Defensive Analysis: Penn State
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[Editor's note: bumped for obvious reasons. I was just going to say the same stuff about the long handoffs anyway in UFR.]
I just finished breaking down the first half plus the first series of the second half from the Penn State game. Overall, the defense was generally solid, but there were a handful of major gaffes. When you gaffe on defense, the other team gashes you, usually for six. This happened Saturday.
What compounded these problems was the ineffectiveness of the offense, which I believe can be primarily explained by two words: David Molk. The team practiced all week with Molk at center and then for him to get injured after 5 plays and out for the rest of the first half really hurt the execution. The other major offensive problem was catching a football.
When you wear gloves.
When you get paid to do it. [ed.: in scholarships, folks!]
To quote Brian: "Blearrrggghhhh!"
After Penn State's 2nd offensive series (on which they kicked a FG to go up 10-7), the offense had 4 series to either tie the game or take the lead. The results? Punt, punt, pick, safety. How did the defense follow up these? Forced punt, forced punt, forced punt, and then the 1-play drive for the TD to make it 19-7. In the first half, the D gave the O plenty of opportunities. The O gave the D no margin for error.
Okay, on to the meat.
ANALYSIS BULLETS:
Okay, the corner's 10 yards off. What's the coverage? Man?
You're correct. However, we were playing a "slice" technique, which is used in bracket coverage. Williams and Warren were bracketing #1, and Williams was supposed to undercut him. Yes, it'd still be a completion, but there's no way they should get 8 yards. If you go back and watch the film, you'll notice that after their third time having success with this, it came on our sideline and you can see GERG in Williams's grill after the play, reprimanding him.
We also used this:
Okay, what's the coverage? Man?
Nope, it's cover 2. Notice how the defense's alignment is almost identical. The only differences are the alignments of Stevie, who has to apex #2 and EMLOS b/c there's 2 WR's to his side instead of 1, and Kovacs, who is now a deep half player instead of a center fielder. However, on the boundary side, we are playing what is called "thumbs" or sometimes "invert" b/c the safety is down in the box (hence the hybrid OLB/safety nature of our free safety) and the corner is deep.
In this coverage, it is also Williams's responsibility to make the quick WR screen a small gain, as opposed to, say...oh...8 yards.
Okay, that was fun. Now allow me to opinionate:
OPINION BULLETS:
I just finished breaking down the first half plus the first series of the second half from the Penn State game. Overall, the defense was generally solid, but there were a handful of major gaffes. When you gaffe on defense, the other team gashes you, usually for six. This happened Saturday.
What compounded these problems was the ineffectiveness of the offense, which I believe can be primarily explained by two words: David Molk. The team practiced all week with Molk at center and then for him to get injured after 5 plays and out for the rest of the first half really hurt the execution. The other major offensive problem was catching a football.
When you wear gloves.
When you get paid to do it. [ed.: in scholarships, folks!]
To quote Brian: "Blearrrggghhhh!"
After Penn State's 2nd offensive series (on which they kicked a FG to go up 10-7), the offense had 4 series to either tie the game or take the lead. The results? Punt, punt, pick, safety. How did the defense follow up these? Forced punt, forced punt, forced punt, and then the 1-play drive for the TD to make it 19-7. In the first half, the D gave the O plenty of opportunities. The O gave the D no margin for error.
Okay, on to the meat.
ANALYSIS BULLETS:
- In the 36 snaps (some called back due to penalty), we set our front to the field 30 times, or 83.33% of the time. I'm guessing we had a huge tendency on them.
- Out of the 36 calls, 25 were no blitz (69.44%), 10 were man pressures (27.78%), and 1 was a zone blitz (2.78%).
- While only 1 call was a pure zone blitz (i.e., we blitzed LBs and played all zone behind it, including dropping the quick into an underneath zone), we did drop the nose and tackle into the shallow underneath area in order to a) take away shallow cross, b) take away check down throws to the RBs, and c) spy the QB. We did this 3 times.
- We played some form of man coverage on 21 of the 36 calls I broke down (58.33%), and only 3 of those were no safety help. However, two of those used the nose/tackle drops.
- Two Penn State TDs were the exact same play out of the exact same formation to the exact same WR matched up against the exact same defender. Angry-Michigan-Stevie-Brown-Hating-God.
