Things/Players etc. you want to see v. Indiana
I know that "basic elementary offensive competence" is the most likely and apt response, but aside from this generality, what are some specific things or players that you hope to see stand out in the Indiana game that would bode well on Saturday and for the rest of the season? I have a couple.
1. Breakthrough reciever - Grant Perry is very good at doing what he does, but what he does doesn't strike fear in the minds of opposing defenses. I think the loss of Tarik Black may have been more significant than any of us really knew at the time, and DPJ or Crawford really needs to step up to stretch defenses. I don't think anybody really respects us a deep threat, and that kind of trickles down to the rest of the offense. Teams sending pressure, really crowding the box. I would really like to see one of these recievers emerge as a real threat, and I think that DPJ in particular should get a lot more targets.
2. Generating turnovers - This is not something we have done much of since Florida. It could be that "not turning the ball over" is the more important thing, and I know that certain turnovers are kind of luck, but as good as our defense has been we really haven't taken the ball away much and our turnover margin in our last 10 games is atrocious. I would like to see the D get all over the ball and try to come away with a couple of TOs.
3. Animated Gif Harbaugh - I know that officials are cracking down on coach meltdowns, but with the exception of The Game last year, it seems like our teams under Harbaugh have kind of fed off of his outstanding sideline antics and played with a lot of intensity when he is fired up. I don't think he needs to launch his headset but I don't think I would mind seeing an official getting a piece of his mind this weekend.
What are some others you hope to see.
October 13th, 2017 at 9:10 AM ^
I want to see Harbaugh & Drevno make use out of Drake Harris.
October 13th, 2017 at 9:13 AM ^
Get the ball to DPJ
October 13th, 2017 at 10:12 AM ^
Crawford has had ample opportunities to be the man and has not made anything of them, unfortunately.
Maybe we see Drake Harris get some looks, too? Or was his return to O much ado about nothing?
October 13th, 2017 at 10:17 AM ^
Might, yeah. Let's send DPJ and Drake on go routes up each hash. I would like to see us take a few more aggressive shots against teams we know our D can shut down (which is most).
October 13th, 2017 at 10:21 AM ^
We air raid now
October 13th, 2017 at 10:49 AM ^
Haha I would expect our offense to have a run, run, play action cadence this week. Or run, run, run if we are successful enough. I think we can manball Indiana. I also think O'Korn's throws will be basicall under 7 yards or over 20 this week. It'll be simple stuff like sticks and meshes and screens or it'll be posts and gos off play action.
Just my guess.
October 14th, 2017 at 9:18 AM ^
Thats what it always should be with reverses and jet sweeps with Mcdoom until his legs fall off. He is not a wide receiver because he cannot catch the ball. How about getting DPJ involved. Quick passes, runs, sweeps and reverses and you will not get sacked.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^
That and the spread with Full-backs and Wheatley jr. as the o-line
October 13th, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
Crawford just doesn't have the speed to burn people and hasn't made any "plays" he is more posession receiver than anything else and even then he has bad hands. He is very average so far unfortunately.
DPJ needs to run more crisp routes but has the athletic ability to get step up on almost all CBs and definitely safeties. Run him out of the slots and go deep.
October 13th, 2017 at 1:57 PM ^
last seaon a few times, but the ball was never thown accurately. One that jumps to mind was the first play against MSU, he was wide open for a long TD pass, but it was overthrown.
October 14th, 2017 at 9:26 AM ^
Why don't they try Hawkins at wide out. Never understood moving him in the first place. Looked like a pretty talented receiver to me. Never even gave him a chance.
October 13th, 2017 at 9:15 AM ^
Agreed with DPJ, screens, reverse, pass, anything.
October 13th, 2017 at 9:16 AM ^
like to see more life out of harbaugh, and also would like to see atleast 6-8 throws to DPJ, 6-8 to perry, 5-8 tight ends, a couple to evans and maybe 1 to crawford, mcdoom-0. I also would rather see peters play but i just dont think thats gona happen unless okorn gets hurt or throws 4 interceptions. 3 isnt enough i guess
October 13th, 2017 at 9:33 AM ^
So, throw the ball a lot?
October 13th, 2017 at 9:42 AM ^
That's like 20-28 passes. That's not a lot.
October 13th, 2017 at 3:46 PM ^
If Crawford/McDoom are going to be in the receiver rotation, we've got to throw to them sometimes.
Besides, didn't Crawford catch a bomb for a TD last Saturday? Yes, it was overturned by holding, but that doesn't change that he beat his man deep.
October 13th, 2017 at 9:18 AM ^
Consistent QB, O-Line play and a dominating running game.
October 13th, 2017 at 9:18 AM ^
I would like to see a skill position player make an explosive play. I would also like to win the lottery.
October 13th, 2017 at 2:25 PM ^
but we've had at least one long run/big touchdown play nullified by penalties every game. So, make the play, but keep it clean! No more killer penalties.
October 13th, 2017 at 9:21 AM ^
comparable. Our O-line has not put up nearly that level of resistance.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:22 AM ^
Agreed. We would be a lot better off if they could even just trip them up like the dude in the gif.
October 14th, 2017 at 8:08 AM ^
More like this?
October 13th, 2017 at 9:19 AM ^
Yeah, DPJ in decent patterns would be nice. Would also like to see a RB have a good day - ala Isaac the first couple of games. But the most important for me: JOK settling down and having a respectable game. I don't really care if he's a hero throwing, don't care if he runs for 100, and don't care if he's imperceptable. Just manage the game, and get the ball safely into the hands of the skill players. Let them do the work.
