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WTKA Roundtable 8/18/2022: The New Peacock Subscribers Comment Count

Seth August 18th, 2022 at 10:21 AM

NOTE: FOR SOME REASON THE WRONG EPISODE WAS IN THE FEED. IT IS FIXED NOW. PLEASE DOWNLOAD THIS AGAIN BEFORE LISTENING.

Things discussed:

  • Seth segment to talk basketball schedule
  • HAIL TO THE VICTORS IS OUT!
  • Eyabi Anoma: From a football standpoint he doesn't look like more than a Whittley-style contributor, unless he was injured. Doesn't pop on film. Worth the risk if you've got the scholarship—need to find out where they're at with that. Like this as a pickup for next year more than this one because he's coming from so far back. Motor issues, off-field issues hopefully mitigated by Poggi. Pretty sure he's got Jr/5th eligibility: 2020 was free for everyone.
  • Cade McNamara winning the race? That's expected. UFR shows he had a Rudockian renaissance later in the season. Still has a ceiling that stops at Georgia, but do you face that kind of defense in the Big Ten? It takes time to get a JJ to the level where he breaks the game. In JJ's favor: the running game needs space. Rubber meets road at Iowa.
  • The new TV rights deal: games on Peacock and Paramount+. Where's the money coming from? It's those of us who have to purchase streaming services.
  • University of California regents trying to block UCLA from joining.
[Hit the JUMP for the player, and video and stuff]

You can catch the entire episode on Michigan Insider's podcast stream.

Seth was on early here. Segment Two is here. You can watch the video here:

The Usual Links:

He took mental reps. Yeah, so did I.

Comments

jbrandimore

August 18th, 2022 at 10:36 AM ^

Can someone explain how the UCLA trustees could “fail” to block a move to the B1G?

 I would think that getting them to approve the contracts required to do this is a prerequisite?

Joined: 01/06/2015

MGoPoints: 13706

Blake Forum

August 18th, 2022 at 10:38 AM ^

Who knows what will become of Anoma. Very, very wide range of possibilities. But I'd say we're getting ahead of ourselves in looking at a guy who was once rated as a future high NFL draft pick and was all-freshman at Bama and put up numbers in FCS (more meaningful than numbers in HS) and saying, "Jordan Whittley"

Joined: 07/20/2020

MGoPoints: 22184

njvictor

August 18th, 2022 at 11:30 AM ^

We really don't know what he'll be, but he had 9.5 sacks last year, had 4.5 tackles for loss in a single game, and PFF has him in their top 20 NFL Draft edge prospects, so I agree, saying "Jordan Whittley," who got a few snaps a game, when we have an open competition for a starting edge spot seems odd

Joined: 07/20/2017

MGoPoints: 65172

Blue Vet

August 18th, 2022 at 5:34 PM ^

An MLive article suggests Sam's take may be right, that athleticism may make for a good edge rusher and there's no real risk otherwise.

https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2022/08/transfer-lb-eyabi-anoma-immediately-eligible-to-play-at-michigan.html

On the other hand, check out Blue Collar's thought below, that it may be an attempt to help Anoma.

Joined: 05/08/2012

MGoPoints: 71224

The Blue Collar

August 18th, 2022 at 10:40 AM ^

It seems very possible that Poggi wanted Anoma to come to Michigan for something other than football reasons. As a college prof, I've had more than a few kids come through with a lot of potential that lacked direction. It's possible they're looking to help the kid, not the football team.

Joined: 05/30/2019

MGoPoints: 17023

Hab

August 18th, 2022 at 11:06 AM ^

How long has it been since you've just been able to turn on a TV, switch over to channel 4 or 7, and catch the afternoon's games over the local broadcast?  That's what got me into the sport as a kid anyway.

To this old mind, we've reached peak idiocy.  To have to subscribe to all of these services, which are essentially the equivalent of cable, is too much.  Bootleg streams it is.

Joined: 01/02/2015

MGoPoints: 39667

johnnyg

August 18th, 2022 at 5:49 PM ^

The old B1G arrangement with FOX/ABC/ESPN worked for me.  I could always watch a UM game (even against a crappy opponent) via my already extortionate cable service. 

Hell, I was able to watch UM - Maryland in 2018 from a bar in Barcelona.

I can see the day fast approaching where I will have to pay an additional fee for a service I don't want just to watch an uncompetitive UM - Rutgers game. 

Joined: 10/27/2017

MGoPoints: 215

willirwin1778

August 18th, 2022 at 11:16 AM ^

The "ceiling that stops at Georgia" argument against Cade is pretty ridiculous and should be put to bed.  It sounds clever I suppose, but you are basically using one game against someone in an attempt to define them negatively.  


It is a team game and our entire offense was a year younger and a bit dinged up in that Georgia game last year.  Our D didn't have it's best game either and Georgia went on to win the NC, so losing to them shouldn't really be held against anyone.  On paper, this years team should have a much better shot at winning that game.    

 

Joined: 03/09/2013

MGoPoints: 5039

MGoBlue96

August 18th, 2022 at 11:28 AM ^

Counterpoint the only time UM moved the ball with any consistency in that game was when JJ was in and Georgia still was playing their first team defense to boot. Cade is the type of QB who needs good play around him on any given play to excel. JJ with his legs and stronger arm is the type of guy  potentially who can make a play out of nothing. That is what you saw some  against Georgia, creating stuff with his legs and then a couple of times fitting missiles into near impossible windows. It is not a knock on Cade, who was already a good QB last year to say JJ has a higher ceiling, it's just reality. Cade can't make himself faster or make his arm any stronger, not to say he can't improve in other areas, but he absolutely has a physical limit below that of JJ. However, I will say thinking either guy is at their limit mentally is silly because Cade was a first year starter last year. Last year Cade is not fully tapped out Cade from a growth standpoint.

