenge, Threet may (or may not, I don't know) outscore Sheridan. And maybe in the Carr offense, or on Notre Dame's team, or OSU's, or USC's, Threet would start over Sheridan (or may not). However, the situation these two players find themselves in is playing on the '08 Michigan squad, with its ninja backs, its inexperienced line, and a bevy of exciting running backs.
So, who fits this system best? Heck if I know, I'm not a football coach. But, it would not surprise me to hear that even if Threet can wing it a mile, that skill would be wasted behind this offensive line who cannot hold off a rush long enough to make good use of this skill. Or, maybe Threet's slower release (which I have seen on video) is sufficiently problematic to offset the benefit of downfield passing. Maybe our running backs are made that much better when the QB option gives them a little more space in which to run, and Threet is just not credible running the QB option.
In other words, there are potentially lots of reasons to start one QB over another that are somewhat independent of the NCAA '09 overall score of each QB. While Threet fits a pro system best, the rest of our team might not. Therefore, instead of making 10 guys adapt to the pro QB, RichRod may choose to make the QB position adapt to the rest of the team. Fine by me.
Also, keep in mind that the first few games sort of serve as pre-season games, particularly for a team this young. There will be changes. Guys who are great in practice might not have "it" in front of 110,000, and vice versa.
None of this makes RichRod a liar.
Michael Hunter is the "Pat Suzuki" of the commenting blogosphere
Go Blue
I don't think that Michael Hunter is on meth. I think that he is on crack, and dictating his bloated memes to a secretary who is on meth. If you are really in that much of a hurry, then why take the time to write out "ummm. . . "
. . . butreallyIthought . . . thatcoachesmaingoal . . .istowingames . . .
All this time I though that RR and his staff would start the QB who gives us the best chance to win the game. If not, then we really are in trouble.
"People who love sausage and respect the law should never watch either being made."
Are three periods (...) not an arbitrary number of them. Also, we do not read in the same cadence you think, sorry.
Listen I think Michigan fans need an overwhelming pride. No one wants to visualize this going all wrong on opening day. We are all trying to figure out how it all went wrong on opening day last year yet. All Im saying is, If Sheridan starts, and Michigan loses and does piss poor in the passing game. I dont want to see Threet come in versus a MAC school later on or against ND and throw Henne Lasers and we win. because it will plant seeds I dont want planted in the back of my mind as to why Threet was not their all along.
I think you think that if this all goes wrong on opening day Ill come here looking for some vindication. I wont....
And I do not believe the sky is falling.
this is just a year where you have to make due with whatever strenghts you can muster. you cannot have wants where there are so many needs. we need to find the best of whats around and not wish away to pat white or hope for something that is not there.
...that Michael Hunter is the best writer this pathetic excuse for a blog has ever seen. (I suppose I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that he's a generous lover as well.) The rest of you bitch-ass losers seem to think that "brevity" and "logic" and "sanity" count for something. Listen up, ya' 'mos: under the new rules -- the Coach Dantonio rules -- those are just faggy excuses for not being a winner, which my man Mike clearly is.
Michael, I can't tell you how excited I am to hear that you're a screenwriter. I'm waiting with trembling anticipation for your take on a sequel to "Au Revoir, Les Enfants", styled as a buddy-cop comedy in the midst of the Battle of Algiers. My loins quiver.
SPARTAN NATION
Hopefully he'll write 300 Part 2.
Pray for your kids, pray for your wife. I might take her, she kinda look a'ight.
vacation to be over... i need to be entertained!
Harvard: The MICHIGAN of the East
6. the awe-inspiring ability to turn an argument on a dime into a completely unrelated tangent.
Excellence is Good
Dex/Tim/MA,
You're feeding him. Seriously. Stop replying and he runs out of ammo.
http://www.wolverineliberationarmy.blogspot.com
Wow it's never going to end; can we get commenting locked out for this thread?
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/SPORTS06/801110...
Dex,
Everyone thinks they are a coach....not just me..but I'll take your label brother.
In that article above, it says Threet would be your front runner. But that he may not be because he does not fit the system perhaps.
Listen there are, or it seems that, some members of the Detroit Media......are not all that sold on this guy. So if you think they are not looking for ammo, youd be an idiot. If anything, in my quick ramblings, theres a sense of Damage Control. And I know youre gonna swear alot and make the joke that I should damage control on my writing. But uhh this is not a dissertation, or my doctoral thesis ok...youmay be my blog peers but you are not some great or respected footballologists. And I dont fantaisze that I am in some command and control bunker below Schembechler hall and I have all of the facts here dudes.
If you see average results from spread plays, or running spread plays and poor results from Sheridan throwing the football. And you see average results from spread plays and good to average results from Threet throwing and they do not do what they said they would and change to adapt to whats in the cupboard they are liars. And certain sports writers are gonna hammer em. So my hope is that they are creating a controversy for motivation.
