August 10th, 2014 at 12:00 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^
The Flint Journal is updating their notes live, but I found this very intriguing:
"Hoke talking about GPS tracking technology the teams uses to track progress. I believe he meant that they're using it to see how far guys go during practice, especially the guys who need to take it easy due to offseason injury."
I would be intrigued to know exactly what they use and what the parameters are. I know that this staff and the athletic department in general have been among the first to implement a few things like this, but I hadn't heard about this improvement.
August 10th, 2014 at 1:13 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 3:55 PM ^
I'd be interested to know which tech they are using as well. I would guess they are using some functionality from Adidas's MiCoach. FIFA used a visual tracking system for the past few Workd Cups. There is an informative post below if anyone is interested in the different techs.
August 10th, 2014 at 12:11 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 12:15 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^
Bolden is in year 3 of his career so there is no reason a JR cannot be pushing or passing a productive SR. Personally I had Gedeon pushing Morgan out to a backup by 2nd/3rd game of Big 10 play but that was me probably reading too much into the OSU game... but it's not like Bolden is a bushy tailed RS FR or true freshman.
Generally I think guys "put it together" between their 2nd and 3rd years (OL maybe 1 year later) as all the concepts they are taught finally get ingrained and they think less and react more. So while we havent seen super Bolden on the field it would not be out of line for him to be surging at this point in his career. And it doesn't mean the productive SR is getting worse - guys leapffrog each other when you have actual depth.
And I think Bolden has done a lot more than RJS who some here have taking a job away from Ross III who has been a top 3 tackler both years of his career.
August 10th, 2014 at 12:33 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 12:51 PM ^
I think it's shocking simply becasue Bolden hasn't looked as good on the field the past 2 years. If you're assuming it shouldn't be shocking merely becasue of Bolden's superior recruiting profile, then it should be Gedeon playing over both of them. He was a higher rated recruit and looked better than Bolden in games.
August 10th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
...you.
He's apparently performing well, and that's not shocking. But why are you speaking in fact? Are you Coach Hoke?
You don't know any more than anyone else. You just for whatever reason don't like Morgan. And that's fine...but you still can't speak in fact. It's your opinion. It's not even majority opinion.
August 10th, 2014 at 1:19 PM ^
Agreed. Bolden is much more athletic and seems to coming along well. Morgan will still see a good amount of the snaps but Bolden will be the starter.
August 10th, 2014 at 2:05 PM ^
Again, I'm not denying it...but you guys are spewing things as fact. Which no one should do especially this time of year.
Do you have anything to back this up other than your own personal preference?
August 10th, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^
Joe bolden the first name Hoke mentioned when asked what LBs are sticking out
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) August 10, 2014August 10th, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^
If it isn't on standard cable packages does anyone know a stream site?
August 10th, 2014 at 12:26 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^
...but never give anything to support your claim.
Morgan won a football game for us last year. Bolden hasn't done much of anything in his career to this point.
You're steady knocking one of the most steady players on the team for a high touted, younger replacement, which is fine...but what has Bolden done?
I bet you're the guy that wanted Marvin Robinson to play over Kovacs.
August 10th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 1:09 PM ^
Did you notice how he managed to do it without name-calling?
August 10th, 2014 at 2:45 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 1:01 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 1:38 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 2:10 PM ^
Bolden was far worse than Morgan last year.
I thought maybe you had some inside info that the rest of us didn't know about or you knew of some premium info from another site that's been saying the same thing.
From what you saw? You clearly weren't watching Michigan because Bolden was very "meh" last year. Look at the UFR's, they'll show that Morgan had a much better year than Bolden.
So again, it's not an impossible theory, guys improve. Especially at this point in Bolden's career. It's been a long offseason. But you're going off what you saw last year? Which is probably one play or one game that is burned in your brain.
August 10th, 2014 at 3:08 PM ^
Morgan has also made a lot of simple mistakes he still shouldn't be making, go back and watch the KSU game last year when he gave up that huge play that eventually led to a K-State TD..
Also just because he intercepted that pass against UCONN didn't mean he won that game, they weren't even across the 50 yard line at the time and i doubt that for sure won us the game
August 10th, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 1:12 PM ^
are a carry-over from some of your earlier antics. I doubt there is a single topic you could touch on that wouldn't get you at least one neg.
August 10th, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 2:08 PM ^
I guess maybe I have a different view of what a 5 star recruit should be. If you're a 5 star recruit you should be able to come in and make an immediate impact. Doesn't have to be a big one, but it should be significant enough that it helps the team not in garbage time. 3rd on the depth chart your sophomore year isn't making much of an impact. I'll eat my words if he does do well this year, but we've seen a very highly rated back do almost nothing once before (Kevin Grady).
August 10th, 2014 at 2:17 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^
Welp their 5 star Lawrence Thomas has been flipping positions or injured more than playing. I don't think Burbridge was quite a 5 star but a top end recruit who massively underwhelmed his sophomore year. Etc. So they don't have much of a leg to stand on specific to "5 stars". It's a very small pool of players for both teams. We have 4, I think they have 3.
And again the difference between player #32 in the country and #98 in the country is a few dude's opinions. They all face difference SOS, play in diff states, play vs diff competition. And IMO a lot of guys who are 5 stars are just physically advanced versus most of their peers so they can simply dominate on that alone - then they go to college where just about everyone is their size...
