Why should we be optimistic about 2018 M football?

Submitted by HChiti76 on

I am trying to stay positive about the 2018 football season. However, through no fault of my own, I was flipping around & came across BTN Football in 60 & they're showing the IU game from last year. OMG! This is a real stinker!

I have a gift for selective memory. I easily delete from my memory bad things. Which is why I have no memory of this game. 

We are playing terribly. Terrible offense. Mediocre defense. Suspect coaching. We look confused, undisciplined, unfocused. There is only 1:05 to go & we are only up 3 to a bad Indiana team.  We just committed another bad penalty. IU is driving on our "great" defense. They just tied it to go to OT.

So, with the brutal schedule this year, why should we be optimistic? Help me here. I'm always optimistic about our team but watching this game just have me a jolt! HELP!!

JacksFootball

April 14th, 2018 at 10:45 PM ^

I’ve coached high school varsity for 15 years, so I’ve watched my share of video. In my opinion, the center position was the weak spot. Yes, RT was very underwhelming. But going back to watch the season, our center made numerous wrong line checks, rarely picked up a stunt and was stuck at the line of scrimmage on running plays. I recall Price (osu) and Allen (MSU) getting to the next level and taking on LBs and pulling to the edge. I don’t remember Kugler ever doing that. There’s a reason why 13 seconds after the season was over, he became a grad assistant and gave no attempt at the pros.

Sounds like Ruiz is a major upgrade and football is built from the inside out.

Justibro

April 16th, 2018 at 11:47 AM ^

The first couple of games of the year I just though we were that crappy. Then I started watching Kugler, especially while at the game, and realized how horrible he was at getting all the calls and reads right. I think Ruiz as center is going to be the largest up grade at the start of this year compaired to the start of last year. (prime wording is the start of the year)

Stringer Bell

April 14th, 2018 at 9:33 PM ^

I don't disagree.  But based on reports that "maybe" is like 75% a yes or so.  I'll take it, and if eligible he provides us with above average QB play that would've won us all but the Penn State game last year.  If he's ruled ineligible then yeah, the QB position becomes a reason for skepticism.

Stringer Bell

April 14th, 2018 at 11:02 PM ^

I don't think you know Urban Meyer or OSU in general if you think they took any aspect of the Michigan game lightly.  They handled Sam Darnold because they had a month to prepare, Meyer is a MUCH better coach than Helton, and USC wasn't that good and benefitted greatly from a very weak Pac-12.  Competent QB play changes the Michigan-OSU game dramatically, probably into a victory for us.

HAIL-YEA

April 15th, 2018 at 2:56 AM ^

you trying to say having a competent quarterback would not be a benefit to us last year because teams would gameplan for a good qb as opposed to a bad one? Well shit, why even try to have better players at any position? You can't win more games because defenses will prepare for your better players, no point in trying.... wow

Occam's Razor

April 14th, 2018 at 11:08 PM ^

The last update Brian wrote about the team? Or was it Seth? 

Edit: It was Seth 

What we’re hearing: Multiple practice observers believe Patterson is well ahead of the other two, and the gap between him and Peters/McCaffrey is about equal to the gap between those two right now and where they were last year.

First the scouting. Harbaugh on his podcast said Shea Patterson has the best release and that he really shines when going off-script. Insiders are spitting out super-foobally platitudes: He’s “a leader.” He “makes plays.” That jives with his seat-of-the-pants film at Ole Miss and the general “Tate Forcier Except Goes to Class” impression we got from that. The insiders are way more bullish. The “he’s a leader” thing got emphasized by all three of my “SOURCES”, with one saying he’s probably the best offensive juice guy Michigan’s had since Harbaugh got here.

Brandon Peters throws the best ball, which is again something we knew. The biggest mover is Dylan McCaffrey, last year’s scout team player of the year, who benefited the most from Herbert in the offseason, and who gets rave reviews about his pocket command.

stephenrjking

April 15th, 2018 at 12:05 AM ^

I don't think this implies that McCaffrey is behind Peters at all. It's oddly worded, but I think the gist here is that Seth is stating that Shea is as far ahead of Peters and McCaffrey as Peters and McCaffrey are ahead of their respective selves last year.

Keep in mind that rumors floated around last season that McCaffrey was right with or passing Peters around the time that we were struggling with O'Korn at the helm.

This is scant evidence to suggest that there's any situation different than what the other rumblings have hinted, which is that McCaffrey is at least right there with Peters.

Red is Blue

April 15th, 2018 at 8:28 AM ^

Breaking that down. "Patterson is well ahead of the other two" ie.

Patterson >> Peters/McCaffrey spring 2018.

"the gap between him and Peters/McCaffrey is about equal to the gap between those two right now and where they were last year."

From the first sentence we know:

Patterson >> Peters/McCaffrey spring 2018. So "the gap" is being well ahead.

