Did this game change your expectations for 2014?

Immediately after the game, I was feeling optimistic. But I remembered that feeling after Michigan did well without Denard down the stretch last year. The defense will probably get better next year. They might even figure out this spread-punt formation. The real issue--the same issue everyone saw last year--is which Borges shows up, if Borges returns at all. 

If he's back, and he reverts to whatever he has been doing, this team is going to hurt. If he's not back, then maybe there are transition costs. But if he continues with whatever he was doing here--scheming with the players' strengths/weaknesses in mind--then it could be a 9-10 win season.

Yep.  I expect magnificent things next year.  I think Borges' stubborness in sticking with pocket pasing/power running will pay dividends 2013 more than middling the offense between philosophies like was done in 2011 (when we had a more agile runner but less capable passer than DG).

 

I'll be curious to see who the new offensive line coach will be.  But everyone else on the coaching staff I would expect, and would be pleased to see, back on the Michigan sideline next year.

 

Hopefully Peppers doesn't jump ship: that would be a blow to our mystique.  In that respect, the sooner the nonsense about Hoke's (and Borges') job being insecure passes, the better.  Most of it, at this point, I am convinced is from B1G rivals who know how destructive such rumors would be to us.

Next year's perfomance will be great!  Especially if Green puts on about 20lbs of muscle.

I feel like, even with Borges, we are on the right track. I'd rather get an OC who would not be as dogmatic and then I think we'd be national contenders annually. Now I think next year we ought to contend for the B1G.

Other random thoughts on yesterday: dammit! Our boys showed heart. Where was this all year? We're so much more than this record. Hopeful for next year. And DAMMIT! Three more yards!!!

I feel a lot better about another year of Gardner after Saturday.  I feel better about the backs, the o-line.  I worry about the WR though.  Gallon is leaving.  Chesson has had some nice catches, Butt and Funchess are back, but there isn't the go-to guy anymore.

I have 0 worries about the offense.  Carlos Hyde won't be around there anymore.  But this team could be a nice 9 to 11 win team.  The schedule isn't as favorable as this year.

All yesterday did for me was show that the talent and grit are there to compete.  The difference was that yesterday the kids were put in a position to succeed (or so it seemed to me).

Can someone please explain to me why the vast improvement between the 2 weeks?  Seriously - it was like a completely different team.

I sat surrounded by Buckeye fans yesterday and quite a few of them were mumbling that next year our team could be scary good if they keep playing like they did. 

I had to agree.  Pay like they did yesterday and they are going to be very good - the million dollar question is what's holding them back?  Seriously -   without any snark can someone please tell me what happened to make yesterday's game so much more competitive? 

 

MSU, ND, and OSU all lose significant pieces of their team next year.

Obviously this team has the potential to go 10-2 or 11-1 next year IF the OC coaches to the players strengths like he did yesterday.  I still think Borges and Funk are the weakest links in the chain and I'm not sold on Wellman and the S&C team.

I am hopeful and will be more optimistic by next season.  Ideally Funk is gone after the season, but I fear this staff will be exactly yhe same next season and we'll struggle in places we shouldn't and REALLY struggle with our rivals. 7-5 or 8-4 at best I fear.

Just hope they take that toughness they played with on Saturday into the bowl game.

Yesterdays game showed that we have playmakers even in the younger guys.. Does this make me see Al and Funk different? Nope because they still need to go and what pisses me off is where was this game week 3 and on? It tells me they took it waaay to easy.

Nope

do people not remember last saturday when we lost to Iowa?  we had 158 yards in that game, if we were able to gain 603 yards vs. OSU why could we not beat iowa?   aL bORGES IS WHY, you people infuriate me to no end!!!!!!!!!!! AFBSAKLBVKFBVJA OV BROVBNHRNVWORN KVN WKJRF VW

It kind of just reminds me of all the potential this team has, and that it could very well be squandered once again next season.

But, I'm going to try to be optimistic and say I think the team next year will be quite a bit better. I hope maturity and the fact they will all have faced a good amount of adversity in the 2013 season will make the players go into the season with some big chips on their shoulders. I know, I know.. Wishful thinking..

I know everyone will get upset with this but Hoke is not recruiting difference makers.   Other than Peppers, and he is probably gone, Hoke has recruited really nice kids but not elite talent  (but.....but......Green....). I know everyone is going to get butthurt over this but Urb is recruiting talent that wins NC and Hoke is not.     

If through bowl,spring and fall practices we get a traditional UM O line I see great improvement next year. That game definitely bought Al another year. Sad but true.

6-6 or 7-5..... Hate to say it, but I just don't see where the wins are going to come from....

We could easily lose to Utah or PSU at home, Northwestern away, and then there's at ND, MSU, and OSU....

I really, really, really want to believe that we're going to be awesome and win the Big Ten, but it's just hard to envision it at the moment...

Low expectations and EXTREMELY high hopes.

It made me angry about 2013. I watched in disbelief as we movedthe ball all over a defense that was better than those that completely shut us down.

Borges is like a neighbor who constantly borrows your car and then you learn he has 3 cars of his own in his garage. WTF has he been doing all year?

