POST SPRING GAME Overreaction W-L Prediction Thread
Other than few hijinks in Italy we are about to go full submarine for many months. So based on what you drank today, have at it...
Last year I went into the fall saying it was a 3 game season - @MSU, @Iowa, @OSU. Overestimated MSU and underestimated Wiscy and Colorado. The difficulty of big road games still weight over this program even as Harbaugh has ascended.
This year, I say it's a 4 game season - FL (neutral site), @PSU, @WI, OSU. MSU will always be tough as we are their everything but with about 39 scholarship players looking like they will be available for that game the way things are going, I'm going to mark that down as a win, esp in AA.
Cincy, Air Force (tricky offense), @Purdue, @Debord (no longer chaos), Rutgers, Row The Boat (tm), @Durkin are the 7 other games. The chance for a slipup @MD as a trap game is possible right ahead of 2 monster games to end the season but I'm calling that 7-0 because this is Michigan fergodsakes. Add in Mork's Red Lockster, and I give it 8-0.
So what say you on the final 4 games now that Peters has been installed the 2:1 favorite for Heisman. Based on WHEN the game happens (UM SHOULD improve dramatically AS THE SEASON goes on, barring a key injury to a thin area due to expansive youth), I'd rank the games in this difficulty based on opponent, location and timing.
- OSU - because always OSU [if not Fickell]. At home but OSU is going to be top 5 most likely and possibly 1 loss-ish (trap games @Iowa, @Nebraska - I guess. They get PSU at home) , and their youngish team only adds 11 games of experience.
- @PSU (mid Oct) - chaos offense with stud RB, in very difficult environment
- @UW (right before OSU) - I don't know enough about what Wisconsin returns on offense but they should have a very good defense in a raucous environment. It's a slugest team built to matchup with what UM does.
- UF (neutral, very early but a team with many questions) - 2 youngish teams, should be a defensive slugfest. First one to 14 wins. 4 months of offensive planning by Harbaugh and Pep >>>> 400 months of planning by Nussmeier. Wildcard is if Zaire shows up on UF campus.
Discuss! (man)
It's MSU You can "Red Lock" it
Is there a consensus about how good Higdon is turning out to be?
April 15th, 2017 at 10:59 PM ^
April 17th, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^
Don't overlook Walker. Scrimmages aren't a great indicator of the run-game at all, the defense just knows so much of the offense, and the hitting is just so different, plus the O-line being so split up is also not a great barometer (whereas the defense rotating in variations is an actual strategy).
He looked to have pretty good size, good speed, and uses his weight well. I know he got limited snaps, but he also flashed and showed some great fight just like Higdon.
Home-run backs are great of course, but 6-yard runs win championships.
I'm swapping PSU and Wisconsin. I just can't shake the feeling of 49-10
when they hadn't gotten their shit together, and had major injuries to their LB corp. If we had played them towards the end of the season, it would have been much closer. They have the best QB in the Big Ten returning, and they will be very tough. I expect us to be the underdog on the road against them. Harbaugh has yet to prove he can win against a quality opponent on the road.
April 16th, 2017 at 12:20 PM ^
Penn State has the best returning QB? You're talking about a qb who arm punts it worse then Denard did (and I love Denard before anyone jumps down my throat). Wilton and JT are better then Penn States qb.
That is quite pessimistic.
It's his shtick. It's getting old.
Dood...........
no optimism
OSU was younger last year than we are this year
They beat us and went to a better bowl game as well
Chin up - be positive
Undefeated motherfuckas
In which we will either be the underdog, or only a slight favorite. But as far as the other 8, where we will probably be solid, if not overwhelming favorites, the odds are that we will lose at least one unexpectedly. Even if we are 90% favorites in all of those other games (which we probably won't be), our chances of winning all of them are less than 50-50.
Agreed. If those cunts take out a knee of one of our starters just because they can't play big boy ball I'm going to be irate. I hate playing service academies - not sure why any big program schedules them.
9-3, tantilizing close. next year we are 'in'.
10-3.
But the young guys have a great bowl practice and beat the shit out of someone in the Citrus Bowl.
We're more athletic and faster then we have been in a long time.
don't think i've ever seen that much talent on the field for UM in a long time. don't care about lack of experience.
I think experience matters a little bit but raw talent is more important.
We don't. And they develop players much faster. OSU has two guys who were only sophomores (Hooker and Lattimore) who will be first round NFL picks.
That's OSU and Bama. Nobody else wins like OSU and Bama year in and year out. It's a bad comparison to make.
Don't know enough about those teams but I think they beat FL (I did looks at 247's 'slideshow' of their strengths and weaknesses). Yet, I think this team is going to struggle against teams with strong front 7s. The Oline is going to hold this team back once again. They will be dangerous because of the crazy young talent and the monster Dline and they will probably give JH his first upset win at UM but they'll also likely drop a game or two where they are favoured.
BTN2Go
I like the spread of the schedule.
All summer to prepare for Florida.
6 weeks to prepare for PSU.
5 weeks to prepare for OSU.
Not buying Wisc hype or MSU comeback.
I predict another "on the edge season" where we can be undefeated or 3 losses by a few yards.
Camp Randall likely won't be a night game (although it likely will be 2:30 CT, so the second half will be mostly in the dark in late November).
However, Penn State is almost assured to be a night game for their annual White Out; extremely tough environment as well.
We have to beat OSU this year. No excuses. It's time. If we lose again, Harbaugh is 0-3 to Meyer. It will probably take 5ish years just to get to .500.