Recalibrated expectations
With the struggles of a young team, particularly the D, I have now started to expect less of this team next year. At the beginning of this season I was thinking that next year would be a 9 or 10 win season. Now, with the lack of improvement defensively as this year goes on I think expecting 9 or 10 wins next year is a bit too much. I will be happy with a bowl game next year and look forward to RichRod's 4th year as the years where things really come together. I just hope that the people making decisions are willing to give him that much time.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:54 PM ^
I think hoping for two extra wins next year isn't crazy. I would take it.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:57 PM ^
Yeah. 7-5 or 8-4.
Way too early though. We don't know a whole lot about what the other teams will look like next year, let alone our own, plus, we play Ohio St. next week w/ a chance at redeeming the season.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:04 PM ^
A game where we don't make [insert Big Ten QB] look like a 2-time Heisman Trophy winner?
A game where we don't give up over 400 yards of offense.
A season where we don't reset any remaining long-standing records against opponents.
A year where I can feel comfortable talking smack to my MSU "friends".
....or maybe I can just hope for less hangovers on Sundays.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:04 PM ^
If you look at the improvement per year, you're looking at 7-5 next year, then 9-3 the year after, and 11-1 after that. That's not a bad stretch of improvement year-to-year if you ask me.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:58 PM ^
Yeah so then you're saying we go 13-0 and then 13-0 again and stay at 13-0 every year.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:08 PM ^
He has to go at least 7-5 next year and be competitive in a Bowl Game.
For me, a lot depends on how we perform against our rivals - I would take 7-6 if one of those 7 is a big fuck you to the Buckeyes. But if we go 0-3 against the Irish, State, and OSU I say happy trails. Also, we have to finish in the top half of the Big Ten. I don't think that's asking too much.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:11 PM ^
You obviously haven't seen how bad we are on Defense. 7 wins against ANYONE and a bowl berth will do.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:26 PM ^
I've watched every game from start to finish and have seen exactly how bad our defense is man. In his THIRD year the head coach of the University of Michigan football team needs to lead his team to a winning record and beat at least one of our three rivals. Period.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:11 PM ^
In my mind, the only thing we need to get 8 wins next year is a mediocre defense. But can it be mediocre? I have no idea.
November 14th, 2009 at 5:05 PM ^
How many guys do we need to get to average? Is it 2, 3, maybe just 1 more guy to help out as an LB?
I'm guessing 3...
November 14th, 2009 at 8:04 PM ^
Yeah, it seems to me that if we could just get a good Middle LB and a Safety to step up and be just average to good next year, we would be mediocre overall. So, just two key players and they wouldn't even have to be great, just good.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:13 PM ^
Much like everyone wants to wait and let Rich get his guys on the O and develop them, with how much youth is on the D the same thing needs to happen. We have to be patient with the D as it grows. The main ingredient for me so far this year has been beer mixed with an occasional shot of the hard stuff. Even the veteran guys on the D are playing in their third or fourth system is as many years and haven't had a chance to grow within one system. I am frustrated, I am frustrated, I am frustrated.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:20 PM ^
like that of the Roman empire. For years we dominated in our time, destroyed any opponent, slaughtered our arch enemy (ohio state) and were victorious in bowl games and a national championship. But here we are years later as our once glorious program falls to ruins. Mainly it's the result of our errors and bad judgements. Either way we have fallen.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:26 PM ^
Damn Visigoths.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:30 PM ^
The Offense can score 40PPG next season and we'll still be struggling to make a bowl game if the defense continues to regress like it has done over the past couple of seasons. This D is absolutely awful and we lose the best player next season. This will be the biggest question next year. Can the D improve while filling that gigantic void on the line? A lot of people will call for Robinsons head after this season, but I hope he sticks around just for consistency sake. (Every year a new coordinator) Maybe that will stop the hemorrhaging. Something...Damn it! Recruiting won't help next season for obvious reasons. So, I too am already starting to lower my expectations for next season.
But, like I always say, beating OSU will make it all feel better.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:41 PM ^
I think the D-Line is likely to be the strength of our D next year.
Of course, there's no replacing BG, but as a unit it will be the most solid on our D by far. Some people are saying if Roh bulks up in the offseason he probably moves over to BG's spot, and that kid has tons of potential. Plus, we return RVB and Martin and hopefully Campbell also starts to emerge as a stud. I think he will. The key, if Roh moves over to BG's spot, is who do we put in Roh's current spot? We'll have Wilkins and Paskorcz (sp?) ... but... they're freshmen and thus wild cards at this point. Do we ahve anyone currently on the roster, and returning, that could fill Roh's spot if he moves over? I don't know.
Plus, I think it's lookign more likely that Warren comes back. Wit him, Turner, hopefully Emilien emerging as a safety, even our secondary starts to look - well, not excellent necessarily - but markedly better than this year.
Our offense has done enough this year that as long as our defense avoids total collapse we win games. Unfortunately they haven't avoided total collapse. Next year, I think they're improved enough that if our offense continues its consistent growth, we definitely have reason for optimism next year.
(Then again most of us, myself included, said the same thing about this year. Who knows. A man can dream.)
November 14th, 2009 at 4:27 PM ^
That's a lot of "ifs" and "buts". I thought that LaLota would claim that DE spot, but Roh is definitely talented. I would love to see evidence of Warren wanting to stay another year. I don't see it happening, but him doing so would be huge for next years line-up. I agree with you that our offense will be much better next year but that can all be negated by a horrible defense.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:46 PM ^
I wish I could say we could get 7 wins next year, but at ND, at PSU at OSU plus with msu and purdue getting better every week, I cannot see this team winning more than 6; not mention next years suprises (like Illi this year and Pudue and almost indi). I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just saying don't get your hopes up like I did this year thinking we were automatically going to a bowl.
November 14th, 2009 at 4:45 PM ^
I think the defense will continue to struggle mightily next year. The only hope for 8-4 or better is for the offense to take a huge step forward to 28+ PPG. This year, they've only taken a small step from 22.1 to 23.8 PPG (in Big 10 games).
http://cfbstats.com/2008/leader/827/team/offense/split07/category09/sor…
http://cfbstats.com/2009/leader/827/team/offense/split07/category09/sor…
November 14th, 2009 at 6:14 PM ^
the PPG stat scares me. In my mind it seems like the Offense is making huge strides but that differential says otherwise. If only we could just learn how to punch it in from the 1 yard line...