The 2nd coming of the 1997 Wolverines
I am not going to predict an undefeated season. However,it is uncanny how many similarities there are between the 1997 team and the 2015 team. I will list. Neither team was highly regarded in the preseason. Brian Griese was a 5th year senior who was viewed at best a game manager and who did exactly that. Is this not what we expect if Rudolph is indeed the starting QB? The 1997 team opened against a very strong Colorado team. This team opens up against Utah. Griese was truly a game manager completing over 80 passes to RB's and Tuman had as many ypg(40) as the leading receiver Streets. It is possible a RB or TE may lead our team in receptions. Our lead RB was known for his power to get 3 instead of breaking for 80. Yet the RB position was done by committee. The 2015 team has 4 RB's who may get significant action with the lead being a power back. The core of the team was a dominant defense built around a great player in the secondary who had the freedom to make great plays. Woodson was not just a great defender but a three way player who made plays on offense and special team. The strength of the 2015 team will be the defense that returns almost everyone of significance. Peppers may only be a redshirt freshman. Yet all of the talk is he is the keystone of the defense. And of course the 1997 team hosted its two biggest rivals.
Now there are some differences. The NFL draft in the succeeding years and the careers of those players revealed just how talented the 1997 team really was. Perhaps we could not say the same thing in August of 1997. Yet the age of mgo.blog makes it easier to have a handle on how talented or not talented an individual is. I do not see scores of NFL capable players much less evidence of players capable of long NFL careers on the 2015 team. However, the point of discussion is I believe Michigan has a chance to use the same template used in 1997 to have a better than expected year.
September 1st, 2015 at 10:50 PM ^
Brady missed a number of clearly open receivers with inaccurate throws that killed drives.
Had he been on target, it could have been a different game.
September 2nd, 2015 at 1:15 AM ^
they beat Ohio State in 99
September 2nd, 2015 at 2:24 AM ^
osu thumped UM in 1998. i don't remember details, but i do remember brady being under pressure all game with no running game.
September 2nd, 2015 at 3:26 AM ^
you are right they lost in 98 to a 1 loss osu team that just missed an NC by getting nipped by sparty and Saban
September 1st, 2015 at 10:58 PM ^
With Charles Woodson in 1997, each of the three outcomes occurred with equal frequency.
- 8 completions on Charles
- 8 incompletions thrown his way
- 8 interceptions
Remember Neuheisel going ballistic at his QB when the QB threw at Charles and was subsequently picked off?
September 2nd, 2015 at 2:21 AM ^
I've been meaning to watch a vid of the Northwestern game from that year. When I was there I could have sworn they didn't throw the ball to Woodson once all game until the pass he picked off; I still believe this, but I'd love some confirmation.
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September 1st, 2015 at 11:27 PM ^
I watched the 97 OSU and MSU games recently. Mind blowing the names on the offense. Especially the offensive line. If someone were to total number of years played in nfl per college unit on any given team, that offensive line might be #1.
September 2nd, 2015 at 2:04 AM ^
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September 2nd, 2015 at 2:30 AM ^
had a way of minimizing his QB's talents. brady is a prime example. his O during the henne years also bothered me. i loved mike hart, but how many times did UM run hart off tackle on first down then second down? then, say "hey, chad, it's 3rd and long. keep this drive going". if lloyd threw on first down consistently with that team, we may have got a MNC and henne would be a god here. and hart would have been equally effective.
September 2nd, 2015 at 3:29 AM ^
I believe that psychologically... Carr held himself back out of deference to Bo and a slight doubt in his own coach ability. The man was an excellent motivator and a good X and Os guy but he lacked a touch of confidence to dominate.
Harbaugh lacks none of that.
September 2nd, 2015 at 2:19 AM ^
While a lot of the olinemen went on the NFL success, heading into the 1997 season UM only had 1 returning starter on the oline - Jansen. In the 1997 spring practices Hutch and Zieman were moved from the dline to the oline.
September 2nd, 2015 at 4:59 AM ^
September 2nd, 2015 at 9:52 AM ^
in the NFL, had 2 All-Americans and 1 HOFamer.
September 2nd, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
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September 1st, 2015 at 10:22 PM ^
the year before the team had beaten two end-of-season Top 5 teams on the road and could have won all of its games had it taken care of the ball.
Oh, wait...
September 1st, 2015 at 10:23 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 10:23 PM ^
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September 1st, 2015 at 10:27 PM ^
Well in all fairness we DID win the national championship last year didnt we?
I cant remember.
Gotta give props to the OP though. There are the proliferatiion of the "these are my special thoughts"on the team threads and then there are the the "these are my special thoughts, that make little or no sense and are riddled with fairly rampant mistakes on players names and other salient details" threads about the team.
And then there is this one.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:09 PM ^
2017 is the year we win it all. Book it.
September 1st, 2015 at 10:32 PM ^
i remember seeing a post very similar to this last year.
September 1st, 2015 at 10:34 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 10:34 PM ^
there was a strong El Nino the year of 1997 as is predicted THIS YEAR!
September 1st, 2015 at 10:41 PM ^
And I didn't go on vacation to Hawaii in 1997 ... and I'm not going to Hawaii this year either.
Coincidence? I think not.
September 2nd, 2015 at 1:09 AM ^
IT'S HAPPENING!!
September 1st, 2015 at 10:34 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 10:46 PM ^
Henry OR Hermey.
Chesson OR Clarice.
Smith OR Santa.
September 2nd, 2015 at 12:46 AM ^
Comet OR Cupid OR Donner OR Blitzen
September 1st, 2015 at 10:36 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 11:12 PM ^
September 2nd, 2015 at 2:37 AM ^
you realize he played a number of years in the nfl (indy i think). honestly, there is not one guy on the current team i would take over the 97 team given your specific matchups.
September 1st, 2015 at 10:36 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 10:38 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 11:22 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 10:46 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 10:46 PM ^
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September 1st, 2015 at 10:49 PM ^
The 1997 team started out ranked #14...they weren't regarded as a national title team but to say they were as underrated as this one is a bit of a stretch.
September 1st, 2015 at 10:52 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 10:59 PM ^
When all the good drugs are gone, junkies just move on to the bad drugs. They don't stop.
I feel like that right now. I'm a sucker for the next post.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:09 PM ^
Less than 48 hours to kick-off and when you factor in about 15 hours of sleep (more or less) we dont have that long to wait anymore.
Keep telling yourself that. I'm trying it and it seems to be working.
At least its working better than the bad drugs did.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:26 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 11:36 PM ^
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September 2nd, 2015 at 6:43 AM ^
Kiss of fucking death.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:45 PM ^
Fun read but we didn't host Michigan State in 97.
September 2nd, 2015 at 10:24 AM ^
September 2nd, 2015 at 12:00 AM ^
September 2nd, 2015 at 12:01 AM ^