November 7th, 2013 at 11:26 PM ^
Although I think Kugler will push Glasgow very hard at C, and take over full time by 2015.
November 7th, 2013 at 11:38 PM ^
November 8th, 2013 at 7:28 AM ^
Link?
November 8th, 2013 at 8:29 AM ^
Thanks for the morning LOL.
November 7th, 2013 at 11:48 PM ^
My thoughts exactly. 4 sophomores and a walk-on junior and everyone will still expect them to win a NC. I will go so far as to say Kugler may take the job from Glasgow by the end of 2014. What a nice problem to have...
November 8th, 2013 at 8:13 AM ^
No one is thinking that Michigan will win a NC anytime soon, and if anyone does then you dont watch football. All we are asking for is a well coached team that is competing with our rivals and not to continue to lose on the road to inferior teams (psu). For me I lost that dream of winning national championship long time ago, probably during RR second year and there is no hope we will anytime soon. I think we will be lucky to compete for B10 titles. But I am sure the optimistic people will continue to say next year. This damn next year never comes. There is always issues with the team. I cant understand why we cant be like stanford in football, have a strategy that give us a chance to win. Not go into a game with no chance.
November 8th, 2013 at 9:18 AM ^
Those geniuses at Stanford have a secret weapon:
Four seniors on the offensive line.
November 8th, 2013 at 9:29 AM ^
Don, you really beleive that even if we had all of the offensive line seniors, we would be able to compete with a team like oregon. In my humble opinion, the answer is NO with this coaching staff
November 8th, 2013 at 9:41 AM ^
about how good our OL coaching is. However, unless and until we get to the point where we are able to put a line out there that has upperclassmen on the interior, we won't truly know. In particular, I think many people underestimate the importance of an experienced and talented center, something we haven't had since Molk graduated.
November 8th, 2013 at 9:46 AM ^
What about last year's line? Two RS juniors at tackle and three RS seniors on the interior.
November 8th, 2013 at 10:23 AM ^
Not a Stanford expert and I know they put some guys into the NFL off their line but did they have the same experience on the 2012, 2011, and 2010 lines? They have been 12-2, 11-2, and 12-1 the past 3 years. And in Harbaugh's 3rd year where they went 8-5 they knocked off top 10ish USC and Oregon. Does anyone believe this team we have in AA would knock off the equivalent of two teams ranked 7th and 10th in Hoke's 3rd? And before you give me cupboard is bare nonsense Harbaugh took over a 1-11 team. Let's be realistic - coaching matters.
November 8th, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^
November 8th, 2013 at 11:33 AM ^
Plus that have that one kid with the photographic memory who knows every call and memorized the entire playbook on like the 3rd day of practice his freshman year.
November 8th, 2013 at 1:28 PM ^
We had 3 seniors on the oline last year. We were one more senior away from being a truly dominant oline.
November 8th, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^
You're missing like 3 or 4 guys. We don't just start 5 guys on the line during a game. Who do were rotate two after the first two series in Game 1 don't go well?
/cynicism
November 7th, 2013 at 11:27 PM ^
November 7th, 2013 at 11:42 PM ^
November 8th, 2013 at 12:55 AM ^
the staff has proven that they are completely inadequate in developing any sort of talent, so my question is, why do you think that anybody will significantly improve? I only see an offensive line next year very similar to the one we have now, without our two best linemen. granted maybe the TE's get a little better but our O line development is atrocious and among the worst in CFB
November 8th, 2013 at 6:58 AM ^
November 8th, 2013 at 7:27 AM ^
All the examples you mention are on the defensive side. I think most people's concerns are among the offensive staff.
Even though I have sounded the "the offensive line has shown zero development!" horn around here before, I think realistically it's too early to really tell whether or not the offensive staff can get the job done. Not seeing any real improvement over the course of the season doesn't make me terribly confident, but I'm a pessimist at heart.
