Feldman lists UM as "Overlooked" team in '10
He calls out "at least 8 wins". I agree. 8 wins in 2010. 10 wins in 2011. 12 wins in 2012. 12 in 12 has a nice ring.
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4902826&name=feldman…
February 10th, 2010 at 1:18 PM ^
can you blockquote it for those of us who are cheap?
February 10th, 2010 at 4:53 PM ^
Or poor college students?
February 10th, 2010 at 1:19 PM ^
I think if we are going to win 12, its going to be in 2011 with a QB starting his 3rd year and a D-Line with 3 3-year starters and one 2-year starter.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:24 PM ^
Not If.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:26 PM ^
don't forget about an experienced secondary (finally!) as well. Dear God we all know how important that is...
February 10th, 2010 at 1:32 PM ^
By "experienced secondary" do you mean fully-implemented "No Fly Zone"?
February 10th, 2010 at 4:54 PM ^
oh hell yes. I want Demar to come out taunting the opposing qb with a boombox playing "danger zone" from Top Gun. He'll also do the Val Kilmer exaggerated bite and tell the qb that "that's right, Terelle. Pryor. I am dangerous."
February 10th, 2010 at 1:32 PM ^
If we keep recruiting the secondary like we did this year, it will be dominant in no time. Rodriguez learned the last two years what happens if you don't have playmakers there, and I'd be surprised if he made the mistake of not keeping a stable of DBs waiting in the wings.
February 10th, 2010 at 5:14 PM ^
He calls out "at least 8 wins". I agree. 8 wins in 2010. 10 wins in 2011. 12 wins in 2012. 12 in 12 has a nice ring.They need 12 in 11, because I will be a senior and in my last year of borderline sinful ticket access. It'd be even better if they did that and went to the Rose Bowl next year. I'd love to be able to attend a Rose Bowl AND a NC in my tenure (And hey, they owe me after the last 2 years).
February 10th, 2010 at 6:36 PM ^
Not to be downer, but seriously owe you? The only people they owe are themselves. They are the ones putting in the hard work and taking all of the criticism from blogging sites and the media like the Free p(os). Yes we do get rewarded when they win, but I dont feel like we are owed anything even if I do spend countless hours a week on this site. Hell, I worked for free for a summer to help out the team. I just dont think that being a fan for a couple lousy years gives us a sense of entitlement. Rich Rod, his staff, and the players are owed it!
February 10th, 2010 at 1:32 PM ^
wins - umass, bgsu, @IU, ill, @pur
maybe - @ND, uconn, msu, iowa
lose - @PSU, @OSU, wisc
gotta win 3 on top of the automatic wins, which means no let downs. i suppose a win over uconn would be the most likely, with MSU and ND next.
i feel good about 8, but i dread any sentence containing the phrase "molk's knee."
February 10th, 2010 at 1:35 PM ^
"molk's foot"
February 10th, 2010 at 1:36 PM ^
I'd like an insider's perspective on how ND is going to be next season. New coach, new QB, new systems... They've been getting pretty huge recruiting classes the last few years, but I'm curious how they adjust to all the changes.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:39 PM ^
I also think that we thump them:
1. New QB coming off surgery (right)
2. New coaches, new schemes
3. Mostly new WRs
4. Defense will still suck
If we don't beat BK next year we will be in for a VERY long year.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:45 PM ^
I agree with your points and yet counting on UM to win in South Bend is never wise.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:51 PM ^
Counting on South Bend to be a great home field advantage is a bit questionable IMO... doesn't seem like it gets too loud down there.
The X factor for next season is Molk. If Molk is healthy, 8-10 wins is very possible. If he is not, then 6-9 is a more probable range (closer to the 6).
February 10th, 2010 at 2:52 PM ^
I worry about the zebras more than the crowd when playing at ND. When the ND QB fumbles at the two, and the ball never crosses the goal line, and it is still ruled a TD, it makes it a lot harder to win. I have also never seen a play where the ND offensive linemen are not holding, and yet I have never seen holding called on ND in South Bend.*
Not that I am bitter or anything.
*Only exaggerating slightly here
February 10th, 2010 at 3:02 PM ^
I am not counting on the crowd in SB at all, it's only a reflection of UM's ability to roughly split with ND despite having vastly superior teams in most years. And remember, two years ago UM found a way to lose there despite a bad ND team. Even some very good UM teams have lost to bad ND teams in SB.
February 10th, 2010 at 8:09 PM ^
found a lot of ways to lose to a lot of teams. I wouldn't think there's much to take from that game.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:49 PM ^
you could have said much the same about michigan's team vs ND last year.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:55 PM ^
Keep in mind, the game's in South Bend, where weird things often happen. We've had many good teams lose there. Over the past couple of decades, the outcome of the ND game hasn't had that much predictive value for the rest of the season.
February 10th, 2010 at 2:05 PM ^
It's not nearly as mesmerizing as most Michigan fans think.
February 10th, 2010 at 2:34 PM ^
They make it tough on themselves almost everytime...:)
February 10th, 2010 at 8:04 PM ^
for some reason it still is for UM. Carr only won once in South Bend (2006), ditto Moeller (1994) although his tenure wasn't very long, and Bo won their twice (1978 and 1986). Weird things just seem to happen to UM in South Bend.
February 11th, 2010 at 8:57 AM ^
They have close games due to the fact that they play ND the week after us, ND is spent (happy or sad). Just anoter reason to hate MSU (there fucking parasites).
