Reasons to be optimistic about OL
We can all agree that the OL did not look good during the spring practice. I may be grasping at straws, but a recent interview with Funk (done by Sam Webb) makes me more optimistic about the OL.
First, it appears that Funk himself had to learn a lot of new stuff (he watched tapes from Alabama). Second, a lot of time was spent on learning the new techniques and terminologies. Both of these are quite disruptive and will take time for the new system to synch in. Third, a lot of time was lost during the year and then spring to injuries. It seems that the entire OL has not really practiced together this spring. Putting all together, I have this guarded optimism that by the start of the BIG, the OL will be holding its own.
Agreed. And whoever followed him in the 90s. I think DeBord was the OL coach for 5 years or so. Gosh who wouldda thunk we'd be pining for Mike DeBord.
Damn - we used to be Wisconsin before Wisconsin was Wisconsin on the OL. OL was our bread and butter along with WRs for 15-20 years. It is amazing what has happened here.
I am not one to recycle old players just because they are "Michigan Men" but Backus Hutchinson Jansen et al ...please...
brought zone blocking to Michigan in 2006, and if we all take a moment to reflect, that was a total clusterfuck during the spring as well.
I am talking about his reign as a position coach (OL) in the early to mid 90s. I take no responsibility for DeBord after that ;)
April 15th, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
What should Funk say? He knows his job is on the line and he hasn't done anything with the talent that has been brought in. He is going to blow as much hype onto us as possible. However, when we only average 2.1 YPC against APP St. the story will be different.
1. We don't have to start 3 guys that have never played a snap before. Ben Braden is the least experienced of the likely starting 5, and at least he played in goal line situations in several games last year. Everyone else started multiple games. I
2. The TEs might be able to block. I'm as skeptical as the next guy on AJ Williams, but in the spring game he looked like a guy who can block. He also looked ok running some short routes, but I don't care if he catches a single ball as long as he can block the guy in front of him. If Williams can't block, I believe Heitzman can. He's huge and for a blocking TE is pretty athletic. Two blocking TEs instead of zero is a big step up.
3. RBs coached to cut back when the hole isn't there. One (admittedly of many) of the reasons the running game was poor last year was that the RBs never cut back instead they bounced even further in the direction the play was going. From the spring game, it was clear the RBs are being drilled to look for the cut back if there isn't a hole where the play was designed.
Unless you have 2-3 guys next to each other that blow the DL down the field, I think the OL success or lack thereof is driven by the weakest link. If one guy misses a block or goes the wrong way the play is doomed even if one or two guys had a really good block. If all of our OL and TEs are consistently adequate the OL will take a big leap forward. All of the starters (except Braden) have played a good deal, and I would argue by the end of the year Glasgow, Magnuson and Kalis were playing consistently adequate. It doesn't seem like too much of a stretch with a simplified offense that Bosch and Braden will be there by the fall. I thought both of them looked ok in the spring game.
By then we'll know what type of OL we have.
God help us all.
Personally, I feel there's a better chance they skip right over Funk and go after Hoke.
It is going to be a very interesting first 6 games. Miami (OH) might be one of the 5 worst teams in CFB and App State is a shell of the team that came in here 6 years ago or whatever it was.
Utah and Minnesota will determine the fate of this year and people will say "WHAT" when I say that. Utah is not a good team but did find a way to beat Stanford at home. They are better than Akron or UConn I imagine. If they waltz into Michigan Stadium versus a 2-1 UM (assumption is we lose to ND with this crazy young offense) and beat us, we are 2-2 with an improved Minnesota coming in. Those 2 games essentially mark the season because all these calls for 8-4 assume the 3 rival losses and then 1 game you let slip away somewhere else. It does not assume losses to Utah or Minn at home. So we'll know how hot Hoke's seat gets very early.
If we exit Sept 3-2, with two of those wins versus Hapless State and Hapless (OH), it doesn't look promising. We go on the road vs a bad Rutgers team right after that but ...UConn.
Anyhow... #2014
April 14th, 2014 at 10:21 PM ^
where this mentality the ND is an automatic loss.. when did they become unbeatable? I agree that if we lose to Utah and ND Hoke's seat is on fire at that point.. but I think the chances of that are slim. We have a super talented 5th year senior qb, and a D that should be borderline elite, If we go 8-4 I will be pissed.
As for this nonsense about Funk, The fact that he has to watch Alabama film to learn that scheme makes me sad. Still I beleive that Nuss knows what it takes to be a winner and he will impose his will on the position coaches. The man is a couple good seasons from a quality head coaching gig, I don't think he's gonna let that slip through his hands here, he will turn this around...please god help him turn this around.
