Questions from a Bama fan with 100 posts:

Submitted by prevatt33 on

1)  How do you expect RB to look during the game on Sat?  Will it be a steady diet of Rawls, or by committee?  What do you expect of Rawls?  Does it fall off dramatically after him, or does the senior have any ability?

2) Do you actually believe that Robinson will run around Bama in the same way he would run around, say, [insert Big10 defense]?  (I ask this question fully admitting that he's the fastest player in CFB.  If he played at Bama, he'd be starting at Right Corner, returning punts, and would be the first corner off the board on draft day.  He's athletically legit.)  What are the chances you thnk he will need to help win the game with his arm more than his legs?

3) Do you have any faith in hitting a 52 yarder for the win?

4) Do you think our DB situation is worse than your LB, WR, or Dline situation?

5) How much of a jump do you expect from your D based on your DC having installed more of his blitz package?

6) Do you expect, and I mean expect, to have - at minimum - 2 offensive TD's in the game?

7) What is the general assessment of your new Center?

8) Is mental mistakes at LB, either inside or outside, a concern of yours?

9) Can your starting secondary play man if they had to, each on an island?  (I'm not asking about Kovacs.  He's a true strong safety.  He's a glorified roving mini-linebacker of destruction.  I like Kovacs. He could play on my team anytime.)

10) How often do you expect to play bump-and-something with your corners this year?

11)  How much has Denard improved his footwork and mechanics this season?  Do you expect the same player with simply more maturity and less-forcing, or do you expect him to improve his accuracy to between 60-65% and be a more consistent threat to pass?

12) In your estimation, can you put 3-, 4-, or 5-wide WR set on the field, where every wide receiver is an athletic threat with good hands?

13) Do you have enough talent to rotate 2 groups on your Dline and still play high quality run defense as well as rush the passer, thereby being reasonably fresh for a 4th Q battle?

14)  [redacted comment about RichRod's wife].

Thanks in advance for any and all reasonable replies.  Roll Tide to all, and I pray for both teams' health and success in Saturday's game, although I'd prefer my boys to come out on top.  I have always liked Mich, mostly because I thought your uni's were cool when I was a kid.  Howard posing for the Heisman never hurts when your 12, or whatever.  I also like and respect Hoke.  He does it the right way, with discipline and honor.  He poor-mouths his team and gives you genial coach-speak, which is quintessentially (sp?)  Southern.  Good luck, fellas.  It wil be a pleasure to play you.  F@ck ohio state.  Roll Tide.

 

[ED:BISB - We try not to make personal attacks on non-combatants here. Rita Rodriguez is a non-combatant]

prevatt33

August 29th, 2012 at 12:45 AM ^

My roommate for the last year and a half graduated from Mich 2 years ago.  I am much more acquainted with your team than you might think, but I've heard mostly one guy's opinion.  I also smoke the cheeba, like the 83.65% of Mich students and your boy, my old rommate.  Sincerity  and interest in replies were both genuine.  Roll Tide.

Brightside

August 29th, 2012 at 12:46 AM ^

We expect everything.  Good and bad, it will all happen Saturday and I can't wait.

I do believe both teams will benefit greatly through the rest of the season for having gotten ready for this game.

I have a bet with one of our VP's down South, and I took the bet straight up.  Any money I would put on the game would gladly take the 13 or 14 points as I really don't see that big of a spread even if 'Bama were to win.

I don't have time to answer all of your questions, but if you have been around since May, you likely knew the answer to most and the rest were rhetorical anyway...

We'll see on Saturday.  Go Blue!

prevatt33

August 29th, 2012 at 12:50 AM ^

None were rhetorical.  I just wanna talk football, and this rum and coke ain't gonna drink itself.  I've patiently waited fror 100 posts to finally start a thread, and wanted to ask a lot.   I hope to simply generate jovial, yet honest, discussion  knowing full well I'm in hostile terroroty.  

stankoniaks

August 29th, 2012 at 1:00 AM ^

I don't think any of your questions were unfair or anything (outside of the sheer number of questions!).

You have to understand that a lot of these things are unknown.  Media access has been very restrictive under Hoke, in contrast to the RR days. Therefore, we don't know all the answers about our guys now.  The joke was that UM football was known as "the Fort" under Lloyd Carr due to the limited information being leaked out, and many think Hoke has gotten back to that.

FWIW, we didn't take RR way from you guys. He turned the Bama job down the year before, so if anything, we should have lamented that you didn't take him away from us. 

prevatt33

August 29th, 2012 at 12:53 AM ^

No, I don't.  I couldn't decide which Big10 run-D to insert.  But I stand by the question no matter which Big10 D you insert.  I respect a few D's in the Big10, but would be concerned with none in a game.

aiglick

August 29th, 2012 at 12:52 AM ^

Can't answer all of these questions (Brian's preview posts will definitely answer all of them so you should check them out as he churns them out) but I'd like to focus on a couple of points.

