Michigan Pass Blocking Woes in a Chart
I'm no expert, but I think this may be part of the problem with our passing game.
h/t Garrett Fishaw
Here's how Michigan's offensive line has fared in pass protection this season, based on our Pass Block Efficiency Rating pic.twitter.com/WMszBtimgy
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) September 18, 2017
September 19th, 2017 at 4:47 PM ^
I'm still a little leery of OL even in 2018. Cole and Kugler are gone. Despite the poor showing using this metric, Bredensen seems solid. Onwenwu seems to show promise. Even counting the two guards we need three OL out of Newsome and a pile of youngens. Lots of uncertainty.
September 19th, 2017 at 1:20 PM ^
There have been a few developments. You've got the pre-season concerns down but somehow you've missed the biggest concern that's come up since they started playing games. Wilton Speight seems to be playing worse than he did last year. Most rational people will lower their expectations in light of that fact. I thought we would split with PSU and Wisconsin. I don't anymore.
September 19th, 2017 at 3:03 PM ^
It might be a development, but not one that's unexpected.
Amongst my list of preseason concerns, I forgot to mention that the fact we were replacing all of our starting WRs, TEs, and RBs was also a red flag.
So for "the Speight seems to be playing worse this season" crowd...gee...his OL is worse and everyone he is throwing to -- outside of Perry who missed half of last season -- is brand new. Wonder why it seems like he's playing worse?
Would be like if you were an office worker and I replaced your computer with a typewritter and an abacus and told you to go slay some spreadsheets like you did last year. Probably not going to be the super great worker you were last year.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^
Gotta have some trust that the coaches are looking at this stuff. Harbaugh commented about the red zone scoring saying, "It's like a pickle jar with too many pickles in it. You just have to turn it upside down and get that first one out then the rest will come."
Think about how terrible Jake Rudock was through his first 6 games and then think about how that worked out. I guess I'm not ready to throw my hands up in despair just yet. Young team, new offensive coach, smothering defense, pretty decent special teams play. I think we can win the next couple games before Penn State and iron out some wrinkles in doing so.
Being concerned is fine, providing analysis of the struggles isn't hurting anything - saying that Drevno or Hamilton should be fired is absurd at this point in the season.
September 19th, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
Michigan is 3-0 since he arrived...LOL!!! We have handed all 3 teams their only loss of the season thus far.
There is a segment of this fanbase that is so over the top ridiculous that you just have to shake your head.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:37 AM ^
Agreed, it is okay to look at details and be frustrated about them. But calling for coaches to be fired or act like the sky is falling is a bit much.
This is a very young team, so not putting teams away by the 3rd quarter should be expected, especially early in the season. There is a reason why scheduling cupcakes at the beginning of the season became a trend. It gives your young guys a chance to get adjusted, learn lessons and improve.
I have been so frustrated with the offense the last two weeks and yes, I grumbled while watching but you know what? I also grumbled last week when DPJ couldn't properly field a punt and guess what I did this week? Cheered like heck when he took one to the house and learned from his inexperience from the week before.
All you can ask for is improvement week to week from these young guys. The offense needs it the most and lets hope we start to see it but its only been 3 games. And in those three games, Michigan has won by 16, 22 and 16 pts.
It's not as bad as some are making it out to be.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:44 AM ^
Outside of Alabama, which SEC team is signficantly better than Florida? Don't say Tennessee for obvious reasons. Georgia??? When was the last time Georgia beat Florida? The answer is 2013. LSU? Texas A&M? Auburn? Maybe Auburn but they haven't played each other in years and won't play this year.
Florida is likely the 3rd best team in the SEC this year so please don't give stupid opinions and pass them off as fact. I know you like to call others out on stupid comments so I hope you can take what you give.
And by the way, Air Force is not a minnow. That was a 10 win team last season and no reason to think they can't win 10 games this year. Even Cincy won their first MAC game on the road last week against a middle of the road team - not saying they are a titan but maybe they are not as bad as everyone thought.
September 19th, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
First, let's not talk about the past two years to reference this year's Florida Gator team. Did you watch them at all against Tennessee? They are laughably horrible on offense. They are not a very good team, sorry. If they were, people wouldn't be calling for sharkman's head. They have been fortunate to be in the weak ass part of the SEC. Also, I think the conference has been overrated for years.
Air Force is a team that you hangs around for a quarter or two, and if you are a superior product, you wear them out. You weren't concerned that their lines were STILL getting great push on both sides in the 4th quarter?
Trust me, I'm not calling for any coaches. But I think it's ridiculous to say, "They are 3-0, everyone shut up."
