December 17th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^
Dont forget 2017. It wasnt exactly a box of fucking chocolates now was it?
December 17th, 2018 at 6:30 PM ^
In a way it kinda was, we never did know what we were going to get.
December 17th, 2018 at 10:21 PM ^
Haha
I liked that one.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:15 PM ^
Looks like Georgia or some other SEC school will be getting a good one.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:16 PM ^
More tea leaves for a Zach Harrison commitment? LOL
Players come and players go. He had a shit-ton of potential, but we'll still have a great defense without him.
ONWARD!
December 17th, 2018 at 2:26 PM ^
I mean...will we have a good defense? Or at least good compared to recent standards? The DL is going to be a big weakness next season and it was already a weakness on an elite defense. You lose Gary, Chase, Mone, and Solomon. That’s A LOT and they don’t have people to replace them at that skill level. Plus there’s barely any upperclassmen on the DL.
Should be great in 2020 when everyone is juniors and seniors, but 2019? Ehhh....maybe.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^
Umm, will we? Losing Gary, Winovich, Solomon, Bush and possibly Long and Hill means next year will be a transitional year on defense. Hopefully Dr. Blitz has those LBs and Vipers causing havoc next season.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:16 PM ^
December 17th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
I kind of disagree on this. It feels like a lot of the guys on this team don't have that connection with the team and school and its being reflected in the number of transfers and early nfl draft decisions. They obviously care about each other but its a really high rate of guys leaving the program.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:28 PM ^
Seems that way. But maybe it's just a sign of the current college landscape? I really don't know. I'd be interested to see the numbers from other schools and how we stack up. Feels excessive for sure.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:16 PM ^
If I knew how to put a gif in here it would be of a knee jerking.
Jesus, people, this is not such a big deal. In two years Solomon was not an important contributor. The 2019 class has incoming studs in the DL interior in Smith and Hinton. Relax. We'll be fine.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:26 PM ^
Dude, I appreciate your general outlook. But that's not how this works. You can't plug in freshmen, especially on the interior line. We were already weak at DT this year and we graduated Mone & Marshall, now lost Solomon. There just aren't many game-ready, experienced bodies ready to go.
We have Dwumfour and Kemp. And they should be solid. Hopefully former 4-star Donovan Jeter can jump in the rotation in his 3RD YEAR here. Beyond that, we have nothing. True freshmen or emergency position flips. In my most optimistic Michigan fandom, I proclaim this situation "Not good".
December 17th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^
While he wasn't a terribly important contributor this year due to injuries and illness, I think it's safe to say that we were counting on him becoming an important contributor next year. Smith and Hinton arriving on campus as early impact players is so very important now, along with Dwumfor, Kemp, and Jeter continual development. This news really hurts from an interior DL depth perspective.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:28 PM ^
It’s important because he was expected to be a major part of the DL next season. Without him the depth there is thin, inexperienced, and young as hell. Same as OL, you can’t expect to throw a bunch of freshmen and sophs out there and expect to be great/elite.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:29 PM ^
GTFO with that nonsense. We'll be lucky to win one game next year.
Seriously though, you can't argue that losing interior depth like that isn't a big deal. It definitely mattered in the Game this year.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:16 PM ^
Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! Oh fuck everything! just beat Florida!
December 17th, 2018 at 2:17 PM ^
It's time to start wondering what the deal is with the attrition.
So far Michigan has lost 16/56 members of their 2016 and 2017 class, and that's not including possibly early entrees like David Long, LaVert Hill, Devin Bush, and Khaleke Hudson. And possible flight risks Brad Robbins, Quinn Nordin, Ron Johnson, Brandon Peters, and a couple more that have been rumored. Either the 2018 class is hitting much better than we all thought, or there's some issues
December 17th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
Not losing sleep over Robbins and Nordin, think they're covered in those spots. Peters is no big loss if Patterson returns.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:17 PM ^
LOL remember when James Hudson was moved from DT to OT.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:18 PM ^
Makes you wonder if coaches are promising playing time to guys or something.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^
He was playing when healthy.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:37 PM ^
There is clearly something wrong - too much attrition to think otherwise. I dont know what it is (although your guess is a pretty damn good one) but there's something just not right with the program to suffer this many losses and this many players wanting to sit out the bowl game (allegedly).
