Scout.com/CFN's Michigan preview is up
It's the offseason and I'll read just about anything on football ...
Is it top 10 as in ranked in that order or top 10 just overall.
Even Wormley ahead of Henry is a bit silly at this point - I think we're all excited about Wormley's potential but he has more to do on the field to get into the top 10. And nothing against Morris but how can dude like that be ranked a top 10 player based on actual production.
I'd probably do a list like this based on actual results
- Lewis
- Peppers**
- Henry
- Butt
- Cole
- Bolden
- Rudock
- Morgan
- Glasgow (DT)
- Glasgow (OL) or Wilson or Drake Johnson
** ok not based on results
Anyhow it is sort of moot - hopefully 5-6 guys barge onto this list who had no claim to be on it in 2014. Guys like Mone, Charlton, Wormley, any OL not named Cole and any WR not named Darboh would be a nice start. Would show up guys are developing and our pool of actual good players is expanding.
It is just as reasonable to extrapolate Morris' performance based on his recruiting status as it is to assess his future from the utterly insufficient sample we have seen in Maize and Blue. Morris has stayed humble, said the right things and worked his ass off. I like to think that his work will pay off.
You guys I'm really excited for Willie Henry. Like, really excited. Like, I think he is going to murder fools this year, and cause me to cackle with glee.
Also his name is wonderful. Willie Henry, a line-drivin' man. Willie Henry, destroyer of planets.
The author of the article was "sfaff". Meaning the person (or persons) responsible for it probably only DID just watch highlights of a few random Michigan games.
Your're surprised?
they would have Sam Webb at least glance at it for two minutes to see if it made sense. Sam should feel embarrassed having it connected to him even if it's only remotely connected..
I used to read CFN before I found this place and once I did I quickly realized they produced only the same generic pap you could find just anyplace with no real insight beyond the most terribly obvious observations. Doesnt appear to me that Webb is involved in Michigan previews very much (if at all) that are presented to the national audience.
It is amazing how much garbage content is out there these days. There are all sorts of "news" organizations and content marketers who monitor Google Trends and write content that matches what people are searching for. The authors aren't experts, but are able to rephrase other people's reporting or come up with enough obvious analysis on a topic to put something together.
I like a lot of Maizenbrew, but on the Michael Onewnu commit you can see that they got something up as fast as possible in a "Quick" analysis to get in for the SEO. TTB and MGoBlog were a little slower, but a lot more thorough and had actual sources and/or first hand knowledge. In defense of MNB their article is the same as a news brief, but it isn't terribly informative.
Speaking of informative, in the TTB comments people are saying that Onewnu is actually 320 and not 367. Does anyone know if that is true?
As I mentioned in the TTB comments, I think Onwenu is probably somewhere between those two numbers. The source saying he's not actually 365+ is Sam Webb, and while I trust Sam Webb for the most part, I think the person/people telling him that are probably from Onwenu's camp and don't want him to get a bad rap for being out of shape. Some people are saying that Onwenu is only 305-315, and there's no way that's possible if he is indeed 6'2" or 6'3". My guess is that he's probably 330-340.
CFN is generally awful because they take a newspaper approach to the internet - in an age when there is unlimited space for anyone to go in depth with a team of their choosing, they expend all their resources doing 30,000 foot overviews of *every* team. As a result, you can count on them having something about your team, but it won't be nearly as good as the stuff from sites that actually focus on your team.
Way back in the day Brian reserved the Fiutakin' it tag for clueless columnists who didn't let their cluelessness get in the way of hot takes, but even that got old five years ago. And CFN is somehow still going...
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http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/5/29/8676637/michigan-foo…
A more comprehensive version of stuff you already know
It is amazing to me how little they know about Michigan football, and I would have to assume they know little about the other teams they cover. Is Morris really the key to a successful season? At this point I am not even sure he is going to start.
It's either a true freshman that obviously didn't separate himself from the pack (hell, he wasn't even declared a leader at any point by the staff).
A transfer that has never practiced with this staff & team (and wasn't exactly an all American at Iowa)
Or somebody else out of a very crowded pack at the most important position in sports.