September 19th, 2017 at 12:17 PM ^
What are we supposed to use as evidence that a team is good or bad? You are just throwing your opinion that they are a bad team out there and we are supposed to accept that over their actual W / L record.
Yes, their offense looked bad at times on Saturday, as it has for years, but you don't mention that their defense looked damn good against a solid Tennessee offense. But you don't mention that because it doesn't fit your narrative that Michigan sucks on offense.
September 19th, 2017 at 12:45 PM ^
My "narrative" that Michigan sucks on offense??
Um... They suck on offense. Basically every statistic you find backs that up. The QB can't hit anyone, the line doesn't block very well, the weapons at WR are very young/limited, there is zero TE game in the middle of the field, they have one of the worst red zone offenses in the country.
How exactly is that a narrative? How can you watch what you've seen the first 3 games, mainly the last two, and think anything OTHER than Michigan has a dog bleep offense?
And when in the holy hell did I say Michigan is a bad team? Can you not straw man the shit out of my comments?
September 19th, 2017 at 1:27 PM ^
That was the debate - not about Michigan being a good or bad team.
i. I said that Florida is a top 3-4 SEC team and you said they are pretty bad SEC team. You used your observations and I used win / loss history up through the Tennessee game last week.
ii. You said that Florida's offense is horrible (which I did not dispute). although they do have explosive players.
iii. I countered that Florida has a damn good defense. I also said the fact that Michigan's offense played well (albeit with two big gaffes) against a damn good SEC defense did not fit your narrative.
iv. I say that Michigan does not have a bad offense; however, they have been inconsistent due to youth and up/down QB play. This is a new point that you will likely not agree with but I won't speak for you.
We never debated about Michigan being an overall bad team - not sure where you got that from. I think you mixed up the debate on Florida being a bad team and thought I was talking about Michigan. IF that is the case, my comments concerning the SEC should have been a tip off that I was discussing Florida and not Michigan but whatever...
September 19th, 2017 at 1:34 PM ^
"And when in the holy hell did I say Michigan is a bad team? Can you not straw man the shit out of my comments?"
I referenced the Tennessee game TWICE in that post. How did you think I was discussing Michigan and not Florida???? When was the last time Michigan played Tennessee? Not in the last 10 years that is for sure.
WTF?
September 19th, 2017 at 1:46 PM ^
"What are we supposed to use as evidence that a team is good or bad?"
How about their play on the field this year? That's a lot more important than the past. Who would have predicted the collapses at MSU, ND and Oregon last year based on the two prior years?
Also, he didn't say "don't look at the Tennessee game," he said that game showed they are a bad team. I agree, and I think that's the consensus.
Finally, Florida has 9 players suspended and looking at criminal charges. According to reports 3 of them will be charged with felonies. That obviously has hurt the team. They've lost a lot of depth and the turmoil in the locker room will inevitably have an impact on the field.
Bottom line: Florida isn't a good team this year.
September 19th, 2017 at 1:51 PM ^
I don't know why we are trying to argue the quality of Michigan's opponents so far.
Florida is a pretty lame SEC team this season.
Cincinatti is horrible.
Air Force is not bad, but that's a team that you should overwhelm (for example, OSU vs Army)
This conversation got way off track quickly. Sorry for the tirade to anyone above.
My entire point is that you can't just say, "We are 3-0, everyone shut up." That doesn't work when your competition has been pretty bad.
September 19th, 2017 at 2:51 PM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 2:03 PM ^
Beating Tennessee, a top 1/3 SEC team, proves that Florida is a bad team because two random posters declare it so.
Apologies, I was wrong on the whole thing. I will not use wins and losses to tell me who is good and bad, I will just defer to the two of you football experts on this board.
Thanks for setting me straight and its a privlege for me to learn from your great knowledge.
September 19th, 2017 at 3:13 PM ^
How about that 2013 team that started 5-0? I mean shit, they were unreal!
Here's the bottom line. This team is 3-0 because they are fortunate enough to have played teams that aren't all that great. Florida is decent AT BEST. Cincinatti is absolute crap. Air Force is a good service academy.
They have a LONG way to go on offense before they are competing for this division. Period, end of story.
Please, please stop trying to sell Tennessee football.
September 19th, 2017 at 1:48 PM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 12:16 PM ^
... with the spirit of your post--for example, I think people are talking about Florida as if they are bottom-tier Power Five team, which they aren't, though they also aren't as good as expected (suspensions, seemingly poor coaching, etc).
