Let’s go back to our bowl loss. Everyone, most of this board and most all of the beat writers were clear that M had three huge issues to solve:
1. O line
2. D line
3. Back 4.
Did we solve them? It looks like not. We were all duped into thinking that we were better because of coaching hype out of practice. No one had seen it and we still haven’t. We had best hope for improvement in O line fast. Line coach has good history so maybe we’ll see it. This year we are seeing that Offense trumps defense.
Great write up! I always enjoy your perspective on the games. You’ve shared that this is getting harder for you.
Thank you for taking the time out from family and other responsibilities to do this. They have enriched my life.
My big problem with the game this year is that we simply aren’t as good as the team down south, but I bought in to the “it took the offense a while to gel” narrative. We still aren’t as good. If we played in the West I believe we would have mad the B1G playoffs everyone of Harbaugh’s years, where we would have lost to OSU in The Game at the playoffs.
It should also be kept in mind that OSU looses to Indiana or MSU from time to time so we will win again, eventually.
Some of us take longer to grieve than others. The whole issue is expectations. It was not realistic to think that a team this young was going to be a national championship contender.
They won't be a contender until they can run and pass block. Once they can do that they will be fun to watch again.
LOTR, long, detailed. It has a wide cast. A whole mythology behind it. Arguably the best book of the last century. I've read it twenty time and feel like I could easily do twenty more.
Our '12 and '13 OL class has (according to Rivals) one 5*, eight 4*'s, and one 3*. It will be hard for anyone (even Wisconsin) to top that. The smallest guy in the group is 6' 5" / 275 in high school.
If you believe football is won and lost in the trenches we are going to be in great shape.
ND is part of the cycle of having Nebraska, Ohio and ND all away one year and all home the next. By swapping them out we could balance our schedule better.
At this time ND takes advantage of the B1G by having wins against MSU and Purdue and a high profile constest with UM, but not having to play a whole B1G schedule. When B1G goes to 9 internal gaimes, we won't want one of our three remaining games to be ND.
From a recruiting standpoint we recruit against ND all the time. If they didn't have the three B!G ten gaimes it would be harder for them to compete for our talent. They also would not have a schedule that would justiify them being ranked highly year after year. I believe Delaney saw this coming when he announced that B1G would go to nine game season. This will eventually force ND to join B1G or become more irrelavant.
I agree with Brian, no reason to red shirt linebackers this year. If Kellen can play this year at the level needed he will play. Later in the season I could see Kellen Jones, Demmens and Jake Ryan as our starting linebacker corp. Currently, linebacker is the weakest point of our defense. (Hard to believe it is not the secondary.)
Bo was the best. He was a great motivator, but as near as I can tell it worked because he believed it. Bo came to M as a little known coach in my sophomore year at the University of Michigan. Go Blue!
Wooot! It is great that we are starting 2012 recruiting with big uglies. Football is always won and lost by big uglies. Bring on more on both sides of the line.
I was surprised that you predicted no running backs in the '12 class. In two years we will be down to 4 RB's and that seems too thin. I would do one RB at least.
I agree completely with your 2 safeties and 1 CB. Also 5 DL and 5 OL are right on.
You hear it said that the Michigan fans won't tolerate more Rich Rod losses. The reality is he works for DB not us. If he can keep his boss happy he has a job. Dave B has said that he wants progress and doesn't say wins.
An announcer once asked Bum Phillips what it takes to coach in the NFL. Bum said, "An owner who will hire you." Same for RR.
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BB, you have been great. I read every column you did. I Looked forward to them every week.
Thanks for the memories.
Let’s go back to our bowl loss. Everyone, most of this board and most all of the beat writers were clear that M had three huge issues to solve:
1. O line
2. D line
3. Back 4.
Did we solve them? It looks like not. We were all duped into thinking that we were better because of coaching hype out of practice. No one had seen it and we still haven’t. We had best hope for improvement in O line fast. Line coach has good history so maybe we’ll see it. This year we are seeing that Offense trumps defense.
Why the arrogance?…
Brian,
Why the arrogance? Why do you think I didn’t vote and need you to nag me to vote. Sort of like assuming you can run it up the middle on 2nd and ten.
