When can they start off season workouts?
Anyone have insight as to what the off season schedule looks like for the team? I'm guessing (based on little to no info) that workouts with the S&C staff begin in January? Are players able to workout without staff right now? Able to get into the indoor facility and run routes, do things on their own, etc.?
Who do you think makes the biggest jump from a S&C standpoint over the off season?
December 7th, 2009 at 9:46 AM ^
I would like to see Roh and Van Bergen's progress. Both seem like they'd be animals during workout season.
And of course, it's going to be interesting to see how Tate looks by spring practice.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:51 AM ^
Do you think it's realistic to hope to see Tate playing at about 195 lbs. next year?
I'm an optimist to a fault and think between a year of maturing, another season in the weight room and a shoulder that's 100%, it will be night and day on how easily he throws the deep ball next year (pending pass protection).
December 7th, 2009 at 10:10 AM ^
I certainly hope so. During the Wisconsin and OSU games, he really struggled throwing the ball down the field. There has been a general assumption on this board that Michigan has no deep threats, but Stonum and other receivers were able to get behind the db's several times in those games. Tate's passes were underthrown or floated so that a safety had enough time to get there.
I don't know how much of that was because of his size and strength, and how much was caused by the shoulder injury. I seem to remember him throwing the deep ball much better early in the season and in the spring game. Hopefully with a healthy shoulder and some added muscle, he can throw the ball down the field more effectively, which would open up the field. Obviously, Forcier's strength and that of the passing game will almost assuredly still be the underneath throws, but it would be beneficial to at least maintain the threat of the deep ball.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:11 AM ^
Yeah, right on...how far was the one to Hemingway in the first half of the WMU game? 40 yards or so in the air? if memory serves, it looked effortless.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:55 AM ^
Is it me or has the board negated the glaring fact that Tate Forciers ability to throw the deep ball may not be fully a result of his arm strength and may been influenced heavily by his ability to see over the line and see the receivers down field. After watching him scramble around in the pocket every snap I feel it became fairly obvious that he could not see over the pocket and was in fact scrambling to get out of the pocket and see his receivers. His in pocket completion percentage and passer rating speak for themselves.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:21 AM ^
as soon as the off season begins (which was two weeks ago). [Unless they could have "regular" practice until Saturday, because it was still the regular season.]
Maybe I've totally mis-understood the whole "voluntary" thing...but I think that they can voluntarily spend time in the weight room (even time with Barwis) as much as they want. As long as it is voluntary. I ran Cross Country in college (not Michigan, but still D1...no I didn't have an athletic scholarship), and a few times, some of the runners who were local met with the coach during the summer and went running together. Attendance was not taken, nor was it expected. (Plus, some of the team lived 500+ miles away...it isn't like they could have met for a weekly practice.) To my knowledge, we could have met for 2-a-days if we had wanted to...
For Freep writers (because you have to spell it out for them) trolling the boards here: I have no official connection with the University of Michigan Football team. I am not an alumni. I do not know any of the players. I do not know any of the coaches. My opinion is simply the opinion of a former athlete and a fan who has skimmed NCAA guidelines and hopes he remembers the right things. In no way, shape or form should this opinion be remotely associated with the opinion of the University or the Athletic Department.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:29 AM ^
You don't owe the Freep writers an explanation. I say let them write all about you in their next report so you can call them out on it later.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:30 AM ^
we may all want to adopt your disclaimer as our signature for any off season practice/training related topics. well done.
thanks for the insight.
go blue!
December 7th, 2009 at 10:25 AM ^
That way we can get our hopes up again once we find out how much stronger and faster our players feel after a Barwis workout.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:31 AM ^
I'll bet that Roh, Campbell, Turner and Emilien make significant progress with Barwis. Turner and Roh in particular, because they didn't get a full year with him before the 2009 season.
To that end, it will be interesting to see what Denard Robinson looks like athletically next fall. If he's actually quicker and stronger, he will be a terror on the field.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:37 AM ^
Plus, if Denard gets another year of working on his throws and learning more of the playbook, he could be a guy we see a lot more of this year. If he can become a threat throwing the ball and defenses know he's not going to run everytime, he could be a serious weapon.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:41 AM ^
Completely agreed.
If Denard and Tate can get comfortable running the zone read this offseason, which should be their goal, this offense will take another significant step forward in 2010. Hopefully, that would also let Devin Gardner redshirt.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:50 AM ^
the zone read!!! Can we pretty please run that play next year with denard!
December 7th, 2009 at 11:08 AM ^
My dream game is one where I have no idea where the ball is on any play until it's in the endzone. It'll happen sooner or later. Hopefully sooner.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:59 AM ^
on if Denard can make the right read on a semi consistent basis.
December 7th, 2009 at 1:35 PM ^
Be nice to see more development in linemen like Omameh, Schilling, and Dorrestein. Either that or we just clone David Molk 4 more times.
Also, if Vincent Smith is out until August camp kicks off, we need to have somebody else step up and I don't know if Mike Cox is that guy. Time for Toussaint to shine?
December 7th, 2009 at 11:32 AM ^
I have been informed from several former players' ex-girlfriends, the guy that takes out the trash at South Quad and a homeless man who sleeps in the diag, as well as Bongo Man himself (in rhyme) that the team has already begun working out 14 hours a day in Barwis' secret under-ground lair, where I can assure you that family values are being ignored. I also have an unnamed source who claims that RR has routinely been sacrificing small animals and babies to Devil himself in a super-secret deal that is also in violation on numerous (unspecified) NCAA violations. I will be publishing a cutting, hard-hitting expose in the Freep shortly.
-Michael Rosenberg
December 7th, 2009 at 1:42 PM ^
TOP SECRET INSIDE INFO GUYS:
I was at Subway on South U last week and a football player (couldn't recognize him) walked in and was talking to his friend about how the day before they had a really hard work out, and about how the off season workouts are just as hard if not harder than the in season ones
So I guess they have started off season workouts. This info is about as unofficial as it gets just thought I would tell you what I heard
December 9th, 2009 at 4:33 PM ^
The team has started workouts, three a week right now, and will do that for the 2 weeks leading up to finals. Once finals start, the workouts end, and don't begin again until the second week when of winter semester, and the workouts are then 5 times a week.