QB depth chart update
I posted a nugget from umbig11 over on the TTB message board. It's just a small nugget, but I feel like it's noteworthy, considering the spring game performances of the quarterbacks.
http://touch-the-banner.com/forum/topic/qb-update-from-umbig11/
August 25th, 2017 at 8:08 AM ^
Garrett Moores is the backup? I can't believe it.
August 25th, 2017 at 8:11 AM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 8:19 AM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 8:33 AM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^
I'm only replying to this to get this picture at the top of this post as a PSA
August 25th, 2017 at 8:09 AM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^
UMBig11 does provide valuable info, but he isn't infallible. You may recall he reported that Kugler was going to have to earn an invitation back to the team in Spring ball.
August 25th, 2017 at 2:18 PM ^
That's not wrong info. 5th year seniors have to earn their spot.
August 25th, 2017 at 3:23 PM ^
He had already earned it. Remember, former TE Heitzman complained that he was going to have to try out for a spot but Blake Countess said he was never told that.
It was clear last year that Kugler was one of the key pieces to this year's line. The current uncertainty on the OL is who will start at RT. Kugler is likely to start at C and certainly offers flexibility to the coaches. Kugler or Ruiz could start at LG and allow Bredeson to move over to OT. The coaches would have to be idiots to deny Kugler a scholarship. They're not and he has one. As I said at the time, there was a decision to be made whether he would be back, but it was his decision and he wouldn't wait until spring to make it.
Finally, the point you make is a truism. It is literally true but there is no point in posting something that is always true. 5th year seniors don't have a right to a scholarship. UMBig11 posted suggesting that the coaches were uncertain whether they wanted Kugler on the team. That was wrong. All they had to do was look at what they lost and what they had coming in and it was obvious that Kugler would provide valuable insurance for this year.
August 25th, 2017 at 2:57 PM ^
is in the mix to start wouldn't you say he earned his invite?
August 25th, 2017 at 3:26 PM ^
Obviously. My point is that the coaches knew they wanted him on the team before spring ball ever started.
August 25th, 2017 at 5:45 PM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 6:06 PM ^
His point is that he thinks that UMBig11 was claiming the coaches hadn't decided yet, when he believes the coaches obviously had. I'm not taking a stand on the topic, just clarifying his point.
August 25th, 2017 at 7:44 PM ^
Correct.
August 25th, 2017 at 8:09 AM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 9:03 AM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 9:06 AM ^
Yet. I don't see the reason to panic about a redshirt freshman not winning the starting role against two upperclassmen wtith significant college playing time.
August 25th, 2017 at 10:22 AM ^
Reason for panic could be McCaffrey passing him.
August 25th, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
McCaffrey passing Peters only means that he's going to be better than Andrew Luck and follow in Jimmy Clausen's footsteps and win at least 4 Heisman trophies.
August 25th, 2017 at 5:19 PM ^
who won 4 Heismans. Let's not rewrite history.
-- Beano Cook
August 25th, 2017 at 5:30 PM ^
Very tempting to down-vote you for reminding me of Beano Cook.
August 26th, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^
lol, Ron Powlus Jr. made his high school debut last weekend and went 0-12 while his Mishawaka Penn squad was upset by Valparaiso. He is only a freshman, though.
August 25th, 2017 at 5:20 PM ^
double post.
-- me
August 25th, 2017 at 12:51 PM ^
But it's all a moot point right now. You never know what will happen between now and next fall. Speight could leave for the NFL, he could come back. Peters could make massive improvements and pass Speight next fall.. All that matters now is Speight is the QB, as expected. Everything else will fall into place after that.. If McCaffery passes Peters so be it. As long as we have Harbaugh not sure why anyone would worry about the QB position.
August 25th, 2017 at 5:48 PM ^
I wouldn't panic yet...
Personally I think the coaches are annoyed with Peters that he hasn't learned how to project his damn voice, command a huddle, and be a leader from the QB position.
Meanwhile, McCaffrey - from the Ed McCaffrey's, knows the huddle in and out.
IMO you've got Speight, then O'Korn then a substantial drop-off for now.
Hopefully Peters gets his big boy undies and McCaffrey gets his big boy weight and both are ready for an awesome competition in 2019. I'd like to think Peters will be more comfortable/mature and McCaffrey will be physically ready.
We'll be fine.
