Effing Pumped About Michigan Football Right Now
Is anyone else wildly optimistic? I look at the secondary, the linebackers, the d-line--and I'm pumped. I look at our QB, our newly-dedicated (and highly touted) RBs, and I'm pumped. I see wide receivers with big time talent, and I'm nearly bursting. I see a schedule that should be relatively easy on the O-line (ND's line is pretty young), giving them time to mature until things get nasty, and I just can't wait anymore. I'm thinking 9 wins, at least. I'm thinking this year Michigan beats Ohio. I'm thinking that if we had State at home, I'd guarantee a win.
I am pumped up.
I'm with you on that.
While there are a lot of reasons to be concerned about us in some of our big games this year, Ohio State's back 7 on defense ranks pretty far down on that list.
I think the defense will be OK, but I am still skeptical about the offensive line, as we all should be. We assume they will be better, but we won't know until we see their playing. Gardner did a pretty damn good job last year for the line he had and he likely would have been better if he did have a good line, but we will see what happens soon.
There's no way we can be as bad as last year, right? Borges was the problem, right?
That's my hope, anyway.
OL will have to come together by B1G season if we have any chance of validating the feeling of being 'pump'ed on July 28th. Also, the DL will have to hold up. It does concern me when your big question marks are in the trenches. That's typically not a very good sign.
That being said - I think our secondary is easily the best in the B1G (even though we don't have a real SS yet) and our LB corp will be up there as well. DG is a fucking beast (seriously, fuck anyone who criticizes that kid after the Ohio game), DGreen is turning a corner physically (let's hope it translates to the field), and Funchess might be the best WR in the B1G.
Our secondary is not easily the best. We don't even know who 1 of our secondary starters will be. We do have a lot of experience starting and I think it's going to be top 3 in the league but cmon, MSU has 2 of their 4 guys mocking in the 1st/2nd round of the NFL draft from the secondary (Drummond Waynes) so calling ours easily the best is a major reach.
You could point to say the LB crew and say that is the best unit in the conf but the secondary is a reach.
This stage of the season is comparable to Spring Training in baseball. Every player is in the best shape of his life. Optimism prevails. It's understandable.
I got my tickets last week for ND. I am pretty pumped up for this season. Falling short at the finish seemed to be our plague last year (other than the MSU and KSU game) - MSU was the real deal last year and KSU we started a true freshman for his first time....in a bowl game. In the other four losses, we lost by a total of 11 points (2.75 PPG). If we can finish games down the stretch, that will be the difference in a 7-6 season capped by the Taxslayer Bowl and a 9 win season and a decent bowl game.
Strengths
- Defense
- Devin Funchess
- 31 Juniors and Seniors on the roster
- Matt Wile's leg strength
Wild Cards
- Nussmeier
- OL improvement
- Derrick Green
- Devin Gardner turnover ratio
- Wide recievers not named Devin Funchess
Just finish! We're getting older and we will be running a new offense with some pretty good talent. The talent is enough to keep us in every game - just finish!
I have faith in Nuss and DG... Nuss developed AJ McCarron into a very good quarterback who did not turn the ball over at all... Also I think DG has much more upside than McCarron with his ability to make big plays and turn broken plays into something.
I suspect that you will be right by the end of the season on development. The lack of QB development under Borges was insanely atrocious. He had no clue how to utilize Denard and his utilization of Gardner was poor at best. Gardner is a warrior and given the right system, an offensive line that can block every once in a while, and the green light to use his athleticism, he will be more than just fine.
I think putting Nuss as a "Wild Card" is a bit of a stretch. If he isn't better than Borges, then may god have mercy on our collective souls.
I think it's going to be sickeningly obvious just how disjointed and confusing Borges' offenses were when we see a Nuss offense take the field. It's never good when the post mortem from an OC being let go has words like, "overwhelming," "confusing," and "disjointed."
The key word in your response is the word "if." My gut tells me that he will be a great fit here at Michigan, the only thing we don't have right now is data to prove that to be true.
If someone could tell me that ....
A) this offensive line would be average this year
B) Devin Gardner does NOT get hurt this year
I would say take it to the bank that this is a 10 win team.
