How will Tarik Blacks return impact our offense?
Positively, obviously. But more specifically I’m wondering what will change when he is back. We can all agree that DPJ and Collins have been good, and Perry is still doing a good job finding the seams in the D underneath coverage. So does Black just rotate in with those outside guys, do we see less TE and FB heavy formations to get more receivers on the field? Will be interesting to see what we have planned with his addition. Even though he’s a big receiver, I think he was a solid deep threat as well so that’s another threat the D has to worry about.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:18 AM ^
Positively.
October 24th, 2018 at 12:03 PM ^
obviously
October 24th, 2018 at 1:51 PM ^
absolutely
October 24th, 2018 at 1:57 PM ^
Imitator, intimidator, stimulator. Simulator of data, eliminator · There's never been a greater
October 24th, 2018 at 7:31 PM ^
My acapella releases plastic masterpieces through telekinesis that eases you mentally gently semtimentally instrumentally with entity dementedly meant to be infinite
October 25th, 2018 at 5:25 PM ^
Indubitably.
October 24th, 2018 at 2:06 PM ^
I logged on specifically to post exactly the same comment, only to find you beat me to it. By 3 hours. Work sucks.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
At this point in the season, I think he adds depth to the rotation instead of opening up significantly different options. There will probably be a few package plays against OSU which takes advantage of having Tarik, DPJ, and Nico on the field at the same time, but I would not expect a suddenly different passing attack against PSU, Rutger, and Indiana.
October 24th, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
Holy hell... do not overlook Rutger!
October 24th, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^
lol...this had me laughing to tears. :')
October 24th, 2018 at 1:11 PM ^
...in rain
October 24th, 2018 at 3:43 PM ^
"You people would not believe the things I've seen ... attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion, C-beams glistening in the darkness at the Tanhauser Gate ... Karan Higdon flagged for holding when he was tackled on a run fake ... Charles White being awarded a touchdown when the ball was clearly on the ground ... all of these memories would be lost ... like tears in the rain."
October 24th, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^
The opportunity on the outside is more deep routes. Sprinting at full speed down the sideline gets tiring, even for elite athletes. By being able to rotate Black, DPJ, and Collins, you get more opportunities to put pressure on the CBs on the outside through speed.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
Depends.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:25 AM ^
This is incontinent.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
I think as practice goes and they get him back up to game speed that kind of information will trickle out on its own.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
His return will make opposing d-coordinators say,
October 24th, 2018 at 11:40 AM ^
He has a wife you know. Her name is Incontinentia Buttocks.
October 24th, 2018 at 3:35 PM ^
What's so... funny about 'Biggus Dickus'?
October 24th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
I'm pretty sure that once he's back in the starting lineup we're not going to lose another game.
Ever.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:22 AM ^
Take it easy with the premonitions, man
October 24th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
I'll be damned if I ever take advice from a guy that drives a cargo van!
Except Mo. I trust him.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:33 AM ^
Don't think it is premonitions, man... I think he is just downright mad!
probably mad as a hatter! lol
October 24th, 2018 at 12:11 PM ^
Username checks out.
October 24th, 2018 at 12:19 PM ^
Michigan has never lost a game Tarik Black has played in. Facts.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:22 AM ^
Remember that diamond formation play from the Northwestern game? I expect he shows up in some version of that at a critical point in an important game.
October 24th, 2018 at 2:02 PM ^
Diamond formation? Hell, let's shoot the moon and break out the pentagon formation with Tarik. Defenses will shit themselves.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:23 AM ^
Pick your poison opponents. Should start to see more splash plays.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:23 AM ^
He will rotate in when DPJ and Collins are out I would assume. Offense will look the same but Black is explosive from what we had seen, and may open up even more deep opportunities. Another weapon is always good!!!
October 24th, 2018 at 11:23 AM ^
Am curious. I think DPJ has been lining up as an outside receiver, but Return of the Black will allow DPJ to be in the slot and beat nickel/safety or LB more ala Jerry Jeudy at Bama receiving bombs from Shea...right? What does Mgoblogorrati say?
