Another gem from Nick B. on JJ McCarthy

Work like a pro style QB.   This is a great line.

There’s another QB who has spoken about how he learned to prepare while he was in college.  He wound up playing a few games on Sunday, and coincidentally - played a few snaps for Michigan while he was in college. 

That other QB… his name is Tom Brady.

Who’s got it better than us?

Thanks for sharing. The Athletic posts some great stuff. It's one of the few sites I've found other than this one where you get level-headed, non-sensationalized coverage.

And I have to agree that JJ starting could be the "season-changer" for us.

Great job summarizing/clipping a paywalled article, OP!  Lots of people should learn from your fine example.

We've seen repeatedly that Harbaugh expects a lot out of his QB's, but he also expects it from the rest of his offense.  Back in the day, when Pep Hamilton was around, he was trying to run NFL-like routes with decidely not NFL-like WRs.  Well, at least with WR's that knew nothing of those concepts at the time.  I don't think Pep taught the routes, combos, coverages, and reads very well because that offense was usually on different pages.  But, starting with Gattis, I believe Harbaugh has finally hit on a combination of coaches that are all teaching their units to see the same things and react how they're supposed to for said situation.  And he also - finally - has a QB that can run it efficiently.

We get two years with McCarthy, so lets enjoy the living hell out of it!

I wonder what would have happened if the in-season QB competition would have taken place in 2020. Would Milton and McCaffrey have stayed if they both were given a game to win the starting job? Do we lose to Sparty if Dylan starts Game 2? I'm happy were things are, but I feel like putting both QBs out there in a game situation was a stroke of genius in hindsight.

The question is, "Do recruits really want to be in a pro QB style offense in college?"

It isn't like Michigan is seeing top QB talent clamor to come to Michigan on a yearly basis. 

Rudock, McNamara, McCarthy are so far the three that have shown what a good QB can do for the team with Cade being at the forefront of producing outstanding results with his season last year. 

Maybe the key to having QB success at Michigan is just recruit guys with "Mc" starting as the first part of their last name. 

There is one thing that I think has been essential for this team to get to where they are - and, that is blocking.   Blocking by the OL, the RB's, the TE's, the WR's - everyone.

That blocking has led to 1) effective protection for the QB in passing situations, and 2) opening of holes for the RB's.

To no one's surprise - this is both foundational and fundamental.   But, at this level - precision and quality of execution make the difference.   

"Practice does not make perfect.  Only perfect practice makes perfect." - Vincent Thomas Lombardi

The Michigan Difference, compared to the other guys.

As a lifelong Bears fan, my immediate reax to the trade to get Fields was: "NOOOO!" To paraphrase a joke from Airplane!, "Here is a pamphlet on great OSU QBs in the NFL."  Only, there isn't enough information to fill out even a pamphlet.  I have made this reference before, but in case you didn't see: Name the only OSU QB who took a snap as QB in a Superbowl? Mike Tomczak (bet you didn't know that, or, don't know of him at all).  (Fourth quarter third-string mop-up duty for Da Bears in SB XX over Pats... back in 1986).  Or, the only OSU QB who started in the Superbowl?  It's a trick question, it's Tom Tupa... but he started as a punter.

One more datapoint.  OSU decided [edited] another guy was better than that other guy, who then transfers to LSU, becomes the greatest college QB ever, goes #1, and is in the Superbowl two years later.  That doesn't make OSU's decision-making process for QB look very good.

My point is, the list of great OSU QBs is ever-evolving.  But the list of great OSU QBs who go on to NFL stardom is waiting to have its first entry.  Why do these great QBs go there?  Guess that rookie contract for a couple years looks awesome.

No to the paywall. New York Times gets none of my money 

Great--important--last paragraph.

I really like Nick B as a columnist in relation to his dissection of Michigan football in terms that I can readily understand. I'm not an X's and O's guy, never played or coached, and when I read the UFR columns I skip all of the play by play/formation stuff and go straight to the somewhat broader analysis below it. I don't skip the play by play description because I'm lazy or don't care; I quite frankly can't follow it. Too granular. And I say that not to criticize Brian or Seth or anyone else, I'm just admitting that at that level it's like bits and bytes to a non-CS/IT person.

This column by Nick B highlights JJ's unique skillset, particularly as a passer, while also acknowledging his foot speed and elusiveness, and how Michigan's offense is primed for high level success in a way not seen around these parts since the days of, ummm, I don't know when?

My top 5 Michigan QB's from my lifetime of following (since 1973) are: Dennis Franklin, John Wangler, Jim Harbaugh, Brian Griese, and Chad Henne (in chronological order). We need to see a lot more from JJ to put him up there but his potential makes it seem likely if he stays healthy.