- Shocking as it is, our safety play was poor. We didn't tackle well, we didn't cover well, we weren't physical. Woolfolk was decent in coverage as a safety, but we had to play him at corner; now even more so with Cissoko's departure. Kovacs was a good run defender as the Free Safety (which is really our hybrid safety/LB player), but we moved him to Strong Safety.
- The long TD to the TE was Kovacs responsibility. We were in Cover 2. The completion wasn't on him, but the fact that it turned into a TD was on him. There were three breakdowns on the play. First, Brandon Herron lines up too far outside the TE, allowing him a free release. There's no reason for him to be out that far given there's Stevie Brown apexed b/w the slot and the TE, plus a hard corner in cover 2. Second, Obi doesn't collision the TE, mostly b/c of his unmolested release, but Obi still has to at least get his hands on the TE and widen him toward the half safety. Third, and most importantly, Kovacs has the deep half of the field. The two WRs both ran hitches, which should have refocused Kovac's eyes inside to #3. He didn't get depth, and then looked less than speedy attempting to chase down the TE.
- D-line is keeping us from being the worst Michigan defense of all time. We have 3 good players and The Beast. However, it is possible that The Beast was responsible for Royster's long run and the end around for a 1st down on 3rd and 2.
- LB play is average. The technique is solid now, but recognition just isn't there sometimes, and when ILB recognition isn't there, the defense starts to bleed yards. This is hard to tell, but you just don't see LBs making plays. When you think about the great defenses, what do they all have in common? They were all strong up the middle: great DTs, ILBs, and safeties.
- The DL excellence and improved LB technique
- Corner play was good the last two real games, but naturally once the good teams know that, they attack elsewhere. (I think Warren played hurt after that punt return fiasco and couldn't play with the same effectiveness, hence, the TD allowed late in the game.)
- Regardless of position, opposing receivers are never re-routed unless we are in their face. This is not how good pass defenses play coverage. All receivers running downfield routes must be collisioned in every coverage.
- Coach Robinson is mixing up coverages nicely, in terms of making them look identical. Now, whether or not they were effective is a different matter, but there had to be many occurances of Daryl Clark reading the coverage and being incorrect.
- The maddening quick screens to the WRs were the result of poor execution in some of the coverage looks mentioned above. Allow me to demonstrate:
Okay, the corner's 10 yards off. What's the coverage? Man?
You're correct. However, we were playing a "slice" technique, which is used in bracket coverage. Williams and Warren were bracketing #1, and Williams was supposed to undercut him. Yes, it'd still be a completion, but there's no way they should get 8 yards. If you go back and watch the film, you'll notice that after their third time having success with this, it came on our sideline and you can see GERG in Williams's grill after the play, reprimanding him.
We also used this:
Okay, what's the coverage? Man?
Nope, it's cover 2. Notice how the defense's alignment is almost identical. The only differences are the alignments of Stevie, who has to apex #2 and EMLOS b/c there's 2 WR's to his side instead of 1, and Kovacs, who is now a deep half player instead of a center fielder. However, on the boundary side, we are playing what is called "thumbs" or sometimes "invert" b/c the safety is down in the box (hence the hybrid OLB/safety nature of our free safety) and the corner is deep.
In this coverage, it is also Williams's responsibility to make the quick WR screen a small gain, as opposed to, say...oh...8 yards.
Okay, that was fun. Now allow me to opinionate:
OPINION BULLETS:
- Watch the 2nd half kickoff and you'll see why Brandon Smith is a LB instead of a safety.
- And we really, really, really need safeties. And linebackers...but mostly inside linebackers. We're pretty set at OLB, in my opinion.
- Going forward, expect our safeties to be targeted every game. We must become competent or we will give up 30+ every game the rest of this season. Yes, even Illinois.
- We need to switch Kovacs and Williams. Kovacs doesn't make mental errors, but he simply doesn't have the skill set to play a deep zone. Whoever suggested he'll be a Sam next year, I was on the same frequency.
- For those of you seriously concerned about the immediate future of this team, I don't think it's as bad as Saturday suggested. At the time, I didn't think it was as good as ND suggested. (Although, to be fair, playing the Irish will always make you think you're better than you actually are. Here's a little prayer for Weis being there for many years.) Right now we're on the uphill part of the roller coaster, which is dull for those who like to have fun and a relief for those who like to be comfortable. When you're on the roller coaster, though, if you want to have the fun you have to first endure the dull. Remember, as Beilein said, the 2nd year is a roller coaster. Space Shuttle rides come years later.