October 24th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
Returrn of the Black.
October 24th, 2018 at 1:38 PM ^
Back in Black!
October 24th, 2018 at 12:17 PM ^
This was my thought as well. I thought DPJ was a lot smaller than Nico and Black, but he's only an inch shorter (6'2'') and ~10 lbs. less (208). Nevertheless, he is much quicker than those guys and this opens up a lot of different options. For example, UM could go 4 wide, with Collins, Black, DPJ, and Perry as 2 outside guys and 2 slots. I don't think it's likely to happen because of how good the TEs are playing, but one more thing for teams to worry about. It opens up a lot more route options for DPJ since Collins and Black will likely draw Safety help over the top. Getting DPJ in the open field underneath could work out OK.
One thing I'll be interested to see is how well Black can block. That's his ticket to getting on the field faster for more snaps.
October 24th, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^
Well, I still remember in Football Armageddon where Tressel looked at Michigan's defense and saw "no third corner, eh?" So he went four wide and gave M a choice between playing inexperienced DBs or trying to cover slot receivers with linebackers. So yeah, you may want your TEs on the field because they are good and have been playing well, but the ability to bring in more WRs may also force an opponent into tough personnel quandries or positional mismatches. Good to have options.
October 24th, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
As much as I dislike Tressel, for multiple reasons, that game proved to me that he knew what he was doing. It was the only way they were winning that game
October 25th, 2018 at 6:41 PM ^
Damn it Shawn Crable!
October 24th, 2018 at 2:02 PM ^
Mgoblogorrati has a nice ring to it. So does Black, Collins and DPJ all being on the field at the same time.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:23 AM ^
It can't hurt it, that's for sure. I like the fact that from the beginning here, he seemed to "get" how to get open. That will help Shea for sure.
It was curious how he went into the game against MSU on just one play, but didn't come back out after we called a TO on the play. I wonder what the thinking was there.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:25 AM ^
I cannot remember, did MSU call the timeout or did Michigan?
October 24th, 2018 at 11:29 AM ^
We called it.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:31 AM ^
He was probably on a limited snap count to begin with. Timeout is called because they couldn't get the play in, then once the rain came no reason to risk a Black by playing him on the shitty field.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
I’m pretty sure he came out when it started to rain and never came back.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:24 AM ^
Hopefully with Black back for fly routes, DPJ can be used creatively in other ways (sweeps, the slot, wildcat, lining up in the backfield.) Go crazy Jim. Look at all that Rondale Moore tape.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:47 AM ^
Tarik Black also gives us a much more reliable jump ball/fade/50-50 guy. No disrespect to DPJ, but Black has a decent amount of size on him outside of just pure height, and is a bit more reliable in that role. And I agree it allows us to get more creative with DPJ, but personally I'd like to avoid anything that was in the PepCat playbook. But I would love to see if we can get frisky with a slot option play that essentially is a zone read in the back field and then turns into a speed option on the perimeter.
October 24th, 2018 at 1:40 PM ^
We don't have a Rondale Moore, he's a certain kind of special and I think he is winning a Biletnikoff next yr or yr after. I hope we abandon jet sweeps because the combination of timing from how we get the snap off and the player who gets the ball has not been great this year and wasn't great last year. When Chesson and Rudock executed it we could hit big plays. If anyone on this team is going to be successful at running sweeps it's probably Ambry, but then everyone knows what he is on the field for.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:24 AM ^
Opponents' defenses gonna die.
October 24th, 2018 at 11:27 AM ^
Maybe some plays/packages can be made where DPJ lines up in the slot?
October 24th, 2018 at 11:28 AM ^
Gives another option to rotate in at outside WR. Bell and Martin have been the guys behind DPJ and Collins and they have 10 combined catches this year, with a good amount in garbage time. If DPJ/Collins aren't in on a play, we're not throwing to a WR outside. Black gives another very good option to play out there and be a legit threat.
It also gives some more flexibility to run all 3 of the big body WRs out there, try and get a guy like DPJ lined up in the slot on a safety and create mismatches that way.