Who are your MVPs

Submitted by champswest on
The regular season is 1/3 over. Who are your offensive, defensive and special teams MVPs? I like Gallon, Countess and Gibbons.

M_Jason_M

September 24th, 2013 at 4:13 PM ^

Gallon is really the only consistent player on the offense it seems like.

Morgan has become very dependable, especially as a tackler.

Gibbons because who else would I pick from special teams?

Mr. Yost

September 24th, 2013 at 4:34 PM ^

NBA and NHL go 10 months out of the year...MLB plays way too many games...and the NFL takes over every minute of ESPN's programming in the fall.

You can't even watch PTI or Around the Horn on Monday until you want an NFL recap, it's like no other sport exists. EVERY topic is NFL. Johnny Manziel, Saban and Clowney have to be PISSED!

Wolverines Dominate

September 24th, 2013 at 6:14 PM ^

Yup. I don't necessarily hate the NFL, but I barely pay attention to it. Nothing is better than CFB and I truly think ESPN needs to do a lot more coverage of it.



I stopped listening to those idiots, Mike and Mike, years ago because 90% of their awful show is NFL; it's pathetic. Baseball is the worst sport on this side of the galaxy and ESPN covers the NHL for about ten minutes total per week.

Wolverines Dominate

September 25th, 2013 at 11:17 AM ^

Multiple reasons:

1) traditions/pageantry

2) games played on Saturday (most of them) as opposed to Sunday

3) more games on TV (I know the NFL cannot help that, but that doesn't change my bullet point)

4) fight songs

5) more and better rivalries, which also mean more because almost always the rivals play only once per year as opposed to usually twice or more in the NFL

6) crowds at the games - louder and a lot rowdier

7) Games in college mean a lot more, meaning if you lose one game, your chances of getting to the title game are severely diminished. That will change a little next year with the four-team playoff, but losing just one game will still hurt your team badly. You can lose seven games in the NFL and still make the playoffs.

 

Im sure there are others, but as of now, those are my reasons.

Mr. Yost

September 24th, 2013 at 4:21 PM ^

I really don't think there's much argument with your 3.

Gallon is clear on offense, no one else has done squat. Gibbons is clear on ST...Wile has looked horrible.

Countess has a career high in picks and we've played 4 games. He also hasn't given up a big play. Morgan and maybe Black would nice honorable mentions.

 

Blarvey

September 24th, 2013 at 6:44 PM ^

What reshp1 said. I imagine there would be more problems if he wasn't there helping the younger guys (not to mention that would make 4 new starters on the line) and it seemed like most of the success running this year from the RB position was to his side.

snarling wolverine

September 24th, 2013 at 6:05 PM ^

If they didn't have Gardner, they'd have another upperclassman QB and I'd venture to say he'd be pretty good.

He might be good, but would it matter given our terrible pass protection? Not to mention that most QBs couldn't rush for 300 yards in four games.  Gardner's running ability has mitigated his shaky passing the last two weeks.  His 100-yard rush game against Akron was big.

 

michgoblue

September 24th, 2013 at 4:22 PM ^

I am going to go with Devin Gardner on offense.  Yes, Devin Gardner.

I know, all the picks and fumbles and bad throws and the like, but go game by game:

CMU - Devin was amazing, he lit up CMU and showed his potential (against weak competition).

ND - this was the only one of our first 4 games that was at risk.  Basically, win this game and we are 4-0 going into B10 play.  And Devin won this game for us.  He stared down death in the form of large, angry golden-domed men and delived strike after strike.  His runs were pretty good, as well.  Without Devin, we could have lost that game, so he was the MVP of the only game that should have been a game.

Akron and UConn - Devin sucked.  But, it didn't cost us the game in either case.  He hurt us, sure, but he did enough to win, and at the end of the day, all that matters is winning.  Style points don't count for much (unless you think we are going undefeated and contending a National Championship Game spot, in which case style points would matter).  Also, mitigating factors here that it is pretty hard to play QB when your center is impersonating a matador, and getting out of the way of men looking to kill you rather than blocking them.  Knowing that you have about 0.0005 seconds to throw the ball before you get killed with regularity tends to mess with your timing and fundamentals.

So, Devin.  He won us the most important game, and he didn't cost us any losses.

John W.

September 24th, 2013 at 4:35 PM ^

He is also coming back to win the games. He is hurt and an ineffective interior line. Coaches need to limit the damage he can do scrambling and get his confidence back and he will be solid.

Soulfire21

September 24th, 2013 at 4:29 PM ^

It's not unique, but definitely Gallon, Gibbons, Countess.  

Despite the picks and fumbles in the past two outings, I can see Gardner being a pick as well, strange as it may seem.  He was responsible for a win over our most toss-up non-conference game and, while certainly didn't help against UConn and Akron, he did enough to win the games in the end, and we'd probably be 1-3 without him to be honest.

joeismyname

September 24th, 2013 at 4:37 PM ^

-Jehu on offense....his blocking and sp. teams play. He will eventually turn it on as a real receiving threat this year too, I can feel it.

-only Devin's legs receive honrable mention, as well as Gallon for his ND explosion.

-On defense the 2 safties and Morgan for his int and overall consistent tackling. Countess has been solid as well.

Mr. Yost

September 24th, 2013 at 4:42 PM ^

If you all are going to say "without (insert name) we'd be..." to make your decision, then it's easy.

Offense is Gardner, then Jack Miller

Defense is Q, Morgan or Gordon

ST is Gibbons.

...there has to be a baseline of expectation. I don't think you can just say "without (insert name)" and go to the next guy on the depth chart. If Michigan didn't have Gardner, they'd have some upperclassmen QB who would likely be pretty damn good. If they didn't have Miller, they'd likely have at least a Mealer type who can at least snap the ball.

