247 Top Position Battles (UM CBs, UF QBs)
Barton Simmons at 247 put together a list of the top position battles in the NCAA going into the season.
Usually these are click bait type articles, but this one has some interesting takes.
1) Lists the Michigan cornerback battle, and says that Long has already locked down a spot while Hill is battling Ambry Thomas, Washington, and Watson.
2) Lists the battle for fourth UF DB (could be safety or cornerback). Sounds like they have several talented and at least somewhat experienced options.
3) Lists the UF QB battle. Barton says he's very surprised to list this, but Franks may legitametly be overtaking Zaire.
August 16th, 2017 at 3:41 PM ^
This seems important!
August 16th, 2017 at 3:37 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 3:37 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 3:51 PM ^
that is amazing. I thought it was Hill that locked it down and Long battling....if true this pleases me more because Hill has shown he can be a star now just has to put it together, Long hasnt much becuase of injuries but if he has it....well that is umm promising.
August 16th, 2017 at 5:27 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 3:57 PM ^
I saw this blog entry from Gregg Henson - he passes along some info from his sources about the QB competition. Explains why Peters has fallen behind Speight and O'Korn. Grain of salt required but haven't heard much from camp in recent days.
http://gregghenson.com/michigan-qb-update-and-other-practice-notes/
"The problem with Peters is his personality, according to insiders, he is simply too laid back to run the offense and doesn’t project enough leadership at this point to take control of Harbaugh’s troops."
August 16th, 2017 at 4:10 PM ^
This deserves its own thread
August 16th, 2017 at 4:08 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 4:16 PM ^
Sometimes Gregg hits on stuff and sometimes I think he's just blowing smoke and putting things together from rumors we've already heard.
This looks like a post of the latter flavor. Honestly, it looks like he was reading Mgoblog and put together a blogpost about it. There's literally nothing there I haven't already seen on the board, and I think a fair amount of it is just supposition.
For example (and to his credit he doesn't say "he hears" in this part but rather "I think") the stuff about O'Korn being in there meaning the Michigan offense will struggle more than expected. I don't think O'Korn is really there, I think the coaches are just saying it, and it sounds to me like Henson is drawing a conclusion about what it means if Speight hasn't emerged.
August 16th, 2017 at 4:41 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 4:39 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 4:19 PM ^
Weren't they just talking about Zaire coming in and having already pretty much locked down the spot? I remember reading that he claimed to have already mastered the playbook.
If he ends up losing the job to one of the other two guys, I can't imagine that's a bad thing for Michigan, considering there has been next to zero good chatter about Franks or Del Rio. Either way, with Florida having one less safety valve to rely on with Callaway out of the picture, I expect Brown to rely on his big studs up front and dial up the pressure BIG TIME in this game. Winovich, Mone, Hurst and Gary are all capable of doing so on their own.
Hopefully they're able to do so so there will be less pressure on a relatively inexperienced back seven.
August 16th, 2017 at 4:32 PM ^
I just can't see Michigan losing to a team with no QB and losing their biggest playmaker on offense. Florida will be lucky to score 14 points. I am getting more and more confident as we get closer to kickoff. Michigan will win by two possessions.
August 16th, 2017 at 5:15 PM ^
I'm trying not to get too confident. Our offense isn't exactly a worldbeater either, and Florida's defense is still pretty damn good. I won't be surprised if the score is something like 10-7 at the half.
Keys to this game are:
1) Just take what Florida's defense gives you. Given their offensive ineptitude, I'd be shocked if we're ever in a situation where we're down enough to where we have to abandon the run. Shouldn't be any need to play hero ball. Just take what they give you while you still try to figure out your offensive identity with so many new players. Luckily I trust Harbaugh's play-calling far more than I do Nussmeier's.
2) More importantly, don't under any circrumstances give Florida's offense a short field to work with. If you can consistently pin them inside their own 20 and make them go the length of the field, I like the defense's chances to not give up too many points. They're already down their best offensive player. Just don't give them anything easy.
August 16th, 2017 at 4:45 PM ^
I think Michigan is likely to win, but with mostly new wideouts (very talented), a new offensive line, a new defensive line (with some meaningful experience and very talented), and new DBacks (talented), it doesn't seem like the slam-dunk many on the board are predicting. UF's defense is legit enough to keep them in this game against a tremendously young Michigan team.
As someone noted above, our QB battle involves at least one very good and battle-tested QB vs. some real talent. Theirs involves one very talented freshman, a guy who underwhelmed last year, and a guy who could not get the helm of a 4-8 team last year. In short, I like our QB battle a lot better than theirs.
Thus, my view is (a) don't turn over the damned ball and (b) don't turn over the damned ball, and we should be OK. Also, we should be careful to avoid turning over the damned ball.
August 16th, 2017 at 9:30 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 9:16 PM ^
Someone should let Wilton Speight know about the whole turning over the ball in critical situations thing.
August 16th, 2017 at 4:54 PM ^
I hope Franks is the one starting. True freshman QBs have a cap on how good they can be, at best they are mediocre. Not that scared of Zaire either.
For some reason Del Rio is the one I don't want starting since I feel like any QB that doesn't have the offense down pat is gonna have a bad time against a Don Brown D.
August 16th, 2017 at 5:01 PM ^
Franks is a Redshirt Freshman who was an early enrollee. He's been on Florida's campus as long as Brandon Peters has been at Michigan
August 16th, 2017 at 5:06 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 5:16 PM ^
Peters isn't our starting qb then if freshman have a cap.....
In all honesty I agree with you - starting a frosh first game in that environment is overwhelming, I would want experience at that position.
August 16th, 2017 at 7:20 PM ^
As others have mentioned, Franks is a Rs Fr. There have been quite a few RS FR win championships and Heismans.
True Freshmen are more likely to have some growing pains, but still there are plenty of success stories. I'd take a true freshman Chad Henne or Rick Leach over any of our qbs right now.
August 17th, 2017 at 4:11 AM ^
True frosh Henne wasn't all that special. All he did was throw it up for Braylon.
August 16th, 2017 at 5:49 PM ^
If the Gregg Henson based info re: WRs is true, then frosh Oliver Martin is apparently threatening to leapfrog both Perry and McDoom at slot? That would be a big surprise.
August 16th, 2017 at 8:51 PM ^
Also no mention of Crawford? That doesn't seem right, I feel like he's been consistently listed as the #1 WR.