- Defensive recruiting is this program's #1 priority. I know, I know. Duh.
- As I stated in a board post, I don't like going all-out blitz with man coverage on 3rd and long. The dagger TD against Stevie Brown was a double safety, Mike LB blitz with cover 0 behind it on 3rd and 9 from the 11. In that situation, what is to be gained by a sack that wouldn't also be gained by a 7-yard completion? Best case scenario with that call (assuming no turnover created) is a 10 yard loss, making it a 38-yard FG attempt. Easily makeable. I would play cover 2 , keep the ball in front of us, give up the FG, and keep us in the game.
- I believe Rodriguez will ultimately be successful here, if he is shown the same patience by the administration that Amaker was. That type of patience, however, will not happen with the fan base.
Wasn't he a pretty impressive recruit, I don't get why he has been as bad as he has been this year.
Thanks, Steve, excellent analysis.
Basically they have Warren playing safety. (Except in the variation where they are in "man" coverage, I assume that if the receiver doesn't run the bubble route, Warren gets him downfield...but is again bracketing with Williams, so he doesn't have man coverage. If anything, this feels like double coverage. On the other side Kovacs is deep help for both Woolfolk--on the WR--and Brown--on the TE. Ezeh and Mouton have the FB and TB.)
What I don't totally understand is why they don't have Woolfolk and Warren switched. Woolfolk can play the safety (while Williams slices) and put Warren on an island against the other receiver. Tell Kovacs to make sure that Stevie doesn't get burnt by the TE (and TEs have been killing us on Defense). The rip on Kovacs is that he hasn't been good in pass coverage, is this because he's worried about two guys instead of one?
My question is the same regarding the Quarless TD play. Why not switch Warren and Woolfolk? Williams can cover the WR and Woolfolk can take the deep 1/2 of the field. Warren has the WR (on the strong side) in man coverage and Kovacs can be over the top help on the slot and the TE (instead of the slot, the TE, and the WR) with the directive to watch that TE (being covered by OBI!) so that the TE doesn't kill us.
Zone is still zone, but one could ask the same question about flipping Woolfolk and Warren...I guess it isn't as big of a deal to me there.
I guess that much of the criticism is that there are only 2 players on Defense that make opposing OCs cringe, and putting Donovan (essentially) at safety makes him less of a threat. Doesn't this switch address that and maintain the integrity of the defense?
I've never claimed to be the "football genius" but this seems like a common sense fix to much of the criticism. I'm wondering why (some of us think that) the coaches haven't decided to deploy the defense in this way.
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
for much of the season prior to Woolfolk's move to CB.
...the Canadians make up for it with their emotion and classic ice-dancing skill.
Good idea
I'm fairly certain our best defense would be a C2 with Warren and Woolfolk deep. That's obviously not going to happen, so playing some inverted 2 with DW dropping deep is a solid solution. I suppose you could start with Woolfolk at an actual safety position to get into a Warren/Woolfolk 2 deep, which I assume was the point of the SWAT package. So much for that, apparently. Also, I railed against the idea of playing Kovacs deep a couple weeks back to some folks and nearly threw my laptop through the TV on that Quarless TD. It really just goes to show the lack of talent that GERG would think it the best idea to put him back there. I think this D definitely has less talent than the '05 unit and that was a tough one to watch.
...the Canadians make up for it with their emotion and classic ice-dancing skill.
Is the use of Warren in a deep safety role more likely to cause him to leave after this season?
plus the draft incentives thanks to the threat of a new CBA are far bigger issues.
...the Canadians make up for it with their emotion and classic ice-dancing skill.
Haha, fair enough, thanks.
What do you think is the reasoning behind Williams playing the flats with Warren deep on those formations? Wouldn't it make much more sense the other way around?
More dudes in the box with the safety down instead of the corner.
why must he be leaving? Why can't life be fair?
...the Canadians make up for it with their emotion and classic ice-dancing skill.
in the deep shell and isn't really a credible threat to man up on the outside. Makes tons more sense for DW to be deep.
...the Canadians make up for it with their emotion and classic ice-dancing skill.
