Defense 2010 to 2011 - why not Offense 2013 to 2014?
All this negative Lindsay talk got me thinking about how expectations can be so far off in the months leading up to a season. How quickly we forget how quickly a team can turn things around. I remember in my stalking days before I signed up here, everyone thought that a mid-level ranked defensive squad in 2011 would've been a great accomplishment given the horrible results of 2010. However, Mattison came in and turned it into a consensus top 20 defensive unit. I also remember defensive players commenting in pre-season 2011 (Just as Kalis did recently re: last year's Oline) that in the previous year they were extremely disorganized and nobody knew what they were doing or what play was coming and how Mattison made things make sense for them and organized the defense into a cohesive unit. I for one think Nuss is going to do the same thing as Mattison in 2011 and turn next year's squad into a top 30 offense. I also think a reason for that success is because you had key leadership in Mike Martin and RVB - I think if Devin can assume this leadership role next year we can really turn things around - after what we know now about the OSU game I think he can be that catalyst.
Will Denard be back...and can he block?
/s (just in case)
Mr. Smith ... and he can block!
I believe.
In all seriousness, I'm choosing to be optimistic in the off-season. Perpetual pessimism has been killing me, so I'm all in with the optimism. Blind optimism.
Theres a lot of talent there. Mike Martin was on some of those lousy D's. Just has to be properly utilized.
I'm getting goddamn tired of all this negativity. The team had a WINNING RECORD last year. We nearly beat OSU. There is plenty to b confident about.
April 22nd, 2014 at 11:53 PM ^
Don't forget UConn.
better than two consecutive losing seasons, wouldn't you agree?
April 22nd, 2014 at 10:13 PM ^
April 22nd, 2014 at 10:53 PM ^
use an apt analogy might I suggest that drinking water (7-6) is better than drinking bleach (losing seasons). Water isn't bad for you, but by itself it can't sustain life. On the other hand drinking bleach is many times fatal regardless of what else one has in mitigation.
That is, if you want to set aside your emotions for the sake of honest discourse.
April 22nd, 2014 at 11:19 PM ^
April 23rd, 2014 at 11:06 AM ^
blaming recruiting losses on negative message board posts are people who insinuate that because Hoke's record is better than Rich Rod's it must be good. If that is how you really feel then you deserve a lifetime of 7-6 records.
April 22nd, 2014 at 11:53 PM ^
This can only be downvoted once?
The "It's impossible for the Oline to be better" crowd seems to have forgotten how much the D improved from RR's last year to BH's first year.
Caveats do apply: Oline is evidently more challenging to master, requires a longer apprenticeship, if you will. Seth or The Mathlete's analysis (I've forgotten who did it) shows that some Oline players reach the desired performance level in year 3, while others do in year 4.
my main point really - big strides can be made and teams can perform much than projected (seemingly against all odds). I'm just so tired of the sad bastard mentality and trying to put some good vibes and positive thoughts into the interwebs. Our Oline just needs to... Unleash The Power Within!!!!!!
Definitely a big jump between year 1 of playing and year 2 IMO. This is where the Magnuson injury is really hurting and seems to be minimized by many. That was probably our best OL of the "young dudes" along with Glasgow last year, and he was in the midst of a position change, needing to gain about 20 lbs to handle the tackle rather than guard, and getting the reps. He is missing all that practice and weight training, and yet people are expecting a plug and play Magnuson at the most important position in the OL. That injury is a serious bugger.
Also, Kalis really needs to take not 1 leap but about 3 leaps - I look at Jack "no star" Conklin over at MSU who was a freshman All American at tackle, and I look at Kalis and his 5 stars and I really wonder what the hell is going on. They are from the same class of 2012 and both started from the get go last year. Conklin gave up ZERO sacks per the OL coach; Kalis looked lost. Kalis needs to perform, not be first team All Big 10, but to live up to his billing and be adequate this year on the way to way more than adequate in the next 2.