The sad thing is we almost always find out what it is after the damage has been done. OSU 2015 the defense comes out and lays the biggest egg imaginable and we find out shortly after that our DC spent that week interviewing (and accepting) a HC job at another B1G school. After Harbaugh took over the program we find out that our practices under Hoke basically consisted of a few players doing something periodically with a lot of talking about what happened and why with the rest of the team just watching which definitely explained why the results on the field were so poor.
And this year. With everything on the line, with a chance at a B1G title, a slot in the final four and a chance to get the OSU monkey FINALLY off our back we absolutely shit the bed in Columbus and play our worst game of the year. And our own resident insider UMBig11 went from unabashed optimism about the program to sounding a lot like me this year with his posts and predictions.
We always find out after the fact. I wonder what it is this time cause it's definitely something.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^
It is odd. Attrition happens but not at this level. It makes you wonder if players are taking plays off during games if they are this unhappy. However, Solomon always had a weird vibe though
And it’s time for Warde to have a talk with Jimmy boy and find out what the hell is going on.
December 17th, 2018 at 4:21 PM ^
I still tend to think the “four years of Harbaugh” thing is a load of convenient and circumstantial shit, but......this is year four and things seem a bit weird.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:19 PM ^
Are we expecting a mass exodus of players this offseason?
This is very, very bad news
December 17th, 2018 at 2:19 PM ^
If there is a god, he certainly hates Michigan football
December 17th, 2018 at 6:20 PM ^
Don't know whether she "hates Michigan football", but you'd better cover your ears if she gets angry.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:20 PM ^
Gentlemen, so tell us how do you like your testicles?
A. Epically dropped-kicked on a Monday afternoon with malice aforethought?
B. Traditional Dolphin-punched?
C. Three Stooges circular wind-up then Dolphin-punched?
You must choose.
In other news, What.In.The.Fuck!???
December 17th, 2018 at 2:20 PM ^
Could see this one coming from a mile away. Special shout out to all the people that flamed me for suggesting that over the last few weeks.
And I’ll say it again, the depth on the DL is gonna be a problem. It’s incredibly young and thin there now.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
And now woefully undersized.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:20 PM ^
So long. Farewell. Good bye. A 5 star with potential. Showed flashes his freshman year. Injured most of this. Frankly, was kind of a PITA going back to recruitment, so a big "paper" loss, not much from on field. Hurts depth next year, but could you really count on him? Never thought his heart was in it and likely didn't want to be at Michigan. Maybe after sitting out next year, becomes a "one year wonder who makes it to next level.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:21 PM ^
I can't say I'm shocked about this - but I have to take a moment to ask the general question of everyone here.
Is it better to go through a very difficult recruitment (like Solomon's was) and pry out a 5 star from far away who perhaps never really wanted to be at Michigan?
December 17th, 2018 at 4:26 PM ^
I feel like the answer is yes, because for the same reason going on job interviews for jobs you don’t really want is a good thing solely for the experience.
Eventually to compete at the top level you’re going to have to get kids who are iffy to commit. Michigan is winning some of those 5-star recruiting battles, but just hasn’t been able to win at a 5-star level on the field to get them to continue to stay. Winning fixes a whole lot of internal complaining and doubts.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:22 PM ^
Well... ain't that a kick in the balls!
December 17th, 2018 at 2:23 PM ^
Can’t blame him, we’re a mediocre program
December 17th, 2018 at 2:34 PM ^
Thanks for being here, all the same.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:37 PM ^
10-2, ranked 7 nationally. STFU
December 17th, 2018 at 3:44 PM ^
Both losses to the only real good teams we played
haven’t won’t a conference title in 14 years and counting
2 wins vs OSU since 2001
what exactly defines us as better than mediocre?