However, if we're saying that he currently is and is going to be our safety then isn't that where we should be giving him experience? Furthermore, I think Warren is much better at those one-on-one tackles in the flats.
if Williams was going to be a deep safety, now would be a perfect time to get him reps. Obviously, GERG doesn't see him as such. And Warren is both a better flat defender AND a superior deep cover man. But the more valuable (rarer) skill set is in the shell rather than underneath.
...the Canadians make up for it with their emotion and classic ice-dancing skill.
all out blitzes because we've shown the tendency to blitz in that situation and haven't adapted. I remember at least twice that we ran a full blitz on 3rd and they ran a screen and max pro. So we either tipped it at the line or they expected it coming into the game.
...the Canadians make up for it with their emotion and classic ice-dancing skill.
Steve, excellent work. I was right with you on the second-to-last bullet. I was screaming at the TV on that one, I just don't know why you sell out with that situation and D/D. I remember texting my friend, something like ...and now the farm belongs to the bank. Anyway, glad someone else agreed with me, b/c the people I was watching with were all agro about blizting. Also, thanks for bringing light to the Williams busts. Any insight into why Vlad hasn't seen the field, other than not ready? If they are going to give Fitz a chance why not some of the others? Also agreed on the Smith K/O. Why is that guy the contain on K/O? Ususally you put a safety there.. Ok I answered my own question. Thanks again - solid work.
Yeah, I was screaming at my TV too, but I don't think it made too much of a difference.
Is there a worse possible situation in which to blitz then 3rd-and-goal from the 9? (OK, there's 3-and-26 on your own side of the field, but ...) You've got limited space working to your advantage, you're vulnerable to the QB-WR exploiting the one advantage they have in that space if the blitz is at all readable, and, as Steve points out, it's not like you're going to sack someone out of FG range. The only reason to do it is that it doesn't make sense to do it and therefore there's an element of surprise. But if you frequently blitz on third-and-long, you lose that element, too.
Great graphic on the long TD by the way. Says it all.
Great post, as usual. Defensive nuances are always tough to catch, but you point them out quite effectively.
I agree about blitzing on third and long. Outside of Warren, this secondary is simply too green and mistake-prone to put them on islands like that. Now, maybe it makes sense if the O is really backed up and the QB is shaken - looking at you, random Illinois QB - but not against a guy like Clark who can move and can wait for his guys to get open downfield.
Steve:
Thanks for your insight. I've learned a lot reading your stuff this year. I was wondering about the thought of moving Stevie Brown back to SS? While he seems better suited to the hybrid position, the lack of debt at SS and Williams continual poor play makes it seem like we need more help there.
Of course, I'm not sure who replaces Brown at the hybrid LB position.
What's your thoughts?
Stevie Brown had little success at safety and now is having success (until PSU) at Sam. Don't move him.
We should put guys back where they best fit and play those who play best in practice. If they don't get it done during the game, put in the backup. If the backup fails, put the starter back in and enjoy your poop sandwich. Coach 'em up, as they say, and do the best you can. The go recruitin' and get some players.
I get what you say; It seems like they need to replace williams -- he doesn't appear to tackle well and he always in the wrong place at the right time (for the opponents ie).
who is the backup to williams at this point? might they try to replace him with only 4 games to go? Cissoko's "termination" really hurts (but is very understandable).
I just can't get over how thin the defense is.
one other question if you don't mind -- do we have enought with this team to beat Ill and Purdue, and perhaps have a shot at OSU? (Assuming no major injuries?)
Thanks Steve.
I feel a little better about life after having read that.
"To me, clowns aren't funny. In fact, they're kind of scary. I've wondered where this started and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus, and a clown killed my dad."
- Jack Handey
Steve: As always excellent work. I really look forward to your analysis. Can I ask one question? With the skill set that Warren has why do we not put him right up on the line, yes I know he may get beat deep but Williams simply cannot make a play in the "slice." I could live with Warren pressing every play. My 2 cents.
Eric Hoort
Excellent analysis, thanks Steve.
This was particularly insightful and striking to me:
"After Penn State's 2nd offensive series (on which they kicked a FG to go up 10-7), the offense had 4 series to either tie the game or take the lead. The results? Punt, punt, pick, safety. How did the defense follow up these? Forced punt, forced punt, forced punt, and then the 1-play drive for the TD to make it 19-7. In the first half, the D gave the O plenty of opportunities. The O gave the D no margin for error."
Wow. It is fascinating to see how much is going on. Thanks for the break down of the plays, and the explanation of what is going on.
