Colin Cowherd just said he has already studied the depth charts and calls Michigan a top 8-10 team for next year based on returning players. (Sorry, I don't have a link so who knows if this really happened.) Do you guys agree?
Personally, I think it mostly depends on the coaches' ability to mold both lines back into elite units.
Talent-wise
You obv's didn't factor
You obv's didn't factor coaching talent into the equation. :) Hoke+Borges+Mattison= bonus points
How many times have you been on the freeway and had someone fly by you at 100 mph then end up 2 cars ahead of you at the off ramp? What's the point? -Mark Harmon
We'll know after the 'Bama game
They're losing some players according to one fan on another board - But that said, you know Saban has folks lined up. If we can hang with them then we're for sure top 10.
Bama is projected to lose 13 starters. 7 on offense, 6 on defense. That's including juniors who will more than likely go to the NFL such as Richardson, Kirkpatrick, Barrett Jones, Hightower, Lester, etc.
Go Blue!
I'm sure their coaches aren't
I'm sure their coaches aren't worrying. They'll just oversign like always and kick out the unproductive guys.
We're losing a number of
We're losing a number of defensive starters.
But the lightning quick way Mattison develops a defense gives me hope. I say we're a top 15 team preseason for sure, but I dunno about top 10. First challenge is to beat Bama.
Twenty-two Michigan Wolverines
put on the gloves of gray.
And as Revelli played The Victors,
they laid Woody Hayes away.
You're right, our Dline will
You're right, our Dline will lose a lot, but yeah, Mattison is on it. As for as preseason ranking goes the first step towards the top 10 is winning your bowl game from the year before, then maybe total returning starters, and a top recruiting class. We should hit all 3 of those. I like to be objective about our team and not overestimate them if I can help it but they gave FSU preseason #6 last year (lmfao) A&M #8 (ow, my side) Virginia Tech #13 (???) and ND preseason #16 (no really, I can't breathe) We deserve top 10 next year way more than they do.
How many times have you been on the freeway and had someone fly by you at 100 mph then end up 2 cars ahead of you at the off ramp? What's the point? -Mark Harmon
Yes. That is all
Yes. That is all
Here's the call, MICHIGAN WINS!!!
With a win in the Sugar Bowl
With a win in the Sugar Bowl it's a lock. Denard should be the preseason Heisman favorite as well.
Possibly
But if Ball comes back I would think he's the runaway favorite.
Formerly akron_wolverine and columbus_wolverine. New home, new name. A year in Columbus was enough.
Im sure if RGIII came back he
Im sure if RGIII came back he would be the favorite (although I doubt he comes back since hes losing his top receiver)
Ball, Griffin if he comes
Ball, Griffin if he comes back, Barkley, Lattimore, Landry Jones, Lamichael James, Mathieu could all be in front of him.
Heisman for Denard?
The nature of Michigan's offense won't allow Denard to obtain the flashy stats he needs to win the Heisman. Denard will share total yardage with talented running backs, and someone from another school will put up better stats.
The only possible scenario I see with Denard winning a Heisman is if Michigan is still in the running for the "BCS Championship" when the Heisman voting is done. That way, his leadership qualities and the fact that Denard sacrifices individual stats for the team might be noticed by voters.
Touchdowns and wins
are usually the flashiest stats of all. If Denard turns the corner with his arm and turns a few errant picks into Michigan touchdowns then he should be considered. He accounted for 32 td's last season, and 34 TD's this season, if he breaks 40 next year and throws fewer than 10 picks then nobody will be able to match that production. He'll be settled in to the offense from day 1 next year, and Al pretty much knows how to best use him at this point so it seems like this years growing pains should be a thing of the past.
How many times have you been on the freeway and had someone fly by you at 100 mph then end up 2 cars ahead of you at the off ramp? What's the point? -Mark Harmon
If he can play the way he did
If he can play the way he did for the last two games for all of next year, pretty sure he'd win it.
"Ohio is like a giant turd that Michigan just can't pinch off"
It wouldn't even be close.