However, neither of the above will be true. I say 8.5 wins this year (8 or 9)
How do you know? Did you steal some gypsy fortune teller's crystal ball? Or, did you forget the, "if," in your last sentence?
If not, and you are, in fact, gazing into the future, can you tell me when the ES is going to hit its 200 DMA? -- we're only 430 days above it now (assuming it doesn't come down to it today).
Thanks!
Ahhh. So your the same guy that calls bluff to a person stating Alex Avilla will not bat 1.000 next year with a minimum 300 at bats, because the person does not have a crystal ball?
Its called experience, bubba.
How do you like MSU & OSU if you remove their quarterbacks? So, whereas I agree with you I think it's usually true for almost everyone.
Our line is going to be fine as long as EM is ready to go and remains healthy.
I too am very excited about the 2014 season. Personally, I think that the team feels the pessimism and negativity from the fanbase and the media and is going to have a chip on its shoulder.
Recently I watched the BTN episode about the 1997 season and the issue of "leadership" really struck. Championship teams have great leaders. As has been discussed in here a great deal, the 2011 team had those leaders in guys like MM, RVB, KK, etc. Conversely, from the post-season reporting, it sounds like even though a guy like Lewan was an upperclassmen and supposed to be a "leader" he might not have been the most effective in inspiring the younger players. I think a great deal of Team 135's success will depend upon whether or not effective leaders emerge.
I think Hoke has made a concerted effort to recruit "leaders" it's just that up until now they were still underclassmen. This year, IMO, is the first year we're going to see those Hoke recurits being in a natural position to be the leaders that Michigan needs.
I think the OL is going to surprise everyone with their development, and we're going to see a defense that is very very good and will carry the team while the offense gets into a rhythm.
Oh, and by the way guys, this is not a "make or break year" for Hoke. His seat is not even remotely warm, so just stop with all that idiocy please.
I agree.
I think in 2012 and 2013 the roster was a little disjointed with a mix of RR recruits and Hoke recruits, spread guys, pro-style guys, etc. 2013 especially had a weird feeling to it.
2014 should be a season where we see the roster mostly full of Hoke’s guys and guys that we should expect to see play together for 2-3 seasons. I think this will help these players step up and take ownership of the team.
I’ve heard athletes say that most if not all good teams they have been a part of were internally driven. Coaching, while important, can only get you so far. For some reason, last season I didn’t get the feeling that the team was together.
I also agree that they have a lot to prove this season and expect to see them play like this.
His seat is definitely warm. It's not hot, but its warm. And I have some good sources to confirm that. I won't go over it again, since I have recounted my information several times on this board.
This is definitely a "make or break" year. He won't get fired this year (unless something REALLY bad happens), but it will set the tone for the folllowing season and how DB will handle any contract extensions.
I know you love Hoke. But, cummon man!
The short story: the general consensus with many of the more influential donors is Hoke is a nice guy with inadequate skills to lead our team to the type of performance we should expect. They are looking for more out of him (duh!), but there is little (if any) substance to prove it. That it why this year is so pivotal. I get the sense that it's coin flip that he survives, at least in their eyes.
I will be clear, none of my contacts think he gets axed this year (unless something terrible happens), but his seat is warm no doubt, not hot. This is the reality with people on the inside, and you have to accept it. The good news for Hoke, is that he has this year to prove his merits.
I've been told DB has already put out feelers, much like he did with Nuss. But is this really that big of surprise? No, it isn't, and I'm glad DB has the foresight to mitigate the potential risk. He learned the hard way from the last process.
Listen, this is nothing personal against you. Like I have with others on this board, I'm trying to relay a subset of information from a small subset of important people. I'm not telling who my sources are and I'm keeping my information high level. It's not uncommon to recant these types of information here....and people like to hear these sorts of things.
It seems that no matter what, you won't believe me. Which is fine I guess, but very interesting in light of Hoke's lackluster performance. In the most objective sense, you have think his seat is at least a little warm. Unless you think Hoke is performing phenomenally. In that case, you would be delusional.
I am assuming that you meant to write, "recount," not "recant" -- although it is an interesting Freudian Slip on your part (perhaps).
