Post-Week 1 Predictions...REDO
Week 1 isn't officially over (thank you football gods), but now that we've seen the majority of teams get a game under their belt...let's redo your predictions/expectations.
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What's Michigan's regular season record this year?
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This Michigan offense is better/worst/as you expected?
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This Michigan defense is better/worst/as you expected?
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Who are you 3-5 finalists for the Heisman Trophy? (at the end of the season)
- Who are Final 4 for in you College Football Playoff? (at the end of the season)
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:07 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:07 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 11:34 AM ^
A true homer picks us to go 12-0 (and then 15-0).
September 3rd, 2017 at 1:43 PM ^
I don't like any team from the pac 10. Washington struggled with Rutgers and USC almost lost at home to WMU. Both should be ousted from the top ten in my opinion. Top Five Alabama, OSU, Michigan, Clemson, Penn State.
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:08 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:13 AM ^
1. 10-2... If they play like they did yesterday. If they get more consistent QB play and the RT and CB positions come on strong, well.... then maybe better than that.
2. Both. It was disappointing to see Speight play like he did. On the other hand, you can see the potential on that side of the ball if he gets his head on straight. The run blocking has improved, and the backs look to be spotting the holes better. Lots of receiving options.
3. Better, and I thought they'd be really good anyway. I feel like as long as Don Brown is here and the recruiting doesn't fall off a cliff, this is the kind of defense we're going to play. They physically dominated a big, athletic offensive front for Florida.
4. Way too early IMO. Never been a big Heisman guy anyway (unless one of our guys wins it.)
5. Alabama. After that, it gets muddy. I had FSU, but now they don't have a QB. Too early to tell on Clemson. OSU has the inside track, but Michigan or Penn State just might be able to catch them on the right day. Oklahoma if they can upset OSU, but not betting on it. Not sure I like anyone in the PAC 12 to run the table.
Gun to my head: Bama, OSU, Clemson, Oklahoma (losing to OSU but running the Big 12 table to sneak in over the Mich/Penn State winner on basis of conference championship.) PAC 10 will eat itself with no single team head and shoulders above the rest.
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:17 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:56 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:24 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 1:57 PM ^
Seemed to me he was breaking off long runs last year also. Just never not enough touches. I have always felt he was the best RB Michigan has. You could be right about a little motivation, but I also feel there are some other reasons Wheatley left Michigan. Who cares at this point because we have a stable of really good backs. I do think Isaac should get at least as much carries as Evans. Higdon runs very hard also, so I think it is all good at the RB spot. These guys are going to pt up huge nunbers against lesser defenses. I am calling for at least 600 total yards and Cincinatti not passing the fifty yard line next week.
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:33 AM ^
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September 3rd, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 11:33 AM ^
Will be interesting to see where Walker is at come garbage time in the next few games. If he's not getting snaps at that point, it's another data point about his career path.
September 3rd, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:15 AM ^
We made an SEC team look slow!
If Michigan gets good quarterback play, we have a legitimate chance to be in the playoffs.
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:21 AM ^
~20 points were left on the board against all that SEC speed. That first second-half drive was professional quality. Cool and collected and the biggest barometer to me thinking of the season. I was excited going in because football yet now I'm confident.
1. Record - 11-1 - win the B1G East with a punch-you-in-the-face win vs OSU
2. Offense - Better - the OL had some solid schemes against a strong UF front 4, Chris Evans is slick, Isaac is a faster De'Veon, Speight can still improve and hit some of those gimmy throws (that sure TD to Black or Crawford on the sideline was a fantastic playcall and an audible groan of a miss) and the WRs will ascend. Perry had some sweet over the middle grabs
3. Defense - Better - Devin Bush is a DUDE; he'll be gone in three years. Best player on the field. Second year in DB's system will further internalize just how scary his formations and blitzes will be with 3rd year JH talent
4. Heisman - Don't know, don't care
5. CFP - Bama, UM, Trojans, Clemson now that Francois is hurt
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:21 AM ^
As far as Heisman predictions, no one from Michigan will get the attention. No idea who will be picked, but my not very bold prediction is that it will go to a QB because this year has been dubbed "the year of the QB".
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:36 AM ^
1) I want to say there's a loss somewhere, but I can't point to a single one. Most likely would be OSU, but thats at home and UM, man... They gonna want it! Can't say 12-0, but can't see a loss. I don't see PSU or UW standing a chance in hell if the defense keeps playing like that.
2) About the same. Thought Speight would be more consistent, got worried when JOK was in there. Thought both Crawford and DPJ would have more impact, but Black... Lawdy, man is a dude! The RBs looked fantastic, with Isaac being a revelation - where did that game come from! The TE's are deep, athletic, talented, and will be a monster group this year. McKeon and Eubanks - how do you cover them?
