Hell of a season
I know, the season didnt end up the way we all wanted it to. But we are so much better off now than under Hoke and Rich Rod .
We lost 3 games by a total of 5 points .
Look at the whole season , dont just look at the last part .
Dont complain and cry because we didnt win every game .
I consider this season a success and I hope it is leading to better things .
I hope everyone enjoys the off season for Football and I'll see you all next Fall .
GO BLUE
December 31st, 2016 at 12:02 AM ^
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December 31st, 2016 at 12:04 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 1:02 AM ^
Hi, Drunk. I'm Upset.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:02 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:22 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 1:20 AM ^
3 of the last 4 . . . we played much better teams at the end of the season.
December 31st, 2016 at 9:32 AM ^
That sort of thing only matters when you have a young team and a lot of players are returning next season.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:04 AM ^
It's nice to be good again, but this season was a huge, huge missed opportunity.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:20 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:26 AM ^
The offensive line is very poor, the receivers are average, the RBs are average to below average. You can't be an elite team with that math, even with a great defense. And the importance of seniors is fading in modern football.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:42 AM ^
If there's no hole to run through, it makes their job almost impossible. Also, the WRs are better than you're giving them credit for being. Think of all the acrobatic catches that Darboh, Chesson and Butt have made to bail out Speight this year. Go back to the MSU game and you'll see Darboh bail out Speight a few times. If our QB was more accurate, their numbers would've been even more impressive.
OSU showed this year how unimportant seniors are. I think we'll be fine next year as long as we don't lose any key guys to transfers or other creative ways of exiting the program.
December 31st, 2016 at 1:33 AM ^
They don't get separation, they don't have elite speed. Some of that is chicken and the egg with Speight's accuracy.
December 31st, 2016 at 11:06 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 1:23 AM ^
The importance of seniors is fading for OSU and Bama. Everybody else still thrives on development.
December 31st, 2016 at 1:27 AM ^
That's where I get confused on how to view the season. Did we waste a huge opportunity based on our historically good defense, or did we over-achieve based on the holes we had on offense that we knew we had in August?
Did the coaching staff fall short based on the defensive talent they had, or did they do a masterful job hiding their lack of offensive talent?
I go back and forth on what to think.
December 31st, 2016 at 1:57 AM ^
Defense was generational.
Offense had the best TE in program history, two All-Big-Ten wideouts (Chesson first-team last year, Darboh second-team this year), and four All-Big-Ten offensive linemen (Mags first-team, Cole, Kalis, Braden second-team, all this year).
That arrangment will not happen again soon.
December 31st, 2016 at 2:18 AM ^
Those OLine ratings are generous. We could not run the ball when we needed to at all.
December 31st, 2016 at 2:18 AM ^
You're working much too hard to make yourself miserable. Chesson was not nearly All-B1G this year, Darboh was fine, Butt was good but not exceptional, and the O-line was poor all year. Couldn't run the ball, couldn't get a first down when needed on the ground, Speight was on the run against any good team, how many critical plays did someone come through unblocked?
You're letting your emotion over this loss consume your reason.
December 31st, 2016 at 9:40 AM ^
Not being emotional at all really, just assessing the facts about our team. We had All-Americans at LB, CB, and TE in Peppers, Lewis, and Butt, each of whom was in the top 3 to ever play their position at Michigan.
On defense, three of four defensive linemen were 1st or 2nd team All-Big Ten; two of three linebackers were 1st or 2nd team All-Big Ten; three of four members of the secondary were 1st or 2nd team All-Big Ten. So 73% of our starting defense was All-Big Ten 1st or 2nd team, and the guys who weren't--Hurst, Thomas, and McCray--were no slouches.
On offense, four offensive linemen were 1st or 2nd team All-Big Ten, whether you think they deserved it or not. Of our receiving targets, two of three--Butt and Darboh--were 1st or 2nd team All-Big Ten, and the other was 1st team last year. There's no spot on the all-conference team for fullback, but Hill would likely be 1st or 2nd team. So, basically, about three-quarters of our offense are All-Big Ten players, too.
On special teams, our returner and punter were 1st and 2nd team All-Big Ten.
About three-quarters of our team was among the top one or two at their position in the conference, and several of them were the best at their position in the country. As far as I can tell no other Michigan team at least in the past 20 years can claim that--even the 1997 and 2006 team didn't have as many All-Big Team 1st and 2nd teamers.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:41 PM ^
If you think this 2016 team—especially the OL—is remotely as talented as the 1997 team, you're smoking something very powerful.
December 31st, 2016 at 7:42 AM ^
Magnum, I generally like your posts, but .....
"Defense was generational."
If you restrict the view to the defensive line, I agree. Maybe add one CB (Lewis, obviously). But, our linebackers and safeties were vulnerable in coverage all year.
I mean, it *was* very good, and on a generational scale it's certainly up there (arguably second-best after '97), but it had weak spots.
"Offense had the best TE in program history ....."
He's a very good jumbo wide receiver. How much does it mean to be the best TE in Michigan history? We're not exactly "Tight End U."
"..... two All-Big-Ten wideouts (Chesson first-team last year, Darboh second-team this year) ..."
As noted in other posts (which rightly involved Speight), neither of whom -- this year, anyway -- could easily get separation from DBs. Neither one is an elite talent.
"... and four All-Big-Ten offensive linemen (Mags first-team, Cole, Kalis, Braden second-team, all this year)."
Really? Most of those awards amount to (college) life-achievement awards. They all seem like great guys, but (Cole aside) there's not a pro-level guy in the group. They weren't good run blockers. They'll go down in history as a slightly better-than-average line.
December 31st, 2016 at 8:19 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 11:15 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:05 PM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 8:12 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:19 PM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:34 AM ^
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December 31st, 2016 at 6:23 AM ^
and a first year qb that wasn't even recruited by JH. And to think we were 2 points and 6 inches from a perfect season with Sparty and OSU on the road.
Lots of people were thinking 10-3 or 11-2 to begin the season. Once I heard Peppers wasn't playing last night, especially after practicing all week. I thougth for sure we were going to lose.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:25 AM ^
Even with a win here, the missed opportunity would have made this a disappointing season. With a loss here, the season is a failure. Missed nearly every goal with a team very capable of achieving all of them. Looking forward to 2017. This season was painful.
December 31st, 2016 at 9:50 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:04 AM ^
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December 31st, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:29 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 11:31 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:35 AM ^
MSU has 3-9 more experienced starters returning than us.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^
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December 31st, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^
OSU scored a td to win in overtime (sans extra point) doesn't seem to make a total of 5 mathematically possible.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:07 AM ^
They won 30-27. Iowa won 14-13. FSU won 33-32. Five points.
December 31st, 2016 at 2:20 AM ^
The really amazing thing is that we lost 3 games by a combined 2 points during regulation. And lead all 3 games in the last 40 seconds.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:10 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:16 AM ^
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December 31st, 2016 at 12:07 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:31 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^
December 31st, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^
This was not a good season. Last season we started out bad and improved as the season went on. This season was a total opposite. Not acceptable. Like I said in the coaching snowflakes thread...the most disappointing team in Michigan history.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:06 AM ^