October 13th, 2017 at 9:20 AM ^
I want to see Brandon Peters play.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:00 AM ^
he needs to get some reps facing live bullets
October 13th, 2017 at 10:16 AM ^
mean the offense is a dumpster fire while JOK is playing. Not sure why you're wishing for that.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:26 AM ^
It isn't already? But, the real reason is we know what we have with JOK and he is a 5th year senior. He is not the future of the program in any way and it feels like wasting time having him play, especially if the two are close. Which it sounds like. At least with Peters in the game when the offense struggles or turns the ball over or whatever it's growing pains building towards something bigger in 2018 and 2019. When the offense struggles with JOK it is just a waste of time because it means nothing going forward.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:31 AM ^
We're not at the point where the season is over and we're just planning for the future. This team is still in a position to contend for the conference championship, even if that isn't at all likely. We should still be sending out the QB that gives us the best chance to win each game -- for now that seems to be O'Korn.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:43 AM ^
I'm not convinced that JOK is that QB. He is in his third year in the system and can't go from read one to two. He is hyper aware of the rush and gets happy feet. He seems to just not have a natural feel for playing QB. Sure, he throws and nice looking ball and has some mobility, but he plays like an athlete playing QB, not a QB who is athletic.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^
playing time at Michigan has comprised of 1) Indiana game 2016 - Don't screw up and let the defense win the game, 2) Purdue - Holy shit we look really bad and I have to play now, and 3) MSU at night, Saturday Night Football, unplayable conditions approaching soon.
This is the first game that is going to be kind of a normal start, without some kind of circumstances that make it rushed, neutered, or otherwise unusual. I think this will be the week when we find out if he is terrible or passable.
I do think if we lose this game Peters will start to see the field.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
I'm including his time at Houston as part of my evaluation. Whether commentors here want to admit it or not, that still counts in the process of determining who he is. What you laid out still doesn't excuse him failing to go from progression one to two or his happy feet. That is weather independent.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^
it doesn't. I agree. It does not look promising.
October 13th, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
We need to get them the ball.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^
but the people (aka coaches) who have seen Peters and O'korn at every practice and football event over the last two years feel JOK is the better option right now.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
USC started Max Browne over Sam Darnold. MSU started Andrew Maxwell over Connor Cook. Lamar Jackson, his freshman year, didn't initially start over guy who's so insignificant I can't remember his name. People are fallible.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:51 AM ^
None of those people are Jim Harbaugh or have a track record with QBs comparable to Jim Harbaugh's. Jim has earned unwavering trust that he is making the most out of the QB situation and making the correct decisions, even if the best decisions aren't producing stellar results.
October 13th, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^
The beauty of it is, we're going to find out soon. I never thought JOK was good. I always thought it was a mistake to bring him here to begin with. He doesn't fit this system at all. I trust JH but he is not above making mistakes like some on here would have us believe. If I had to bet, I think we will be seeing another QB very soon.
Let's hope for the best for tomorrow though and hopefully JOK has a good game and I am wrong. I
October 13th, 2017 at 11:01 AM ^
then we should start sitting Hurst, Cole, McCray, etc. because if we're not trying to win each game and instead just trying to build for the future none of those guys are the future of the program either.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
Way to totally misconstrue my point to fit your narrative. The offense is butt, the defense is not. My point is predicated on the assumption that the offense will not see a noticable downgrade with Peters at the helm instead of JOK. So, if the offense is going to struggle, might as well do it with growth toward the future in mind. GTFOH with your strawman bullshit.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:35 AM ^
might as well do it with growth toward the future in mind. Why play Cole and Kugler then?
I get the point about the defense but if the offense is struggling and we're building towards the future with the offense, Cole or Kugler(and neither Hill or Poggi) are going to be part of the offense in 2018 or 2019.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:43 AM ^
think the difference is that chemistry between a QB and recievers can take time to develop, and since we have really young recievers as well, it would not be worst idea to begin to have them working with the QB of the future in game action.
That is assuming he is the QB of the future, but I am not sure that is a wise assumption right now. It is completely possible, likely even, that Speight could return and play next year and that McCaffrey may the QB of the future. I don't think Peters current positioning on the roster, along with lack of playing time this year, bode particularly well for him as an impact QB.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:49 AM ^
Because Cole and Kugler are good or at least above average. JOK is not. There is a stronger case JOK is below average. Try again.
October 13th, 2017 at 1:36 PM ^
is about building for the future. If that is true across the team then you would want to get the players off the field who won't be back next year and put in players who will be here next year. If you're building for the future why wouldn't you want two new linemen on the field who will be back next year? Instead you want to leave Cole and Kugler in the starting lineup so next year we have a new center and new tackle who have possibly never played a college game at those positions. You even said in one of your above posts if the offense (not JOK, the offense) is struggling might as well do it with the future in mind. The offense is struggling with both Cole and Kugler playing as well as JOK. Why not build the entire offense for the future? The reality is you are either anti-JOK, just huge pro Peters or a combination of the two.
October 13th, 2017 at 2:15 PM ^
No, building towards the future is part of the point. A larger part of it is that going from JOK to Peters will at most result in an incremental downgrade at the position. And that such a small downgrade warrants consideration towards the future. Put simply, going from Peters to JOK will not affect the final W-L and what you're suggesting would affect final W-L.
October 15th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
I feel very vindicated based on yesterday's offensive performance.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:25 AM ^
If he were ready, he'd be playing. This isn't an NFL team where the backup is a 23 year old+ grown man who was a good to very good, maybe even great, college qb.
October 13th, 2017 at 1:29 PM ^
THE GOAL IS TO WIN THE GAME. WE ONLY HAVE ONE LOSS ON THE SEASON. WIN NOW.