3) Better! I mean, I thought they'd be really effin' good, but also thought I'd see some rookie mistakes all over the field. Nope. Veteran looking all over - few mistakes, great coverage, utterly DOMINANT DL (well, front seven)... Good luck scoring on these guys all year. Bush might get himself into next years Heisman talk if he keeps that up!
4) Heisman? Lets wait a few games to see which QB and RB are leading the nation in yards and TDs...
5) Bama, Clemson, Oklahoma, UM/OSU winner. Lets see what FSU can do with thier backup QB. Was sorry to see Francois go down, but I don't think he's good enough to get FSU home - especially with that OL they have (without losing Peppers at gametime, I think UM wins that game fairly easily).
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:44 AM ^
Addendum: Special teams... I don't think UM's ST drop off at all. Nordin already looks like an All-Pro in the making. I bet he agonizes over the two he missed! Coverage teams looked outstanding, no room for returns at all. Kicking was good - who the hell is Foug? LOL!! That blocked punt sucked, but I bet that blown assignment (or just whiffed block) doesn't happen again. Somehow, Peppers got back there to field punts. Lets hope his NFL travel schedule doesn't get in the way for the other games, too. Can't assess KO returns - the UF kicker was pretty good...
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:54 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 9:57 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:13 AM ^
That is a really good point on Speight's interceptions. They were phyiscal mistakes and not mental. Hopefully Harbaugh can make some small tweaks to correct the issues.
September 3rd, 2017 at 11:01 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:02 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:52 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:07 AM ^
1. 10-2, was 9-3. Nordin bailed us out yesterday and O'Korn was an unsung hero IMO. If not for those two guys, I feel like we would've been looking at Iowa 2016 yesterday.
2. Offense is where I expected. They will improve as the freshmen and sophomores get more experience.
3. Defense is where I expected. Don Brown coaching a team full of players he, Durkin and Harbaugh recruited? Yes, please.
4. Three finalists? Darnold, Mayfield and Lamar Jackson.
5. Final four: USC, Oklahoma, Alabama, OSU
September 3rd, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:24 AM ^
I'd say 10-2/11-1. I do not think we lose any of the games in which we are favored, and no way do we drop to each of Wiscy, PSU and OSU.
Offense will end the season better. OL will end up as good as or better than last year, and it is clear already that the RB and WR will be better. Yes, Butt, but damn did our TEs look good, and that is without Gentry getting much PT. WS did a nice job rebounding from a rocky start, and he will put up numbers against our lesser opponents.
Depth/injuries the key issue here; great to see so many people get meaningful PT. Looks like we wil handle DL depth by going to more sets in the 3-4, which is encouraging on that front. Hard to gauge how good the secondary was against the dreadful FL QBs, but they looked to be stride for stride, and there were as more "wow" plays than whiffs.
Don't care about Heisman -- I will go out on a limb and pick the QB/RB from a top 10 team with the gaudiest stat line.
Bama makes the playoff; that's about all I'm sure on.
September 3rd, 2017 at 11:25 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:24 AM ^
- What's Michigan's regular season record this year?
1 loss
This Michigan offense is better/worst/as you expected
Running: better, Passing: worse (SP8 has hit his ceiling and he is the best we have right now)
This Michigan defense is better/worst/as you expected?
Run defense: much better / Pass defense: about what i expected- we have real issues here and a great passer may do real damage to us. Florida had a terrible passing game. PSU could be a real concern
Who are Final 4 for in you College Football Playoff? (at the end of the season)
Alabama, maybe UM (but we won't win it with SP8's level of passing unless he has a "lights out" game)
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:27 AM ^
1. I'm guessing 11-1 or 10-2 with a loss or two from PSU or Wisky or OSU.
2. The offense is better. Our O-line really held up well against a talented Florida defensive line. Seniors holding up really well, and I trust the young guys on the O-line to develop over the cupcake portion of our schedule. Speight needs to get better chemistry with his WRs. This O is bigger, faster, and more athletic.
3. Defense. As expected. Clean up the secondary issues, develop D-line depth, and we may be better than last year.
4. Heisman? Oh, Jesus. Nobody could tell this early man. If I had to guess, it's going to be Barkley, Jackson, *insert offensive Alabama player here*, *insert BIG 12 offensive player here (likely to be Baker Mayfield)*, and Washington's QB.
5. Too early to tell, as players rise and fall as the season progresses. Alabama, and in no particular order: Colorado, Washington, USC, OSU, Clemson, or Michigan.
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:28 AM ^
JT Barrett still can't throw- I like our chances here.
I don't do heisman guesses.
Bama and three others
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^
we still have six weeks to sort things out before PSU. Our secondary will be good by then and Speight will have developed mediocre chemistry with WRs and our upgraded TEs (sorry Butt, I'm picking this year's Eubanks, TWJ, and Mckeon over you).
PSU doesn't scare me, nor does anyone on our schedule. What scares me is the mistakes we are definitely going to make. Here's to me hoping we make almost all our mistakes early instead of late.