If Denard can literally replicate the average of Nebraska/Ohio for all of next year (assuming fourteen games), his stat line would look like this:
175/245 71.4% 2,429 yards 35TD 7INT
343 attempts 1,771 yards 5.2YPA 28TD
Hoke wouldn't even let his stat line get like this, because we would be blowing the doors off of every team if it were possible to play like this. Assuming any measure of confidence in the defense, 133 would be arguably the most dominant Michigan team in the modern era.
Go Blue!
Well, I thought we were
Well, I thought we were talking preseason hype. I don't see anyone getting near the attention Denard will assuming a good Sugar Bowl performance. If RGIII comes back he'd be the only possible exception... Seeing as how he won this year and all that.
Whether or not Denard will actually win it is another matter entirely. Being the preseason favorite sure wouldn't hurt.
we should be a top 5 team IF we win our games next year. Our schedule is really brutal.
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you.
Well...
Not to nit-pick, but if they win their games, shouldn't they be a Top 1 team?
well that depends on how many
well that depends on how many other teams win their games...
An undefeated Michigan with
An undefeated Michigan with wins over Alabama, @ND, MSU, @Nebraska, and @OSU will go to the title game no matter what anyone else does.
I'm fired up that we're
I'm fired up that we're talking seriously about that. It's totally possible. If Denard has offensive success against Alabamas defense (many of those players lead draft boards right now) then nobody will be able to top that. LSU and Bama had a field goal kicking contest and basically "earned" the BSC championship for it.
How many times have you been on the freeway and had someone fly by you at 100 mph then end up 2 cars ahead of you at the off ramp? What's the point? -Mark Harmon
I can see where you would get
I can see where you would get that. An 11-2 Michigan returning it's entire Offensive Skill players would definitely be a favorite for preseason hype. And it doesn't hurt we have some defense coming back too so people won't say like "oh they only have 3 returning starters on D"
If you're doing nothing, how do you know when you're finished?
Hemingway is gone and so is
Hemingway is gone and so is Odoms, so we dont return all the skill guys. But we do get Stonum back hopefully.
Kevin Koger too...but we do
Kevin Koger too...but we do get D. Stonum back.
Its going to be a fairly
Its going to be a fairly veteran team, so purely from that standpoint (and a second year under DC Mattison - finally consistency on the defensive side), I can see where he is coming from. With that said, top 10 to me says 2 losses at most.
Just looking at the schedule Alabama, Ohio, and Nebraska are "potential" losses. Air Force, Michigan State, and Iowa are "possible" losses. Assuming we win all of the "possible" losses, we would need to win at least one out of three of the "potential" - and that doesn't include some slip up against a team Michigan should beat (see Iowa this year).
Cowherd's been high on UM this year, had Coach Hoke as his #2 Coach of the Year, so I wonder how much of that is a factor.
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I'd chalk Notre Dame under
I'd chalk Notre Dame under possible losses as well. Especially away, and they're looking for revenge after 3 years of frustrating losses.
Twenty-two Michigan Wolverines
put on the gloves of gray.
And as Revelli played The Victors,
they laid Woody Hayes away.
Luckily they won't have a
Luckily they won't have a solid QB (again)
If you're doing nothing, how do you know when you're finished?
I think you are wrong.
It will be a stressful, gutwrenching game which we will win in the last minute...if recent history is any indication.
Which would definitely be
Which would definitely be worth a "possible loss" designation. I like our chances, but you gotta hand it to ND that they're a decent squad every year and always a big challenge.
Twenty-two Michigan Wolverines
put on the gloves of gray.
And as Revelli played The Victors,
they laid Woody Hayes away.
Notre Dame has been "looking
Notre Dame has been "looking for revenge" against their opponents for 15 years now.....
Good catch, forgot about
Good catch, forgot about them.
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They Might be
but it will be tough to END the year there.
BAMA in TX
At Nebraska
At ND
At ohio
gonna be tough.
Cowherd's a moron, so I'd
Cowherd's a moron, so I'd take his opinion with a large grain of salt. Plus, I don't put too much stock in preseason polls. Denard & Co. will prove their mettle once the season starts.