December 17th, 2018 at 6:10 PM ^
You joined the blog today. You are a troll.
We were a better than mediocre football team this season. We were not an elite team.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^
Mediocre top 10 program, yep /s
December 17th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
how miserable does your life have to be to create a brand new user name just to make that useless comment? haha
December 17th, 2018 at 2:23 PM ^
Either something is up inside the program or they are weeding guys out for whatever reason.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:37 PM ^
Or Solomon didn't want to be here? Maybe he was miserable last year because he was hurt and so it tainted his feelings about being in Ann Arbor? Seems like a plausible third possibility.
(I'm not ruling out the possibilities that you propose, but those don't seem to be the only options.)
December 17th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
So, does anyone follow other teams to see how many players a year leave their programs? Is our attrition higher than other teams, or is this collective freak out session just what happens when there's not much else to talk about?
Just curious.
December 17th, 2018 at 3:37 PM ^
I don't know the numbers per say, but I don't think they matter. What matters is not necessarily how many players transfer, but who transfers, and why. At OSU, typically guys transfer because they didn't progress as expected, and they don't have a clear path to playing time(they typically go to lower tier schools where they have a better chance to play), or because they have a situation that requires them to be closer to home. It's rare that OSU has a player transfer who has been an impact player, and/or is projected to be a key contributor, yet is unhappy and decides to leave. Off hand, Grimes is a big exception that comes to mind, but there were extenuating circumstances with him, depending on what the real story is. I wouldn't be too concerned about players transferring who are trying to find a place for more playing time or whom have situations that somewhat necessitate they leave, but I would definitely have some major questions and concerns if players projected to start or be key contributors start leaving. I don't know if that's the case with Michigan, and if so to what degree, I'm just answering in general and speaking to my experience with OSU.
December 17th, 2018 at 5:11 PM ^
So basically the same as here. People need to come down off the ledge. The higher rated your recruits the more difficult they are to manage (on average) and the more likely they are to leave if everything isn't perfect for them. The only projected starters we've lost have been Asiasi and Solomon. The first was homesick the second was ... nobody knows. If Hudson was passed by Steuber he's just another guy who expected to be starting by now who is leaving because he's not. People leaving who aren't playing (much) is a good thing for them and Michigan. 3 stars will sit on the bench for 4/5 years, 4 and 5 stars will mostly leave to start somewhere else if theyre not starting here after 2-3 years.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:25 PM ^
Every school has transfers but ours seem very different. It seems like the majority of our transfers are either projected starters for the next year were definitely in the two deep. I'm sure I'm missing some people but Keith Washington, Aubrey Solomon, James Hudson, Drew Singleton, DevIn Asiasi...I know I'm probably missing a few more. Why do we have so many kids transferring that are projected to start pr be major contributors? I don't get it.
December 17th, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^
It could also be that UM fans dramatically overinflate how good their team's recruits are.
Solomon was a legit 5 star kid, but in 10 games he made 19 tackles and had 0 sacks.
Singleton tore his ACL in high school and came in with question marks. He's sitting out a year to go play at Rutgers now.
Hudson was presumed to be some OL savior, despite being recruited as a DL by most everyone. He's going to Cincinnati.
Asiasi transferred for what is widely reported as personal reasons and his family was quite complimentary of the UM staff. He transferred "back home."
Keith Washington...seriously, we're upset about a 3 star CB transfer?
Solomon leaving isn't ideal, but my God this fan base looks for any reason at all to implode upon itself. I sincerely hope most of the whiny little children on this board didn't go to UM; I'd like to think the mental toughness required to earn a degree would weed out some of this nonsense.
December 17th, 2018 at 3:48 PM ^
This is a very solid point. I think the largest issue for most is it seemed as though Hudson would be competing for a starting spot and at least on the 2 deep next year. Solomon appeared to be a starting caliber player and again at least on the 2 deep. Since we don't know if they got passed up by other players it turns into a scary thing and the sky is falling, which is magnified by the sky falling against Ohio.