It is still the OL
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^
PSU doesn't huddle very often but it's not like they are snapping the ball very quickly. As Ace pointed out in his preview, entering the game PSU was 80th in adjusted pace.
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:14 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:16 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:20 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 12:11 PM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 1:38 PM ^
I am of the same mind that I am sick to death of hearing that this will be the last year of bad O-line play, something I feel like I've heard for a decade.
But at the same time...in discussions with other fans, "fishtailing" has for some years now been the term I use to describe Michigan since the end of the Carr era. Carr --> RR meant a change in O-line philosophy. RR --> Hoke meant another. Then Hoke leaves Harbaugh a disaster at that position group. And that position group is typically the one that takes longest to develop. Have other coaches at other programs built it faster? Yes. But, at the risk of sounding cliched, they ARE the exception and not the rule. I'm not for laying the blame at any one (or two) person's door, but Carr not having one viable successor in his coaching tree and Bill Martin's shrugging non-answer to that situation ARE still indirectly hurting this program. No, they are not responsible for the product on the field, but the era of instability that enabled it started with them.
October 22nd, 2017 at 1:47 PM ^
Godot will surely come
October 22nd, 2017 at 2:12 PM ^
MSU making excuses? What the hell does MSU need to make excuses for--getting their ass kicked by ND. They sucked, end of story. MSU was a tire fire last year and in the off season. They didn't need excuses for this year because they came out and won. Their coaches were able to cobble together a pretty decent team from the ashes.
So, forget MSU, forget blaming things on Hoke, Brandon, etc. Forget that we used to dominate 20 years ago, and wonder why our coaches can't cobble something successful together.
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:03 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:03 AM ^
This is as helpful as the last dozen or so. Thanks!
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:06 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:08 AM ^
Too many misses on OL, agreed.
Tough ask to expect Ekiyor to come in and contribute right away.
Have to hope Ruiz is ready to step in at C and Filiaga at LT.
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:17 AM ^
I'm hoping Ruiz at C, Newsome at LT (hoping that he is back, but not optimistic), and Filiaga at RT. Bredeson and Owenu at guard. Still gonna be shaky, but at least they should have more than one year together.
October 22nd, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
Newsome is back playing LT.
As a parent with kids that play sports, I am so glad his leg is healing and he is running again
I am absolutely, furious, incensed that they can call blocking below the waist - like the one Poggi got, yet there is still not any regulation for a defensive back submarining a lineman.
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:19 AM ^
Hope he stays but I doubt he does.
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:25 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:14 AM ^
This OL is the sole issue, and with a typical Michigan line of old, we would be 7-0. Getting Frey seems to be the right thing and it will take a few years before these recruits fill out, as watching the Indiana game their OL looked more like our old lines than ours.
There's more to this than just the offensive line, but right now, it is a glaring issue, and there have been some astute people here who pointed out some time ago that certain personnel decisions up front were potentially indictments as to where this unit actually was in development. You're right, I think - Frey was the right move here, and it will take time, but it seems like this is one thing, this development, that has to happen in conjunction with others on this side of the ball.
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:49 AM ^
somewittyname---if you're out there, he's talking about you.
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:17 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:25 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 11:54 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 2:38 PM ^
Oh yeah, the PSU linemen seemed to walk right around our guys. And it wasn't a five second deal where protection finally breaks down, which is normal. It was the fact that our OL couldn't get position on blocks from the start and PSU was on JOK within the first two or three seconds. There is no QB that can survive that onslaught. This is why I give JOK a get out of jail free card in that game. He did well for as poorly as the rest of the offense was playing.
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:34 AM ^
Did not see that coming.
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^
if affects the defense
October 22nd, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^
Nah--the defense was humbled all on its own. PSU targeted McCray and worked to get him iso'd on Barkley on damn near every play. Poor McCray was exposed, and badly. They took advantage of Kinnel and the young secondary as well with those pinpoint eephus passes.
October 22nd, 2017 at 1:19 PM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 8:26 PM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 1:49 PM ^
when the offense can't stay on the field-
PSU scored 14 in less than the first 5 minutes
October 22nd, 2017 at 11:45 AM ^
Teams are figuring out, unlike OUR offense, that if you pass quickly (and hold) it negates the rush and leaves holes in the secondary(slants). In typical UM fashion, we don't adjust. We just keep blitzing lbs even though there is no payoff.
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^
Except M last won an NC in '97, while Cubs hadn't won since '06. A 91 year difference. Other than that though...!
October 22nd, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^
But I absolutely believe that we simply do not have good coaching for them. Period.
October 22nd, 2017 at 1:50 PM ^
well that sucks- we paid a lot for that coaching
October 22nd, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 12:50 PM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 1:51 PM ^
well "the best" DC got shredded last night
October 22nd, 2017 at 3:54 PM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
Need to be realistic with expectations. This team will not have the chance to be where we all hope until 2019. To be good enough to win in the B1G East and handle their talented foes will take time. 2018 should be improved in all areas of the ball but there still won't be an experienced/talented QB. Speight will be a 5th year senior but he doesn't have the genetic makeup to take this team all the way. That is why you start playing for the future RIGHT NOW. There is no way this team can win the conference and get into the playoff. Michigan cannot go unbeaten the rest of the way with this offense. The defense proved last-night that it isn't untouchable either. Wiscy and Ohio will expose both deficiencies on both sides of the ball. PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR PLEASE!!! Play more young players.
October 22nd, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
is a numbers game. You don't need to get any of the top 50 O-Line recruits to build a great O-Line, you just need enough capable O-Linemen who know what to do. O-Line recruits routinely flame out and routinely overachieve and hence you should never focus too much on individual names there.
It's also a position where guys routinely become notable contributors only as juniors, often RS juniors. You need to beef up, learn the ins and outs of the things you do and learn the subtleties that no coach can teach you, that you can only learn from actually doing it.
It's also a collective role where you're only as good as your weakest links. It's more important to have competent performers everywhere than having a great performer in one position and guys who really struggle in two others. Again - a numbers game.
Coaching transitions hurt the offensive line more than anything, not only because of the change in schemes, but because of the attrition that comes with it and the 'lost' recruiting classes that come with it. Those affect seniority and numbers.
Both Hoke and RR were let down by O-Line woes which played a significant part in their downfall. Both also were victims of the assumption among fans that an O-Line by Year 3 should be the finished product. But then think about what year RR's first real recruiting class would have seen RS JRs and SRs - and same for Hoke - and then consider that neither one of em was still in a job by that point and then consider what their respective successor did with those teams.
October 22nd, 2017 at 12:04 PM ^
October 22nd, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^
Transitions thin the herd as some players leave or don't handle the leadership change well and thus under-develop and under-perform.
In addition you get the dreaded recruiting gap because with regimes on their way out you tend to get a last class that's not great (as a coach on a 'hot seat' whose job is in doubt will have his difficulties with recruiting elite talent) and then the first class of the new guy which is usually full of desperation moves and holdovers from the old regime who the new guy didn't pick. New coaches often have so much stuff to address, it's unlikely they can get the numbers in at each position as well.So you get two classes of sub-standard recruitment. In this case that's 2014 and 2015. These guys are now RS SO/JR and JR/SR players i.e. what should be the heart of our team.
The 'meat' of this team is thin on substance and it shows especially on the offensive line.