I was listening to that
I was listening to that broadcast too. My first thought was "cool, finally something he says makes sense." Then I continued listening and heard his conversation with Herbstreit and immediately retracted that thought. What a strange conversation that was
~Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, it is that we are powerful beyond measure~
he's always like that with
he's always like that with KH, and its usually pretty funny. Did you notice Herbstreit laughed when he heard the Ohio "sanctions" like he was a crook getting away with robbing a bank? Even he admits that they were a joke
We'll be top 10...
The NCAA/BCS hype machine will want to have 2 top 10 teams kicking things off in Dallas. I expect Alabama to be #1 or #2 and Michigan to be in the bottom of the top 10.
“True loyalty is that quality of service that grows under adversity and expands in defeat. Any street urchin can shout applause in victory, but it takes character to stand fast in defeat. One is noise — the other, loyalty.”
The only big loss on offense
The only big loss on offense will be Molk because it's hard to replace the best center in the country. Hemingway would hurt a bit if we weren't getting Stonum back. We return 3 of the 5 starters on the line, 4 if you count Schofield and of the 5-6 OL we bring in in this class, I'd guess that one can probably be good enough to start on day one.
On defense, we lose 3/4 of the linemen. All of the other starters return. If our DL is competent next year, I definitely think we can end up in the top 10 at the end of the year. Considering that we have 3 DL coaches, I'd say that's a very real possibility.
Just as a quick aside.....
Is
Just as a quick aside.....
Is Hemingway getting another year of eligibility? I can't find anthing on the subject.
HOKEAMANIA RUNNIN' WILD
Formerly, TheLastProphet
posted from iPhone
No he's done
Despite what the other guy calls himself, my name actually is Magnus.
Thanks, and that's
Thanks, and that's unfortunate.
I hope he gets drafted. IMO, he's exponentially better than his career numbers suggest.
HOKEAMANIA RUNNIN' WILD
Formerly, TheLastProphet
Premature. I'll let you
know after the first couple games. Seems we are a bunch on the D line and Molk.
"If people really want peace, they need to avoid the pin pricks that lead to cannon shots." Napoleon
I could see it
I could see it in terms of pre-season rankings, especially if we win the sugar bowl but the schedule will tough, especially that first game in dallas against bama.
I hate ohio. Thats all you need to know.
If for no other reason than
If for no other reason than to make the Bama Game a big ratings getting of course we will be top 10. Bama 1 us 5 sounds about right lmao
Obviously, way too early to
Obviously, way too early to tell. On offense, we will pretty much be the same and if Denard can limit turnovers then the sky is the limit for that unit.
On D, we return some great players and some younger guys will be bigger and more experienced. The key, as has been said a million times before, is replacing Mike Martin and RVB. It doesn't matter how good everyone else is, if our D-line is weak it won't matter. William Campbell's development in the off-season is more important than any other players IMO.
I've decided to lay off the food for a while, and go on the booze.
Another radio troll
Could we not have posts based on what Cowherd says? He angries up my blood.
Abort, Retry, Fail?
Calm down Francis
Sorry couldn't resist.
Someones negging the crap out
Someones negging the crap out of the threads today.
Same team Farva!
How many times have you been on the freeway and had someone fly by you at 100 mph then end up 2 cars ahead of you at the off ramp? What's the point? -Mark Harmon
Loss of Molk and D-line = no
That seems very, very optimistic to me. Michigan loses the heart of both of its lines.
It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future. -- Yogi Berra
posted from iPhone
I guarantee that if we win 11 games we will be a preseason top ten. I'm not saying we deserve to be but the college football world has been waiting for our real return. Plus imagine pre season number one Bama against number nine Michigan kick off weekend.
All in for some manball.
I fear these expectations (not necessarily yours, I realize)
Michigan loses so much from a team that looked pretty shakey at times. I think we'd be lying to ourselves to say that Team 132, as much as we love them, is as strong as your typical Sugar Bowl participant. I cringe when I think about a bunch of people jumping off of the bandwagon next year as Michigan (perhaps) comes out of the gate losing to Bama and ND. Some people seem to be getting pretty spoiled pretty fast.
It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future. -- Yogi Berra
I'd say top 15ish but the schedule will be a rough one.