October 28th, 2017 at 12:24 AM ^
Figured the OP would be Maizen. I was incorrect.
October 28th, 2017 at 12:26 AM ^
No clue what that means.
October 28th, 2017 at 12:34 AM ^
There is a negative Nancy on this board so 50+ people feel it necessary to comment about that person rather than comment on the actual topic whenever something bad for Michigan is posted.
October 28th, 2017 at 6:49 AM ^
It's hard to anger the Board. My sense is that it isn't the negativity (we swim in it here) but the fact the guy negs everyone who comments.
Bad look.
October 28th, 2017 at 8:17 AM ^
playoffs and maybe that's why he cancelled. Let's all jump off the cliff and then check.
I'm not sure if it's related, but I believe his team is still in the playoffs.
October 28th, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
I've been seeing this a lot on this board too (came from Scout a year or so ago). Everyone is so negative. Not to my post but whenever I see an OP making a post that isn't bowing down to Harbaugh They'll get 30+ down votes even if what they said is rational and valid. People need to learn how to look at some things without bias, even if they love the subject.
October 28th, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^
And its highly annoying and contributes to the current unreadability of this blog as much as the actual posts by said negative nancy.
October 28th, 2017 at 7:36 AM ^
Maizen has been a Storm Crow as of late
October 28th, 2017 at 7:48 AM ^
"The Stormcrows turned their cloaks." - George R.R. Martin
October 28th, 2017 at 2:41 AM ^
I was shocked that it wasn't him.
October 28th, 2017 at 7:52 AM ^
Tell us something we don't know. Too much doom going on right now. Starting to feel like Hoke years. Where everything negative is posted. Everyone blaming people for why the offense sucks. Has it gotten to our strength and conditioning coach yet? Has to be his leg workouts that aren't working cause we cant get a push. /s Anyways. Let's Go Blue! Beat the fuck out of Rutgers.
October 28th, 2017 at 8:05 AM ^
Come on, everyone knows the OL performance is directly linked to the offseason calf exercises to create extension when drive blocking.
Not sure which exercise for pass blocking.
October 28th, 2017 at 8:23 AM ^
forgot about the calves. big deal in the trenches.
October 28th, 2017 at 11:04 AM ^
Saw the three title, immediately thought it was Maizen.
October 28th, 2017 at 12:27 AM ^
He'll be on the bench for 3 years at Bama but that's how they build depth and win championships.
October 28th, 2017 at 12:40 AM ^
years and starting for 2 isn't that bad if you're winning titles and going pro.
October 28th, 2017 at 1:20 AM ^
they currently start a true sophomore and RS Soph at OT, both backed up by true freshmen (Leatherwood and Wills both of whom we were in on, sigh). And those soph's are starting in part because Cam Robinson just cycled through the program in three years, starting every single game and then going to the NFL. Bama's OL averages the same age as our supposedly inexperienced OL.
They recruit highly talented guys, and don't redshirt many many of them, which is part of the reason they can take so many guys, and part of the reason highly rated guys like to go there: they'll play early and get to the NFL sooner than later.
The elite recruiters (just Bama and OSU, right now) don't like to redshirt because they want you to see some time as a freshman, start as a sophomore and then play like a guy ready for the pros in your third year. Only 14/44 players on the Bama 2-deep redshirted. I checked a random team that is solid but doesn't recruit many 4 or 5 stars for comparison: 30/44 players on the NW 2-deep redshirted.
Bama offers early playing time because they churn through guys quickly.
Ekiyor has a more clear path to playing time at Bama than he does at Michigan given that he'd be behind Bredeson, Ruiz and Onwenu his first two years.
October 28th, 2017 at 6:22 AM ^
Much of what you said about Alabama and OSU rings true, but ...
If Ekiyor were to come here (sigh) and prove himself better than Bredeson/Onwenu from the start, do you really think he'd be benched out of some strange principle? We're no longer in the "Pat Massey at defensive tackle because he's earned it" stage ... I hope.
October 28th, 2017 at 8:17 AM ^
We have been saying there is early playing time for recruits for years. Ruiz and Filigia were supposed to guys who could play right away or at least be ready by big ten play. Not the case. Our oline coaching is lacking guys are regressing not getting better. Cole looked better at LT as a true freshman than he does as a senior.
October 28th, 2017 at 9:03 AM ^
and Filagia not playing may have more to do with creating and sustaining depth for the future. It is completely speculative whether they could provide any upgrade or break even right now. Regardless of what Bama currently is doing, I doubt “insert two true freshman” is the thing that would help our o-line this year.
October 28th, 2017 at 9:56 AM ^
I understand that but given our oline coaching in recent years we have seen a few "college ready" oline come through michigan that only got worse so the creating and sustaining depths hasnt really been working either.
October 28th, 2017 at 8:48 AM ^
yeah, it's not like he plays RB or QB
October 28th, 2017 at 6:51 AM ^
Stating the obvious but their oline is just so mammoth every year and makes ours look like a Mac o-line
October 28th, 2017 at 8:54 AM ^
because they're 25 year olds
October 28th, 2017 at 9:44 AM ^
It wouldn’t be so much a recruit Bama won than one we lost. He would be going because of the piss poor job we have done recruiting him after his commitment.
It baffles me how tone deaf people are on here. The kid has spent a year making it clear that Michigan has contacting him so little he had no idea if he was still wanted.
Your not winning too many recruiting battles for elite prospects that way.
