What in the world is Tim from VB talking about?
" McGuffie-and-Michigan never was a perfect fit after the departure of Lloyd Carr and the pro-style system, and McGuffie will likely transfer somewhere closer to home that is a better fit for his skill set. "
This inane quote is from :
http://www.umvarsityblue.com/2008/12/sam-mcguffie-leaves-michigan/comme…
Is Tim being sarcastic or has he completely gone off his rockers?
Vijay
December 15th, 2008 at 2:32 PM ^
why don't you just ask him on his blog?
December 15th, 2008 at 2:48 PM ^
There are others that believe McGuffie is better suited as a running back in a pro style offense and a slot receiver in a spread offense.
December 15th, 2008 at 3:22 PM ^
I do think that McGuffie is an excellent downhill runner, which could be exploited more in a pro-style offense.
And count me as one of those who thought he could have been better as a slot receiver in M's offense.
December 15th, 2008 at 3:36 PM ^
Me too, but, I have a feeling that we hold the minority opinion on that.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:18 PM ^
I back this as well.
December 16th, 2008 at 2:24 PM ^
I think, especially at Michigan, McGuffie fit much better as a slot. With Robinson out, McGuff + Odoms in the slot and Minor + Shaw in the backfield probably got the talent on the field in a better spot than trying Shaw in the slot and McGuff in the backfield. Hindsight and all, though, on my part.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:27 PM ^
He even asked to play slot this year. The kid's going to be good if he can stay injury free and find a place where he's happy.
December 15th, 2008 at 6:31 PM ^
You all think lining a 185lb athlete up against CBs rather than running him into concussion-inducing DTs and LBs makes more sense, I'm in general agreement that slot made some sense for SM.
However, I'm of the opinion that 118 carries by a true frosh is a damn near impossible sample size for predicting/analyzing if SM could have fit RR's system. One imagines that SM as a junior or senior might have been a better fit, physically, at RB than he was as a true frosh. Ohhhhhhhh, red shirt, I wish we had used you. But under either circumstances, I'm not sure RB in a pro-style I is the superior system for SM's skillset, and I don't see why SM's skillset does't fit the spread read, per se. Unless you're referring to his size, which, again, upper class RBs rarely resemble themselves as true frosh- I imagine the same would have been true of Sam.
December 15th, 2008 at 6:58 PM ^
My assessment actually had nothing to do with his concussions. It had more to do with the fact that a) he ran well out of the I formation, b) he makes excellent slashing cuts when running downhill, and c) he didn't show the ability to break many tackles.
In the zone read (as I see it), the running back has to have the patience to find a hole (which McGuffie has) but then he often has to cut back against the grain. Cutbacks often involve breaking an arm tackle or two. He did not show the ability to do this as much as Minor, Shaw, Quincy Wilson, Steve Slaton, etc. This is also a reason why I'm somewhat down on Carlos Brown in this offense, because he doesn't break many tackles, either.
McGuffie would be better off hitting the hole at full speed, making a cut and picking up a couple more yards (or more).
December 15th, 2008 at 9:07 PM ^
Also cosigned.
On a sidenote, this is fantastically better than the McGuffie goes down on first contact stuff. Because you're right, if the first arm tackle slows you down you can't break through the hole. Minor and Shaw can both do that (Grady can't find the hole with a Garmin) but McGuffie as a freshman couldn't nearly as well.
I think we're more likely to see McGuffie in the slot in the pros, but only because I don't think he'd be the same running back if he gained the 40lbs he'd need to sustain the NFL pounding.
December 16th, 2008 at 12:35 PM ^
You all think lining a 185lb athlete up against CBs rather than running him into concussion-inducing DTs and LBs makes more sense.
Actually, on the topic of concussions, football players of all sizes are far more likely to get them on pass routes (when they can often get blindsided) than on running plays - and that's how McGuffie was concussed against Toledo.
December 16th, 2008 at 1:19 PM ^
Is there statistical evidence of this or is it anecdotal?
December 16th, 2008 at 3:07 PM ^
I don't have a link, but the NFL has conducted studies on this and found that besides QBs, WRs are the next most likely to suffer concussions. The way they are concussed is almost always the same: they run a route over the middle and are blindsided by a safety/linebacker.
December 16th, 2008 at 3:16 PM ^
...behind QB's and WR's is tall, stupid people like me who forget to duck when going through doors and climbing into cars.
And that's a legal fact.