What are you realistic expectations for the season now?
There were, as there always are, a lot of big claims and blustery predictions of championships at the start of every season. Nobody had this game penciled in as a loss, so I was wondering what the real expectations are now.
I'm not asking what you hope to happen; what do you expect at this point?
September 4th, 2018 at 2:57 PM ^
Always is.
Less for "make or break our season" reasons, and more a "shut them up for a bit" thing.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:58 PM ^
That should be a must win every year
September 4th, 2018 at 2:46 PM ^
10-2. Beat Sparty & OSU. Lose 1 of Wisc and PSU in tough fashion. B1G East Champs. B1G Champs. Miss Playoffs. Lose a close one to someone like Oklahoma in the Bowl Game.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:46 PM ^
I just want to see Michigan beat MSU and OSU. If they finished 6-6 but beat MSU & OSU, sadly, I would take that.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:47 PM ^
Nobody?!? had this game as a loss? Not sure that's accurate.
September 4th, 2018 at 4:47 PM ^
Show me the prediction threads.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:47 PM ^
I don’t think the bottom is gonna fall out, but even my most optimistic expectations at this point include at least two more losses. It’s hard to feel good about any road game against a good team at this point.
I’ll predict 9 wins just because this team really ought to be better than last year. Not sure I can do much better than that.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:48 PM ^
At least beat State.
I'm not remotely convinced they're a 10-win team this year and Utah State furthered that belief.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
MSU is probably the worst team to evaluate with the eye test. When's the last time MSU looked good in a game? Hell, the season they won the Rose Bowl they almost lost to Western in week 1 or 2. They'll look awful each week and infuriatingly will still win.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:37 PM ^
I hope the new guys make an app.
September 4th, 2018 at 5:27 PM ^
"Brian is almost as checked out as JH appears to be."
And there's a connection between the two: new babies. I still remember what I was like during the first year of my daughter—no decent sleep, ever. I was a zombie half the time, and so was my wife.
What I don't get is the notable lack of fire on the sidelines. I understand that JH doesn't want to go after the refs and get flagged, but he doesn't even seem to have any strong reaction to dumb mistakes—like Winovich's late hit on Wimbush—made by his own players. It's weirdly dispassionate, and the contrast not only to his own head coach at Michigan but also his earlier years as a HC couldn't be more pronounced.
September 4th, 2018 at 7:06 PM ^
I’ve thought of the same thing with Harbaugh. For many reasons, it is difficult to be highly motivated and focused on accomplishments in the outside world when you have a baby at home.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:50 PM ^
I expect the Oline to play better. I expect Hudson and Mayfield to play this week and give the coaches something to think about. I expect ND to maybe lose 1 game this year and that loss not look so bad. I expect the coaches to start scheming to Shea's strengths and our WR's to start playing better. I think we see a different JH from this point on and to run the table in the B1G.
September 4th, 2018 at 10:05 PM ^
That all sounds reasonable except the parts about ND only losing one game and UM running the table. I do think we bear MSU and possibly psu though (sparty for sure). Wisconsin is more of a 70-30 prop and OSU is a loss.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:50 PM ^
8-4/9-3
Losses to 2 (or 3) of NW, MSU, PSU, Wiscy.
Likely loss to OSU.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
I expect 10-2. Heading into Columbus 10-1. I think they will get better as we see the season progress. They SHOULD beat Penn State, they SHOULD beat MSU. I think they are good enough to beat Wisconsin AT HOME, but if it was on the road it would be a different story (we all know how that goes.
But at the same time, I can see them going 6-6 with losses to Northwestern, Penn State, MSU, Wisconsin, and Ohio State.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:23 PM ^
They SHOULD have beat Notre Dame. I'm not asking what they should do though. I'm asking what you expect them to do.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
28-7. Big Ten regular season champs. Runner up in the B1G tournament. Elite 8 appearance.
We are a basketball school now!
September 4th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
10-2.....
September 4th, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^
9-3, beat MSU & PSU, lose to Wisconsin and OSU
September 5th, 2018 at 12:06 AM ^
Reasonable. Msu looked shaky and psu vulnerable with major key personnel losses.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:58 PM ^
The silver lining is that both MSU and PSU struggled against vastly inferior opponents. If we're drawing any conclusions from the first week of the season, the Big Ten East doesn't look nearly as stacked as it was projected to be. I think we can still win the division, but we're gonna need some of the younger guys to take over the tackle spots at some point for that to come to fruition. We're gonna face better pass rushes than Notre Dame
September 4th, 2018 at 3:31 PM ^
The difference is, I expect week one to be a simple blip on the radar for MSU & PSU. They happened, but it really doesn't mean anything.
