Does the Delay Starting the Season Help Michigan

Submitted by bluebyyou on October 19th, 2020 at 2:37 PM

One question I've been asking myself, and I'd like to hear opinions on is whether the late start of the season helps Michigan.  

We have a new offensive line and a new starting QB and some new faces on the starting defense. It will be almost November when football finally starts.  All those freshmen that enrolled early have been on campus for 10 months.  That's a lot of time with S & C coaches and time in the weight room. I presume, perhaps falsely that there has been continuous coaching since August. It's obviously hard to replace experience gotten from actual games, but two months of additional coaching has to be worth something.

That is also a lot of time for Joe Milton to be practicing with receivers.  My point is that the learning and conditioning curve for many positions would hopefully be steepest in the first year.  Reps are reps and a few extra few months have to help.  I've heard Tom Brady talk about how the lack of workouts and no preseason games has caused Tampa Bay to not be where he had hoped they would be (until yesterday).

What are your thoughts?

 

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MacMarauder

October 19th, 2020 at 2:50 PM ^

My initial thought is that it probably doesn't. Football coaches and players are for the most part creatures of routine and a huge disruption isn't going to be helpful. Also, the traditional tune up games against lesser opponents are probably more beneficial than extra practice weeks.

Joined: 01/22/2016

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Perkis-Size Me

October 19th, 2020 at 2:51 PM ^

I don't think it hurts Michigan necessarily, but what would've certainly helped more is having those two extra body-bag games on the schedule (Bowling Green and Arkansas State, if memory serves) for Milton to get in and get his feet wet. But I guess that would've also meant that Washington was on the schedule, and Michigan going on the road to start the season on the West Coast, breaking in a new QB no less, would've likely been more no bueno. 

In other words, what the hell do I know? 

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lsjtre

October 19th, 2020 at 3:10 PM ^

Will definitely be interesting seeing how things go for Michigan this season with the delayed start and everything, don't know if it'll help or hurt or neither 

Joined: 11/16/2018

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skatin@the_palace

October 19th, 2020 at 3:12 PM ^

I definitely think it will benefit the offensive side of the ball quite a bit. The timing between the QB and the receivers/RBs I think will be super beneficial. You've got sophomores and guys like Chris Evans who get extra time to rep the offense with coaching and organized amongst themselves. 

Defensively, it does not seem like it'll be that big of a plus. That's most about effort and understanding responsibilities within the scheme. If the CBs aren't where they need to be they just won't be. I doubt the CBs will improve from any of this extra time off. Maybe it'll help the LBs and the DEs stay fresher. 

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Grampy

October 19th, 2020 at 5:32 PM ^

I agree strongly about the delay helping Michigan disproportionately to your average B1G team. Chemistry between new offensive linemen and between a new QB and young receivers is their Achilles Heel, and time spent together is the only cure. Delay == more time, so I see it as a plus for us. I don’t know about defense, although by the same reasoning, you would think it’s a net plus for a new secondary. The cautionary tale is how crappy, in general, all defenses in CFB have played this far. 

Joined: 06/29/2012

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GET OFF YOUR H…

October 19th, 2020 at 3:19 PM ^

Speaking in generalities, no.  Your early enrollees that hoped for spring practices to develop and hit the ground running in fall camp got no such spring.  There was a 4 month period that they were forced to basically train themselves.  Then they come back, are about to start fall camp (already behind with the lack of spring) and they cancel again.  Padded practices just started a week and a half ago.  Youth and inexperience is going to show early, and is probably why there have been so many upsets.  

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My Name is LEGIONS

October 19th, 2020 at 3:54 PM ^

Helps. Im of beleive this lockdown will let Harbaugh get the program back to where we want it. Look at the shitshow that's been going on with who's been playing.  The quality of play has been atrocious and Jim has the team working relentlessly.

Joined: 10/29/2014

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The Deer Hunter

October 19th, 2020 at 4:46 PM ^

No west coast trip to open the season with a potential loss is now a win. Too bad it cost us Nico. Encouraging to get through Covid, but that could rear it's ugly head at anytime. 

The take on all the extra reps is plausible, but fact that everyone else gets this extra practice time kind of nullifies that justification. 

Verdict: Inconsequential

Joined: 05/21/2020

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NittanyFan

October 19th, 2020 at 4:50 PM ^

If U-M wins their next 2 games by a combined 70 points, then the delay helped.

If U-M goes 1-1 while being outscored in total, then the delay hurt.

As usually happens, a narrative will develop that fits the empirical data.  We'll find out soon enough.

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