Could this team be better with same players?

Submitted by hazardc on

Does it not seem like our defense has really been just getting better all season? Does it not seem like we are doing better in the trenches even on offense? 

 

Now, does it not seem like all the "skill players" (offense especially) have totally regressed to shit? 

 

Obviously a lot of it centers around the QB, and I'm hoping this bye week gives his bones some much needed rest... but  if funchess and gardner actually played up to their potential again for a couple games with the way teh defense has been holding teams up, wouldn't this team have a ton more potential to win. (I.E. points)

 

Does it look like that young OL has been actually getting better?

 

 

I don't want to suggest we don't go balls out for Harbaugh, I wanted him back in A2 when he was coaching stanford....  Just some observations I've seen lately.


When people were comparing that NW vs ND game, I think some people forgot what the box score actually looked like when we had a goose egg on the scoreboard....  

 

Am I crazy in thinking that SOME of this team is developing a little bit?  

 

I wonder what the spread will be in columbus... 

MGoBoard
Football

StephenRKass

November 17th, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^

I went to the Northwestern game. It was . . . interesting, to say the least. I can't respond to everyone, but I am not going to argue for Hoke. And it is a waste of everyone's time to get into pissing matches with other fans about the future of the program. What's done is done.

I simply think that if Peppers had been healthy, if we had had Ty Isaac, if Gardner had been healthy and mobile, if the OL had been where they are now at the beginning of the season, we would have won a couple more games, and the discussion would be very different. Yeah, and if wishes were fishes . . . 

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 23104

SFBlue

November 17th, 2014 at 7:45 PM ^

Well, Michigan did lose to the same Notre Dame team 31-0 that Northwestern just ripped for 43 points, and was not competitive in a loss to Michigan State.  Yes, the Irish have had a few injuries on defense since September, but the Michigan offense has been consistently underwhelming all season.  To the extent that there has been "improvement" in the last several weeks, it is due to playing really, really bad times.  Minnesota and Utah are decent bowl-bound teams.  Indiana and Northwestern are much poorer teams. 

Joined: 11/02/2009

MGoPoints: 15699

blueinbelfast

November 17th, 2014 at 8:37 PM ^

You can't really call Morris our backup in that situation since he was playing because he had 'won' the starting job, not because of injury.  And that was yet another poor decision by the coaching staff.  The fact that Gardner was terrible doesn't necessarily mean that Morris would be better, as was shown.  

Joined: 11/28/2012

MGoPoints: 514

MGoStrength

November 17th, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^

I'm not too worried about the defense.  There are a ton of talented defenders.  Ryan's loss should be filled with a combo of RJS/Gedeon/McCray.  Taylor's loss will be filled with Peppers which should be an upgrade.  Beyer's loss should be filled with Charlton which should be an upgrade.  Clark's loss should be filled with Ojemudia which probably is a downgrade, but the overall d-line should be better if Pipkins and Henry are healthy.  The only position I'm still worried about is the safety opposite Wilson.  But a 3rd year player in Thomas/Clark/Hill should be servicable.

 

On offense I still am very converned about the recievers ability to threaten downfield (assuming Funchess moves on).  Hopefully Harris can get healthy and is what he recruiting profile suggests and Chesson/Darboh/Canteen can develop.  My biggest concern still remains a QB that can consistently move the offense and an offensive line that can consistently get the running game going.  And, we need an offensive identity that the personnel can actually do and gain confidence in.

Joined: 07/29/2010

MGoPoints: 20002

SituationSoap

November 18th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^

I think you can scheme a good QB. Case Keenum broke all sorts of records at Houston. It's entirely possible to build a team that's got a mediocre QB but can still move the ball well and win a bunch of games. This B1G is probably as bad as that Conference USA during that time period, too, so it's not like we're talking a huge difference of apples and oranges. 

 

Shane Morris could very easily be a guy who throws for 275 YPG next year, with a little bit of coaching smarts. This coaching staff does not have those smarts, but resigning ourselves to no serviceable QBs because all we've seen of them is what they can do while being coached by a bad staff is premature at best.

Joined: 09/22/2012

MGoPoints: 4976

westwardwolverine

November 18th, 2014 at 9:15 AM ^

Yet another person thinking that a weakening of the schedule schedule = improvement. 

Who was the last real team Michigan played? MSU. What was the score 35-11. 

Before that who was the last real team Michigan played? Minnesota. What was the score? 30-14. 

And they even lost a game in there to a crap Rutgers. 

Its a bad team with a bad coach that hasn't improved at all. 

