Offense in the Future
i just got done watching highlights of last years Capital One Bowl against Florida. That was the first time that we actually ran a spread and we scored 41 points. i think with the athletes and skill position players in the future, that is how our offense will be without throwing it as much. Henne just picked apart the defense and looked good. Just wondering your guy's thoughts on the offense in the future.
December 8th, 2008 at 9:21 PM ^
1) Florida's defense was extremely young, and sucked last year.
2) We installed an entirely different gameplan, specifically for that game.
3) I take nothing about the future of our offense from that game, because we're now running a zone-read option.
If you want thoughts about our offensive future, watch the last few games this year where we began to assert ourselves as an above-average running team. Expect much better results when there are experienced veterans on offense in a year or two, and a QB that isn't Nick Sheridan or injured Threet.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:28 PM ^
had michigan ran that offense the entire year or previous four years michigan would have been in the rose bowl at least.
December 9th, 2008 at 10:59 AM ^
Part of the reason that offense was successful is because there is no way on God's Green Earth Florida saw that coming. They undoubtedly scouted our offense throughout the season, prepared for it, and then saw something that didn't even vaguely resemble what they had schemed and prepared for. If we had run that offense for the entire year, they would have undoubtedly been prepared for it, which would have made it less successful.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:09 AM ^
While I agree that the element of surprise was effective, if we had running that offense the entire season, we would have been better at running it, too. That was the first time those players were running most of those plays.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:11 AM ^
Sure - execution would have been crisper, but I think that's more than out-weighed by the fact that Florida likely didn't spend a mili-second practicing for what they actually had to play against.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:26 AM ^
I'm not sure if I agree with that.
Offense is about repetition.
Defense is about reading and reacting.
Even though the offense broke all kinds of tendencies, Florida's defense had seen similar plays all season long, such as when they played against their own offense in practice. (Not that Florida's offense was the same as UM's bowl offense, but they had some similarities.) I think it's pretty much a wash.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:31 AM ^
The offense Florida runs has very few similarities with what Michigan ran in the bowl game. It is not a wash.
New offense to react to + shitty/freshman-laden secondary in the first place = teh suck.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:28 AM ^
i think having a healthy qb for the first time since the oregon game might have helped too
December 9th, 2008 at 11:34 AM ^
I think Henne's health and the fact that the coaches ran shotgun most of the game had a lot to do with it. From what I remember of his career, Henne was much more effective out of the shotgun than he was under center.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:13 AM ^
wingedG -
Taking your statement at face value, I'm going to pretend you have been away from a television for quite a while, because Michigan WAS in the Rose Bowl 3 of the 5 "previous" years you could possibly be talking about: New Years' 2004 (USC), 2005 (Texas), and 2007 (USC).
December 8th, 2008 at 9:23 PM ^
Offense in the future will prob be somewhat of that capital one game. BUT with alot more running, options, trick plays etc. Def morre passing than WVU did in years past. We shud be really good in years to come, next yr we will prob be in capital one game going 9-3 prob.
Think of michigan next yr in football like michigan basketball this yr, few tweaks and fixes, after a horrible year. Then one good offseason, (last yr it was all about learing--- now we got offseason to master it). but with few fixes (less fumbles, RRs players(dual threat qb)), we shud be alot better. Plus our offense wont be all freshmen, they already played in happy valley and at OSU in there first years.. Next yr we shud do fine...
OSU,PSU are home next yyr. we play at MSU butthere gonna suck. Illinois might be our biggest game of season.
December 8th, 2008 at 9:57 PM ^
Ohio State is always the biggest game of every Michigan season.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:06 PM ^
Michigan-Ohio State is the only game of every college football season. There's a bunch of practice, and a bunch of JV games from a bunch of other schools, and then some guys in Blue and some guys in Crimson play a Fucking Football Game, and then there's some more JV intrasquad games and you have a football season.
...
...What? Am I wrong?
December 8th, 2008 at 10:11 PM ^
..will depend upon the personnel. Rich Rod proved that this year. Earlier in the year the zone-read was the predominant option. However, later in the year, Threet/Sheridan handed off for the spread a lot more, and the QB run option reduced significantly.