I just wanted to say that I still don't think we have much evidence that Cincinatti is even remotely good. Their unimpressive win over Austin Peay has already been documented, and--while they did beat Miami (NTM)--it's worth noting that Miami absolutely gave that game away. For context, Cincinnati was down 17-6 with 4:00 minutes to play, and they were still on their half of the field, and were down to one remaining timeout. You have to out-Fickell Luke Fickell to lose a game like that. (Miami threw a pick-six with about a minute to play.) By the way, Miami also played Austin Peay and won a bit more comfortably (31-10).
I say this because I hear people saying that "at least we haven't played MAC-level competition"--well, based on an admittedly small sample size, we don't have any reason to think that Cincy is better than a middling MAC team, even if they might improve and finish with a winning record, given their conference.
Anyway, again, not disagreeing with the thrust of the post. We're a young team that needs to find ways to improve every week.
September 19th, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^
and AF is probably a top tier G5 team. Did we play great against those team? No. Did we play very good against those teams? At times, perhaps, but not enough consistency.
My point was that Florida is a top half (probably top 3-4) SEC team whether Michigan fans like it or not. The SEC is not what it was a few years ago, but it is still a top 3 conference.
Look, if we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot and don't make improvements on the OL and at QB, it is true that we will lose 3-4 games. If we get hot and things snap into place, we can go 11-1 (our youth will cost us at least one game even if we are playing well).
I can accept either of those scenarios - this is all for fun and I am loving every minute of it. Harbaugh has made this team exciting and intersting again. For 8 years, I tried to follow it and care but I didn't. Not sure because they were bad, because they were not interesting. That Sugar Bown against VT was one of the worst bowl games I have ever watched.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^
I don't find that funny in the least, clown
September 19th, 2017 at 10:44 PM ^
Most obscure Ferris Bueller's Day Off GIF ever.
September 19th, 2017 at 1:43 PM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
I think there may still be a competition at RT.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:00 AM ^
There is still a competition there. Its between sadness and despair.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:23 AM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 11:01 AM ^
I think the bigger problem is that there isn't a competition for either the rt or rg spots.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 11:51 AM ^
Better than the coaches not giving a shit about Ruiz...
September 19th, 2017 at 11:55 AM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^
I just gave earlier this morning. I probably won't have another shit to give until tomorrow.
September 19th, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
I'm confused, is it a good thing or a bad thing that the coaches are giving young players shits? Or are the players taking shits?
September 19th, 2017 at 1:37 PM ^
underscores the damage from whiffing on isiah wilson and other top level tackle recruits.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:01 AM ^
if DE are teeing off on speed rush and if LBs are blitzing (as Air Force did) then wouldn't an occasional middle screen be nice to keep 'em honest?
September 19th, 2017 at 11:26 AM ^
I've been waiting for a middle screen. Turn our negatives into a positive.
September 19th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
I don't think we've seen very much over the middle at all this year. Not sure why, but I also wonder if that might be a way to open things up a bit, particularly near the redzone...
September 19th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
In a vacuum, it doesn't really mean anything. I looked at their twitter page and couldn't find the same infographic for any other teams.
The reality of CFB is that most teams are going to have a young, inexperienced player on their OL due to injuries/ recruiting/ development... and that's what this is showing. How does this compare to MSU, PSU, OSU?
September 19th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
It would also be helpful to have a frame of reference for what the magnitude of the numbers mean. For example, what score does a tackle receive if he gives up a QB hurry 25% of passing plays, but is otherwise perfect? If in one OL, the number can range from basicallly 0 to 100, how are we supposed to know what that means?
September 19th, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
the comparison to other teams' players is built into the score.
ulizio is in the bottom 0.5%.
woooooooooooooof
September 19th, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^
I think he is getting better three games in?
September 19th, 2017 at 2:31 PM ^
swn, you can come back to the board now.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:22 AM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 11:45 AM ^
Yes, but again, how does that compare to other teams? Aside from maybe Alabama, nobody is going to have all 5 linemen @90%+. How do OSU, PSU, MSU look?
Also, it doesn't adjust for competition. There are a lot of teams that played 3 cupcakes.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:42 AM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^
I'm a glass half full kind of guy...I'm impressed Kugler is giving us our best pass protection. For a guy who was highly touted, but struggled to make the starting lineup until this year...he is apparently playing really well.
September 19th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
Kugler is above the 90th percentile? WOOOOO!
I didn't expect him to be our pass blocker. Though I guess that's never been Cole's strength.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
Length times Diameter plus Weight over Girth divided by Angle of the Tip squared.