"Holes" / Roles That Michigan Football 2019 Needs To Fill
Thinking about season so far... I think we all realized Michigan had some big shoes to fill, especially on defense with the NFL departures. Here's what I'm seeing as far as needing "plugs" or role-fillers. Get these areas shored up and season will be more competitive with top end B10 teams.
What say you?
#1 Bush / MLB / Clean up man - D. Bush was a stud, and QB'd our defense. His departure is huge, and I'm not seeing someone take command on the field yet or run sideline to sideline to clean up plays. McGrone did flash at the goal line. Can he be a guy?
#2 RBs who turn nothing into something. Unfortunately we just have a mediocre O line so far. It is what it is. We've had this issue for a few seasons. The difference I'm seeing is that we had RBs who could get hit just behind the line, absorb, and still turn negative into positive 3 yards. It generally kept us on pace for shorter 3rd and longs. Not quite seeing this kind of thing so far. Vision hasn't been bad by RBs...just not seeing the ability by backs to take negative plays into 3-4 yard gains that keep 3rd downs manageable. Charbonnet injury today might be skewing my judgement.
#3 A safety valve aka TE for short yardage or bail out plays. Where is this Jake butt type player? Our QBs need one. Every team needs this kind of guy... Reliable hands and with great routes and body control. Someone who finds spots in zone and gets open or uses the body to get open. So crucial. Where is it for us?
September 21st, 2019 at 9:32 PM ^
The two DT slots are the most obvious ones.
September 22nd, 2019 at 5:41 AM ^
You mean like the two freshmen wasting away on the bench while we get owned by nobodies?
September 22nd, 2019 at 9:46 AM ^
No, we have a Glasgow for that. I mean he was the guy lined up against the guard on 4th and goal right? you know the time the QB dove 5 yards into the end zone. I’m guessing Don Brown forgot which Glasgow that was...
September 21st, 2019 at 9:34 PM ^
New HC and staff.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:34 PM ^
Every position in the program the end
September 21st, 2019 at 9:36 PM ^
Charbonnet looked really good until this game when he was obviously hurt. I don't think RB is a problem. I think QB is the underlying problem that makes everything else look bad. There were huge red flags to me on Shea coming to Michigan and last year didn't resolve them. Shea has regressed since last year. How the coaches don't see that, I have no idea. Dylan should have been the starter in fall camp and got the practice and game reps. Now he is way behind in terms of his progression (assuming he is healthy enough to play). This season is going nowhere under Shea. Dylan should be the QB as soon as he can play.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:37 PM ^
Mettelus and Glasgow on d. Mckeon and whole oline.
Coaches are ultimately responsible.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:55 PM ^
I know Glasgow is a hardworking dude but he has no business starting for Michigan. Hudson is too slow to do anything and one of the safeties is a converted WR. What elite programs have walk-one starting in year five with a coach getting paid $8 million a year to do it?
And recruiting needs are always addressed a year too late.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:57 PM ^
Agreed.
Maybe the program just needs to go dirty like the other champs: Clemson, Alabama, OSU, FSU, Georgia, etc.
September 21st, 2019 at 10:03 PM ^
Recruiting isn't the answer, coaching and talent evaluation is. We recruit better than teams like Iowa, Wisconsin and MSU by a large margin but they have their systems that work and stick to it.
September 21st, 2019 at 10:44 PM ^
Sure but teams that recruit like we do, also do get blown out on the road like we do, Texas, TAMU, LSU, USC, PSU, Miami, OU, ND, FSU, Georgia (pre-Smart), etc.
The teams that recruit better than us: OSU, Clemson, Alabama, pretty much don't ever lose like that.
September 22nd, 2019 at 12:23 AM ^
OSU was blown out by Purdue less than 12 months ago.
September 22nd, 2019 at 3:08 AM ^
BIG Ten Championships since 2005:
8 - OSU
3 - PSU
3 - MSU
0 - Michgian
I'd take a Purdue blowout on the road with a 13-1 season, blowing out every rival, and finishing #3 Overall in a heartbeat.