But think about the weapons available next year, if everyone is healthy and returns, and it will give you a good idea of what you'll see. Five returning starters on what was a servicable O-Line by the end of the line. Mix in Khoury, Mamameh (sp?), and maybe O'Neill/Mealer for experience. The power running game will be handled by Moundros and Minor. The cut-back running will be handled by Shaw and Brown. Toussaint and Teric Jones will be integrated as the season goes on, if they don't redshirt. Grady will be brought in to fumble.
Koger will run out of the TE position, perhaps slipping off the O-line in a zone-read bootleg style play.
The flankers will be Greg Mathews, Darryl Stonum, Roy Roundtree. The slot receivers are Odoms, Feagin, maybe Jeremy Gallon, and Junior Hemingway.
And the QB will be a healthy Threet, mixed with either Forcier / Beaver (one should redshirt). Sheridan and Cone will be third and fourth on the chart.
Face it - quarterbacks make significant improvements in the second year of being in a coach's system, and, in turn, the third year, and so on. Threet has marginal speed and a good arm. Don't forget his performance in the Purdue game - he was very good until his injury. Also, by the time he takes the opening snap against Western, he will have been practicing in this offense for 21 months, against college athletes. Nothing against Tate or Shavo, but their competition has been mediocre and they won't be ready for opening day other than spot duty.
The key to good football teams is three-fold: talent, continuity, and repetition. Michigan will improve in all three of these aspects next year, and the close losses that I attributed to inexperience and mistakes (Utah, Notre Dame, Toledo, Little Brother, Purdue, Northwestern) turn a 3-9 record into, well, significant improvement. And I think most fans would even take 7-5 or 8-4 next year. The schedule will permit that.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:18 PM ^
so are you assuming no McGuffie? and also, i like/agree with your prediction on Grady.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:25 PM ^
I would prefer Sam McGuffie - Michigan, as opposed to Sam McGuffie - Texas Tech. However, I think the "equities" are pointing towards Sam going back to Texas. So, the better to rationalize what we'd see out there next year without him, so I'm not disappointed.
December 9th, 2008 at 1:23 AM ^
Henmingway will play on the outside. He will most likely start with Matthews and Stomun and Clemens (most likely a move back to outside for him with so many incoming electrons) or Roundtree will back them up.
Slot will be stacked with athletes, just not much experience. Tay and T-Rob will both see a ton of time with Gallon and maybe feagin getting some snaps.
O'Neil is still a year or two away, and probably Mealer too. Omameh and Barnum are most likely to see some pt with Khoury next in line.
A backfield with Carlos Brown and Minor will be pretty rageful. don't see moundros carrying the ball much and his role will probably decrease with increased QB and o-line proficiency.
Overall - I hope the number of 3 and outs decreases drastically.
I think we are still going to really stuggle at times next year, but start to get quite a bit more consistent.
I really really hope some of this incoming kids can return kicks and punts!
December 9th, 2008 at 10:04 AM ^
I think Gallon is supposed to be a good guy for returning duty.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:37 PM ^
Id think terrence robinson wud be in before roundtree(robinson wudda been a starter this yr, but he faced injuries, so odoms took his spot)
December 8th, 2008 at 10:50 PM ^
i hope to god they dont run as much as he did in wvu.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:24 PM ^
We won't run as much, but that's because we'll probably overuse the bubble screen pass. Yay Odoms.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:43 PM ^
just enough to set up one of those 60 yd zone read keepers like Threet had against Wisconsin. I don't think we'll be using them quite so much to regularly pick up first downs like the first quarter against Penn State.
or at least thats my hope. If we're running with RBs and we're moving the chains, I couldn't really care less what our run-pass ratio is.
December 9th, 2008 at 1:18 AM ^
I don't think we will, if only because we won't be forced to play WR's at QB. But even if we do run 76% of the time like they did at WVU... if we do it half as well as they did we're going to dominate.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:02 AM ^
It's hard to critique the run/pass split of an offense that ranked in the top 5 in yardage virtually every year. I don't care if we call nothing but hook-and-ladders if we have that level of success.