Anyhow the way I do it, is I throw these 5 stars in the same bucket as the 4 stars and assume 30-40% will start, 25% will contribute, 15-20% won't really ever do anything, and the other % will be a variable of sorts. I don't think it matters if those players are rated #29 or #129 or #229.
The #1 overall pick in the NFL draft 2 years ago was a 2 star out of Rochester. Once you get on campus these stars don't mean much... you just try to get a higher level of raw material and hopefully it leads to a higher hit rate. Coaching along with the player's growth matters from there.
Look at the NFL draft - they have 4 more years of data than college coaches do, they have armies of scouts who are paid to do nothing but look at film, talk to coaches, talk to families, investigate backgrounds much more than any college coach would - and they are wrong on player evals all the time.
August 10th, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
That's how I think about it too, when I'm thinking rationallyl. Invite only camps can pit high level recruits against one another, but even then the sample size is small.
I view recruiting more as a threshold level of raw talent. Kind of a "you have what it takes or you don't" in terms of raw genetic ability. However, having raw talent is necessary but not suficient for on-field success at the college level due to all those other factors like coaching, work ethic, attitude, etc.
That being said, I do catch myself rooting for certain recruits, becasue I can fall victim to the pure star "intelligent markets" view of recruiting on occasion. In weak moments, I become susceptible to the "savior" mentality, which can lead to disproportioinate elation at a recruit getting signed, or disproportionate angst when said recruit doesn't pan out as well or as quickly as I thought. But I know that's wrong-headed thinking.
Whoever said in the end it doesn't matter so long as the end goal is met is absolutely right. I was never big on Drake Johnson. But if our O-Line gets in gear and Johnson racks up 1,800 yards on our way to strong seasons, then I'm sure I'll be first to jump on the bandwaggon and learn to love the new personnel. The people most motivated to not play favorites and just concentrate on production are the coaches. They have dream jobs making six figures per year. They're all motivated to keep those jobs. To me this is just a passion but my livelihood does not hang in the balance with these judgment calls. I need to just trust the coaches when it comes to eyeballing talent and productivity, and if Drake Johnson does in fact become "the guy" then so be it, as long as we see improved production and a stronger football team as a result.
The king is dead; long live the king.
But in moments of weakness, I still find myself rooting for the Greens of the world, simply because of prior expectations. Yes, there are many irons in the fire, but due to recruiting hype, I view Green, Kalis, Peppers, etc. as VERY strong irons. Can't help but feel unsettled if one or more don't work out.
Part of me thinks of these "position battles" as a corollary of the "weight change updates" on the roster . All weight gain is good weight gain; all weight loss is good weight loss.
And when a 4 star kid supplants a 5 star kid down to 3rd string, is that because the 5 star kid isn't panning out? Or is it because the 4 star kid is developing beyond perhaps his initial expectations?
Anyway, if the TEAM sees positive results, I along with every other rational fan will follow along. The king is dead; long live the king.
August 10th, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^
Our five stars, with the exception of Dymonte, have all contributed and started as freshman or RS freshman. I don't know what else people expect an 18 y/o to do. Well likely see Peppers this year too. And it's not like the guys they're competing with are scrubs, they're top 100 guys and highly regarded in their own right.
August 10th, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^
Does anyone know if this is being recorded for a video later...mgoblue maybe? I hate reading about by the media as they always insert their beliefs on what Hoke meant. I'd rather just hear it from the horses mouth and formulate my own opinion.
August 10th, 2014 at 2:35 PM ^
Thanks pal! Anyone know if we get to hear from Mattison & Nuss? I feel like during last season one coordinator would speak on Tuesday and the other on Wednesda, but I haven't seen a coordinator pressor yet and am curious if that will happen?
August 10th, 2014 at 12:57 PM ^
...but they have live updates.
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2014/08/live_updates_michigan…
August 10th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^
I thought in very limited time, Johnson looked like our best back last year. I was VERY impressed. He had good vision and good explosion in the hole. He looked like another #20 in that jersey before he got hurt.
If he's back to 100%, it would shock me to see him taking a good amount of the reps. Also a smart kid so he should be able to do well with blitz pickup.
August 10th, 2014 at 1:05 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 1:13 PM ^
I went to two practices last year...one being the night scrimmage.
So year, be a dick, but know what you're referring to.
Edit: And to clarify, it was a fall practice before he was hurt and a fall scrimmage the same weekend. He and Fitz were definitely the best.
Go back and read the chatter on the board this time last year...everyone was freaking out because Green was overweight and the 4th or 5th RB on the depth chart.
It's not like what I'm saying is false, the coaches saw it too, proof by the depth chart before Johnson was hurt. Johnson was in the game WELL before Green got a sniff in the 4th quarter of the CMU game.
August 10th, 2014 at 1:22 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 1:39 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 1:53 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 2:14 PM ^
But why do you think I'm hating on Green? I'm confused on that one. I want Green to succeed.
And nonetheless, when I watch 50 or so snaps in the scrimmage it was clear Fitz and Johnson were the best two backs.
And I can go back and pull 4-5 threads of when Green was buried on the depth chart in the fall and people were freaking out. So it's not an odd idea that he's behind Johnson or Smith. In the end, that was the point I was making.
August 10th, 2014 at 2:37 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^
August 10th, 2014 at 2:17 PM ^
He was still BEHIND Johnson. Even though he played extensively with Smith in the 3rd quarter.
Johnson took his snaps in the first half. Again, the point is, he was BURIED on the depth chart. And the point is, he was BEHIND Johnson.
I like this ALL CAPS thing...we should continue.