readyourguard

May 10th, 2011 at 11:09 PM ^

I expect us to return to a BCS bowl game at the conclusion of the upcoming season.  I realize it's considered irrational, but that doesn't alter MY expectations.   "Lowered expectations" was a recessive gene in my mom.  Luckily my dad's dominant "Success" gene stomped that sucker dead.

 

Joined: 08/21/2008

MGoPoints: 40986

Cope

May 10th, 2011 at 11:53 PM ^

Please give Hoke and the new staff time to build the team and for the guys to transition. If it doesn't happen year one, don't be disillusioned. It'll happen, but it's okay if it takes a little more time. IMO, I don't think we'll be the Michigan we expect the first time we hit the field, but we will be that Michigan.

Joined: 10/07/2010

MGoPoints: 2648

Cope

May 11th, 2011 at 8:54 AM ^

And my delusions have us as brick walls of maize and blue that swarm the ball at the line of scrimmage and gazelles that make leaping interceptions. My emotions believe it is already true. My reason believes it won't be too long... Really I'm just hoping we don't go through another backlash of disappointment after unexpected losses. But I truly believe it won't be anything like last time.

Joined: 10/07/2010

MGoPoints: 2648

Tater

May 11th, 2011 at 12:29 AM ^

If the Borges version of the WCO ends up looking less like Bill Walsh and more like LaVell Edwards, this team could do a lot of damage this year.  The main problem is that whoever wins now has two more tough games than they used to.  Even five years ago, Michigan had to worry about TSIO, PSU, and Wiscy.  

MSU was a rivlary game and Iowa was semi-tough, but if Michigan beat TSIO at the end of the year and only had one loss going into the game, it was usually enough to at least get to the Rose Bowl.  Now, Iowa has upped their game, Nebraska is in the Big Ten, Iowa is legit, and MSU thinks they are legit.  And once they get through all of that, there is a championship game.  And there is now only one champion, not two or three co-champions.  

The current configuration guarantees that if the Big Ten Champion gets through the season tied with two or three other teams for the best or second-best record, it will get serious consideration for the NC game.  But it also makes it harder for an "also-ran" to sneak into a second BCS bowl becuase of the probabliity of extra losses.  

So, at this point, it's probably Big Ten Championship or bust for any BCS hopes.  Michigan could lose to Alabama and ND in 2012, lose one more during the season, but still win the BTC game and get into the Rose Bowl.  

I think the more important question is "when will Michigan make it to the NC game?"  Under the current staff, they could get there in three years, or they could be a perennial 3 or 4-loss team and never get there.  We just don't have enough information yet to come close to an accurate prediction.

Joined: 08/13/2008

MGoPoints: 30584

NateVolk

May 11th, 2011 at 6:54 AM ^

On the point about staying cautious about Hoke's coaching ability: After the last experience it is best to see what a coach does here in our league coaching, our team. That's fair and the smart approach.  Still,  I think we are fine based on what I have heard from people out West.

Going in I was more sold on Hoke as a coach than a recruiter. The San Diego State people I talked to said that he had talent there because Long was a very good recruiter. Hoke unified everyone, made them more organized on both sides of the ball and created excitement that seemed to cause players to raise their games noticeably higher then under the prior coach. 

These are exactly the elements we were missing from our prior head coach. The biggest question right now is probably: does he actually have enough pieces to work with? We return a lot of guys, but are they quality Big Ten caliber players that we'll need to compete for the champoinship?

Joined: 07/19/2010

MGoPoints: 6863