Looking Ahead to 2022

The same thing is true at the end of this year as it was at the beginning. Michigan needs an elite qb to win a championship. This was a great team that had an out of body experience against osu that we will always get to cherish. But last night showed beating teams with more talent than you enough to get to a championship takes more than one upset. We are were nd/Oklahoma right now which is between the truly elite and very good. An elite qb can close that gap.

JJ gives us the best shot at that. It could also mean three losses next year because he’s less consistent than Cade, so it all depends on what your goals are.

The offense was young and should be fine in conference next year. Holes - for starters need LBs who can cover fast RBs, need shut down CBs ( 1 v 1 at the line). All B1G teams need this if they are going to " compete" in the playoffs next year. Being faster, taller/ longer, and with more freak athletes, playing the portal game is the way to conference and playoff success ( and not have defensive coaches that don't adjust).

Bell should be the #1 slot and I think Anthony emerges as the starting WR2. 
 

I also think you could see Johnson at Nickel if Dax leaves, and Benny higher up the DT ranks. 
 

I think we’ll have a good team next year, but it’ll be most interesting to see how the staff develops these players. If they can make progress in the LB and DB corps, this could be awesome. 

Antrel Anthony should be a starting WR over Johnson next year.   Not that Johnson is bad, but it feels like Anthony could be special.   He has elite balls skills, and his route running is outstanding.  He just needs another off season to get stronger. 

The holes are DE and S.

Realistically I think a step back defensively in 2022 as you lose your 3 studs in both DEs and Dax - Ross is a solid good for Big 10 play and is lost too.  Others will step up but very rarely if ever will we have bookend projected 1st round picks at DE and that is how defenses take down even the great ones like Brady.   The offense you hope takes a big step up but its going to be up to JJ to develop.

Long term - well I just read Georgia, Alabama, OSU and Clemson have won 20 of 23 all time playoff games.  We are in the Notre Dame, Penn State pantheon of recruiting over time.  That's good for 10 win seasons.  But it means being delivered on a plate to those elite recruiting teams MOST of the time.  You need elite QB play to make that last step unless you are just so stacked at everything else which we aren't.  Yes yes we beat OSU but it's been years of trying and eventually it's going to happen and we were at home and played our best game.  You have no margin for error against these teams ... they do.  Jimmy and Joes matter at the end of the day at the highest level.

This response is easy... get better on the offensive and defensive lines...

Going into the season I didn't think oline would be great and the exceeded expectations but the players on our oline with great talent are really young.

Same with the dline, our tackles were a major issue coming into this season and they played pretty well but need major work.

Especially if we have to replace both defensive ends going into next year.  Not enough team speed and we need upgrades at corner too

Need better play and more speed in LBs and DBs.  If pass rush can’t hit home, then coverage has to hold.  UGA exploited that.  Defense in general needs more speed.  Maybe we can find a freshman or two that can contribute early.

Need to find a pass rush.  Hopefully DTs step up and we find enough juice with the ends.

Offense looks pretty good.  I anticipate JJ will win the QB job if he shows he can read defenses better and finds more touch on passes.  He’s got legs but needs to keep himself from taking big hits.

Future looks bright.

The offense will have to be better next year because the defense will take a step back. Losing Hutch and possibly Ojabo are huge losses. Hutch finished second in the Heisman voting because he was an absolute game changer. Opposing QB’s rarely made it through their progressions because of the constant pressure from Hutch and Ojabo. Not to mention the turnovers they forced or the penalties they created. The chances we even get half the production from their replacements will be slim. Everyone will have to step it up. 

Where do we go from here? We have our measuring stick. We are/were elite this year, make no mistake, it was a tremendous (heh) year.

Keep improving recruiting (especially at high-impact positions like LB), development, scheming, and in-game coaching. Point to making the CFP as proof that we CAN do it, and that we WILL do it again. Beating MSU next year is a must -- we must re-establish superiority in-state and stop MSU's momentum. Maintain the excellent team culture we have. 

We now know what we have to do and how far we have to go. 

I think there is some good pieces on defense, Turner is a good young CB, and I’d expect Hinton and Smith are going to have eye opening years on the interior DL. Hard part is the 2nd level and the edges.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see Harrell make a run at all conference, but that’s one spot I like Morris a lot but no one’s going to replace Hutch. Closest thing would be Braiden McGregor had a monster off-season like 2020 Hutch (those knee surgeries usually take about 2 years to fully heal).

the offense should be the strength of the team. Both QB’s are winners check, RB room check, All and school are back that’s a check.  Vastardis was a good player for sure and will be a great doctor but I think last night showed some limitations which will keep him off an NFL roster.  Replacing him with an All American transfer is big.  The OL replaces one other starter an Stueber was great but I like the odds of whomever wins the Trente Jones/Karsen Barnhart battle for RT has good odds to play at the same level if not better.  OL is the position most impacted by time, and strength and conditioning.  I think this unit is lights out next season.  Finally dare I say this but in my opinion We have the best WR room in the B1G next year.  Haskins hurts the most that kid is the epitome of a warrior, which is the real question, who steps up and leads?  This years team walked and talked differently, no primadona self first, it was gritty hardworking and resilient.  That comes from the locker room not the coaches room.  There were top of the food chain players that set the tone.  Find a way to keep that going and  we contend nationally next season.  sTATE at home is great, going into Iowa will be tough, and recruiting outcomes be dames im not sold on oHIO they’re losing a lot 

If you don't watch that game, you shouldn't speak...

I hope it is a sign of things to come. Where would this program be today if the punt wasn’t blocked, if JT was called short, if the revenge tour finished? We finally get to see. 
 

So over the next 4 years I would like 2 wins over Ohio, B10 title, A National Championship appearance and 4 top 10 recruiting classes.
 

That gives us 3-2 over Ohio, 2 B10 Titles, 2 CFP appearances and 4 top 10 recruiting classes over the span of 5 years. That would put us where we should already be.

But it all starts and stops with BEAT OHIO.

Georgia was more talented then we were.  But, we made mental errors and they capitalized. Michigan needed to play the perfect game to win and we didn't. 

The coaches also didn't do enough in planning to add enough wrinkles to take advantage of Georgia's defensive aggressiveness. When running the jet motion, Georgia's defense was racing fast. There were things that we should have done to keep them honest and we didn't. We will need to make changes quickly and on the fly. But we also need to take advantage of planning. Our team will improve in many facets, but our coaching in big moments when we can't exert our will must be improved. 

This station has been amazing, and I'm not taking a deep on the coaches, but they will grow as well.