November 8th, 2013 at 10:31 AM ^
I'm already in the next year there are no excuses camp although most will say 12 months from now "JUST WAIT UNTIL 2015!!!" There are 10 guys in the 2012-2013 classes. You throw Bryant and Glasgow on top of that and you have 12 prospects, all that will be in the program in their 2nd, 3rd or 4th year. If the coaching staff cannot put together a viable OL - I am not saying a top 20 OL, I am saying an AVERAGE BIG 10 line with that much raw material to work with, there are no excuses about youth. If you cannot coach up 5 kids out of 12 from two of the best OL classes across the country to be competent, you have no right to be at the University of Michigan. Especially if its a repeat of this year where the team on August 28th looks identical to the one on November 4th. It means you cannot do a thing with players unless they are juniors or seniors and if that's all you can do I can find a decent MAC level coaching staff to accomplish the same for 1/7th the price.
p.s. for what it is worth I'd be excited if Dawson grabs a guard spot as I loved his mean streak during all these hype recruit pieces. That said Kalis supposedly has a mean streak and has been effectively neutered by this staff.
November 8th, 2013 at 11:43 AM ^
I know these guys aren't lineman, but the production they have gotten out of Gallon, Funchess, and Butt at his age are all improvements. It would be hard to argue they didn't develop them. Lewan and Schofield were already good, but they have improved as well. The RB position has been up and down, but that's hard to blame on the RB...same with the QB. The probelms with development are really specific to 3 positions (left guard, center, and right guard). Unfortunately it appears those three positions are really important and we can't do squat when they suck.
November 8th, 2013 at 12:18 PM ^
I totally agree about Gallon, Funchess (though his improvement probably has a lot more to do with eliminating blocking from his responsibilities than actual improved skill sets), Butt, etc. all look good. There are definitely every encouraging spots on the offensive side of the ball. WR especially seems like a good group.
I'm not sure I'd say Lewan and Schofield haven't regressed this season, but that's hard to parse out from the fact that they're lashed to the train wreck that is the rest of the line. I also probably wouldn't heap all the QB and RB woes on the line; it's been a long time since I feel like I've seen a RB really grow and develop over the course of his time at Michigan, and I personally feel like both Denard and Gardner seem to regres the more time they spent under Borges. (Gardner seems to be kind of turning the tide, a bit, since his TO plagued performances earlier in the year, though.)
November 8th, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^
Has Funchess improved? I am sure he could catch the ball as a HS Jr. He cannot block. It has been 1.75 years and he still cannot block. Where is the improvement? He seems to have improved simply be taking him away from a spot where his weakness is exploited. As for Gallon IMO he has been Gallon for a few years - he just has a QB now who gets him the ball a lot more. But others may disagree. I dont see a lot of improvement in Lewan year over year... Schofield maybe.
November 8th, 2013 at 1:34 PM ^
Agree with Funchess. He's a guy who's been seeing the field for close to 20 games now and his blocking doesn't seem likes it's improved one bit.
November 8th, 2013 at 4:22 PM ^
Precisely why I said, "though his improvement probably has a lot more to do with eliminating blocking from his responsibilities than actual improved skill sets."
But I'm still generally pleased with the WRs as a position group.
November 8th, 2013 at 8:15 AM ^
We certainly can continue to hope that players will develop significantly next year. But when do we stop saying next year and look at the issues we are having
November 8th, 2013 at 10:34 AM ^
next year
November 8th, 2013 at 10:36 AM ^
Pfft, the cool kids have already moved on to next next year.
2015 or bust!
(Sad part is, there is probably more truth than I'd like to admit to that statement.)
November 8th, 2013 at 12:10 PM ^
One of the problems with this whole development/next year talk is recruiting. Because the kinds of players RR recruited are so different we have seen an increase in talent every year under Hoke. So, we continue to be excited when the next group on incoming freshman are ready to play. Originally I was really excited for the '12 class of defensive players to be juniors...guys like Wilson, Richardson, RJS, Ross, Bolden, and Pipkins. It already seems Richardson and RJS will never see significant snaps. Bolden hasn't improved much, Pipkins is out for the year, and only Ross and Wilson seem to be developing. But, then the '13 is all about when are those o-lineman gonna be ready? And, when is Lewis, Green, McCray, Charlton, Morris, etc. gonna be ready? But, you know what...amost every one of those positions has an even higher rated recruit coming in next year like potentially Hand, Peppers, Ferns, Speight, etc. That is both a blessing and a curse. But, next year will be the first year Hoke's recruits will be upperclassman. So, I think slowly over the next 3 years we will stop waiting for next year and improve slighly as our young talent gets older. But, the reality is this won't end for at least 2 more years at a minimum. The question is still will they develop, and there certainly is cause for concern, but there is still time coming for this argument to get flushed out.