I think LB will be a position of strength based on the recruiting, starters, and depth. We have great guys in Desmond Morgan and Jake Ryan who both played significant minutes last year and should have a nice improvement from their first to second years and Kenny Demens who is a Senior who has been pretty reliable.

I think the main source of optimism for the defense is that this is the first time in a long time where the players are in the same system and there aren't too many major position changes. Also we have Gmat.

I do think that our main concerns are WR and DL as you allude to and how much behind they are from the rest of the team could go a long way in determining how our season goes.

I do think Alabama should be the favorite though 14 seems too much to me. I think this game will be closely contested through the 4th quarter.

Really looking forward to the game and thanks for the great questions.

joeyb

August 29th, 2012 at 12:54 AM ^

1) Rawls, Rawls, Smith, Rawls, Rawls, Smith.

2) Denard doesn't really run around defenses on a regular basis. He's generally gets his yards on a single long run and a few smaller ones. I'd say that's a pretty legitimate expectation.

3) <50%

4) Don't know what your DB situation is, but I can't imagine that it's that severe, not that the situation in our depth is that severe right now either.

5) I don't expect anything. I hope they can hold their own against the Bama OL.

6) Yes.

7) He's not a Rimington winner. Hopefully, he can just get the ball to the QB and hold his own.

8) No. 3 returning starters. I'm sure they will make mistakes as all athletes do, but I'm not concerned about it.

9) Floyd can play man for about 3-5 seconds. The others should be more talented than him, but they were all young last year and I don't know what we have in the other corners yet. I'd say, yes, they can play man.

10) Not often.

11) It's hard to say. We haven't seen anything from fall practice. If I had to guess, fewer jump balls, fewer interceptions, slight increase in completion rate, but nothing to write home about. Essentially, he will manage the ball through the air, not be a true threat.

12) Yes.

13) Probably, but I'm not expecting second stringers to be making plays on their own.

14) You're welcome.

I think we can all agree on your closing sentiments (aside from Bama on top).

prevatt33

August 29th, 2012 at 1:01 AM ^

Thank you for taking the time to reply, and your assessment is reasonable and appreciated.  However, I must disagree at number 6.  I simply don't expect at all for you to score 2 or more offensive TD's.  You would be the first D1 team in more than a year to do so, and I don't subscribe to the idea that our D will take a large step backwards.

prevatt33

August 29th, 2012 at 11:11 AM ^

You do realize that we will have 6 players drafted off this defense after this year (assuming Mosley leaves, drafted players will be WIlliams, Square, Johnson, Mosley, Milliner, and Lester), and likely 9 of our 11 starters in base will be drafted in next or future years.  Hence, reloading, not rebuilding, and I don't think you guys will see paydirt twice as a consequence.  But we'll see on Saturday.

cm2010

August 29th, 2012 at 10:22 PM ^

I am the former roommate he speaks of. I requested/forced him to watch Michigan football games with me since there weren't many football fans around us (hence the desire to discuss football here). But yes, he's out of his mind thinking Michigan won't score at least 2 offensive touchdowns (assuming Denard can stay on the field).

M-Wolverine

August 29th, 2012 at 11:15 AM ^

If you already know the answer?

And you're not the Bama fan who whined on the Mod Action board and said you're weren't posting anymore because we were all meanies, were you?

prevatt33

August 29th, 2012 at 3:58 PM ^

Yes, that was me.  I changed my mind after adjusting my board settings and finding a few decent topics to contribute to.  (This website is surprisingly difficult to navigate and view porperly.  Much more so than any other forum I visit.  The software must be written oddly.)  Sue me.  I've recommended this board to a number of folks, but they couldn't stand the format and bolted.  I understand why.

M-Wolverine

August 29th, 2012 at 11:12 PM ^

And learned nothing from the constructive criticism BiSB gave you on why you were coming off as a troll. Don't be such a drama queen in the future.

justingoblue

August 29th, 2012 at 10:42 PM ^

But I'd say somewhere above 130, assuming no Fitz. I think Denard gets close to 100, if not over, and Rawls/Smith get a few here and there. I don't see the number dipping much from there, but I think Rawls and Smith will struggle and I think we'll pass quite a bit.

wesq

August 29th, 2012 at 1:00 AM ^

4/8 - I think you have been mis-informed about UM LB's.  This is a position group of strength.  The coaches went big with the starting DLine, I have a feeling part of the gameplan is to have Campbell, Washington etc. occupy offensive lineman to open up our LBs.  

prevatt33

August 29th, 2012 at 1:05 AM ^

It's not so much that I am mis-informed, but rather that I watched some talented and young/inexperienced Mich LBs and Ends last year play well generally, but make enough mental mistakes for rme to notice.  Returning starter does not always equal strength.

