What do you want to see from Michigan tomorrow?
Besides the obvious stuff like win by 50, no penalties, 10 sacks ect.
Offence:
1. A audible to a quick pass when 9 men are in the box.
2. Faster tempo
3. Less rb rotation.
Defence:
1. More than 13 players play during the game. Don Brown rarely used subs.
2. D-line holding up to a power run.
3. Less confusing on zone coverages. I believe last year against Rutgers all 3 lbs were all covering the same zone 3 yards off the Los on a 3rd and medium to go.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
Not clapping 4 times before the snap.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
A team that looks like it had some competent coaching and nothing that looks like a Bo disciple team
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:00 PM ^
Amen to that!
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:05 PM ^
Consistently solid play - blocking and tackling, running good routes, and RB’s hitting holes. All. Four. Quarters. Including the back ups.
September 4th, 2021 at 8:39 AM ^
It would be nice to see them run the ball against a team that doesn’t have a single player who can play for them.
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:47 PM ^
In fairness to Moeller, he was a Bo disciple, and his offense was innovative, and he was undefeated vs OSU.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:16 PM ^
Ran tempo and scripted drives. He is my hero.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:26 PM ^
Moeller was 3-1-1 versus OSU, so sadly not undefeated. But man, he sure beat the snot out of OSU a couple times.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:28 PM ^
You want to pinpoint the Original Sin that threw Michigan off track for nigh on 30 years, Mo might be your guy. 44-13-3. A very Michigan story.
September 3rd, 2021 at 10:25 PM ^
Yes!
I firmly believe that if Gary Moeller hadn't gotten fired, Michigan is a very different program.
It was Moeller who emphasized/prioritized speed. It was Moeller who went after players in Texas and Cali and Florida to bring that speed to Ann Arbor. It was Moeller who had the courage to go for gambles (when Michigan has historically been conservative on offense).
Odds are Moeller would've adopted a passing version of the spread because it fit his aggressive, modern approach to the game.
Remember how Purdue found the spread because it recruited Drew Brees from Texas? I think a similar thing would've happened for Michigan.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:20 AM ^
I distinctly remember when the Gary Moeller story broke in the papers. Right after my freshman year, I was living in a trashy apartment on Maiden Lane on a sublet with trashier roommates, and I walked over to the Kroger nearby on Plymouth or Broadway to grab a paper and there it was. The whole thing made no real sense to me then but now reading about it in retrospect he got totally 2020'ed.
I can't recall ever reading a counterfactual history where Coach Moeller has his own era at Michigan, most likely because of the 1997 NC with Carr.
September 4th, 2021 at 6:43 AM ^
Can confirm, Maiden Ln was a shithole. Lived there in '99.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:48 PM ^
Absolutely. I’ll add: a team that looks like it can beat MSU because as I watch their game, I don’t feel great about our chances.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:06 PM ^
I just want to see a lively Harbaugh. If his energy is back then I’ll feel better about the future.
September 3rd, 2021 at 10:06 PM ^
And win with cruelty...
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:07 PM ^
No injuries, win the game
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:29 PM ^
This is a great comment.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:07 PM ^
Cade throws for 350 and 3 tds. RBs have combined 250yd day with 4 tds. Defense has a shut out and all reserves are in starting the 4th qt.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:08 PM ^
Enthusiasm unknown to mankind. I want it to look like our boys are having fun and have bought into the system. The past few years they've looked like zombies on the field.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:12 PM ^
What I really don’t want to see are slow developing plays on offense and grabby defensive backs.
Also I don’t want to see a shot of Zingerman’s as I’m off carbs this month.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:13 PM ^
No injuries.
A fiery Harbaugh.
Solid defense.
A comfortable win.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:13 PM ^
Just a solid win with relatively mistake-free performances on both sides of the ball and on special teams. And no major injuries PLEASE!
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:14 PM ^
1. Fired up Jim Harbaugh
2. Speed in space and big holes on offense
3. Limited YAC, runs not getting to the 2nd level, frequent and effective QB pressure on D
4. At least an entire quarter of work for JJ
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:18 PM ^
I doubt we say much of JJ. Harbaugh has shown before the back up doesn’t get much run early in year.
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:52 PM ^
Number one is so important too.. for years he looks insecure and nervous on sideline. He didn't at Stanford, where he was almost statuesque. Call me old school but I prefer the Lombardi or Landry posturing on sideline.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:25 PM ^
I'll settle for competence and a win.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:13 PM ^
I'm not sure that's settling. Might be more like aspiring to competence right now.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:25 PM ^
A joyful, decisive win where we dominate in all 3 phases of the game, with everyone healthy.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:26 PM ^
Only the penitent man will pass!
So let's run it up the middle!