Joined: 11/26/2013

MGoPoints: 9007

TrueLT

November 17th, 2014 at 7:07 PM ^

I don't know if the coaches ruined him or if that was the result of constant sacks and pressure, I think Gardner's composure has been shaky all year and it's led to bad decisions, honestly wouldn't be shocked to see him return to more successful form at the next level, given the chance 

Joined: 08/09/2011

MGoPoints: 514

hazardc

November 17th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^

I think people generally would agree that DG has been playing hurt and scared all season..... no big runs... lots of bad decisions. 

 

A lot of the turnovers against ND were just garbage time desperation, but he has regressed more since then. It seems like he's been maybe 60% .... 

 

 

Joined: 11/24/2013

MGoPoints: 2366

RobM_24

November 17th, 2014 at 7:08 PM ^

Exact opposite of RR. His defenses were atrocious at all times, but his offenses looked good (until he played good competition). Now, our offense is atrocious and our defenses look good (until we play good competition).

Joined: 01/27/2014

MGoPoints: 64456

hazardc

November 17th, 2014 at 7:08 PM ^

Soooooooo what if we get the same DG in columbus that we had last year? Recovery time, Rivalry game, film from last year. 

 

I am not trying to garner false hope, but this is it for him, the last big game of his career... . bigger than any bowl game we possibly get into.... 

 

Can our defense shut down Barrett on the run? It has been pretty easy to overlook the fact that our defense has been pretty damn stout this year.  NW and ND both let each other put up 40+

 

We held ND to 25 yards rushing....  We held NW to negative 9 rushing yards... 

 

Seems to me, no matter how much this team may suck... those are some goddam good stats 

 

 

If the offense moves the ball, do we have a game? 

 

 

 

Joined: 11/24/2013

MGoPoints: 2366

funkywolve

November 17th, 2014 at 7:17 PM ^

OSU is a totally different beast compared to ND/NU.  In fact, I don't think we've really played a team this year like OSU and by that I mean, OSU will be the first team we face who utilizes the QB's legs as a large part of their offense.  UM has played some teams whose QB has some mobility but those teams weren't calling 10-15 running plays a game for the QB.

Joined: 10/08/2008

MGoPoints: 20262

BlueMan80

November 17th, 2014 at 7:12 PM ^

I'm not sure Fred Jackson is going to develop the RBs, the offense seems to lack speed and deep threats that can take the top of the defense, and I'm not sure about the QBs at all. Did we recruit the right guys and will they develop in this system with this coaching staff? If we hope to get to the B1G championship game, these need to be addressed.

Joined: 01/21/2011

MGoPoints: 13097

Monkey House

November 17th, 2014 at 7:13 PM ^

some parts have gotten better, but not nearly as fast as they should have. if we get a great coach the team will be better next season, BUT we will still lose 3-4 games next year. the qb position is an absolute disaster on this team right now.

Joined: 09/05/2014

MGoPoints: 43844

ShruteBeetFarms

November 17th, 2014 at 7:15 PM ^

The defensive line seems to be like a wall. It's good against the run, but rarely gets tackles for losses.  We don't really have anyone that gets explosive penetration ( remember Brandon Graham, Alan Branch) . Our blitzes hardly ever seem to get through and are picked up easily. Jordan Kovacs used to wreak more havoc on his blitzes than the more talented players we have.

It's frustrating.

 

 

Joined: 09/25/2010

MGoPoints: 63922

MichAero

November 17th, 2014 at 8:00 PM ^

We are ranked 13th in the nation with 7.5 tackles for loss per game. That is the highest mark in the Big Ten, and I'm sure if you adjusted for tempo, we would be even higher.

Similarly, we are 29th in sacks per game. Adjusting for tempo, our sack percentage is actually 15th in the country, and behind just MSU in the Big Ten.

More of those would be great, I agree. But it's not as poor as you are making it seem.

Joined: 09/08/2014

MGoPoints: 154

tolmichfan

November 17th, 2014 at 11:38 PM ^

Ray Taylor -3 star Jeremy Clark- 3 star Jake Ryan- 3 star Glasgow - walk on Frank Clark- 3 star Hollowell- 3 star Wormely - 3/4star Henry- 3 star So while we do have 4 star guys on our defense and currently only pipkins is a 5 star guy, but he is coming off an ACL tear and other injuries, most of our defense is three star guys. Some of these guys got the automatic upgrade from 2 star status because Michigan recruited them, and if they went to a MAC school they would have stayed 2 star.

Joined: 11/26/2010

MGoPoints: 1433

UMxWolverines

November 17th, 2014 at 11:55 PM ^

Are you really going to use the stars argument? 

Dantonio gets nearly all 3 stars and their defense is always better than ours. Stars mean nothing. 

Also 

Countess- 4 star

Lewis- 4 star

Ross- 4 star

Bolden- 4 star

Wilson- 4 star

Beyer- 4 star

So no the majority of the defense isn't 3 stars to begin with. 

Joined: 03/01/2009

MGoPoints: 65498