Have a great day in spite of being a Michigan fan and alumnus.
Great write up! I always enjoy your perspective on the games. You’ve shared that this is getting harder for you.
Thank you for taking the time out from family and other responsibilities to do this. They have enriched my life.
My big problem with the game this year is that we simply aren’t as good as the team down south, but I bought in to the “it took the offense a while to gel” narrative. We still aren’t as good. If we played in the West I believe we would have mad the B1G playoffs everyone of Harbaugh’s years, where we would have lost to OSU in The Game at the playoffs.
It should also be kept in mind that OSU looses to Indiana or MSU from time to time so we will win again, eventually.
nice analyses…
Bronxblue,
nice analyses. So do you think we beat The osu?
Interesting numbers. What to do about it? How do we fix it?
Some of us take longer to grieve than others. The whole issue is expectations. It was not realistic to think that a team this young was going to be a national championship contender.
They won't be a contender until they can run and pass block. Once they can do that they will be fun to watch again.
#2 QB: Morris
RB (in order): Toussaint, Green, Smith, Rawls, Hayes, Johnson, Shallman
FB (in order): Kerridge, Houma, Shallman
LG: Braden
C: Miller, Glasgow
SDE: Wormley
MLB: Morgan
SLB: Gordon, Beyer
#2 CB: Taylor
Our '12 and '13 OL class has (according to Rivals) one 5*, eight 4*'s, and one 3*. It will be hard for anyone (even Wisconsin) to top that. The smallest guy in the group is 6' 5" / 275 in high school.
If you believe football is won and lost in the trenches we are going to be in great shape.
ND is part of the cycle of having Nebraska, Ohio and ND all away one year and all home the next. By swapping them out we could balance our schedule better.
At this time ND takes advantage of the B1G by having wins against MSU and Purdue and a high profile constest with UM, but not having to play a whole B1G schedule. When B1G goes to 9 internal gaimes, we won't want one of our three remaining games to be ND.
From a recruiting standpoint we recruit against ND all the time. If they didn't have the three B!G ten gaimes it would be harder for them to compete for our talent. They also would not have a schedule that would justiify them being ranked highly year after year. I believe Delaney saw this coming when he announced that B1G would go to nine game season. This will eventually force ND to join B1G or become more irrelavant.
Go Blue!
Good discussion, clarified some points, esp why we didn't take more 0/1 tech guys.
Thanks
I agree with Brian, no reason to red shirt linebackers this year. If Kellen can play this year at the level needed he will play. Later in the season I could see Kellen Jones, Demmens and Jake Ryan as our starting linebacker corp. Currently, linebacker is the weakest point of our defense. (Hard to believe it is not the secondary.)
I have truly missed the site. Welcome back!
Came today. In chocolate town.
The maps show very graphically how the recruit nationally, but get Michigan and Ohio first strategy is playing out. Thank you!
Bo was the best. He was a great motivator, but as near as I can tell it worked because he believed it. Bo came to M as a little known coach in my sophomore year at the University of Michigan. Go Blue!
Wooot! It is great that we are starting 2012 recruiting with big uglies. Football is always won and lost by big uglies. Bring on more on both sides of the line.
AR says :Among the many burning questions in Ann Arbor is this: What will Michigan's offense look like in the 2011 season?
Isn't our defense the bigger question? If we can move the defense to average, we will be much better than last last year in the win loss colum.
Great analysis. Thank you for doing it.
I was surprised that you predicted no running backs in the '12 class. In two years we will be down to 4 RB's and that seems too thin. I would do one RB at least.
I agree completely with your 2 safeties and 1 CB. Also 5 DL and 5 OL are right on.
Seeing your numbers it is surprising that it took our coaches so long to figure out that Ezeh can't tackel.
You hear it said that the Michigan fans won't tolerate more Rich Rod losses. The reality is he works for DB not us. If he can keep his boss happy he has a job. Dave B has said that he wants progress and doesn't say wins.
An announcer once asked Bum Phillips what it takes to coach in the NFL. Bum said, "An owner who will hire you." Same for RR.