QB going forward ...

Submitted by Indiana Blue on

So having traveled to PSU for whatever you want to call that ... I think the question has to be raised about who should QB going forward.  First, I want to add that JOK played up to his abilities vs PSU ... good scrambles, some positive throws and of course we had drops and he still has an issue with not throwing balls away instead of getting sacked ... especially on 1st down.  But be that as it may, Michigan is not going to anything other than a normal bowl game and with our next 3 games being Rutgers, Minnesota and Maryland, I think Peters needs to get game experience starting next week.  JOK is gone next year and Speight is unavailable, and McCaffrey needs to red-shirt so why not let Peters get some real meaningful action?

Next season will likely have Peters and McCaffrey dueling it out (with perhaps WS) but we should be able to win the next 3 games without sensational QB play anyway.  Isn't it time to get Peters some very valuable "real" action as our QB?

Go Blue

bamf16

October 22nd, 2017 at 9:13 AM ^

Coaches don't typically think like this, so I doubt we see Harbaugh simply make the change and give Peters the full week of prep. What I do now see having a better chance of happening is if O'Korn has another subpar performance like he did at IU against one of these next three opponents, Harbaugh is quicker to make the change.

 

What I do know though after watching enough of O'Korn is that he just doesn't have the skillset to mesh with what these offensive coaches seem to want to do. He's a quick passing game type of QB and he gets very uncomfortable having to wait for passing plays to develop. Add to it that he hasn't developed what NFL type QBs need to, the skill of throwing the ball before the receiver is out of the break. That's part of the reason he's facing pressure so much.

 

Can Peters do this yet? I don't know. But this is the kid the coaching staff chose to most heavily pursue knowing his skills and what they want to do.

titanfan11

October 22nd, 2017 at 9:28 AM ^

is a good assessment.  Having watched the last few games, every pass play seems so chaotic.  I know the line has struggled, but there have been so many drop backs where O'Korn just seems to instantly start dancing around.  He is elusive, and he got away from several sacks, but his happy feet don't give anything time to start.  Add to that the poor line play and it is a bad mix.  

But then you watch another game, and it seems like those QBs have all day.  And they very well may, it might just be viewing thru the fan prism.  But the passing game just looks and feels very different from others.  

bamf16

October 22nd, 2017 at 9:42 AM ^

Thanks.

 

The line has had some issues, but I think at times the play from other offensive positions has made the OL look a lot worse than it really is.

 

This past February brought one of the best WR hauls that UM fans have seen in awhile with Black, DPJ, Collins, and Martin. Black showed a lot of promise, DPJ has shown flashes, and the other two remain to be seen. 

 

It's not nearly as disastrous or depressing, but John O'Korn's skillset in this particular offense fits about as well as Threet's did in RR's spread option. With O'Korn, UM almost needs to forget about numbers 5-9 in the route tree. But in doing so, you eliminate a lot of your playbook.

cbs650

October 22nd, 2017 at 9:19 AM ^

Harbaugh will stick with Okorn for this reason: He can't have a scenario where Peters comes out and looks good and allow for the national media to question his "meritocracy" approach.

MichiganStudent

October 22nd, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^

Totally disagree with the reasoning but agree with Peters not having much of a chance to start next week. My guess is Harbaugh won't want Peters to start because he doesn't give the team the best chance to win today. Meaning it still is a meritocracy. It's slightly foolish (maybe) for the future, but I don't look at Harbaugh as a guy to let the young dudes play now because the season is "over".

cbs650

October 22nd, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^

I just don't understand why you can't do what was done in Florida game? Why can't you play Peters a series in first quarter to see what he has in game action? Again we hear about his talent all time. Again is he afraid Peters will show some good things and he will not be able to go back to Okorn this year or even Speight next year?

BlueMk1690

October 22nd, 2017 at 9:40 AM ^

would sound after the team loses to Rutgers. In CFB you focus on next year if you have no shot at bowl eligibility anymore, not when you're 5-2. Because the same geniuses who tell you to do so do, obviously, make a difference between 5-7 and 8-4. 

mfan92

October 22nd, 2017 at 9:42 AM ^

Big ten championship is out the door so yes we need to go to peters. He needs to build confidence and experience if he's the guy next year. We open the season with Norte dame on the road so he needs experience so he's not uncomfortable out there. I don't want next year to be us building the QB position. I want to start the season hot and that will be hard if that's peters first start. So let the bumps and bruises come not rather than next year. Big expectations next year

Maynard

October 22nd, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^

Just wait. You haven't seen anything yet. ND will have a pretty seasoned Wimbush coming back. MSU will have Lewerke, and OSU will have Haskins who has gotten quite of bit of mopup duty already and looked good doing it. If we don't start getting another guy who will be here some snaps, next year could get real ugly and fast. You think people are restless now? Wait until we start off losing at ND, followed up by MSU and OSU, which are all on the road.

I think people ought to start rethinking the strategy of not letting Petes play if they love Harbaugh so much because if you lose all 3 of those games that seat will be blazing, considering it would take years just to get back to .500 against rivals. If it takes until year 8,9, or 10 to get to that, I mean come the fuck on.

andidklein

October 22nd, 2017 at 10:08 AM ^

Cannot really afford to be redshirting skill positions just because. If McCaffrey really is ahead of Peters he should be starting. Wasting time with Speight and O’Korn this year has set this program back. Speight sucked after the Maryland game last year. Anyone who thinks different hasn’t really been paying attention

Sideline

October 22nd, 2017 at 10:52 AM ^

Setting the program back? Yeah, because we were on such stable ground with the last two regimes.