October 28th, 2017 at 9:57 AM ^
If Michigan didn't pursue him there's a reason
If a recruit suddenly flips SEC we all know the reason
If it's simply a matter of going to Bama's superior O line and a path to the NFL, we can't do anything about it. There are recruits every year who prefer Bama's engineering program...
There is likely more to the story than just "he had no idea if he was still wanted."
October 28th, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^
However you have to justify it ti yourself.
October 28th, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
No matter how you slice it, Michigan’s offensive line recruiting has been a complete failure under Harbaugh. Way too many misses and too many of those misses came with no backup plan.
Maybe more than anything, how they recruit offensive linemen needs to change in the offseason. Because what they are doing now isn’t working.
October 28th, 2017 at 11:57 AM ^
we got 2 highly rated players in 2016 in Bredeson and Onwenu playing at G
in 2017 we got Ruiz (rated 47th overall) and Filiaga (112th overall)
if those 4 pan out we have C, 2 Guards and one tackle
in 2017 we also got 2 other 4 start OL - Hudson and Hall, and 3 high 3-star OL in
Stueber (.886, ranked 365th)
Honigford (.7681, ranked 441st)
withour Ekiyor, we have 2 low 4star tackles (our highest need) in 2018 so far
is it Bama/OSU level? no, but it sure as hell isn't a failure
October 28th, 2017 at 12:52 AM ^
We need to get our recruiting shit together or the turnaround is going to take a long time. Time to hold onto Otis Reese or our recruiting class is going to fall out of the top 25.
October 28th, 2017 at 1:16 AM ^
Sam Webb’s dug into that pretty well. Heard he’s a much much stronger bet then ekiyor. More than. Likely he signs. Much of his recruitment is based on his brother who plays for CMU, brother wasn’t playing and was gonna go back to Georgia, now he’s starting and Otis is feeling better with us.
October 28th, 2017 at 12:52 AM ^
with true Michigan Men
Go Blue
October 28th, 2017 at 8:38 AM ^
True Michigan men?
October 28th, 2017 at 12:54 AM ^
Nobody told him we might be good in 3 years then?
October 28th, 2017 at 1:23 AM ^
we're only 2 years away! Right in time for his second year.
October 28th, 2017 at 6:30 AM ^
No he’d rather go to Bama and be part of a team that’s good right now.
I don’t blame him....
October 28th, 2017 at 6:54 AM ^
But who the fcuk really saw this as a better than 8-4 or 9-3 team. My inner optimist said perhaps 10-2 but realist was 8-4.
Young team, caveats.
October 28th, 2017 at 7:11 AM ^
Or rather nobody who was thinking 8-4 was also thinking Michigan would look embarassingly bad in their losses and not much better in victory.
October 28th, 2017 at 7:11 AM ^
Was being sarcastic.
October 28th, 2017 at 1:02 AM ^
It hurts. Michigan is a great school. I was going to denigrate Bama but I won't...
October 28th, 2017 at 1:14 AM ^
Ekiyor is going to miss out on making a name for himself In Michigan football history. Like Najee Harris brother said when he wanted Najee to go to Michigan, “ he could go to Michigan and can become a legend.” I’ve always remained mum about dissing recruits but this is just straight up confusing. He would more than likely be able to come in and start at LG next year depending on how newsome looks and if bredeson shifts to LT, but nonetheless he’s making a mistake In my mind. Yes there might be a lack of depth at center for bama but they aren’t going to stop recruiting that position once he gets there. Again he will be like other bama players and sit for 3 Years with no game experience. There’s a lot to say about bama and how they put talent into the NFL, and I get the draw towards them, but honestly isn’t there more to say about a player who makes a name for themselves at their first choice and goes to the lesser school (not implying we are lesser). Now take a look at AJ Dillon tonight. Left Michigan for BC because of the loaded backfield, making himself a legend already because of it. Those players usually do better and get drafted the same or higher with there experience. Michigan might not have the coaching at the current moment, but look at the future, drev could be out and frey could be back in. Frey is an excellent talent developer, and has put many first rounders out in the draft. Being a player at Michigan just means more, the players who are here live forever with the fans, at bama he’s just another player. Name another player from bama before 2008, no name another offensive lineman from bama.. I’ll wait
October 28th, 2017 at 5:34 AM ^
You make some valid points but you are being blinded by your homer glasses. I have been a Michigan fan 45+ years it is just that not everyone has a deep rooted love for Michigan like you or I.
October 28th, 2017 at 11:55 AM ^
EVERYBODY Loves Michigan
October 28th, 2017 at 8:12 AM ^
recruits want to win . . . period.
Bama has won, is winning now, and looks to win in the future.
Very simple.
I love Michigan, but to try and compare the two (in his lifetime) as even remotely similar is laughable.
October 28th, 2017 at 8:53 AM ^
It's not often I read a "hot take" so bad I feel sorry for whomever posted it.
October 28th, 2017 at 11:45 AM ^
hope youre not too serious.
chris samuels
October 28th, 2017 at 1:28 AM ^
Maybe I’ve lost the rest of my marbles but I could swear he is coming for The Game with parents in tow. No? I’ll get back under my rock...
October 28th, 2017 at 1:53 AM ^
He was also supposed to come on an unofficial for Rutgers tomorrow.
October 28th, 2017 at 2:16 AM ^
Didn't he just come out and say publicly he's 1000% Blue?
October 28th, 2017 at 2:32 AM ^
You mean right before he visited Bama... again