At some point performance has to be weighed and not just value of position.

Gardner has more turnovers than touchdowns.

Bodogblog

September 24th, 2013 at 5:14 PM ^

I think that's embedded in the responses.  People are saying Gardner's outstanding play basically won us the ND game, by far our biggest game of the year.  It also allowed us to destroy CMU, and really, really hurt in the Akron and Uconn games.  But we won them.

With an average QB, I don't think we beat ND, but still beat CMU, Akron and Uconn.  I agree with people who are saying Devin.

ATXWolverine

September 24th, 2013 at 4:58 PM ^

Not trying to jack your thread.  I can't post but thought people might be interested in today's TMQ article over at ESPN - it has a nice little segment on Tom Harmon and the Great Gridiron Plot:  http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9714002/as-49ers-go-awesome-awful-wish-had-kept-alex-smith#harmon

Offense - DG (live and die by him, but still living so far) and Gallon

Defense - Morgan (that int was might have saved the season)

ST - Gibbons (the kind of consistency I wish we could get at all other positions)

aiglick

September 24th, 2013 at 5:00 PM ^

I'm going to give Fitz some credit here and go with him on the offense. Yeah many people think he has been frustrating at times but without his play in our three tough games we probably don't win them either. He has been our running game and has done ok considering the weakness of the interior. He definitely had some clutch plays in ND and Uconn that made it far more likely for us to win. I'm giving him some credit for coming back from that injury so quickly.

Defense I'm going to go with the unit as a whole since it did pretty much everything it could in pretty much all the games. Without our defense playing fairly well (yeah bend but don't break is frustrating but FGs don't win games most of the time) we probably lose so I'm giving credit to the whole unit.

Special teams is Gibbons because of his consistency. He did miss the one kick but I'm pretty sure that was fated since almost everything that could have gone wrong in Akron did.

It's a team game so the whole team deserves credit for where we are and now let's see some improvement for the middle portion of the schedule. Just get better every day.

Ron Utah

September 24th, 2013 at 5:21 PM ^

I might take Brennen Beyer on defense.  He leads the team in TFL (4), is tied for the lead in sacks (2.0), has a PBU, three QB hurries, and a forced fumble.  I would put Morgan ahead of Countess as well, who has been good, but two of his three picks were gifts, and he's not covering the outside WRs on the dangerous passing plays.

Gallon and Gibbons is obvious.

DG?  Ummmmm...no.  For the first two games?  Sure.  For the last two?  No.  Almost cost us both games.

getsome

September 25th, 2013 at 6:25 PM ^

Gardner - win with him, lose with him, simple. Lewan close 2nd.  Countess and Gibbons/Glanda.  MVPs tough on this team bc theres no real difference makers other than gardner and lewan.  most of the squad are either young or theyre just guys and thats all theyll ever be.  hopefully countess continues his current level of play bc the other side has been abused frequently, whether its taylor/avery/freshmen.  not all league yet but countess could be if continues to never miss tackles, not give up big plays and make best of his plays on ball.  --sidenote-- please locate more than 1 play where beyer actually defeated a block in less than 3 seconds and still logged referenced sack/TFL/etc...thats the sign of a fatally troubled DL and pass rush when you insert a slow 245lb bull rusher as pass rushing "specialist."  i get it from mattisons perspecitive since he needs to trust his scheme even more with no one winning 1on1s - until he recruits and coaches up an actual athlete at DE with some semblance of football IQ he has to cut his losses and insert the only experienced guy who can properly execute E/T and T/E games without screwing up assignment and in most cases maintains containment (yet rarely actually makes any plays).  most promising future player might be more appropriate after this squads first 4 games

Wolfman

September 24th, 2013 at 5:38 PM ^

didn't see mentioned: Greg Mattison. But I must admit, Beyer has been impressive and even though I don't like the bend, but don't break defense we employ far too often for my taste, Desmond is the best man to have in the middle in those situations because he's most fundamentally sound. Liked the way he not only drifted to curl location, but his immediate read to his keys which many of our playes are not doing, but the replay showed him reading this much quicker than most of our players, then reading the qb's eyes, which most D1 qbs should be good at convincing pass is going other way but really are not once the opening whistle is sounded.

LSAClassOf2000

September 24th, 2013 at 5:42 PM ^

I'll give this one a go...

If we go by some of the statistical leaders, the offensive MVP at this point would be a co-honor between the two most consistent contributors in the receiving and rushing game, or Jeremy Gallon and Fitzgerald Toussaint, but also - as others have said - you have to give Devin Gardner a nod here too. On defense, I would probably have to go with Blake Countess (most INTs), Ramon Taylor (most tackles) and Brennen Beyer (most TFLs). Special teams would pretty much be a lock for Gibbons. 

gwkrlghl

September 24th, 2013 at 6:12 PM ^

Gallon

Countess

Dileo(?)

Newcomer of the Year has to be Jarrod Wilson, right? We were petrified that he was going to be a huge weakness to the defense and the only questionable play I recall him making all season was getting a bit truck-sticked by a ND tight end for a touchdown. Otherwise he's been completely absent which is precisely what you want in a safety. Long live Wilson!

Edit: On that note, I totally jinxed Wilson who will likely give up two long bombs in the Minnesota game. Sorry bro

rob f

September 24th, 2013 at 6:38 PM ^

Offense:  Miggy

Defense: Iglesias

Special Teams (relief pitching?):  Benoit

I hope it all translates into the first World Series Trophy for Detroit in over a quarter century!

 

 

/semi-s

 

 

snoopblue

September 24th, 2013 at 6:18 PM ^

My MVP? How about the referee team @ the Akron game who let the clock run a little bit more than it should have near the end. Also Fitz, Morgan and Chesson. Chesson is really putting more effort than anyone else on punt coverage.