August 25th, 2017 at 9:21 AM ^
Wow, all the "Peters will overtake Speight" folks must be curled up in the fetal position in the corner of their tiny one bedroom apartments...
August 25th, 2017 at 9:25 AM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 9:53 AM ^
Of course they will. Sometimes when you find out your hyper-confident prediction based only on wishful thinking and extremely limited actual information is wrong, you lash out. It's like when a kid finds out the Tooth Fairy is actually just mom and dad...
August 25th, 2017 at 11:55 AM ^
The tooth fairy is real
August 25th, 2017 at 2:08 PM ^
He wishes to be known as The Molinator now.
August 25th, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
Dude...SPOILER alert, please!
August 25th, 2017 at 9:26 AM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 9:47 AM ^
Still have 0 confidence in Speight winning big games until proven otherwise. Sorry.
This defense will give up big plays given the youth in the secondary. There will be many instances where Michigan will have to rely on Speight's arm to win the game or stay ahead/close given the question mark that is the Oline (so run game is questionable as well). His performances last year don't help. Turnovers against UF will be a nice prognosis on his season.
August 25th, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^
Were Wisconsin and Colorado last year chopped liver?
Also, the inconvenient truth is that Wilton beats both OSU and FSU last year if we had even an average run game. Wilton wasn't close to the main problem last year folks
August 25th, 2017 at 12:33 PM ^
games would have been won in spite of him, not because of him. He is the biggest reason we lost to the 3 games we did, any arguement otherwise is silly.
August 25th, 2017 at 12:55 PM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^
I posted this a couple weeks ago, but over the summer I re-watched every single UM play from last season. Speaking to just the offense, I found that when watching months after the fact and with much less emotion...
Speight was better than I'd remembered. I'd even venture to say he was a lot better. He can make every throw in the NFL route tree and I'm hopeful for big things from him. Even though there were a lot of "what if" moments in that game at Iowa, Speight needs to shoulder a lot of the blame. He was pretty bad that night.
The offensive line had moments where as a unit they were absolutely horrible.
The play-calling left a lot to be desired. It's tough to know who shoulders the blame since Drevno seemed to call about 2/3 of the plays (from what was said during broadcasts) with Harbaugh and Fisch sharing the other 1/3. But especially in the OSU game, a lot to be desired in that regard.
August 25th, 2017 at 2:43 PM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 5:53 PM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 1:58 PM ^
Please explain to me how Speight was worse than the running game in our losses
August 25th, 2017 at 2:37 PM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 4:42 PM ^
Speight made two big mistakes, but if the run game averages a modest 4.0 ypc, we win that game by double digits with or without Speights picks. We had em dead to rights and the inability to run the ball let em back in the game.
August 25th, 2017 at 6:38 PM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 3:20 PM ^
against Wisconsin and deserved a lot of credit for that win. He put us in scoring position quite a bit and we would have won by more had our kickers made some easy FGs, and he had the beauty of a game winner to Darboh. This was all with JBB playing some really bad LT and waves of OLBs coming at him. Wisconsin was a great defense last year.
He played fine against CU after a rough start. He didn't win it, per se, but didn't play poorly. Performance was neutral.
He did lose us the Iowa game.
OSU is a tough one because he actually played pretty well save for two huge mistakes. Was the victim of some bad drops and poor officiating in that one. If not for those, he would have led us to victory in regulation despite the two picks.
August 25th, 2017 at 12:34 PM ^
August 25th, 2017 at 1:43 PM ^
32nd in the country in total rushing yardage, including all of those meaningless yards piled up in massive blowouts. Given how many blowouts Michigan engineered, that number is disgraceful.
August 25th, 2017 at 3:28 PM ^
and our Rushing S&P+ which removes those meaningless late game blowout drives (I think) has us 49th. Thoroughly mediocre rushing game last year. And quite poor for a Power 5 team, let alone a national title contender.
The offense overall was kind of meh last year, especially in big games. We blew out PSU on the ground thanks in part to them not having LBs but other than that, we couldn't do much against better than average defenses.
August 25th, 2017 at 1:57 PM ^
Tell me about how good that rushing game was vs. anyone with a decent defense. We didn't break 3 ypc against Iowa, OSU, or FSU.
This is like the argument about how Richrod's offenses were awesome. Yeah- they were great hanging 70 pts on Bowling Green, but tell me about how they did vs the meat of the schedule. The season stats don't tell the story