I am teaching my 16 year old daughter to drive. Rather, I am in the passenger seat as she goes to school every day. It is obvious to me that while she is doing fine, she has to drive a lot to learn the little things, to know how to react to different situations. Last month, when approaching a light from about 100 yds or so that turned yellow while going 50 mph, she asked, "go or stop?" The millesecond of hesitation meant she had to stop. You have to just react immediately, knowing what to do, and if you have to think, the moment has passed.
With both offense and defense, time on the field, experiencing different situations, knowing how to react immediately, will pay dividends in future years. This is something that comes from game experience, and not just from the practice field. Of course, this is also dependent on the necessary speed and strength, which can't be coached.
I've drank the koolaid, I'm all in, win or lose, with RR. Even with 4 or 5 straight losses in the Big 10.
I've not had a chance to re-watch the game yet, but I noticed that PSU was making a lot of yards running backside, particularly on the first few series.
Did you notice the same & was there a particular reason for it?
Great work as always.
"Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man." - J.Lebowski
At the half, I remember being very thankful that it was still a one score game. Pleased with their performance or not, if the defense hadn't stepped up in the 2nd quarter it could've very well been 35-10 at halftime.
"I will fight, 'til I'm dead, with a Winged Helmet on my Head"
I don't usually like pimping my own stuff, but I had done similar analysis of the plays over at my blog. Check it out if you care. Steve, any comments or thoughts would be appreciated.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
http://burgeoningwolverinestar.blogspot.com/
ain't easy.
Good analysis and a new blog too (at least new to me)!
However, this depressed me a little:
Part 3: "This is exactly what the defense was trying to force on this play and it worked to perfection.
There's a reason Michigan hasn't been lining up their linebackers and Warren on the first down line to play zone this season: They didn't have the personnel, or at least the personnel wasn't trained/good enough."
Wait, what changed?
"Now that Cissoko is back, this allows Michigan to play to their strengths."
Son of a..
I have never heard of you or your blog. I just read Part I. Very informative. Nice work.
Very insightful. Really appreciate the breakdown of the defense design where the corners were playing so far off versus the quick screen.
Makes a little more sense now seeing that Williams had the flat on those plays.
Point 1:
And we really, really, really need safeties. And linebackers...but mostly inside linebackers. We're pretty set at OLB, in my opinion...
Point 2:
Defensive recruiting is this program's #1 priority. I know, I know. Duh.
---
(Inside) Linebackers and Safeties are desperately needed from our recruiting class. Agreed. Yet if you look at how the upcoming class is shaping up, as far as I can tell there is only a little bit of help coming anytime soon. There's some help coming, but certainly not enough. 3-9 is still haunting us, unfortunately.
So, to the impatient fans out there: get used to the defense struggling for a while and PLEASE BE PATIENT. This is going to be a long, 2-3 season journey before we can even think about leaning on the defense to win games. Our situation isn't going to drastically change anytime soon, so please lay off Gerg and the kids.
The Wolverine Liberation Army- saving Michigan fans one dick joke at a time.
other than the lapses listed by steve given repeated bad position they were put in by the offense and special teams. i like the effort everyone is giving, but you can only do so much with safeties that struggle to cover and two ILB's that clearly aren't playing to expectations.
"Overall, the defense was generally solid"
You're kidding right? After our first drive, it took them what, 4 plays to score? Clark's biggest problem was deciding which open receiver to throw to!
You may titillate yourself with the breakdown, but you lost me at "overall the defense was solid". OK, they are not as incompetent as last year, Penn State did whatever they wanted.
Do we have a single good linebacker? If your answer is Stevie Brown, you see what trouble we are in. And the secondary? Wha' happened to our recruiting? Why is there even an opportunity for a DB like Kovacs, who doesnt have the speed to cover effectively. Woolfolk is ok at corner and Warren seems good, but where do they all hide when the ball is in the air?
If JoePa acted like Urban Meyer, they would have dropped 50 on us. They ran the ball a lot in the second half because they had a big lead and just wanted to get out of town.
We need a rack of DBs and LBs in next year's class or this shit is going to continue.....unless this was your idea of "solid".
Go Blue
...by Royster and you're left with PSU averaging 3 yd/rush. This isn't solid to you?