Give this young team time to grow. We still have a top-10(?) defense. An offense that actually saw some improvement last night, even though it wasn’t consistent and the two pieces we’ve been complaining about were the actual problem(s). Let’s judge this team at the end of the year. After we’ve beaten Ohio State, deal?

Maynard

October 22nd, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^

We're not beating Ohio State. Put the pipe down and come back to reality. Just like we were beating Penn State this week too. There isn't time to let the young team grow. This is a sport that you have to be able to win in from year to year, not every 4 or 5 years as they "grow."

tybert

October 22nd, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^

The two best moves he did as HC as Moo U was to insert Conner Cook as QB as a RS Frosh at the end of the bowl game vs. TCU during a 6-6 lost season.

And, last year, inserting Lewerke into games as a RS Frosh. MSU's line was as bad as ours but Lewerke gave them scrambling ability and was a break from Tyler O'Connor. You can see how the games last year helped Lewerke this year, at least finding ways to extend plays. MSU's 3-9 wasn't all on the QB (O'Connor) but Coach Dick realized he wasn't going to win with the 5th year guy.

I realize O'Korn has more mobility than O'Connor but this hasn't helped him avoid some sacks when he should throw it away.

If Peters really is far away from being ready to play...sigh. 

cbs650

October 22nd, 2017 at 12:50 PM ^

If Peters un not a leader (im not sure I buy this), how was this not seen during his recruitment? Im sure they watched practice, saw him on sideline with teammates, spoke to people in his circle. Also maybe hes just not a rah rah guy but that doesn't mean hes not a leader.

VAWolverine

October 22nd, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^

I would start Peters against Rutgers. Home game, an opponent who will offer the just right challenge, and it is time to give the next QB in line an opportunity to play and show his strengths and weaknesses. I appreciate JOK's effort since WS's vertebral spearing injury.

erald01

October 22nd, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^

QB play rest of season should be JOK, however the coaches need to develop a few plays where Peters can come in and execute. Not necessarily 50/50 split but enough plays to have Peters get a feel what it feels like to be in a real game.

poppinfresh

October 22nd, 2017 at 12:05 PM ^

is there any reason not to think he starts next year? 5th year guy with most experience? 

i am not saying its what we should do, but knowing harbaugh, we will have a solid d, good backs, shaky oline...seems to all point to game manager QB and hope your D holds up (basically strategy these past two years)

Franz Schubert

October 22nd, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^

Sucks. I know you are not saying he should start but I sense a lot of posters are forgetting how bad Soeight was due to Okorn being even worse. Neither are good enough to play at Michigan.

CoverZero

October 22nd, 2017 at 12:18 PM ^

Peters had better get his head out of his ass, stop being a prima donna and join the team as one of the guys.

The Dude

October 22nd, 2017 at 12:47 PM ^

as the starter for the rest of the season. If they're in another blowout, which is possible, I'd give Peters some reps. Assuming they make it into a bowl game I'd give Peters at least a quarter.  There is no reason to throw him into the spotlight right now with this mess they have. Don't want to mess with a young QBs confidence. 

username03

October 22nd, 2017 at 1:19 PM ^

At this point there are really only two options with regards to the QB position. Either Peters isn't good enough and won't ever be or our coach is for some reason being stubborn. There is nothing left to see out of O'Korn, I appreciate his toughness and am glad that he is out there fighting for his teammates, but he is not very good and he is not going to get there this season.

Qmatic

October 22nd, 2017 at 1:20 PM ^

DPJ is going to be really good so will Black. The drop was huge by him yesterday but he was getting open. Next year we will have Black and DPJ on the outside with Perry in the slot. Whether it's Speight, Peters, or McAffery the question will be can the O-line get better? Will Ruiz and Chuck be ready? Will Newsome be back? Can't Brederson and Onwenu reach their starz?

freelion

October 22nd, 2017 at 2:34 PM ^

He would probably be pretty decent right now or a broken man and we still have McCaffrey and Milton as possible saviors. It is stupid to start QBs who have no future here when you have a flawed team that can't challenge for a NC anyway

cmacc13

October 22nd, 2017 at 3:19 PM ^

I think it's time to see what Peters can do, for sure. It has been said on the podcast already, he literally can't do any worse than JOK has. Put the young man in and get him some reps!

Navy Wolverine

October 23rd, 2017 at 8:10 AM ^

until we find a long term solution. Glad we are doing this in 2018. We should have been doing it all along. 

Hopefully Peters can get some meaningful playing time this year.

Any regrets about moving Gentry to TE? How about giving Shane Morris the firm handshake? I know, SM has has been up and down at CMU but at least he was a viable option.

This team won't achieve its goals until we find a very good QB.

metro1

October 23rd, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^

Okorn should be qb.he s put his time in.i can t believe everyone here can t see the major problem.its not okorn.dam line cant hold blocks and pocket collapses in seconds.also recievers can t get open and they also drop passes.i would roll okorn out and win with his legs or throwing on run.pocket is not going to work for any mich qb.

metro1

October 23rd, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^

Okorn should be qb.he s put his time in.i can t believe everyone here can t see the major problem.its not okorn.dam line cant hold blocks and pocket collapses in seconds.also recievers can t get open and they also drop passes.i would roll okorn out and win with his legs or throwing on run.pocket is not going to work for any mich qb.