If Kugler can put on weight and come in as advertised, then it's possible that Kalis is the only returning starter from this game. I assume Magnuson will be the right tackle, but who knows. Maybe Glasgow holds off one of the young guys 2 new starters at Tackle is already making me nervous

It reaffirmed my feeling that the devil we know is better than random Debordian coordinator. We're not going to get a good coordinator after the bowl games - who worthwhile is coming here when his potential boss was forced to fire his predecessor? - and Borges can get the most out of these guys. To be clear I am not saying that Borges did a good job this year. I am saying that this year was more set on fire by O-line inexperience than poor play calling, and that 90+% of coordinators would have done the same or worse.

My expectations won't change much unless there is a shake up coaching wise (i.e. new OC). 

Much of the success or lackthereof will come with Gardner's improvement.  Without a new QB coach, I'm not sure what to expect out of him next year.  The three big road games will be a challenge - ND, MSU, OSU.  The Utah game scares the crap out of me too.  We could easily drop those four games and another woulda/coudla/shoulda.  I think we are marginally improved if no coaching changes take place 8-4 overall (5-3 in the B1G).

New coaching talent on offense could spice things up but learning a new system could be just as bad if not worse than sticking with Borges at least in the short-term.

Gets 9-10 wins next year, hell, they should have had 9 this year. A year of experience and other teams rebuilding next year, I see us winning at least 9. I think we lose to ND but beat MSU and Ohio. It's about our time boys, hang on.

Nope. Unless a new OC is hired, mediocre to poor performance is my expectation.

Triple post.

Dp

No. This was one outlier performance that wasnt even enough to get the win at home. Likely to see more of the same next year.

I predicted the Michigan-Iowa game would be 21-21, and Ohio-Michigan would be 42-7, so you can be sure that half of this prediction will be accurate.

Aug. 30 APPALACHIAN STATE - Win, because if not, holy hell are we in trouble

Sept. 6 at Notre Dame - toss up, but with a 5th year senior at QB, we have a shot. I'll go with a win in the last match-up. Serves them right for cancelling the series. Don't mess with karma ND.

Sept. 13 MIAMI (Ohio) - Win because obviously

Sept. 20 UTAH - at Utah would be trouble, but this is at home, win.

Sept. 27 MINNESOTA* - They played better this year, but apparently we own them. Win.

Oct. 4 at Rutgers* - May be very similar to UConn this year, but Rutgers is better than UConn. I expect we'll welcome them to the B14 in style. Win.

Oct. 11 PENN STATE*  - A sophomore Hackenburg presents more problems, but again, home field advantage is huge. Win.

Oct. 25 at Michigan State* - They suffer some personnel losses on defense. We have got to turn around the narrative of this series. Win, but only out of necessity, and I'm not sure that's a valid reason.

Nov. 1 INDIANA* (HC) - Homecoming vs. Indiana? That's another win. I thought this schedule was supposed to be tough, yet I have us at 9-0 so far. The eternal optimist returns.

Nov. 8 at Northwestern* - they were 1-7 in BIG play this year. Win.

 Nov. 22 MARYLAND* - Seriously? Win.

Nov. 29 at Ohio State* - Toss-up. I guess it depends on how many of them turn pro. Let's say with O-line losses and early entries, they're playing a lot of young kids and making mistakes that we made this year. Win.

So it's on to the B1G championship game against... Wisconsin. Let's win that too, while we're at it.

In reality, we're probably looking at losing 2 of @ND, @MSU, @OSU, and getting upset once at home. I'd be happy with 9-3 after 8-4 and 7-5 seasons.

1.) @ ND, 2.) @ MSU and 3.) @ OSU.  Plus I know there are one or two loses out there. So, no I don't think the record will improve much. I'm hoping the team will. We will have a very young OL and hopefully during summer camp a group of starters will emerge and they must play this unit through the season.

Borges will be the OC and will call some inconsistent games. This how Borges rolls.

was close minus the one I EL. With better luck next year and the experience coming back, I'd say we have an actual serious shot at the B1G title game. Not just an average shot like this year.

Shows what our team can do with some good coaching (minus the 2 pt play)

 

I'm optimistic for next year. Pisses me off to think what this year could have been tho ...

 

 

All depends on the Oline and the play calling.

team shows up for the bowl game that played OSU yesterday ill be excited for next season.

WIll someone point out to me all these daunting games eveyrone is so scared of? All over the interwebz is "OMGZ Meechigans 2014 schedule is brutal!". I see 8 games that should absolutely be wins...if they are not the whole season is a shit show and the whole staff will be fired...I just don't see that next year.

Then I see 4 toss ups. If we win 2 of the toss ups you got 10-2. Anything worse than 9-3 should be viewed a colossal failure. As far as those toss up games I feel pretty strongly UM should actually win 3 of those games.

 

App State....WIN

at Notre dame....Toss Up

Miami Ohio....WIN

Utah....Win

Minnesota....WIN

at Rutgers....WIN

Penn State....Toss up

BYE

at MSU....Toss up

Indiana....Win

at NW....Win

BYE

Maryland....Win

at ohio....Toss up