Wonk

August 29th, 2012 at 12:57 AM ^

 

1)  I expect Rawls to look Rawlsian. He will run forward into a mess of Crimson giants, and will sometimes get forward yards and sometimes not. Michigan will mix in Smith and probably Hayes. Dee Hart will look at our sideline with yearning.

2) Denard will probably break a run or two, but it's more important for him to pass. If he went to Alabama and all you did was use him as a CB and PR, that would be sad. Shame on fake alternate universe Alabama.

3) Does any team have faith on hitting a 52 yard field goal for the win? I mean, other than the Oakland Raiders. That is a silly question.

4) Your DB situation might be worse than Michigan's DB situation, but only based on experience, and it is definitely worse than our LB situation...which is not a situation, unless you define situation as "a position where you have experience, talent, and depth." Our D-line will not be very good, however.

5) One that won't be measurable in our first game against Alabama, I would expect. Kovacs will probably break into your backfield a couple of times, as will Jake Ryan, but I don't know how much we can glean from this. Your offense, like all SEC offenses, is kind of boring, but that's not to say it's ineffective. Pounding the ball into the middle of our line will probably be good enough, and your speed at WR is...speedy.

6) I expect to have 2 offensive TD's in the game.

7) He's a 5th year senior who was well-hyped during his recruitment oh so many years ago. He'll be fine.

8) Since this wasn't a huge problem last year, especially toward the end of the year, no, mental mistakes are not my concern going into this game.

9) I'm glad you would take Kovacs, but Saban would have pushed him out years ago. As for our CB's playing on an island...maybe? JT Floyd is born again hard, and Countess has a good up-side, but neither are faster than your slowest WR. Still, with good technique...I don't know.

10) Sometimes?

11)  I think Denard improved to a point with his passing, but how that shows up on the field is a big unknown. He was getting better as the year went on in 2011, however (Sugar Bowl notwithstanding). He does less than good when he's being pressured, so that bodes great for this game!

12) Roundtree, Gallon, and Dileo all have good hands, but are tiny. The rest are untested or freshmen. Also Devin Gardner exists, but I don't know anything about his hands other than that high school clip that Brian posted earlier of Devin making silly catches.

13) We don't have an endless stream of 5-star death machines, if that's your question. We have barely a functional starting lineup, and then freshmen. It probably won't be good.

14)  That is not a question. Also, Arizona is going to own, so there.

prevatt33

August 29th, 2012 at 1:22 AM ^

Regarding your #'s 6 and 9:

6)  I think we have a 65% chance of hitting a 52 yarder for the win, despite the fact that long FG's are not necessarily a strength or ours.  You guys must need a placekicker. :sarcasm: I know you do;

9) You are drastically mis-informed about Saban's roster management.  IMO, you shouldn't believe everything you read on the Big10 interwebs - Big10 media is the Fox News of Oversigning.  If you think the issue of "over-signing" has anything to do with the game on Saturday in Arlington, I legitimately lament your angst.  From what I've been informed about about what a Michigan Man is, you should have no asterisks.  Continuing along this line of thought is not becoming of you, it seems.  Also, have you heard of a guy named Cory Reamer?  He was a middling-talent, opportunistic, almost forgotten Sam linebacker who helped us win a Nat'l Championship in 2009.  Saban would take 4 Kovacs, 6 on Sunday.

 

Wonk

August 29th, 2012 at 1:34 AM ^

Your kicker is 65% for FG's beyond 50 yards?

And we have two kickers, but they're both normal college kickers. So, you know, not Jason Elam or Sebastian Janikowski...

Also nobody is blowing Saban's oversigning out of proportion. Except Saban. And the University of Alabama. You know, by redacting their scholarship numbers for CERTAINLY NO NEFARIOUS REASON.

prevatt33

August 29th, 2012 at 2:55 AM ^

For the win, I think we'd hit 65 of a 100, yes.  We kick a lot of FG's, and routinely try them from 54 and shorter.  We're admittedly not quite as good at that this year as we've been the last 10 years or so.  We've been quite spoiled with good kickers for the last decade.

M-Wolverine

August 29th, 2012 at 11:15 PM ^

The only thing close I said was that your confidence was misplaced, which it is, because it's based on no factually data and might as well be determined by tea leaves. Doesn't mean it can't happen; just means it is based on nothing rational.