Adjusted Expectations?
The non conference season is over. We've seen our two legitimate games go about as poorly as they could have. On the other hand, our conference foes haven't fared much better.
Based on what you've seen, what is the realistic ceiling/floor for this team in Big Ten play?
September 24th, 2012 at 9:12 AM ^
Purdue: Great DT's thank God we have a bye week to prepare, they have Marshall this week.
Illinois: I haven't watched them at all but it doesn’t sound good with the QB situation. Next two games are PSU and Wis.
MSU: Keep running Bell into the ground please. OSU/IND/IOWA next three weeks
Nebraska: Not a good week to take on NEB in Lincoln after MSU (It's a trap!). WIS/OSU/NU before playing UM.
Minnesota: No clue. IOWA/NU/WIS/PUR.
NU: 107th in passing yards. IND/PSU/MIN/NEB/IOWA
IOWA: yea, this ones at home.
OSU: Urban is trying to keep Millers rushing numbers down with his game plan vs. UAB and their D is suspect as of now.
The only game to me that seems rough would be Nebraska coming off the MSU game. Hope everyone stays healthy and UM can clean up the turnovers.
September 24th, 2012 at 9:51 AM ^
Michigan struggles badly against teams with rough tough defenses.
September 24th, 2012 at 12:11 PM ^
So I'll go with 10-2 down from 11-1 in the regular season. Win the BTCG and go to the rose bowl where Denard and the other seniors win their last game in a winged helmet.
Some of these will be ugly games, but every one is winnable.
September 25th, 2012 at 1:20 AM ^
I am an OSU fan from TX, and enjoyed talking football with a lot of great UM fans a few weeks ago for the Labor Day kick off game.
I am really stunned at how weak OSU's defense has become - and am equally stunned at the production decline from UM.
Look, no one is going to beat Alabama; however, the performance of our two teams and the B1G overall is really hard to analyze. OSU is struggling with weak teams and cannot stop anyone. Their D was solid for a decade and I don't get Fickell and Vrabell and their scheme.
UM is in transition to the style of offense I think OSU should stick with (Bo: FB, TE in a 3-pt stance ...) and I get that; however, Denard is Denard, and he is not being put in positions to make him as multi-dimensional as he should be.
Both OSU and UM have good recruiting classes and the future should - should - be bright. But right now, Hoke and Meyer as solid as they are, I don't see the B1G competing with the SEC. Shane Morris is going to be solid, and UM is going to be good. OSU will be good. I just don't see the two schools or the B1G winning the NC until Saban retires.
I think UM and OSU will be competitive for the next decade in the B1G. Don't see a NC unless something drastic happens like changes to oversigning. The economy is not coming back in a big way ever again to the MidWest, and the recruiting bases will have to compete in the South and the West and those 5* players will stay home and we can plan on developing 4* talent and playing our asses off. It is a different decade ...
Which brings me back to my opening line - having grown up in the NE/ MW/ B1G country and having lived in TX since the 90's, there is a solid population shift, and the base for our two schools is shifting and that will make it tough to win the NC. Being competitive is one thing - playing for a legitimate NC title is something else...
Eager to hear from UM fans...
Go Army - Beat Navy!