Every CFB coach's seat is "warm" in the sense that they're only a few years from it being hot, and then being fired should they fail to perform. In 2011 Hoke took a team whose players were destined to be listed as members of the worst stretch in Michigan history and helped make them into Sugar Bowl Champions. That, IMO, is performing phenomenally well considering how little most everyone was expecting from that team. He was the B10 Coach of the Year, and IIRC was also in the running for the National Coach of the Year.
The reason that I don't believe you is because what you're expressing (besides being totally unsubstantiated) defies the roster reality that anyone who is so "plugged in" to the program would be intimately aware. 2013 was ALWAYS going to happen due to the recruiting issues that were 4-5 years in the making. People who know football, people who know the Michigan program as intimately as you purport your connections do, would know that 2013 was a comeupance that was going to be hard to avoid. If you, and your guys, think that this makes him on the "hot seat," then I think you're irrational -- and I don't think anyone listens to irrationality, no matter how much money they throw around.
All this bickering aside, I don't think it's going to matter in the least as I think Team 135 is going to show everyone what kind of coach Hoke is, and just how lucky Michigan is to have him leading their program.
Also, please reread my info. I NEVER said his seat was hot. Just that it was warm.
I hope you're right about Hoke this year, because if you're not, it's going to be an interesting off season (at least according to my sources).
Please tell your "sources" not to do anything stupid and hastey. Michigan, IMO, can not afford another coaching regime change. We're just know getting back our elite recruiting, and to upset that pipeline again so soon could be the death blow of the program.
The idea that Michigan and State are going to just "swith back" to their rightful positions needs to be dispelled with. State will be a formidable force in the B1G for years to come, and Michigan should be prepared for that. State will be good, sometimes extremely good. Michigan must strive to be better. It's a new reality.
10 wins would be realistic.
It all comes down to the big uglies. If the OL play improves even slightly, the offense will be one of the top 2 in the B1G. If the DL can put more pressure on opposing QBs, the defense will be one of the top 2 in the B1G. If one or both of those scenarios don't play out, it could be another season like last year.
But am I optimistic? HELL YES, I AM! Why? Because why not? What will pessimism get you? Football is the greatest sport on the planet, and (for all its faults) college football is the best incarnation of that sport. It's going to be fun as hell! I'm just looking forward to the ride!
Honestly, I'm deathly nervous about this season. This season will be Hoke's reckoning with all three rivals on the road. I want to be optimistic with our team returning 7 on offense and 9 on defense, but the fact that we haven't found a way to win big road games three years into the regime still scares me. I don't want to say 9-3 with three losses coming against rivals would be a failure, but I would certainly be disappointed. This is a team that has high quality talent and depth and as a result, is a team that is built to win. Not nearly ready to give up on Hoke, but that doesn't mean I won't begin to question him if this team does not shape up the way it should.
and love that no one downvoted the OP.
I am itching for some footbaw
Hail!
Honestly, it's not a lot of fun to be going into a season expecting to be mediocre and lose to, at least, two of your big three rivals. On the other hand, it really blows when you expect to win the conference and end up losing five games.
For me, I feel almost exactly like I did heading into the 2011 season. We had just witnessed the two worst Michigan defenses in school history, and, despite having some quality players and Mattison joining the staff, I didn't really know if we'd see much improvement. I see a huge parallel with the O-line, in that, "It can't really get any worse, right?"
Well, I'm not going to make any outlandish predictions, but I feel like 10 regular season wins is well within reach. I do have a gut feeling that it will be better than that, but it's hard to call it anything but. I hope for JMFR and Gardner's sake, that this is a special year. They are both quality young men whom, I feel, deserve it.
HAIL!
So effing pumped, one post wasn't enough...
Anyway, I will say that opening up Mgoblog today and seeing a [surprise] committment from Brian Cole made my Monday.
Go Blue!
I am very optimistic about this season. However, I am not saying that outloud to any non-Michigan fan as I realize it's a "Put up or Shut up" kind of year. In other words, I've gotten burned in the recent past about telling everyone how good Michigan will be the up-coming fall and then it always seems to backfire...