We're Going to Be Good.

Here is to rushing only 3 lineman on every passing down...hope the new DC is a little more aggressive

we will have a lot of corners coming in BUT who wants more true freshman playing again..we saw the result of that the past few years.. not good.

I heard he was moving to DE?   Anyone confirm?

No Hopkins?

There will be depth but can you see this defense, even with new/better coaching climbing the ranks to be good next year?  The best case scenario is that it finishes about average in the national rankings and a bit below average in the Big Ten rankings.  It's just too big a leap to take from their current depths.

The starting cornerback tandem will be very weak.  Remember Woolfolk was never a lockdown corner, merely a very fast guy with poor coverage technique.  At the other corner, Floyd was abused repeatedly all year by opposing QBs, good and bad.

The safeties you're projecting as starters are, to use the standard euphemism, gritty rather than fast.  They're good decision makers and sure tacklers who will nevertheless be constantly taken advantage of by better passing attacks.

The linebackers are a total mystery.  Demens has shown flashes of competency.  But will they miss Mouton?  Will Michigan ever position their linebackers in a sensible way and get them to fill gaps rapidly?

The line has some experienced, talented guys in Martin and Van Bergen.  But the rest of the line is inexperienced and full of 3 star guys who fans hope are the diamonds in the rough Rodriguez is known for unearthing.  Will any of them develop?  Will the scheme allow them to get any pressure?  Or stop the run?

I wish I could agree that Michigan will be good next year but I see this defenses allowing the better Big Ten defenses to move the ball at will against them.  And it will cost them games, probably 3 or 4.

a tough ass.  Something we have far too little of.  Would hate to see him on the bench next year.  If we are a 4-3 or even a 3-4 / 50 next year, there is a greater need for a guy like him in the box.

Martin, Demens, Roh, Kovacs, RVB does sound good... but still frightened by the SMURF village that is our defensive backfield.   (OMG,  we looked tiny against Wisconsin and tOSU !)

I hope and pray Ash is the real deal and gives us a presence in the middle beside MM.

Good News!!....damn this feels good.

Rodriguez wins.

It isn't the "Michigan way".

Therefore, it sucks.

Admitedly, this was probably the most disappointing 7-5 we could be, but we're still 7-5, which is exactly as most expected.  And yet, all of a sudden, we're ready to run coach out of town.

Yeah, we've got our shit together.

That who we play is important, too.  Are the teams we'll be playing be better or worse next year?

• WMU = better or worse, it should be a win
• ND = better, so this game is a toss-up
• EMU = better but still terrible, win
• SDSU = don't know, but should be a win
• MINN = a lot of returning starters, but lose QB and new coach coming in, plus we're more talented, win
• at northwestern = almost everyone back, game is on the road, we can win this one but I don't feel good about it, toss-up
• at MSU = big-time grad. losses on D, including 3/4 of DBs and Jones/Gordon combo at ILB, their O should be pretty good, and it's on the road, expect a shoot-out, toss-up
• PURDUE = better, almost everyone back, but it's at home and we're more talented, I expect a win
• at iowa = worse, they lose a lot on D, their QB and one good WR, we've been close the last two years and they've had a serious talent/experience edge on us, not this time, should be a win
• at illinois = better, almost everyone back, given us fits for the last three years, good talent, good coaching staff, on the road, i expect a loss but we're certainly capable of winning this game, so it's a toss-up (hopefully we'll know who has the wheel route by then)
• NEBRASKA = better on D, worse on O, lose 6 O starters incl. 3 OL, 8 starters back on D, plus they have Denard Light at QB, game is at home, but it's still a toss-up
• O-STATE = worse, lose a lot on D (Heyward, both ILBs, couple DBs) and they're not special on O, game is at home, toss-up

So, that's 6 wins, 0 losses, and 6 toss-ups.  Of the 6 toss-ups, 3 are at home and 3 are on the road, so we can reasonably guess 9-3.  On the other hand, I believe the toughest teams in the conference will be O-state, Nebraska, Illinois, and Penn State, most of whom are in the other division.  I expect to be battling with the Huskers and (gulp) Northwestern for the division title and a spot in the Big Ten title game.  It would probably be better for us to lose to ND than have all three toss-up losses come in Big Ten play (assuming we lose some of them).

The Huskers have an absolutely brutal conference schedule:

• at Wiscy
• O-STATE
• at Minny
• MSU
• NORTHWESTERN
• at Penn St.
• at Michigan
• IOWA

They have one gimme win there (at Minny), maybe two if you agree that Iowa will be slightly down and the game is in Lincoln.  And this ain't your Daddy's Tom Osborne Nebraska, who used to load up on tasty Austin Peay-like treats in the non-conference schedule.  In 2011 it's Fresno State, Washington and at Wyoming.  (At Wyoming?!  How the hell did the Cowboys swing that one?)

Northwestern's schedule is somewhat favorable in that they don't play Wiscy or O-state.  However, their league road games inclue Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska, so even though they always play Iowa well and it appears at first glance that Iowa will regress from this year, that's still a tough road to hoe.  Remember, overall Conference record determines the division champ.

Regardless of the (hopeful) improvement of the D and special teams, what I'd most like to see is the offense drastically reduce their TOs to around 15 and for the D to get at least 20 takeaways.

Alright, I share some of the enthusiasm, but do you really think that Washington, Herron, Gordon, Kovacs, Vinopal, Floyd, or Woolfolk would be starting next year for any team in the top half of the B10?

I admire the work these guys are putting in, and I especially like Gordon, Kovacs, and Vinopal because they seem to be playing enthusiastically despite some major disadvantages in stature and/or experience.

I expect the offense to correct a lot of the mistakes and be in the top three in the conference in things other than turnovers and yards per game, but when it comes to the defense, I see the DLine being a moderate strength (Van Bergen is a quality starter, Martin is a beast, and Roh will be probably be an above average starter if his season doesn't get wasted as badly as this one), Linebacker will be a weakness (Demens will be good, but Herron will not likely be better than average, and I don't think either of the Gordons or Kovacs can make up for the lack of another quality LB in the lineup), and the secondary will definitely be a weakness (Kovacs is smart but very limited, Vinopal seems to try hard, but I don't think he will ever have the ability to be above average, and Floyd and Woolfolk as starting CBs only inspires confidence when compared to Rogers and Avery).

I think that the offense will have to actually progress to the juggernaut we thought it would be after the first few games to actually compete with the top of the B10.  I think we should realistically be expecting a .500 year next year in conference following a 4-0 start (unless ND turns a corner and we don't).  Without dramatic improvement in offensive and defensive efficiency and some good luck on the injury front, I would not be surprised if next year ends at 7-5 again.

You mean, you are actually going to have a chance against MSU, OSU, Wiscy and Iowa?