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:49 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 12:10 PM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 12:11 PM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:33 AM ^
1)10-2
2)About the same. Wide receivers will improve during the season and hopefully certain OL too. RBs are solid. Expect similar perforamce to last year; we will crush the weak and sputter against good teams.
3)The D will probably be really good by the end of the year and the athleticism is impressive. Hurst! Bush is ahead of schedule, he was like a missile out there. I think people might be getting a little carried away though in how excited they are in terms of performance. Florida was 88th in S&P+ offense last year, which ranks them near teams like Central Michigan, Troy, Maryland, New Mexico St and Idaho. And they're missing their 2 best playmakers and starting a freshman QB. Their offense has been and continues to be a tire fire. So...yeah, top 10 defense, but not quite as good as last year. Too early to say on the secondary but at the same time, PSU/OSU are really the only teams before the bowl that can maybe exploit that.
4)Jackson, Barkley, Darnold, Mayfield, Guice
5)Alabama, USC, Clemson, Ohio State
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^
- Sky is the limit, but we have two tricky 3 game stretches. MSU. @Indiana, @PSU....and @Maryland, @ Wiscy, OSU. Two scrappy away games before two tough road games (@ Indiana before PSU and @Maryland before Wiscy), as well as two separate rivalry games in each of those stretches. We are a young team, but its going to be a mental grind to get up for every game in those two strecthes, as well as lack of game preparation in those games. Moreover, this is Big Ten football. Let's see how they react in poor weather conditions and in a hostile environment. After seeing Speight's performance, teams will stack the box against us and force him to beat us. I think we lose one out of those 6 heading into the OSU game with one loss. We win the Game and beat an undefeated OSU. 11-1 and make the playoffs. However, Speight REALLY needs to improve or we could easily be 9-3.
- Worse. I thought with a season under his belt, Speight would show more improvement. He is going to need to step up or teams will stack the box and force him to beat them. This is our achilles heel.
- Better. The D looked formidable. They will be truly tested though when we play a team with a QB who can drop back quick and throw a slant (as well as the back shouler). Let's be honest, all the rumors that Florida had QB troubles were true, but its premature to say how good the D is until the secondary is really tested. We dominated the line, but we are going to see better offenses due to better QB play. Teams will have to get the ball out quick against us though. I love Don Brown!
- Way too early, but Barkley, Jackson, and whoever has the better game and their team wins next week Mayfield or Dobbins.
- Bama, MIchigan, OSU, Clemson (their path just became easier after Francois went down). I like Stanford, but Clemson has the far easier schedule after next week.
September 3rd, 2017 at 1:49 PM ^
Which OSU? There's some analyst chatter that Ok St could run the Big12 and be in the mix.
September 3rd, 2017 at 11:03 AM ^
I am excited after yesterday but I must say I am worrierd. Purdue looked pretty good. Maryland looked pretty good. Indiana looked pretty good. I don't think any of those teams are the type that you just automatically count as a "win" - This is after 1 game. Will of course need a bigger sample size. My point is that there are not any easy games on the schedule except one......Rutgers will still be "who we thought they were"
September 3rd, 2017 at 11:36 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 11:54 AM ^
Disagree. Florida might be more athletic on paper but no way they are more talented than PSU when you consider the importance of the skill positions and also Callaway/Scarlett being out. Florida's QB play is pretty bad. And Wisconsin is a better team than Florida too. Franks has potential and the defense is solid but not great. Overall, that looked like a 7-5/8-4 team.
September 3rd, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 12:00 PM ^
September 3rd, 2017 at 3:13 PM ^
Name any team in the Big Ten outside of the remaining three big contenders that can rush the ball or pass the ball well enough with their given personnel to consistently move the ball against Michigan's defense? And it's only going to get better and more poised.
I actually don't think there are any precision passers in the league, except the kid from Indiana. He is probably the best passer in the conference. Now their tempo offense scares me. But after yesterday's game, the defense showed it can play with any guys on the roster, and play fast. So that negates that.
The offense is a work in progess. The defense is an unleashed wild animal. Outside of the first drive yesterday, Florida only scored on offense once, and that play was called back on a holding penalty. Not to say that these guys can't be scored on, but you better have a damn good Oline and a qb who can move and throw efficiently on quick reads to beat the coverage downfield consistently. And we are talking precision back-shoulder and high pointing throws. You ain't running on this defense, not effectively, anyway.
There aren't four teams on the schedule who can run and pass well enough to beat Michigan's defense, the offense notwithstanding. And the run game was pretty good yesterday. I think beating Penn State and Wisconsin on the road are highly doable. And once you do that, beating Ohio State becomes more of an excercise in disciplined performance than an emotional tightrope. MIchigan faces no ranked opponent until Penn State. So, losing four games seems incredibly out of the question based on yesterday's performance.