Hunter, I'm an attorney who sees complicated and confused writing every day, and I cannot figure out your liars argument. Can you try to explain it again?
Hello Mr. Hunter,
Here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing_style
is a wikipedia entry on on writing style. It has very useful information on grammar, clauses, how to encapsulate ideas into coherent sentences and such.
to explain, using bullet points just WTF he's talking about. so far this is what i have:
Harvard: The MICHIGAN of the East
I think Michigan Arrogance that if Threet were to replace a struggling Sheridan and do better, one could logically ask this question........did they not see that in practice? Or is Threet just a gamer perhaps? number three.......perhaps they thought Sheridan was the best mix for the offense and it just didnt translate onto the field? I personally think Sheridan is the best MIX of what they are looking for but Threet is the best option for passing. But here's the thing, Threet cannot scramble....so the idea of a scramble is taken away ok.........so now that comment of,"we'll adapt to what's in the cupboard,"comment comes into light. Because what's in the cupboard is drop back passers. So if you go with Sheridan because hes better at fitting what you used to call.......you didnt fricken adapt WHAT SO EVER. You said one thing and you did another. And there are a lot, A LOT of people who think thats what this coaching staff is beginning to come off as. It feels gentile.
Listen........in a few days there are going to be 100000 people saying what Im saying here to a greater degree.....ok.......
Listen........in a few days there are going to be 100000 people saying what Im saying here to a greater degree.....ok.......
This is my new life motto, down to the extra periods inside the ellipses. That was tons of awesome.
<!-- Note: This is only used in 6.x -->
The Wolverine Liberation Army- saving Michigan fans one dick joke at a time.
5. A complete inability to distinguish between homonyms.
http://www.wolverineliberationarmy.blogspot.com
when did larry king start posting here?
Dex and Waymen are like the two old men on the Muppet Show. No Henne did not run the scout team dude. But in every program, there are times when the head coach will run 1st teamers offense against 1st teamers defense to really, really show the speed and accuracy that the opposing teams 1st team will have. There was even a time when Henne said,"We've run that in practice before..."
so cmon dude rip on my form........dont talk about the actuall content, cmon dude KEEP THE HATE Going, HATE ME.
Well, I tried to make reasoned arguments about your content about 50 posts ago, but then you went ahead and ignored them. It's not that I hate you, I just wish that you would do all of your thinking and typing in MS Word or something, then copy/paste it over here after going through spell check.
Hello Michael Hunter. I've read MGOBLOG for some time now but have never thought about posting until I happened upon your incoherent posts. Here- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style - is a wikipedia article on Posting style. I would very much like it if you could take the time to look it over. Thanks.
You know why I rip on your form?
Because your posts don't make any fucking sense.
If there is actual content, it's lost in your clever "stream of consciousness" style and general rambling. What is your point? That one QB might be better than the other? Fucking INSIGHTFUL man. You should take Corso's spot on Gameday.
Nobody here has responded to your "content", because nobody has been able to parse your idiocy to figure out what you are trying to say. I see 300 words a post, and the only discernible points are:
1. You think you are a football coach
2. You think you are a screenwriter (Baby Geniuses 2 perhaps?)
3. You don't comprehend punctuation or general readability
4. You might be an 8 year old typing on a neon keyboard in front of Dora the Explorer
Wolverine Liberation Army
dude
Wolverine Liberation Army
22 comments by Mike Hunter!! (ctrl + F is a great function.) I probably also have a bunch, something I'm not proud of, but come on! This guy's supposed to be at work and he has written 22 posts, about 4 of which are not essays. Wow.
Pray for your kids, pray for your wife. I might take her, she kinda look a'ight.
Michael Hunter's posts lack only a reference to Watney's Red Barrel to make them complete.
http://tikilounge.blogspot.com
Utah runs the spread right? And BYU runs the spread and BYU is like Utah's biggest rival right? Well that is another reason to go with Threet and throw from the old school mentality. The logic being, Utah as a defense is skilled in playing against the spread. Ok so.....then we are going to run that very offense, for the first time, against a team who has major experience with it??
Most, yes I am generalizing.....most schools would love to have a Greg Mathews, Toney Clemons, Daryl Stonum, Heningway, Carson Butler and so on..most schools would love to have that as a receiving corp...so if your slot guys do not work agianst Utah.....and Im watching Sheridan get balls batted down, because of his height not see LB's past or over the Defensive lineman and then we do not convert 3rd downs. That is not good. And then is Threet does better than Nick, well then some of things I've said in this post are spot on and true. No matter how I said them. And it will be an allude to this staff and what they want and how they handle the media.
I'm just interested to see how it is all going to translate offensively. I can tell our defense is there talent wise and that guy coaching, Shafer is spot on. He will be a head coach and soon. He's maybe two good years with MI away from being offered by someone.
You know who else changes their offense wholesale week to week to try and "capitalize" on an opponents perceived weakness?
Ask Jimmy Clausen about the spread option sometime.
Wolverine Liberation Army