Areas of improvement you want to see this season?

Winning

I almost forgot:

I want us to win the close games for a change.  Great teams have a knack for punching it out and winning somehow, no matter how crazy. 

EDIT: I would guess a solid S&C program contributes to this.

I think you (OP) covered it in the "outside of the obvious" parenthetical comment of your post. If those three things happen, we're in great shape. Although we still may lose a couple thanks to our brutal schedule.

After that, for improvement over last year, I guess the punting game, punts and returns.

Oh, and a huge one for improvement over last year: recruiting.

Score more points on offense, give up fewer points on defense

Honestly, just beat your rivals. If we go, say, 11-2 this year, but the two losses are MSU and OSU, it’s hard to call that a truly successful season. Even if you win an NY6 bowl. It would just reiterate the fact that Michigan still isn’t ready to take that next step. 

Some of you will disagree and that’s fine. But if you want Michigan to get to where many of you think it ought to be, you’ve got to beat MSU and OSU. That condition isn’t going to change any time soon. 

Lastly, while I’d like to see a more fiery Harbaugh come back too, I don’t want to see it at the expense of the team’s success. That personal foul he got from the sideline in the 2016 OSU game led directly to a fresh set of downs for OSU and TD for them to pull within three. Is the rule stupid? Yes. But it’s the rule whether we like it or not. If it costs you a game or completely shifts the momentum in a big rivalry game, then it’s not worth it. 

Would it be too much to ask for no significant injuries to our quarterback?

Offense. For the last two seasons our offense has taken successive steps backwards, from record breaking with Rudock, to clever and intelligent RPS with young Speight, to just derp last year. I have to put that on the change in OC, the 3 offensive line coaches instead of 1, and a string of injuries, but regardless it felt like the play calling just didn't put players in positions to succeed, and made things harder for them instead of easier. 1 yard rushing plays, and 3rd and long more often than not is no way to win. We all know the young men on the field are capable of so much more, the offensive coaches need to step up their game this year.

Offense: more sustained drives & more 1st downs in the 4th Q. Need to put opponents away when given the opportunity.

Defense: create more turnovers 

Special Teams: better punting / coverage, more kickoff return yards, & more consistent FGs

I want to get through the season without losing our quarterback to injuries. Looking at you, offensive line.

For me 

1. I want my wife to have the food ready BEFORE kickoff

2. My bathroom breaks need to be quicker, I want to be back, situated and comfortable well before the commercials end.

3. My dog will be 1 year older, will he be more mature during games? or will he continue to bring every toy in the house to my lap during games?

4. Post game meal, win or lose always have to make sure we replenish the tank and soak up some of that alcohol.

5. WTF DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO ALL DAY WHEN THE GAME DOESNT START TIL 7 FUCKING PM???????????

Wide receivers getting off dbs who press them and getting into their routes more quickly and precisely. 

Well, "outside of the obvious", and everything else you mentioned I'm not really sure what else we possibly could improve other than wins....which I would hope is part of the "obvious".

At the end of the day, it's the offense that has crippled this team since the Hoke years, and with Jim being an "offensive coach" and "QB guru" it's on him to get the offense up and working. The defense is fine. I have no worries at all about the defense. From Mattison, to Durkin, to Brown we've been rock solid to great on defense.

So once Jim figures out how to get this offense to move the ball we'll be in good shape. Fix the offense and that will translate into more wins. Plain and simple. 

Once we finally accomplish all of this, THEN we can start to nitpick at little things on either offense or defense that we'd like to see improved upon.

There needs to be more creativity on the offensive side of the ball. There was a bunch of it during the 2015 season and I am beginning to wonder if it was all from Jedd Fisch.

This play at 00:57 in is a perfect example. This was brilliant and would be perfect for a mid-field play call. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kd2BAH1Dg8s" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Another example would be the screen passes set up during the Maryland games from 2015 to Johnson and Butt. They were both unexpected and used at a time in which the offense was stalled (game after MSU :/). See plays at 3:55 and 5:11: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1cxCAl3Ola8" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Also, please bring the random FB dives back.

Other than creativity, it would be nice to see the OL finish out games or even get that extra push on 3rd downs. 

Right now, I'd like to simply get from "no football being played" ------> "football being played"

I want them to be able to finish strong...Stop letting teams come back in the fourth quarter.

Most of all I want our score to be higher than the other team at the end of the game. Every game.

 Just win!!

Coaching 

I’d like to see the coaching staff check the weather report before the game and know that a monsoon is coming before reverting to a pass-happy offense during said monsoon.

Win on the road and defense stop wearing down at the end of games and allowing other teams to gobble up 6 yards plus every carry...

Gentry!  Has the potential to be an impossible match up, similar to what a former M QB has in the NFL.  Too big, too fast, and now that he's stronger, watch out.  Hope Coach, Patterson and Gentry watch a lot of Pats film together.  He's the prototype NFL tight end and if takes off this season, has the potential to be a first round pick.  Will be an absolute combine star!

