Why should we be optimistic about 2018 M football?

point in his career, and with him I think we're winning 9. probably 10. Some people just inherit the swag that goes with superior athletic DNA and that's why he was voted greatest qb in the history of CO h.s. football. He'll be ready to lead the team, if needed. 

This is great because I might be talking about the 3rd string qb. There's every reason to believe Peters is going to make the jump Harbaugh is expecting and probably thought he'd get from him last year. He is playing for his football future because Harbaugh has been totally honest with him; therefore he knows this to be true. If he responds in the manner I anticipate, I think he's the backup if Shea is granted his eligibility.  The OL is better, wr corps substantially better, making qb better as well and the RBs, who have improved each year, continue the growth and will break 2000 yds between two of them.  That side of the ball will show great improvement. 

This side of the line, already featuring 3 or 4 of the best players in the country is, like the offense, going to take a major step forward due to maturity, in this case physically as well, making an already truly elite athletically gifted squad much, much better. Thomas is going to add more than many think and Bush will be Bush. That is good on its own. Add in your leaders, which are your two DEs, of course, and a fellow named Furbush and an AA lber and hey, this D will just be as nasty as any in the country and teams will play afraid of them for good reason. They play clean but on my they are going to hurt people. That type of speed coupled with that strength and , well you get the picture.  Good times this year my friends, good times. 

The OL will be better.  I predict much better.  Dare I say playoff contender?  I won't.  But I did say it if it happens.  So it will.  I think.  Well who the fuck knows?

Top 10 staff

Shea will be All B1G along with Ruiz and Bredeson

Gary/Winovich best combo in the country

CB's are elite

WR/TE corp (Top 3 in B1G)

Watching the key plays on the Amazon Documentary taught me one thing...DO NOT GIVE THE BALL TO MCKEON IN CRITICAL TIMES OF THE GAME.

MSU...Fumble at midfield when driving at the end of the 1st half.

OSU...Drop at critical drive to start the 2nd half

Bowl Game...Somehow he's the running back and he fumbles.

More Gentry, Eubanks, and Wheatley...LESS MCKEON PLEASE

Last year was slightly, and only slightly, worse than we should have expected. 

There was a reason that 2016 opened with most of us, including fearless leader Brian, saying "this is The Year." It was a talented and experience-laden squad that was primed for success, and looking at an experience cliff in 2017.

2017 was always going to be a rebuilding year, with many of the crucial roles filled by Harbaugh's first classes of recruits. An experienced Maurice Hurst anchored an otherwise diaper-laden defense, and we were guaranteed to be relying upon a couple of true sophomore (and, as it turns out, later a true freshman) guards and a bunch of kids at receiver.

The OL was shaky and the QB position was a real disappointment. Average QB play wins MSU and South Carolina easily, and right there you have a 10-3 season. Small margins. A rebuilding year.

From that team, we've lost our center, a tackle, two fullbacks, two of our QBs (it's never good when you have three guys starting multiple games in a season), Maurice Hurst, and Mike McCray.

Of those, we are going to miss: Maurice Hurst.

Literally everything else projects to be the same or an upgrade. Ruiz and Dwumfour are getting big-time hype. The interior OL should be terrific. The receivers are getting proper coaching, and should make significant leaps. QB will either be a modest upgrade (DCaf/Peters winner, of which I project McCaffrey to be the better player) or a big upgrade (Shea). 

In short, the offense will be significantly better. Perhaps excellent, perhaps just good, but a huge step up.

The defense was one of the top units in the nation for the entirety of last season. Sure, there were times when things didn't go great, but literally EVERY defense in football has games like that in today's college football. Yes, even Bama and Clemson (remember how Clemson got sliced up by Syracuse last year? Yeah). 

We will have a top 2 defense next season. They're going to devour everyone. 

If Shea is eligible and the real deal, and our OL congeals, we're going to be dominant. A poor OL or an ineligible Shea reduces things a bit, and we'll have a tough schedule, but this team is still going to be waaaaay better than last year's.

It's on schedule. Now, if Harbaugh can bring in the recruits this year, we can keep the schedule moving.