Football predictions after spring game?

there would still be some portion of MGoBlogland that would be flipping out.

If the offense ran the defense ragged all day long, people would be jumping off of Burton Tower and shouting "Mattison doesn't know what he's doing arrrghhhh" on their way to the pavement.

If Denard was completing every pass, people would be moaning about defensive backs who can't cover and why wasn't Corwin Brown hired instead of Kurt Mallory.

If Will Campbell had sacked the QB on every play, people would be apoplectic about how our horrible OL can't control an obvious 5-star bust like WC.

If Furman had caught Cox from behind, people would be complaining about how slow Cox is.

It's the nature of intrasquad games—there's something for everybody who wants to make themselves miserable.

I seem to recall horrible predictions after the M basketball team had a 1-3 (I believe, correct if I'm wrong) stint in Europe.

I also remember the Lions going 4-0 in preseason before going 0-16 in the regular season.

My point:  practice games like these mean little to nothing about what's going to come unless something is glaringly obvious.  Even then, proper coaching and devotion can help to make these shortcomings a little less horrific.  As has been stated for the billionth time, this was their 15th practice in a new system.  I will only BEGIN to be worried if they look like they did in this Spring Game a week before Western.

Borges obviously wanted Denard to focus on his transition to the new offense.  We all know Denard can run the ball.  If Denard went Denard on the D for the entire Spring Game, we would be having this exact same fucking thread with people jumping ship saying "OMG Denard can't run the offense he's a RR player through and through and I like run on sentences and poor punctuation". 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I doubted Denard before his Sophomore year and strongly wanted Tate and his starting experience over him.  I will never doubt the man's ability to learn and improve ever again.  He'll improve in this system.  Once it gets closer to crunch time, the coaches will play to Denard's strengths if he is the quarterback.  I mean, having a pocket threat AND a running threat is much more dangerous than just one or the other.

The defense was the big question mark today, and their hustle to the ball and willingness to deliver big hits was a major plus.  It's fairly obvious (to me at least) the defense's philosophy has been preached ad-naseum and the players are buying in.  Of course they're not going to be 100% adjusted to the new system, but the energy and willingness to fight is as strong as ever.

Prediction? 50+ more threads by the end of the month screaming why Borges is ruining Denard. Oh, you meant W-L?  9-4 with the strong possibility of 10-3. 

Offense was horrible, defense seemd to blitz on every play.  Like an earlier prediction offense will be worse and defense will be better, I'm guessing 6-6.  Not sure why we had to completely break the offense.  Oh and by the way, it was boring as hell as well.

the RR offense from last year against the defensive 1st team this year.  Fantasy, I know, but reading the comments on this thread, it would've answered a lot of questions for us common folk.

That said, I think it will be a big mistake if Borges and Hoke insist on establishing pro style as the base offense this season.  There is so much upside to this team if the spread and zone blocking remains as the base offense with pro style mixed in as a change of pace.  If this happens I see 8 wins as the minimum with a great chance at double digits.  If it's mostly pro style with spread mixed in, the win minimum drops to 6.  IME.

Shitty as things looked today, it was still better than what was seen against Wisconsin, OSU or Mississippi State

Making predictions after a scrimmage?

Worst idea ever.

if i am going to be wrong, i am going to be a lot wrong.

potato salad

It's only 15 practices into a whole new system.  Don't be a dumbass and wait until September to make your predictions.

13-0.



Realistically, I would say 8-9 wins if the defense plays like it did today. The offense will come around, so if the D can make plays at a competent level that should translate to a good season.

I'm going to say 8 wins, with a win over MSU and/or OSU. Our defense looks much better, and it will take pressure off of the offense. We're not going to have the juggernaut offense that we had last year, but DR and DG will learn the offense enough to put up points.

JESUS FRICKING CHRIST...... OP..Have some perspective..... Its only been a handful of practices with a new regime with players suited to a different style. I am actually encouraged by the defense. Michigan is back.

of comments. Some of you see the Spring Game as it should, a simple, open to the public exhibition/practice, in poor weather. You know it's only April. Some seem to have suffered such trauma during the past three years that I believe I see some ptsd in the fanbase. Others are predicting records already in a post on the Spring Game. Love the loyalty, but it's way, way too early to know what will happen this fall. I think we can all agree this will be a team with players on the field that play with more intensity, with better habits in the 'fundamental' areas of position playing, and this team will be proud of the Michigan tradition. No hand wringing here.

If I see another PNC Bank banner I will stick a pencil in my eye.

I don't think I have any good idea of what Michigan is going to look like come August based on the few five minute clips and quasi-scrimmage that I watched today. However, if I had my druthers I'd have liked to have seen an RR style offense coupled with a Mattison defense. Obviously that's a pipe dream now, but I can see how the two could have been pretty fantastic in my fantasy world. I don't think M is locked into being terrible with the pro-style set, but I have to admit that they will not be as explosive, and I'll miss that. That being said I will not miss the defense that M played for the last three years and am glad that Mattison is the coach. I'm sure I'll check here another thousand times before the first game, but I'm also pretty certain I won't know until about the sixth game how good M really is. Sigh. 

Prediction:  That i will still cringe in fear and curl up in the fetal position at the sight of our field goal team heading out onto the field.

The thing I enjoyed the most from this game was Brady Hoke. I remember last year's game, RR was basically wearing a winter coat (without the hood), gloves, hat, and looked visibly uncomfortable. 

This year, Brady was out on the field the whole game in shorts and a short sleeved shirt and short sleeved golf rain jacket. 

It was also nice to see Desmond and Charles on the field during the festivities. If I was a recruit going into the locker room after the game it would be great to be hangin' with a couple of Heisman trophy winners and Superbowl winner. It was nice to see the guys coming back to the program.

I fall into the camp that was borderline happy today.  Last year's defense was so bad that even the offense you saw today would have lit them up.  Yes, the offense needs work - which it will get.  These guys didn't all get worse.  There are positive and Borges won't waste it, nor will Hoke let him.

It's huge to see that the defense was able to look so good against ANY offense, let alone one with players from a record-setting offense.

My prediction is 8-4.

I'm also excited to see how good things can look when guys like Demens, Floyd, Woolfolk, Lewan, etc. are full-go.

Here's what I took from the "game" today...

I got to watch a Michigan football "game" (of sorts)!!!  The winged helmets were on the field (and on television) on a Saturday afternoon.  I'm not concerned about the play today (nor am I excited by it).  I'm just happy to have had a chance to watch the team at all.

No prediction based on the spring game, but I will say there was nothing to get excited about. 

If Denard Robinson is not the starter next year (all year barring injury) then that is a disaster for this coaching transition. That's my opinion. Not necessarily saying we can't win with this staff, but the transition itself... is damn near a RR disaster.

This team has much, much, MUCH more talent than that 2008 squad.

But hopefully the staff can get Denard's play under control and we can win 9 games next year. If we win less I'll be pissed.

Looking at our schedule I think this is the best year to have a coaching change.

8 home games.

5 home games to start the season.

Toughest road games are little brother, and Iowa.

8 wins are expected.

7 wins will be accepted.

I just want to see defensive improvement this year.

A top 50 defense coupled with a top 25 offense should produce wins.