I don't see Michigan solving the tackle, and in general, blocking situation throughout the season very well.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:48 PM ^
But both MSU and PSU had their own questions going into the season, and those came to fruition in both of their near upsets. I don't think there's really anything separating Michigan, MSU and PSU at the moment.
September 4th, 2018 at 7:15 PM ^
We're gonna face better pass rushes than Notre Dame.
From OSU, yes. But who else on the schedule will have a better pass rush than ND? They were pretty good.
September 4th, 2018 at 2:58 PM ^
PSU and MSU look beatable. But arm punt touchdowns may cost us one.
Wisc looks like best team in Big Ten. OSU is the same reloaded. No way we beat them on road.
So 2 or 3 more losses.
Get your free Bloomin' Onion or Coconut Shrimp!
September 4th, 2018 at 3:00 PM ^
8-4 if they are lucky.
vs. Michigan State - loss
vs. Wisky - loss
vs. Ohio State - loss
vs. Penn St.- 50/50
Meaning another absolutely HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE season.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:03 PM ^
9-3 . Nothing changed for me.
We will beat Sparty. Lose to OSU. And lose some other game we should win. As is tradition. And the world spins madly on.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:08 PM ^
I’d be very surprised if we beat MSU. Just doesn’t seem like it’s ever in the cards for us unless we are an overwhelming favorite.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:40 PM ^
So you're counting the ND game as the "other game we should win?"
September 4th, 2018 at 3:07 PM ^
8-5
close wins vs Nebraska, Penn St and NW
close losses to MSU, Wisconsin.
2 TD plus loss to OSU
Some mediocre bowl that we will lose.
Another offseason of pure misery. And then half our defense will bolt to the NFL.
September 4th, 2018 at 9:09 PM ^
It's the refs! It's the weather! We're just one piece away!
September 4th, 2018 at 3:09 PM ^
I see us 9-3 or 8-4. If will be better than last year because QB play will be much better. I still think we beat MSU and possibly PSU. OSU and Wisky are going to be tough. NW won't be a cake walk. I think we are very talented and tackle play is going to be soul crushing all year. I hope someone like Hudson makes a Lewan type RS freshman jump because it could save the season.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:15 PM ^
Gator Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Some other garbage bowl.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:17 PM ^
8-4. Losses to Ohio State, MSU, and 1 of Wisky or PSU or Northwestern.
10-2 is the ceiling.
And...gulp...looking at my picks, 6-6 is the floor.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:25 PM ^
Call me an optimist, but I think the early loss is a big dose of humility for this team....And that's a good thing! I saw enough positives on Saturday to think they are turning the corner. I'd rather lose to ND than a Big Ten foe midway thru the season and then they have to deal with that humility in the middle of a brutal schedule. Obviously if we have to lose again, I want it to be Wisconsin, but I think we beat them and PSU at home. Plus the Wisconsin game will be our next MAJOR test. So, we will be focused to prove ourselves. Also, we get revenge on MSU..their luck over the past few years has to finally come to an end. OSU is a toss up. (the combo of talent, on the road, and refs make it impossible to predict)
September 4th, 2018 at 3:44 PM ^
Well there is that silver lining that alot of these areas were exposed on the national stage. Hopefully they will address these issues with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. But I just don't understand how they weren't exposed & dealt with during practices in the off season...mind boggling tbh.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:26 PM ^
o/u 8.5
ask me again in an hour
September 4th, 2018 at 3:27 PM ^
7 or 8 wins. This team just doesn't have the consistency or O-Line play to navigate this schedule.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:29 PM ^
8-4
We beat PSU and MSU, but lose to Wiscy, OSU, and some other team.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:31 PM ^
7-5
ND L
Wis W
MSU L
PSU L
OSU L
You won't believe what other team beats us . . .
September 4th, 2018 at 3:32 PM ^
Assuming that we are going to wildly overreact to one game, then 9-3. Obvious loss to OSU and likely loss vs Wisconsin but easy victories over PSU and MSU because they sucked way worse at home so they are each looking at 4-8. There, did I do it right?
September 4th, 2018 at 3:36 PM ^
Zero.
Going into the season, my expectation was that even if we lost to ND, the team would look better. And by that, I mostly mean better on offense. On Saturday, it did not.
So, I have reset my expectations to zero. I expect nothing. That way, any win will be a pleasant surprise.
September 4th, 2018 at 3:41 PM ^
idk could picture any record between 6-6 and 10-2 happening
September 4th, 2018 at 3:44 PM ^
I think it's possible the offensive line gets it together and UM goes on a 2014 OSU like run and makes it to the playoffs.
I think it's also possible that UM football could go down in flames.