I think he meant that the overall gameplan was solid and it was the occassional gaffe in execution or assignment that cost us. The gameplan was solid and well conceived, just not executed per th examples above. Most gripers are talking about a 10 yard cushion on 1st down they kept throwing for 8 yards, but that was execution, not gameplan.
All in all, it was the same people making the same mistakes, which is the frustrating part to watch. BG and Co, were the only bright spots, minus the one over-slanting line that gave up the backside to Royster early on.
Thank you. That was a great write-up, and also provides an understanding why Warren is continually playing 10 yards off the WR--he is the one ultimately responsible for both the deep zone and the WR if the route is over 10 yards after the Up Safety releases coverage.
Interesting scheming; however, the lack of talent and/or recognition comes through once again. I'm still optimistic about this team in a year or two, but I'm not so confident about the bleeding stopping anytime soon this year.
Coach Sharik notes a lack of physical play. I have noted that few players save BG attack and drive back ballcarriers, instead pulling them down, or, worse, pushing them downfield. Is this a physical maturity problem? But Ezeh is a third year starter, and how much more maturing can we hope for?
Are there any offensive players who have good potential on defense? I don't know how many readers remember Jim Betts, who went over to safety from backup QB as a senior and was very effective (1970), but more recently Ian Gold made the switch and did very well. I am sure there must be more who did. Why not now?
jim48315
as it just seemed like we made it to easy for them. I know Clark is experienced but to see guys not executing their assignments in what was a pretty good gameplan drives me nuts. But to be fair to the defense, when you're on the field a lot because the offense is not working, that increases the chance for error insomuch as you're seeing more snaps than you would if we could mount a drive offensively once in a while and chew some clock.
At this point, I give some other guys a shot a safety insomuch as we cannot start out next year with guys who have no experience and I don't think these guys will improve beyond their ceilings or we wouldn't be seeing this mistakes 8 games into the season. We need to recruit some HS CBs and move them to safety as opposed to getting safeties and making them LBs or hybrids as is usually the case going to D1.
It gives me hope that the D will get better (hopefully very soon).
However, I disagree that RR will not have sufficient time at Michigan. Say we beat Purdue and Illinois, but lose the other 2 games. That equals 7-5 and a bowl game (not the Pizza Pizza one either). In 2010, if we win 8 games, I still think RR stays at Michigan with the thought that people believe 2011 is THE year and he wins 9+ games. That gives him a decent amount of time to get GRob's D fully in place and RR's O fully in place.
I think the average Michigan fan is happy with 8-10 wins a year a good bowl game and a win 1/2 of the time against OSU.
Boycott the Detroit Free Press! Do not click on any link to a freep article.
GO BLUE
"I think the average Michigan fan is happy with 8-10 wins a year a good bowl game and a win 1/2 of the time against OSU."
I know, I know, the OSU losing streak helped raise the complaining level re: Lloyd. Well, and the way we started out 2007. But average Michigan fans complain a lot, the 8-10 win Lloyd Carr equilibrium pissed off a lot of people...I don't want to open up that can of worms though.
Excellence is Good
I too agree with patience for RR, and hope he gets through the 2012 season to demonstrate his results. But if we were to beat OSU half the time and win 8-9 games a year, that would not make me happy. Call me unrealistic but I think there is no reason we can't be elite, which means the majority of our seasons in any 5 year period we would have 10 wins. Just as OSU etc. do.
Self proclaimed MGoBlog "quiz-bowl stud"
I don't think you can play deep in the end zone. Coverage has to be able to STOP THE TD. Our players have not shown they can stop a completion either when they play deep or under, so I don't know that it makes much of a difference. That was something I noticed on one of PSU's TD passes. The CB's were still giving a huge cushion which put them in the end zone. They they were too deep to stop the ball carrier.
(Regarding the play deep and give up the FG at the end)
Wasting away in Ohio, a Wolverine in a sea of red and grey
thanks for the analysis. i agree with the patience part. we as michigan fans seem to have little patience. look at USC. they had a couple of down years under carroll and are now a national power again. sometimes programs step back, michigan is not the exception.
we will see a huge improvement under RR once we don't have to rely on freshman as heavily. Experience and knowledge are very important in a read offense. stay true, stay blue, give RR a break...our time is coming.
a couple of down years?!
They finished 6-6 his first season and split the pac-10 his second season.. after that, they've been a national title contender pretty much every year.. (winning it his third and fourth season)