Mr Miggle

September 27th, 2015 at 3:41 PM ^

After all, coaches fear their players will underestimate unheralded opponents.

Other coaches will fear us in a way they haven't for years. They will fear our gameplans and our ability to adjust them. They will fear our intensity and depth on defense. They will know they can't demoralize us anymore with a fast start. That doesn't mean Urban Meyer is quaking in his boots.

UM Fan from Sydney

September 27th, 2015 at 3:05 PM ^

Come on. Let's take a step back. We have a while to go. We won't know how good this team really is until after the MSU game.

M-Dog

September 28th, 2015 at 9:16 AM ^

Re-read the article.  He did not say anything that controversial.  It was not click-bait for Michigan lovers and haters.  

Even Speilman said it: "The Big Ten is on notice."  

If you are circling consequential B1G East games that will determine the championship, you are no longer just circling OSU-MSU in November.  Michigan will have a direct, meaningful say on who wins the division.

San Diego Mick

September 27th, 2015 at 3:09 PM ^

I think they all started fearing back in December when Harbaugh was hired, some were in denial.

I really felt like with the talent we had coming back that all we needed was some great coaching and a 10-2 season was possible, looks like we have a damn good chance at that.

Elite defenses will do that for you, allow the offense to find itself, which looks like that's happening and look how improved the special teams are in all phases......it's happening!

Year of Revenge II

September 27th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^

Actually, though, it started back in late October when it became crystal clear Hoke was most likely gone, and Brandon with him, and JH looking for sure to make a job change.

Now, there will come the inevitable weeping and gnashing of teeth by all that had the bad judgement to poke a sleeping giant.,

The one person any lucid UM hater did not want to see in AA was---HARBAUGH.

IT'S HAPPENING!!!

raleighwood

September 27th, 2015 at 3:15 PM ^

I think that the whole B1G took a step back and said "Oh, shit" this weekend.  Michigan has given up one TD in the past 175 minutes of football.  Think about that.  

I'll conceded that OSU is the best team in the B1G.......but # 2 is VERY much in doubt at this point.

raleighwood

September 27th, 2015 at 4:57 PM ^

By "concede", I mean that I think OSU is the best team in the conference.  However, that doesn't necessarily mean that I think they'll win any particular game.  We've seen what OSU did in the playoffs last year.......and most of them returned.

On the flip side, I don't think that any other team in the B1G has shown that they have the ability to be better than this Michigan squad.  We still have a lot to learn about MSU, Iowa and Wisconsin.....maybe even Minnesota and Nebraska.  I really like where Michigan is positioned because we're physically seeing them get better from week-to-week.

flashOverride

September 27th, 2015 at 3:24 PM ^

I still worry about Rudock giving Michigan a dynamic enough passing attack to be balanced and able to keep pace with the Buckeye and Spartan offenses, and the ability of this linebacker corps to protect the middle of the field, but point taken. Michigan is unlikely to be the best team in the conference when it's all said and done (not saying they can't be), but they are going to improve weekly and will no longer be a team that can be taken for granted. 

Sideline

September 27th, 2015 at 3:39 PM ^

Rudock worries me still, too. With that said, he looked a LOT better yesterday. Is he a top-10 QB? Not a chance. Will he be drafted? Probably not. However, I only saw about 5 plays that I thought he made mistakes on. Rudock is our version of Todd Boeckman (or however you spell his name) 2007 osu QB who had a team take him to a national championship game.

Ghost of Fritz…

September 27th, 2015 at 3:49 PM ^

...one the other hand, is Rudock and the Michigan offense worse right now that Conner Cook and the MSU offense in September of the first year that Cook started (2013)?

Arguably, Rudock and M's offense are ahead of MSU's offense in 2013 at the week 4 point. 

MSU began that season with a very poor offense and a really good D.  They relied on defensive scoring in the early part of the year to win games.

As the season went on MSU's offense improved but never got above the level of 'competent.'  But they won the Rose Bowl with a moster D and a very average offense, and finished 13-1.

Not saying that is the exactly same situation, or saying that Michigan is likley to do the same. I remain in the camp that thinks M is greatly improved over the first 4 games, heading in the right direction, but still has a long way to go before really being a top 15 team. 

But Harbaugh is sort of using the same model MSU used in 2013:  Play great D, deal with a not yet great offense by asking them to do only what is with in their (Rudock's) capabilities, and get better every week in all pahses of the game.

flashOverride

September 27th, 2015 at 3:56 PM ^

Well, Cook was also a sophmore (right?) with minimal game experience and hence room to grow. Rudock is a fifth-year senior and likely is what he is. However, I would certainly add the caveat that he has only been in Ann Arbor since the summer and is likely still getting comfortable with the system and the receivers. So we'll see.

UMForLife

September 27th, 2015 at 4:23 PM ^

You have sound reasoning and I really hope we beat everyone rest of the way. The one difference I do want to point out is that we were a dumpster fire in 2013. MSU is a better team than we were in 2013. So, we get to go through two good teams, while MSU only had to worry about OSU.

Ghost of Fritz…

September 27th, 2015 at 6:51 PM ^

...Rudock as 5th year not the same as first time starter Cook as a sophomore. 

Also, M schedule this year is harder than MSU in 2013. 

Per Wikipedia, in 2013 MSU won the 'Legends" division.  The runner up tie was a not very impressive 8-5 Iowa and 9-4 Nebraska, so their Legends division opponents were not very strong. MSU did not play OSU in the regular seasn, but did beat OSU in the CCG.  Michigan was not a good team in 2013, so not a tough game for MSU.

Anyway, I still would guess than Michigan's 2015 offense is better than MSU's 2013 offense,, as of week 4 of the two seasons.  And if Michigan's D continues to be really strong and improve each week, then anything is possible. 

 

LSAClassOf2000

September 27th, 2015 at 3:17 PM ^

Headset-less Brady Hoke and his short-sleeved shirt have been replaced with hyper Jim Harbaugh and his Sharpie, play card and Mother Goose glasses. It’s a whole new ball game in the Big House. It may be time for the rest of the Big Ten to start getting afraid.

They kept saying during the broadcast that the Big Ten has been put on notice, and that might be a good way to put it actually. I don't know that it is outright fear that I would be talking about at this point, but the confidence and coaching and, particularly as in yesterday's game, the way Michigan just shut down a rather talented squad, definitely make me think the conference should be at least  a bit nervous, with some teams being fearful now. We do have the conference schedule - including rivals - ahead of us yet, after all. 

trustBlue

September 27th, 2015 at 3:17 PM ^

A week ago everyone was ready to downgrade the team to 7-5 or worse.  Yesterday was a great game, but let's see a full 60 minutes of execution on offense before we start putting teams on notice.  

WestQuad

September 27th, 2015 at 5:08 PM ^

After Utah I thought we would be 8-4 with 7-5 more likely than 9-3. Who knew that Utah was awesome and it was just Michigan who made them look average. 8-4 is still most likely, but 10-2 is more likely than 7-5. The cool thing is that we appear to be getting better and predicting just how good we are going to be when we take on msu and osu is hard to do. It's like class of 2019 kid we offered the other day. He'll be 9'11" 700 pounds as a senior and by oSU Darboh will be catching balls with his mind and will somehow be the U.S. president.

NelzQ

September 27th, 2015 at 3:20 PM ^

Defense wins championships. If this team can sustain and build upon their performance yesterday, there is no team that can beat them. Bronco said Michigan was on another level than anyone they've played.

Another level.

I suspect this is an NFL team by mid-season, scheme and level of play-wise.

Put on your seatbelts.

 

Go Blue.