So yeah, I'd say highly touted Junior Michigan QB Shane Morris is absofuckinglutely the key to a successful 15' season.
And Rivals Analyst Chris Balas was on the Huge Show and said the same thing. He said it is Rudock at the helm and it isn't even close.
I believe Rudock will start, but not because of Chris Balas.
Just making a point that most of the analysts think it is Rudock that will lead this team.
I would rather have a fifth year senior guy with success at Iowa than a junior with zero success at Michigan.
Concepts between Iowa and Michigan are going to be awfully similar in a lot of ways. The main difference is going to be that while Iowa called something Right Out Hac 34 Hag, Michigan might call it Pro Rip Over Flip 56 Duo. If Rudock can learn new words (and since he's pre-med, he probably can), then he'll be fine.
The offense is new for ALL of the QBs. Morris and Malzone are a few months ahead because of spring ball, but it isn't like Rudock is trying to close the gap on years worth of reps.
because I agree. I think Morris will have a standout year at QB. Because Harbaugh and improved OL, etc.
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If we win 8-9 games and make/win a New Year's Day Bowl (Outback/Capital One), I'll be a happy man.
Calling Shane the key player to success is off too me. They only reference Rudock 1 time and forget to mention that we have Ty Isaac in our stable of backs. This preview doesn't even seem like a "best guess", just an uneducated one.
In their defense, Jake Rudock is pretty new on the radar. He's only been starting in the Big Ten for the past two years.
So...Morris is our 8th best player?
Definitely. He's more talented than Jake Butt AND Jourdan Lewis. And his entire offensive line.
Just imagine if they are correct!! Ouch!! Talk about talent deficit!
That preview had to have been written early in the year before Jack Miller left the team. Other evidence that it was written early and put on the shelf, little mention of the grad transfers and what impact they may bring and no mention of Ty Isaac.
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That's probably because there's no Ty Issac on the team. Never has been, maybe never will be.
...is my favorite Magnus move. Denying the existence of a player whose name was slightly misspelled by another MGoBlogger.
I'm really going to miss Dennis Northfleet. Anyone know what's going on with Troy Woolfork? I heard Nick Stauskas broke up with his girlfriend.
(What I did there. See it?)
I'm glad I could make your day.
and Scout should feel bad.
They've been putting out substandard crap like this for years. Check out their 2008 preview if you want a good laugh, or feel like drinking early today.
It really demonstrates how far we have fallen. Where are the playmakers and game changers? Are you telling me Wilson is the fifth best player on the team? Morris is 8th best on the roster?
They left off Mason Cole and most would argue that Lewis and Butt should be higher. I cannot wait for Jimmy to turn this around. The team looks very average in comparison to other B1G rosters. Phil Steele made his B1G top 25 player list and not one wolverine was on it.
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I went back 10 years. A Wolverine team that went 7-5. Here's a sampling of our top 14 back then in no particular order. Look at the playmakers, the trenches, and special teams. Everything that appears absent today.
1 Henne
2 Avant
3 Arrington
4 Branch
5 Breaston
6 Burgess
7 Crable
8 Graham
9 Hart
10 Manningham
11 Moosman
12 Rivas
13 Woodley
14 Woods
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I don't think it will necessarily happen this year, but I think Maurice Ways, Jr. has a LOT of potential to be that guy. From everything I've heard, he looks good in practice and the coaches like what he has to offer, but he still has the dropsies (which Braylon had, too).
Are you going out on a linb there Magnus? Not sue I am buying that stock right now.
I'm not saying he WILL be that guy, but he has the physical tools from a size/speed/athleticism standpoint. Aside from Drake Harris and maybe Brian Cole, Ways is probably the best all around physical specimen on the roster. And obviously, Harris is/has been limited by injury and Cole is unproven at receiver, since he was largely a running back in high school.
This feels like the USA Today Michigan preview I read a few years ago touting Mike Jones as a returning letterman who was expected to do big things on defense. I love me some Mike Jones, but it's obvious they quickly trolled the roster, circled a few returning players, and threw them into the write-up.
Who?
I don't like all these young, gangster rap references.
Where are the allusions to Lawrence Welk 'round these parts?!?!