If you want to beat a playoff caliber team you either need talent that matches those teams which is not obtainable or you need an individual QB performance that overcomes that overall talent gap. Honestly I am not even sure where this notion that either is ahead is coming from, Harbaugh said yesterday it was pretty much a dead heat right now. My guess is they both play equally the first three games and whoever plays better gets the nod to start conference play, it really shouldn't be rocket science. If they are in fact even in camp it should not just default be based on seniority, both guys should get a chance to win the job those first three games. 

Joined: 12/26/2010

MGoPoints: 26099

njvictor

August 18th, 2022 at 3:05 PM ^

Cade had 4 good games last year (MSU, PSU, Wisco, and Maryland) and the rest of the games he played he looked like a below average or mediocre QB. With the defense probably taking a step back this year, I'm not sure we can have another year of our QB having a consistent stat line of 10/18 for 150 yards and 1 TD

Joined: 07/20/2017

MGoPoints: 65172

Gustavo Fring

August 19th, 2022 at 12:52 AM ^

I do think Cade’s ceiling is higher than that but it requires perfection in a couple of areas.  Since he never goes off schedule and doesn’t take chances, he has to have near perfect accuracy (as opposed to just solid like it is now).  
it’s why things like the pass to Erick all against Iowa that ended up being picked are so frustrating.  Should All have caught that?  Probably.  But if you’re MO is the steady boring execution guy you have to be perfect on those simple throws, and Cade isn’t quite that (though again, he’s solid).

If Cade can hit a truly elite outcome with accuracy that is a high ceiling guy I think.  JJ fully realized still probably clears but that’s the bar Cade needs to clear

Joined: 09/29/2009

MGoPoints: 5175

DoubleB

August 18th, 2022 at 1:54 PM ^

Cade wasn't asked to do much last year. Outside of UGA, the team was ahead, usually comfortably in every game except Nebraska, Michigan State, and Penn State. Against Nebraska he was 1-3 in the last drive prior to the fumble that set up the winning FG. He was 5-12 and an interception in the last two MSU drives. He made one dump off throw against PSU to All that went for 50+ yards for the winning TD. Even from behind Michigan still ran the ball pretty consistently.

Cade is a good, solid QB who benefitted immensely from a great defense and an excellent running game. 

Joined: 11/19/2008

MGoPoints: 7470

The Oracle 2

August 18th, 2022 at 12:03 PM ^

The idea that McNamara is a super protector of the football fell apart at the end of the season. He was intercepted on the final drive of the MSU game, when they still had a chance to win, threw a terrible and potentially momentum destroying INT against OSU, another in the Big 10 Championship Game and two more in a very poor performance against Georgia. 

Joined: 02/25/2018

MGoPoints: 19192

LAmichigan

August 18th, 2022 at 12:16 PM ^

Everyone whines about "California Politics" until they wake up on a warm, sunny New Year Day in Pasadena while it's 15 degrees back in Michigan.  I'll take my "California Politics"!!

Joined: 03/19/2018

MGoPoints: 2218

spiff

August 18th, 2022 at 1:32 PM ^

I think Brian hit on an important point that I haven't seen mentioned much. These RBs are perfect 'speed in space' RBs. How do you get them in space? Believable zone reads.

 

We probably will have an above average running game with Cade in there, but JJ being a legit running threat would make for some highlight reel runs I think.

Joined: 05/18/2009

MGoPoints: 1723

DennisFranklinDaMan

August 18th, 2022 at 6:39 PM ^

My concern with the quarterback debate is that while McNamara is fine and good, I don't know if he has the skill set to beat OSU in Columbus (especially without last year's defense and with OSU in revenge mode). Despite everything Harbaugh says about the best player playing, I've never seen any sign of it at the QB position -- based on practice. McNamara only beat out Joe Milton when circumstances forced Harbaugh to play him, for example -- Harbaugh certainly missed that evaluation in camp.

Indeed, no need to blame Harbaugh: I think it's really hard for a second-place QB to be demonstrably better than the starter in training camp. I can't remember any moderately successful quarterback at Michigan (and god knows, McNamara was more than "moderately" successful last year) losing his starting job in training camp.

So unless there's an opportunity for McCarthy to save our ass and impress the coaches -- and do I really want to be cheering for that situation to be necessary? -- I'm not sure what it would take to replace McNamara. It certainly didn't happen last year, for instance.

And then we're up against Ohio State. Are you telling me Harbaugh will then start McCarthy for the first time in that game? I don't buy it.

Eh, it's all fine. I just worry that we've got a potential super-star, and the fact that he's behind a patently competent player playing a really weak schedule will mean he'll never get a chance to show it -- and he won't be ready to excel, with an opportunity to get control of his nerves and comfortable with the offense -- when he's needed.

Joined: 01/23/2021

MGoPoints: 14418

ST3

August 18th, 2022 at 11:05 PM ^

Regarding California politics, every other commercial out here is related to a ballot initiative concerning online sports gambling. The USC/UCLA to the Big10 issue hasn’t moved the needle. 

Joined: 09/11/2010

MGoPoints: 52559