February 10th, 2010 at 3:12 PM ^
road in a place we haven't had a lot of historical success and all that ...
Mostly new WRs? Floyd, Kumarra (sp?), Evans all coming back, no? Plus Rudolph is one of the better TEs in the country. That group will go up against a pretty inexperience group in M's secondary. I don't like this match up one bit, even if Crist hasn't had a lot of game experience. (Think of when Henne had Braylon and co.)
February 10th, 2010 at 3:29 PM ^
I don't feel good about a Warren-less secondary with likely one true freshman (Christian) playing significant time, and a redshirt freshman (Turner) starter against Floyd and Rudolph at all. In fact, with regret I have to say that I'll be surprised if we win there.
February 10th, 2010 at 3:32 PM ^
I hate to be a downer too, but Floyd vs. Anyone in our secondary next year is probably a match up we're gonna lose.
I think our best chance to win (and its a good chance) is to run up the score like we did in 2006
February 10th, 2010 at 5:13 PM ^
thankful Tate left early. Floyd will get his yards against any team if Crist is somewhat functional and has time to throw. At least our youngins in the secondary are going to know they won't face anyone better on the balance of the schedule.
I feel about Floyd (and formerly Tate) the way my Dame friends used to feel about Mario. Shoe's on the other foot, and it fits like crap.
February 10th, 2010 at 4:02 PM ^
Floyd is absolutely ridiculous, both one of my favorite WRs to watch and the one I am most terrified of.
February 10th, 2010 at 3:18 PM ^
Also losing 3 starters from a very good OL, if I'm not mistaken.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:43 PM ^
Penn State is very beatable this year. They lost their starting QB and will start a freshman. They lost a lot on Defense and our offense is only going to improve. I would move PSU into the maybe section.
February 10th, 2010 at 2:27 PM ^
Kevin Newsome is a sophomore, no?
February 10th, 2010 at 3:17 PM ^
is a sophomore. He didn't RS. Unless the poster thinks one of the two incoming freshman QBs will start.
February 10th, 2010 at 5:03 PM ^
From everything i have read online, Newsome is still very raw. I would not be surprised at all if Bolden came in a started. Which ever way you cut it, PSU is going to be starting a QB thats never played major college ball. This is in our advantage.
February 10th, 2010 at 5:30 PM ^
I was just confirming for the other poster that Newsome did not redshirt. A couple of years of misses in QB recruiting forced him into back up role last year, it seems. Ordinarily I assume they would have preferred to have him sit a year.
I think Scout and Rivals are both higher on Paul Jones than they are Bolden, if I remember correctly. Jones is an early enrollee, and there seems to be some chatter that Bolden is probably likely to redshirt. We'll see. At any rate, totally agree. There will be a big fall off from Clark.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:47 PM ^
Isn't PSU more beatable than Iowa? Penn State has to establish a new QB.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:53 PM ^
splitting hairs at this point, meant to show that getting to 8, you have 5 "automatics" and need 3 "maybes" or "probably-nots"
but you are right, hard to say if psu or iowa is better, but since iowa is at home that is why they are a maybe rather than a game @PSU, IMO.
February 10th, 2010 at 2:20 PM ^
Screw that. Ohio State is going down this year.
February 10th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^
They really should have last year.
February 10th, 2010 at 2:25 PM ^
But I think I would put @IU in the maybe column. We almost lost to them this year, they return some decent players, and played OSU tough at home this year.
Also, Purdue (as much as I hate to say it) should be in the maybe column. We have not been able to stop their offense for two years now, and our green seconday (and less effective pass rush) may not be up to the task this year.
February 10th, 2010 at 2:57 PM ^
we don't have four 20 yard losses on snaps that sail past our QB again this year.
February 10th, 2010 at 3:20 PM ^
MSU is a "more likely" victory than UConn.
February 10th, 2010 at 6:01 PM ^
I disagree. How can rival be a easier win? Not just that but MSU is just better than UCONN.
February 11th, 2010 at 8:44 AM ^
First and foremost, MSU was not better than UConn last year, and nothing leads me to believe that they will be this year.
Secondly, for a rival, Michigan has dominated MSU historically. Being a rival only buys you so many points. If you can't back it up with talent and experience, you're dead in the water. Who is goign to run the ball for MSU? Who is Cousins going to throw to? Who are they going to put on the field that can stop anyone? I'm not foolish enough to guarantee a victory, but I'm less worried about MSU than I am a solid, yet unheralded, opening day opponent. Sound familiar?
February 10th, 2010 at 4:11 PM ^
Purdue will be a tough game.
February 10th, 2010 at 4:25 PM ^
But after the drama of last year, how the game ended, the growing hatred between coaching staffs, the players, etc, it's actually one of the games I am looking forward to the most.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:40 PM ^
and another 5-win season wouldn't surprise me at all. I might have to put an icepick in my brain after another losing season, but it wouldn't be a shocker to me.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:46 PM ^
Donny Downer over here. I appreciate a bit of realism but I dont see us with another losing season this year. I think 7-8 wins is likely. Of course I know you want that to happen as well.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:50 PM ^
You honestly wouldn't be surprised if the team didn't improve over last year?! And six wins *tops*? At least unless we start to win on the road? What if they "prove" they can win on the road in week 2; does that change your prediction (in which case, like, how bold a prediction is this? if Michigan wins zero games on the road next year they can only win 7 by definition)?
Man, are you even excited for the season?