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:26 PM ^
Offense:
I want to see a gameplan designed to attack WMU's weak spots and score efficiently.
I want to see plays executed effectively and correctly. Limit mental mistakes.
I would like to see evidence that our QB has developed and that our skill players are being used as weapons in the above effectively designed gameplan.
Defense:
I want to see strong fundamentals on display in the new defensive scheme. I understand there will be mistakes, but tackle well, understand where you're supposed be, and understand for the most part what you're supposed to do.
I want to see a defense that limits big plays, showing functional, if not spectacular, position groups that give superior effort and bounce back from mistakes. Limit those mistakes as much as possible.
I want to see some evidence as to where the defense is headed, once it gets up to speed. That is, progress.
Special Teams:
Competence -- you put the ball through the uprights. You bomb the punts and put them inside the 20-yard line. You use the return game to provide excellent field position.
Coaching:
Aside from the above gameplan commentary, I want the decisions to make sense in the context of modern football and probability theory. I want the coaches to realize it's 2021 and embrace that.
Overall:
Win. No injuries.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:28 PM ^
I want to see a quarterback that can make the correct reads on RPO. It’s the key to the offense IMO. I want to see Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson play well. I really hope they do.
I am excited about Dax Hill and want to see him do well and eventually drafted in the first round. It guts me when players that are highly touted don’t live up to their billing at Michigan. It makes me think they will regret their choice to come here.
I hope Michigan wins by 20. I want Gattis to succeed. I think the defense will take time so I hope the offense can score at will.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:29 PM ^
I'll just take a win for right now. I expect to see some hiccups here and there.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:34 PM ^
I want to see a lot of things but first and foremost I want to see an offense that takes full control of the game with chunk play after chunk play-and no negative ones. A dominate OL and competent QB play makes this happen.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:35 PM ^
Just a W. Worried that Eleby's arm will give our corners fits.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:38 PM ^
Explosive offense and 3 and outs on D.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:41 PM ^
Oline push, dline havoc, few to no missed tackles or dropped passes, a 60%+ completion percentage, no turnovers or major injuries, 450+ yards offense, under 350 given up, and an entire sideline of players and coaches showing some damn passion.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:42 PM ^
I'll be thrilled with a convincing victory. What id love to see is a 73 - 0 drubbing where we force 6 turnovers and hold them to under 200 yards of total offense. Cade goes 15-17 for 275 and 4 tds in the 1st half. JJ plays the second and we all get a glimpse of the future
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:44 PM ^
Sounds like we are getting 27 for 27 instead of competence from the coaching staff.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:51 PM ^
Sadly, the chatter does evoke 2019 Army, but with a functional passing game on the other side. This makes for some concern, but surely they have learned.....uh.....right?
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:15 PM ^
The way Sam has been pre-excusing a boring "run it into a stacked box b/c we are POWER" all week on WTKA has me thinking that no one has learned a thing.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:15 PM ^
Yep, that's the worry.
Are we going to try to "impose our will" again, doing the very thing that will keep an inferior opponent in the game and taking the chance that we break ANOTHER RB1 in the process? Sounds like it.
Being the same. It's the Michigan Difference.
September 3rd, 2021 at 10:21 PM ^
With a competent coaching staff you would have a 100 downvotes before the first game has kicked. Sadly its only upvotes and here is mine.
September 4th, 2021 at 12:25 AM ^
With a competent football coaching staff, my comments about football would be 99% positive in nature. My feelings expressed on this blog about basketball clearly show this. As far as downvotes, whatever will be, will be. You get a +1, because you are right of course.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:52 PM ^
Offense:
Punish them for big plays when the defense cheats. I wanna see an RPO based running game with tags on everything that Cade looks sharp running.
Defense:
I wanna see crazy pre-snap formations and their QB looking shook. Create chaos and get some turnovers.
Special Teams:
I wanna see creative concepts and somebody electric returning kicks.
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:03 PM ^
God help me if they struggle to score tomorrow, I just want them to have a good offense for once
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:10 PM ^
An offense that makes sense and a quarterback who can run it. That’s literally it. We’ll annihilate Western if we have those two things
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:12 PM ^
Players having fun and looking happy to be there.
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:18 PM ^
Cade’s ability to read defenses and make good decisions. Running game with solid interior blocking.
DL controls the line and secondary denies deep plays.
ST are organized and execute thoroughly.
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:19 PM ^
An offense that allows the QB to actually run the ball and to change the call to a pass when WMU's defense has inevitably stacked the box.
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:24 PM ^
Defense - contain the edge, force plays back inside. DBs looking back for the ball and making plays.
Offense - running backs get into a rhythm, less rotation. Good completion percentage, limited turnovers, no drops.