April 14th, 2014 at 10:53 PM ^
That Funk would look at the most recent practitioners of Nussmeier's offense to understand what is expected from the OL, how it is achieved, and the nuances therein? You would rather he order a copy of Zone Blocking for Dummies?
Hell, I hope he spends the next several months watching and evaluating spring practice tapes as well as 'Bama tapes in order. I don't see it as detrimental, I see it as instrumental.
April 14th, 2014 at 11:10 PM ^
Because it's very basic and something with which any high school coach should be familiar.
April 15th, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^
April 14th, 2014 at 10:05 PM ^
Yep, Funk's not going to be a big enough fish to satisfy the ravening crowds if things go sour, and by sour I mean anything less than 4-1 in September. They'll go straight after Hoke, and to be honest, I probably will too.
talk in something like sentences.
April 15th, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^
Well, gotta run.
They were overmatched, but nobody was lost like last year. Nobody standing there blocking nobody.
Watch for Jack Miller blocking the crap out of space.
April 15th, 2014 at 10:03 AM ^
April 15th, 2014 at 10:59 AM ^
At least they're not blocking each other like Florida's oline so there's that.
2013 Rushing YPA:
Florida - #99, 3.6YPA
Michigan - #113, 3.3YPA
2013 Tackles for loss allowed:
Florida - #110, 7.17 per game
Michigan - #121, 8.77 per game
It's incredible how close so many games were last year, even with the terrible OL. It's amazing how far a solid defense can take you, and I think the UM defense will be better this year. I don't think the OL will be good... at best they'll be average by season's end. But that's all the team needs to have a pretty damn good season.
Not to mention a weak schedule.
April 15th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^
we were to losing to Akron and UConn too.
April 15th, 2014 at 10:40 AM ^
I do not disagree. An average OL will be an immediate upgrade and improvement. An average OL should be good enough for 9-10 win, at least in my opinion.
They do not have to be great, just reduce the number of sack/hits on QB and negative plays. That's it. Those two things will produce a noticable improvement.
A year after being epically awful, we lost two NFL tackles and per Hoke himself they have no clue who the starting 5 is.
There are years in the not so recent past that not one of the five projected starters for this year would be a starter for Michigan. Until shown otherwise, I'm convinced this year they will be as bad or worse. Yes, worse.
April 15th, 2014 at 11:08 AM ^
No set starting Oline after 15 spring practices and a ton of sophomores/freshmen competing? WOW IM SHOCKED LETS PANIC.
obviously there are years when nobody who would start this year would start, but i bet those years have an all american or two or some upperclassmen who would be starting instead.
April 14th, 2014 at 10:14 PM ^
can't be any worse than it was last year
Sadly we all said that before last year too.
April 14th, 2014 at 11:19 PM ^
April 14th, 2014 at 10:04 PM ^
I'm optimistic because of Borges's track record as an offensive coordinator. He has a pretty good track record of helming putrid rushing offenses the year before he leaves a job. Essentially, it seems like he schemes for a couple years, then the player development becomes an issue. Hopefully Borges was the problem, and we will develop our young linemen this year. And if Borges was not the problem, we are going to be sad pandas.
April 15th, 2014 at 12:26 AM ^
This has been a source of confusion. Consensus was that most of our problems were due to Borges. He's gone and his spot has been filled by Nussmeier of Alabama. So why are people still so down?
I think the line will be improved. The scheme might help. But the fact that we could have 0-1 new starters is a huge factor that no one seems to consider. Losing Lewan and Schofield could be mitigated by having 5 guys that have all started. Fewer missed assignments. Fewer disasters. If we had cleaned some of that up last season, we win 2-3 more games.
April 15th, 2014 at 10:49 AM ^
I wonder if it's possible that last season, besides struggling to find a solid starting 5, that the coaches purposely wanted to get alot of different guys playing time in an attempt to be more prepared for this season?
That's doubtful. They didn't give Kalis playing time the year before when it was obvious they would desparately need him to be part of the foundation of the 2013 OL.
April 14th, 2014 at 11:00 PM ^
They can't get any worse?
April 14th, 2014 at 10:06 PM ^
April 14th, 2014 at 10:24 PM ^
April 14th, 2014 at 10:25 PM ^
April 15th, 2014 at 11:20 AM ^
All smart ass jokes aside we need to establish a dominate defense. When we have a truly stellar D we will really begin to notice The change in the only column that counts... Wins.
April 14th, 2014 at 10:30 PM ^
Kickoff. The only reason to be optomistic about the OL is so I don't jump off the Stadium st. viaduct before then...
April 14th, 2014 at 10:37 PM ^
April 14th, 2014 at 10:51 PM ^
Don't see how we are better losing two starters to the NFL, one an All American. I will be very pleaantly surprised if we are not worse.