Braden is an open question - no one has seen him and now "they" are talking if Lindsay came they might have moved Glasgow all the way out to tackle which doesnt make me feel great about Braden all the sudden. And Bosch - well it is just unfair to throw out true freshman on the OL... same with Mone.
amazing that the 1997 team went undefeated with an OL with fewer experienced players than what Michigan will have this September. The RT was a RS Freshman and the RG also a RS Freshman who spent his freshman year as a defensive tackle. Moreover, the center, while a previous starter, only became a center in 1997, and the RG had never started a game prior to the 1997 season. Only Jon Jansen, RT, returned as a starter to his previous position.
my man, are a good guy.
True but that team had one of the most exceptional defenses in college football the past 3 decades, with a transformational player that erased half the field. And while it was a young team I read something like 35 players from that squad sniffed the NFL (offense and defense). So the offense was young but obviously had talent and the defense was the best in 25 years for UM.
People don't like to say it but the MSU 2013 team and the 1997 UM team have a lot of parallels - nothing exceptional on offense but a group that did the job with a "gamer" QB who improved as the year went by, ball control low risk offense, and an exceptional defense with shutdown play in the secondary. It is a winning formula - see Seattle Seahawks.
is recruiting a bunch of OLmen who are future NFL starters -- No problem! Piece of Cake!
Those guys must have been really good if they could win with no left side of the line
Well, then you had a completely new defensive staff. Now, you still have the position coach of the worst part of the offense still employed, the strength coach of a team that was consistently bullied around still employed, and the rest of the offensive staff employed. Although I think the rest of the offensive staff has at least been decent, and Hecklinski has been phenomenal, that's still not a total reset
I think that simply too many coaches on the offensive staff cannot coach, or can no longer coach, at a D1 championship level and that we will simply see a modest improvement, at best.
but your entire premise is that the "rest of the offensive staff" makes 0 gains. I'm hoping that Nuss can make the entire staff a bit better.
i agree here with the fact that i completely expect that our D-line will hardly make any impact again this year for the third straight year..
Sick of seein the excuses made for them.. It is either hoke, mattison, or Wellman's fault.. if not all of them being terrible at what they have done for the D-line thus far.
Our offense will be light years better than last year's squad. How many light years is still TBD.
I'm a strong believer in optimistic thinking. I know I'm going to get some heat for this but I put many of our woes on our fan base. Yes, our coaches and players have their struggles. The sad thing is that our fan base just seems like a bunch of negative Nancys. The team needs us behind them. I've read countless posts on this blog and many others. The majority of it is no good. It's all fine and good to point out the facts but what good will it ever do us? Absolutely nothing. We all know the offensive line is young and didn't do well last year but so what. Among other obvious problems of a young team, I bet the oline would do a 360 if some people started giving them a little backing. As soon as our fan base figures out to start breathing some optimism back into the program the better off we will be. Think about long it and hard for once and how other good fan bases are. Maybe we should try something different huh boys?
Our fanbase is so jaded fter the process... this isn't how winners think. We need our crazy girl in a razorbacks hat to sing "Nothng's gonna stop us now."
April 22nd, 2014 at 10:16 PM ^
April 22nd, 2014 at 10:20 PM ^
This is not a complement.
April 22nd, 2014 at 10:27 PM ^
April 22nd, 2014 at 10:30 PM ^
You're a Senior in high school. There has to be something better you could be doing.
April 22nd, 2014 at 10:36 PM ^
today I think it's time to step away from the computer for a while.
April 22nd, 2014 at 11:18 PM ^
that. Seriously, take a step back and look at the finer things in life. Nothing honorable exists in causing yourself pain for something as inane as football.
I hope when you are ready to retire the stock market does not take a nose dive.
April 22nd, 2014 at 10:28 PM ^
Stud!
thats it guy, the players hoke brought in have failed to develop or achieve on the field due to the attitude of the fan base. wow youre a total genius
28 for 28. That is all.
and he's gone isn't he?
April 22nd, 2014 at 10:06 PM ^
However, the verdict is still out on Funk though. Plus, that terrible offense from last season is learning a new system with even younger guys. Last year's offensive line had two seniors and now we have no seniors on the line.
I guess I just want TomVH to hold me.
This year will serve as an interesting litmus test for Funk. He's rooted in inside zone blocking schemes, which is what Nuss is supposedly emphasizing. We should know a few games into the schedule whether he's incompetent or if many of the O-line struggles really could be tied to Borges and youth.
the 2011 OL?