Which means Peters/McCaffrey right now are well ahead of where they were last year, ie

Peters/McCaffrey 2018 spring >> Peters/McCaffrey last year

So putting it all together:

Patterson >> Peters/McCaffrey 2018 spring >> Peters/McCaffrey last year

It is ambiguous wrt what "last year" means (spring practice 2017 or where they were are the end of the season. Also is ambiguous on whether there is a gap between Peters and McCaffrey. Since it compares Patterson to both together, from that I infer that Peters and McCaffrey are close. Further it says that McCaffrey is the biggest mover, if you're behind and making the biggest move, you're closing the gap.

To me, this doesn't support the notion that you put forth about McCaffrey still being well behind of Peters. If anything, it says the opposite.

Red is Blue

April 15th, 2018 at 8:31 AM ^

Breaking that down. "Patterson is well ahead of the other two" ie.

Patterson >> Peters/McCaffrey spring 2018.

"the gap between him and Peters/McCaffrey is about equal to the gap between those two right now and where they were last year."

From the first sentence we know:

Patterson >> Peters/McCaffrey spring 2018. So "the gap" is being well ahead.

Which means Peters/McCaffrey right now are well ahead of where they were last year, ie

Peters/McCaffrey 2018 spring >> Peters/McCaffrey last year

So putting it all together:

Patterson >> Peters/McCaffrey 2018 spring >> Peters/McCaffrey last year

It is ambiguous wrt what "last year" means (spring practice 2017 or where they were are the end of the season). Also it is ambiguous on whether there is a gap between Peters and McCaffrey. Since it compares Patterson to both together, from that I infer that Peters and McCaffrey are close. Further it says that McCaffrey is the biggest mover, if you're behind and making the biggest move, you're closing the gap.

To me, this doesn't support the notion that you put forth about McCaffrey still being behind of Peters. If anything, it says the opposite.

Red is Blue

April 15th, 2018 at 7:50 AM ^

Isn't that nature of college football that you'll end up with massive question marks at positions? Your quarterback leaves and you've got young, unproven guys that have to take over. How is Michigan qb situation much more questionable than others who've lost long time starters who monopolized playing time? We've got three real shots all highly recruited. One with experience elsewhere with uncertain eligibility. One RS sophomore with some experience here. One RS freshman. The later two both young enough that it isn't unreasonable to get significant growth.

BroadneckBlue21

April 15th, 2018 at 8:19 AM ^

Because we have Harbaugh, who can win eight games with no quality of depth at QB.

Because a group of baby WRs are now hungry teenagers who know how to work.

Because the QB room is filled with the same potential as a Griese/Brady room.

Because our new OC can wrestle a shark and flash his bronco gummy smile like it ain’t no thang.

Because it’s spring, which means hope is eternal. And why and the hell be a Michigan fan of you cannot fathom Captain Harbaugh rowing the boat out of the River Styx and flipping two coins to Charon?

SC Wolverine

April 14th, 2018 at 11:19 PM ^

We manhandled OSU 2 years ago -- all we needed to win that game was the official's proper spot of the ball.  We could very well have won this year with a major problem at the QB position.  Harbaugh is putting out team in a position to win -- and they will be winning these games.  We have a good football team with huge numbers of strengths.  We need some positions to improve and we will be the better team this year.  Yes, we need to win -- it kills me as much as anyone -- but let's get of Harbaugh's back about this.

SC Wolverine

April 14th, 2018 at 11:20 PM ^

We manhandled OSU 2 years ago -- all we needed to win that game was the official's proper spot of the ball.  We could very well have won this year with a major problem at the QB position.  Harbaugh is putting our team in a position to win -- and they will be winning these games.  We have a good football team with huge numbers of strengths.  We need some positions to improve and we will be the better team this year.  Yes, we need to win -- it kills me as much as anyone -- but let's get of Harbaugh's back about this.

Don

April 15th, 2018 at 10:42 AM ^

But OSU rushed for 4 yds per carry, and we managed just over 2 yds per carry. We should have beaten them by at least a TD in regulation, but we weren't "manhandling" them. "Manhandling" is beating them 31-3 or 28-0 like we did in '91 and '93.

Doesn't matter in the big picture—just beat them by one fucking point.

jsquigg

April 15th, 2018 at 12:30 PM ^

While the fumble at the goal line was bad, the ensuing OSU possession was the Peppers INT that led to a TD anyway, which was essentially the same situation with less time on the clock.  Far more implicating to me was how constipated the offense was for a quarter and a half mixed with potentially biased and actually incompetent refs.

tragictones

April 15th, 2018 at 1:28 PM ^

I just checked the espn play by play.  You're right that Michigan got the ball right back in OSU territory and scored.  But it wasn't the Peppers interception.  Aftert the fumble, OSU picked up one first down, then a few plays later tried a fake punt at their own 19 and failed.  

Im thinkin bou…

April 14th, 2018 at 9:00 PM ^

Remember higdon willing us to victory that game? Defense should be even better. Running game should improve slightly, passing game quite literally could not be worse. Schedule is super tough, but everything else is looking up.

KennyHiggins

April 14th, 2018 at 9:02 PM ^

C'mon man.  Top 10 defense.  Ridiculous WR crew recruited a year ago.  Stud RBs.  Master working the OL levers, and Drevno shown the door.  Oh, and we have Shea Patterson, 5* proven mobile QB w a gun of an arm.  I'm bullish.