November 8th, 2013 at 4:25 PM ^
I don't disagree. But "youth" and "will improve next year" have been the refrain for so many seasons now, that quite frankly I'm starting to just ignore that as an explanation, regardless of how justified it may be.
November 8th, 2013 at 10:05 PM ^
I agree with you and it's frustrating, but what highly ranked kid has yet to develop that is an upperclassman? I can't think of any. We seem frustrated with Kalis, but he's young. We are frustrated with Bosch, but he's young. We are frustrated with Bryant, Glasgow, and Miller, but none of them are really 4-star type of recruits. I guess Gardner is probably the one criticism that has actually regressed and that is a real head-scratcher because he seemed better last year with less practice and less experience than he has now. But, is it his fault of the o-line?...hard to say. On defense I have been frustrated with the entire line, but none of them are 4-star type of recruits (at least not at the position they are playing). At LB, the only JR/SR are Ryan, who's fantastic, and Morgan, who is not a 4-star type. On the backend Countess is really a RS Soph coming off an injury, Taylor is not a 4-star, neither is Gordon, and Wilson is sitll a sophomore So, although I agree, the experienced guys are not 4-star types or higher & the talent is younger. Gardner is really the only head-scratcher but it's hard to say it's all him.
November 7th, 2013 at 11:30 PM ^
November 7th, 2013 at 11:31 PM ^
Every Roh is probably correct. I have been thinking Magnuson-Bosch-Glasgow-Bryant-Kalis though. Not as what I think the OL will be, but what I want it to be.
November 7th, 2013 at 11:50 PM ^
November 7th, 2013 at 11:33 PM ^
November 8th, 2013 at 7:30 AM ^
So you're predicting we are going to play 7 guys on the line? Maybe we could run for positive yards if we did that!
November 8th, 2013 at 9:17 AM ^
Well, tackle over isn't working, so maybe he's expecting Borges to go with the heavier 4-guard setup.
November 8th, 2013 at 12:49 AM ^
Good ole Elizabeth Berkeley... North Farmington High student, to sure if she ever graduated... She's a big Michigan fan. Saw her at the Rose Bowl in the early 90s and missed Wheatley's 80+ yard TD run when I turned to say hello... Regret missing that run live, but Aaaah Jesse.
November 8th, 2013 at 10:05 AM ^
November 7th, 2013 at 11:38 PM ^
November 7th, 2013 at 11:44 PM ^
Braden --- Dawson --- Kugler----- Kalis ------ Magnuson
November 7th, 2013 at 11:44 PM ^
A year ago I'd have said this years OL would be: Schofield-Bryant-Miller-Kalis-Braden
This summer I though: Lewan-Braden-Miller-Kalis-Schofield
Now it's a walk-on, true freshman, and undersized tackle starting on the interior...none of them expected to do so this year.
No one has any idea how good Braden will be, including our coaches apparently.
Regardless, the OL is going to be baaad. The guy we all though would be the best OLmen (Kalis) has been passed over by walk-ons and converted tackles. We may not have a single OLmen who would even be considered an average Big 10 starter.
November 8th, 2013 at 12:13 AM ^
Holy crap, this reminds me of how bad we would have been if Lewan went pro.
November 8th, 2013 at 12:51 AM ^
Could it possibly have been worse? I'd venture to guess that if Lewan had gone pro, the coaches might have coached a tad harder across the board and we wouldn't see this debacle. Who knows.
November 8th, 2013 at 1:04 AM ^
Then I just don't know what to tell you. You're living in a fantasy land if you think the coaches are just slacking off because Lewan came back and that's the issue with the OL.
November 8th, 2013 at 6:37 AM ^
Don't feed the troll SC.
November 8th, 2013 at 8:27 AM ^
That is the issue, even our coach doesn't know how they will progress. Watching oregon stanford yesterday, makes me feel that the players that dont commit to us become better than the players that do commit to us. I am not sure why. Pharoah Brown looked good for oregon. Garnett looked good for stanford. Just an observation. Another one is why is it more likely that the 5 stars we get end up being busts (that is going back to RR era)
November 7th, 2013 at 11:54 PM ^