WTKA Roundtable 1/5/2017: Leaking Wet Barns

48 minutes

There is no Brian (ill) or Sam (out) so you get Ira, Ed, and Craig Ross.

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[Bryan Fuller]

Things discussed:

  • E-sports are a thing, and not just in Ira’s house. WTKA actually had to talk about whether they’d start covering it as a sport.
  • Craig recounts what hoops and hockey games were like in the Middle Ages, when “water boy” meant the kid whose job it was to mop up the puddles from the roof leaks.
  • The Orange Bowl: Florida State’s got talent. Ed didn’t trust his numbers. How much of that was losing Peppers at the last minute? Could Peppers have blocked DeMarcus Walker, because our guards sure as hell couldn’t.
  • Next year worries: they’re all concerned about the secondary. Best guess at offensive line makeup.
  • Quarterback competition? Speight’s injury makes it way too hard to judge his last two games, but Iowa opens the door for a real ninja.
  • Time management fail: hopefully we don’t see that again.
  • Skill position guys: receivers to take a step back, RB check again later, TE should be okay.
  • Throwing out names to replace Fisch: Pep Hamilton?
  • Hoops is hard to judge.

You can catch the entire episode on Michigan Insider's podcast stream on Audioboom.

Segment two is here. Segment three doesn’t exist but Red was in-studio right before.

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Comments

LKLIII

January 6th, 2017 at 10:53 AM ^

Didn't listen to the podcast, but I heard other people on social media grouching about how Harbaugh could've used our remaining time outs better to give us more time to go down the field at the end of the game.

FWIW, one of the *FEW* weaknesses that I did hear about Harbaugh during the whole coaching search thing two years ago was that he isn't necessarily awesome at clock management scenarios at the end of games.

Whether that critique is valid or whether the FSU game was just a one-off, it's way too early to tell.  Hopefully between recruiting, whipping the kids into shape & scheming properly, we avoid a bunch of those late game scenarios in the future and don't really ever suffer too much if it's a true Achille's Heel.

LKLIII

January 6th, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^

Yeah, I agree w/ this.  I think there's a chance that next year will be about the same as last year.  The difference being, DPJ, Black, McDoom, Crawford, etc will be more raw but also more talented.  Hopefully the talent makes up for the lack of experience and it evens out for 2017, and then starting in 2018 we've got a big upgrade at the WR position.

Similar w/ the defensive backfield (although it's tough to upgrade from JLewis).

LKLIII

January 6th, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^

Yeah, I agree w/ this.  I think there's a chance that next year will be about the same as last year.  The difference being, DPJ, Black, McDoom, Crawford, etc will be more raw but also more talented.  Hopefully the talent makes up for the lack of experience and it evens out for 2017, and then starting in 2018 we've got a big upgrade at the WR position.

Similar w/ the defensive backfield (although it's tough to upgrade from JLewis).

dragonchild

January 6th, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^

I expect the incoming WRs to be more athletic but also more erratic.  This means they will be better at creating opportunities, but harder to trust in those key 3rd downs.

In the short term until they get comfortable, I don't think we'll have a Butt or a late 2015 Chesson, the kind of player that can get separation without RPS help AND has the HC's trust they'll convert a passing down.  We'll probably have more of the former but less of the latter.

AA Forever

January 6th, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^

that combined for 105 catches and 1545 yards, and the guys we have coming back had only 14 catches for 138 yards in 13 games, and quite a bit of that in garbage time of blowouts. We'll certainly have bodies and talent next season, but that's a really big gap in productivity to make up for, virtually from scratch. Maybe DPJ can step right in and be a 50 catch #1 guy, but it's a tough position for true freshmen, even talented ones.

AA Forever

January 6th, 2017 at 1:43 PM ^

Along with Darboh and Chesson.

I was not including TEs there. As far as Butt, we probably won't be able to completely replace the pass-catching productivity of an all-conference to all-American caliber guy, but with Asiasi, Wheatley, Bunting, McKeon and Eubanks, that position will be well manned, and we may very well get better blocking.

OwenGoBlue

January 6th, 2017 at 1:46 PM ^

I'm seeing a lot more explosive plays and more bad ones due to inexperience. Whether or not that's better or worse may change week to week. I would probably feel differently about 2016 if Speight hit 5 or so more wide open long balls, particularly at Iowa.

I can't remember a slant that went for 50 yards this season (or similar play), but we also seemed to have very few of those QB and the receiver not on the same page-type plays that are fairly common and really frustrating.

caup

January 6th, 2017 at 11:53 AM ^

I think our WRs will be scarier next year.  DPJ should be an immediate difference maker.  Hopefully Perry gets cleared. McDoom hits his stride. Harris, Ways.

I see the WRs getting better next year. Especially in light of Chesson and Darboh being good but not great this year.

AA Forever

January 6th, 2017 at 1:04 PM ^

I would pick Crawford as the biggest impact guy next year, with DPJ and McDoom after that. I have no hope that Ways will get anything but a few scattered catches, and not much more hope for Harris. Both those guys had plenty of opportunity to step up this year but didn't. Look for them to be passed by.

As far as Perry, if the reports are even close to true, I don't see how Harbaugh has him back..this isn't State, after all.

CoverZero

January 6th, 2017 at 5:39 PM ^

Losing Jabrill probably was the difference in the game, however Jimbo Fisher and his staff had the edge in coaching on Jim Harbaugh and his staff.  The found the matchups which they could exploit on tape, made the adjustments to get those matchups and JH and team had no answers for it.

Next year is not looking good with that OL, unless some of the young guys like Ulizio, Runyan or Onwenu can step forward.  Could be a brutal season coming up.