Better coverage from our safeties, especially Mettulus. 

I think the firey aspect of Harbaugh on a Michigan sideline is gone. And I don't necessarily think it was something Harbaugh wants... But, rather, he is being commanded to stop.

4. Jim's demeanor on the sideline. I want the crazy, fiery, piss & vinegar coach back. Despite the refs hating it.

This is pretty low on the list, in fact I don't want it at all. Harbaugh gave a heartfelt explanation on why he's doing this on his podcast, that after his dad talked to him about it he realized he wanted to be a better dad and person in that respect. I don't need him to abandon that just so some fans can be convinced he somehow cares more because of that. It's never actually helped and there's a few occasions it's definitely hurt, and it definitely will with the new rules. 

The game needs fewer screaming maniacs, anyway. 

Play calling....would love to see more counters created off of a set of base plays we know backwards and forwards. And then to see that deployed in a way that makes sense in a game so we catch people napping more often.

I guess the lack of pass protection is probably too obvious of a choice to mention.

So I guess I'll just say, please, please, please reduce turnovers.  The first half of our schedule last year was hurt by them.  The two pick sixes against Florida were Speight drama, I guess. 

But Air Force and Cincinnati could not do anything until we lost fumbles and the games became much more stressful than they should have been.  The Cincinnati game should have been over in the second quarter. 

And the MSU game...ugh.  Our D held them to three 3 & outs but when we lost a fumble inside our 30, that's when the game changed...and I became very, very angry.  

Offensive line is pretty much most of it. Also, we need to have our receivers get open. Last year there were times where just no one was open besides the tight end.

Unfortunately, our best receiver appears to be made out of glass. I am very hopeful he can stay healthy next year.

Lastly, we can't start out the year with out backs missing obvious holes.

I would like for us to not suck anymore.

Better pass pro, so that the QB doesn't have to worry about becoming a parallelogram every time he drops back.

As for me, I'm going to change up my pregame and halftime rituals.  Pretty sure that 3 of last years losses were my fault almost entirely.

A fair shake from the B1G refs.

A few more passing TDs.  UM shouldn’t be competing with Rutgers for bottom of the Big Ten in passing touchdowns.  

I don't care about Harbaugh's demeanor on the sidelines.  Fiery or reserved, just don't be a distraction and certainly don't get penalized.   Stastically, our offense last year was nearly identical (barely better) than Hoke's final season in '14.   It really was that bad.  Other than power running against a small handful of bad teams, everything else about the offense stunk.  What struck me most was the lack of player development and even some regression, in some cases.   I would argue that the following players regressed from where they were in '16:  McDoom, Crawford, Wheatley, Bunting, Speight, K Hill (and the argument could be made for Evans as well).   That is way too many players to simply chalk it up as a bad apple phoning it in.   Added to an appalling lack of player development, bad play-calling, bad scheme and piss-poor execution.  Yes, they were young, but even in youth never should have been nearly THAT bad given the talent.   That is fully on the coaching staff.   The defense was equally young but performed at a very high level. 

They made a lot of changes on that side of the ball during the off-season.   Ostensibly, actually coaching the wide receivers should benefit they young players considerably.   A highly successful and proven O-line coach who seems to have correctly diagnosed what plagued our line the most last year (I don't remember which game, but at one point on a sack play the center, RG and RT all came together and were blocking nobody - 3 blockers and no bodies.  It would have made a great screen shot).   QB play will obviously be better.  Tight ends look to be a strength and at FB Mason is the real deal, probably the best FB Michigan has had under Harbaugh and we've had some good ones.  We have a depth issue at WR with attrition and Black's injury.    Our depth at RB is somewhat questionable - lots of bodies vying for the 3rd spot but can any of them play?   All in all it really looks like all of the right changes for the offensive side of the ball were made in the offseason and camps.   We'll see if it translates.

On D, I think it can't be overstated how huge Mo Hurst was for this D last year.  Will all of the returning starters/contributors/backups being a year older and thus hopefully at least incrementally better be enough to offset the loss of Hurst?   If the Dwumfor hype is legit, I would definitely say yes.  We will see.   I like that one or two guys are really pushing our starting safeties.  That was clearly the weakest link in our D last year.   I'm hopeful that Kinnel being named captain has something to do with his off-season.  

I'm not worried about our return game, especially with the new touchback rule on kickoffs.  DPJ will be more consistent with punt returns as well.   I think Nordin is a potential weapon.   My biggest concern is our punting.   It MUST get better this year and I'm not convinced it will be.  

It will all sort itself out on the field.

Go Blue!

Patterson and Gary as Heisman finalists.....

if that happens, i think the season would have been pretty good

No more choking

I want to see our own version of a turnover chain.  Maybe we could could add a big gold rope to the Little Brown Jug.  I can just picture Ambry jumping around on the sidelines with the jug hanging from his neck.  Besides, the jug needs a little more exposure too.  Maybe chrome it out?