Michigan must improve in one crucial area before it can become elite.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:25 AM ^
recruiting only 5-stars.
/Maizen'd
August 24th, 2017 at 10:26 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 10:26 AM ^
That starts with the offensive line.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 12:23 PM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 1:26 PM ^
I thought Isaac improved a lot last year and was much harder to bring down. He just didn't get enough carries. Higdon flashed here and there last year but also missed a huge cut back lane that may have went to the house. I can't remember if it was against OSU or Fla St. (I think it was OSU) See that lane and we win that game.
But to your point, I agree that our RB's have been a bit of a weakness for many years. Couple that with our OL and we didn't get it done in the 4th qtr. I am certain though that the problem is being fixed and will be fixed in the near-term.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:28 AM ^
Run the Ball. Gets back to the O line.
August 24th, 2017 at 2:29 PM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
Obviously our run game needs to improve, but rushing it 3 straight times up the gut to kill clock and then losing on some crazy shit the next possession is just one of those things that happens. You play the odds, give the opponent the toughest situation possible, and hope for the best. Obviously you'd like to pick up that first down, but throwing a pick or even an incomplete, running out of bounds, etc are all possible if you open up the play book more in that situation.
August 24th, 2017 at 4:26 PM ^
is I wish at least one or two of the plays had included Peppers. They were moving everyone to him on sweeps, so using him as a decoy may have opened up a lane for a first down. As you said though, that was a miracle once in a lifetime fluke to lose that game.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
The article was well done, except for one thing: the 2016 victory over MSU was not a close game, goddammit.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:34 AM ^
Yup. I'm so sick of people saying and meaning that. MSU fans are convinced they were in that game. The score does not indicate how that game actually went.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:45 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 10:52 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^
"I get what YOU'RE saying."
It's not hard to learn. Stop being an idiot.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^
Wrong year, mate.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:46 AM ^
yeah but not being able to run the ball well in the fourth quarter is what allowed them to get the late score that made it look closer than it was. If we had a running game in the fourth they never would have had time to get the late score, and we probably would have gotten a nail in the coffin touchdown late to make the score look more accurate.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 10:44 AM ^
Mainly because of the BS loss in 2015 and the bad streak we had against those clowns. I was in the stadium for that game and never felt 100% comfortable until Jabrill ran back the fumble.
August 24th, 2017 at 2:45 PM ^
the MSU game is another good example of not being able to run the ball at all in the 4th quarter made the score much closer than it should have been.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:30 AM ^
Is part RB talent, part OL talent (you can argue over what fraction belongs to each). We're working on the RB talent well enough in recruiting - my hope is that Greg Frey can use his knowledge of the O-Line as the RB coach to produce runners like he did at IU in Tevin Coleman.
Could the late game/late season fall be due to not making adjustments on the line, fatigue?
August 24th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 12:48 PM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 10:31 AM ^
The part about the end of the Ohio State game is incorrect.
Michigan had a 3rd and 4 after two rushes (and of course Speight missed a wide open Darboh on a slant for an easy first down) and Ohio State tied the game with a field goal.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:32 AM ^
Good article. Thanks for sharing
August 24th, 2017 at 10:33 AM ^
I'm hoping Greg Frey makes an immediate impact.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:36 AM ^
Spot on--but in the past. Lets get this season going to shed this monkey off our back. Go Blue!!!
August 24th, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^
Valid point in the article, in most of those losses we just needed that last first down to kill the clock. One other thing I discussed with a fellow alum yesterday is, in the Harbaugh era, who have we beaten when our opponent was favored? I'm thinking maybe Florida in the Citrus Bowl (?), otherwise drawing a blank.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:52 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^
and it's spot on. Harbaugh had to cover a lot of deficiencies in the run game last year but it got exposed late in those tough road games especially. I believe Oline was the real culprit and hopefully Frey can turn that around quickly.
August 24th, 2017 at 10:44 AM ^
we haven't had a running game against good defenses in 10 years, that changes this year
August 24th, 2017 at 10:43 AM ^
Dravano is supposed to be the OL guru yet not a single one of his seniors -- he had 2 years coaching them -- was drafted this season. Not good coaching results. In the MooU loss, UM had the "best" special teams coach in America. I guess he should have been Australian.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
I guess you don't remember how god awful the M offensive line was in 2013 and 2014.
Perhaps Drevno didn't turn those linemen into NFL draft picks, but that was a major reclamation project. He did well enough with them to give M a functional offense over the past two seasons. And he did that despite losing LTT to dismissal, Newsome to a gruesome knee injury, Devery Hamilton to a late flip, and basically having one month to recruit in 2015.
I'm not sure how good the line will be this season, but it does look like Drevno (and now Greg Frey as well) finally has some good raw material to work with. M should have a very good line in 2018 and probably a dominant, Harbuagh-at-Stanford type of line after that. If that doesn't happen, then you can start to question Drevno. But it really does seem to be coming together.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^
Give me a roster of guys with high football IQ's, great athletes, coach's sons. Players with high ceilings and floors. Upside guys. Fellas that just know how to win and play the game the way it's supposed to be played.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
Everything else last year was good enough to contend except the offensive line. We all know the offensive line is and has been our achilles heel for quite some time and rears it's ugly head against the better defenses we play. It will probably improve this year, but it's still probably another 1-2 years away from being really good when the '16 and '17 recruiting classes have some time to develop.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:23 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
Here's another pattern in recent Michigan losses:
Utah -2
MSU -1
OSU -1
Iowa -1
OSU -2
FSU +1
It is difficult to win tough games with negative turnover margins. It certainly can be done [i.e., Clemson over Alabama], but usually negative turnover margins are recipes for defeats in close games.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:23 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 11:36 AM ^
Or is it poor turnovers from our offense?
Speight's second int and fumble against OSU were what cost us the game over anything else (other than the officiating).
August 24th, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^
Those can also be the result of lack of a running game. You're forced to throw it more, and often end up in obvious passing situuations leading to increasing pass rush and throws into better coverage. Get a solid ground game going, you have fewer 3rd and longs, more effective play actioin, and fewer passing plays overall.
Plus, Michigan's defense had an abnormally low amount of fumbles caused in relation to how often they hit ball carriers behind the LOS. Advanced stats show that sacks result in fumbles about 20% of the time. Additionally, running plays result in a fumble about a little over 1% of the time, and completed passing plays result in a fumble just under 1% of the time. Last year, Michigan had 42 sacks, faced 481 rushing plays, and 143 completed passes. Using 1% for running plays and completed passes, Michigan should have had 14 fumbles and they only had 8.
Those numbers above are based on NFL numbers, so the expected number of fumbles may be a bit higher considering college ball security isn't as good.
I'd say a consistent running game is more important than fixing a turnover issue, because it was often just a 1 turnover difference, and it should improve as a result of the running game improving.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^
August 24th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
I can only assume that with what Harbaugh did at Stanford this situation will be alleviated in the next year or two.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
For a while now, Michigan has not had the deep, talented OL's necessary to be an elite team. The recruiting, attrition, and development problems under RR and Hoke left the new coaching staff with a rut that takes time to dig out of. Also, Michigan hasn't had a dominating RB since Mike Hart. And Denard was largely a one-man running attack that relied on his pure athletic ability more than great blocking. Fortunately, I think Harbaugh and staff has turned around the RB situation to the point where that shouldn't be our problem this year. The OL and their experience level will be the big question mark. Going forward, we'll get there in the next few years, especially if Frey stays around.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:37 AM ^
2011 was the last time I had any confidence in the offensive line.
August 24th, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^