September 22nd, 2019 at 12:36 AM ^
Hudson Glasgow and that converted WR are the bright spots on D
September 21st, 2019 at 9:38 PM ^
They need to fill those holes the Wisconsin running backs were running through.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:40 PM ^
We've had a bad O-line for years. I want that to get fixed the most.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:40 PM ^
I like our 4 wide receivers. Even though we don’t use them like we should. I think Charbonnet is going to be really good. Unless Harbaugh uses him to much and gets him killed. The rest of the team has been complete trash. Along with our coaches. I get so tired of all the hype Harbaugh gets all off season. Then disappoints every year.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:41 PM ^
Michigan needs to find something they are good at and stick with it this season. Get the ball to their receivers on offense. Defense? Idk, I figured it would be a rebuild with the talent we lost. If they can get an identity on offense, that would help the D. That’s our only hope, our hope to be 8-4. If we can’t get an identity on offense, we could end up 5-7 or 6-6.
September 22nd, 2019 at 5:42 AM ^
Baseball
September 21st, 2019 at 9:42 PM ^
Warm bodies at DT.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:44 PM ^
We need some big breasted women on the sideline to lift the morale, and fill the holes for football 19 at this point.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:46 PM ^
They need a heart surgeon to help them play with some.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:48 PM ^
Our defensive line is shit and there ain’t nothing nobody can do about it. Poor recruiting in that area Has made our pass rush and run stuffing nose guards non-existent.
I’ve never seen a Senior QB become shell shocked like Shea has become. He’s rattled, lost confidence and I don’t think he’ll ever get the swagger back.
Lots of discussion in recent years of Harbaugh recruiting 3 star under-the-radar kids. We let it slide because the coaches are “better evaluators” than the recruiting site scouts. The team just doesn’t have many difference makers. Devin Bush was a once a Decade kid at linebacker. He hid a lot of holes last year. The holes this year are glaring.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:59 PM ^
Re: the DL, this is ultimately neither here nor there, but they did land Solomon and Irving-Bey. I don't know if I'd call those recruiting misses or a player retention problem or just bad luck.
September 21st, 2019 at 10:00 PM ^
Oh we've seen shell-shocked QBs alright, Hoke years, and even Speight after getting pummeled over and over again.
September 21st, 2019 at 10:05 PM ^
To compete nationally I agree with you but recruiting isnt the issue against the Wisconsins of the world.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:48 PM ^
You did not mention QB?
That is THE problem. A QB that knows the system, stands in the pocket and delivers.
Spread, power etc etc. Scheme doesn't matter. Execution does.
Michigan - the highlights I watched - are so poorly executing. Sigh. Not sure how to "fix" it.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:50 PM ^
can anybody else see the 20 and 21 recruits heading for the exits. looking for a team with some coaches
September 21st, 2019 at 9:51 PM ^
QB, LT, LG, C, RG, RT, TE
Entire defense,
Coaching staff. Other than that we're good
September 21st, 2019 at 10:06 PM ^
Ruiz has been useless the last two weeks and does nothing after his initial block. Brian loves Ruiz that he’ll get another +1000 UFR.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:51 PM ^
Good players.
September 21st, 2019 at 10:00 PM ^
#1 - McGrone was crazy fast on that play.
#2 - Out RBs are hurt right now.
#3 - I think our TEs are above average.
September 21st, 2019 at 10:06 PM ^
Biggest hole that needs to be filled for success: head coach
September 21st, 2019 at 10:08 PM ^
A pulse? Fire? Leadership? A commitment to the team? Humility?
September 22nd, 2019 at 12:34 AM ^
Don't forget anything passing as even a mediocre QB and any kind of DL at all.
September 22nd, 2019 at 1:01 AM ^
Best thread to post my snowflake in:
I think the pieces are there. Yes there are holes but this is college football and with holes 9-3 is totally possible. Many of you all agree that this team lacks leadership. I’m not 100% sure that all of that can go directly onto the coaching staff. I don’t see leadership coming from the best players on our team. Shea could do it at the QB position but he is shell shocked and not feeling his full mojo. And if he can’t get the ball to Nico or Tarik or DPJ or Bell, those receivers are going to have a hard time doing it.
On D it’s looking thin on leaders as well. Our 2.5 captains on that side of the ball don’t really seem to be “the catalyst”.
From my perspective, I obviously don’t see what’s happening beside the plays and whatever the camera shows us viewers, BUT from this perspective, I could see last year how Chase would get all hopped up, channeling the Viking Gods and cast Berserker Rage on our entire team. He was Shea’s roommate. Imagine Shea playing Fortnight and there’s his roommate doing FaceTime with Collin MacGregor. Dude brought it and inspired. I don’t see that right now. Not sure where it will come from.