Why should we be optimistic about 2018 M football?
I am trying to stay positive about the 2018 football season. However, through no fault of my own, I was flipping around & came across BTN Football in 60 & they're showing the IU game from last year. OMG! This is a real stinker!
I have a gift for selective memory. I easily delete from my memory bad things. Which is why I have no memory of this game.
We are playing terribly. Terrible offense. Mediocre defense. Suspect coaching. We look confused, undisciplined, unfocused. There is only 1:05 to go & we are only up 3 to a bad Indiana team. We just committed another bad penalty. IU is driving on our "great" defense. They just tied it to go to OT.
So, with the brutal schedule this year, why should we be optimistic? Help me here. I'm always optimistic about our team but watching this game just have me a jolt! HELP!!
Jesus Christ
Get the Escalade; we're outta here!
Defense defense defense
I am God and I say were gonna win it all this year. YOU GOT THAT MOTHERFUCKER?!?!
Because why not? It's great to be.
a Michigan Wolverine.
April 14th, 2018 at 10:46 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:48 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:57 PM ^
Um, and that was one year removed from finishing 7-5 with a roster that included:
Chad Henne
Mike Hart
Steve Breaston
Antonio Bass ( :-( )
April 14th, 2018 at 11:39 PM ^
Multiple O-line injuries--affecting the starting center, right guard, right tackle, tight end--were largely responsible for that 7-5 season. People complained about Henne having "regressed," but he just didn't have the pass protection that he had the previous year. The running game picked up when Long was able to get back into the lineup.
April 16th, 2018 at 11:46 AM ^
Harbaugh went 10-3 with a 13-0 roster in 2016, so...
April 14th, 2018 at 10:26 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 11:01 PM ^
Our defense was very good but slightly overrated.
Our biggest issue: covering WR's with safeties. I know we've tried to address this so basically we know the flaw exists.
As bad as our offense was, if our defense was elite, we would have won SC & anyone other game.
MSU - Offense to blame. QB play. Weather did contribute.
PSU - Both but Defense was awful (exposed)
Wiscy - Defense & Special teams should have been better. Losing Peters hurt.
OSU - Defense had us in position to win (but still gave up alot at home) QB play.
SC - Defense could have saved us. Offense huge mistakes. QB play.
Patterson really is the key to 2018. If not, then you may see both QB's - though I do think McCaffrey wins out eventually.
Defense should be very sound once again, but there is room for improvement to be elite.
It really could be a special team, especially if #2 is leading us.
One thing's for sure, there are no excuses this year. We should at the minimum be very good 10-11 wins - even with our ridiculously difficult schedule.
Debbie is that you?
I know the coaching offensively will be better, if Patterson plays, the QB position will be monumentally better...and look at all he returners on an already good defense.
I’m optimistic that the new S&C coach will make the team stronger in the trenches.
April 14th, 2018 at 10:24 PM ^
"Finally"
I realize people are still a bit singed by Brady Hoke's complete inability to see or deal with any of the bad things that snowballed on his watch, but:
Jim Harbaugh has proven in the past three years that he is very good at assessing himself, his staff, and his team, and at making necessary changes. Durkin, one of "his" guys, moved on after the first season. Harbaugh brought in a guy who can stop the OSU spread run and build a dominant defense, and he has done so. Harbaugh recognized after year two that the OL wasn't getting the coaching it needed (I continue to maintain that Drev would probably have been fine as an OL only coach--he has the track record--but that wasn't his job at Michigan and the OL wasn't doing well) and he brought in Greg Frey. That move still didn't work out. And both Drevno and Frey are gone.
Harbaugh has consistently shown that he can and will correct problems. Some things might not change that much, but some things will. Always.
Offense:
QB: If Patterson is available we go from having one of the worst quarterback situations in all of college football to having, potentially, the number one quarterback taken in the 2019 NFL Draft. The alone raises the floor of this team from last year.
RB: Return the primary producers from last year. Legitmate possibility that Higdon is in the top 3 in RB production in the Big 10 next year.
WR/TE: Uber talented. Added more seasoning. Should see significant improvement from last season.
OL: Should be improved upon in 4 of the 5 positions from last year. One tackle spot remains a question mark but if the other have improved and grown since last year we should be able to scheme and help to make the pass blocking at least adequate. Run blocking improved greatly during last season and should continue.
Defense:
DL: Lose Hurst but seem to have players that can step up on the interior. Arguably the best DE tandem in the country. Legitimate chance that Gary is a top 10 pick in next year's draft.
LB: We lose McCray but by all indications the personel is there to maintain or even be better than he was. Devin Bush has a chance to be an All American.
DB: Safety has some question marks so we'll see how that shakes out. CB is probably the best group in the country. Vert and Long proved they have the ability to be lock down corners. Thomas looks like he might be the next in line to garner that ability and he is going to be the third corner. Brandon Watson is the 4th corner and is no slouch himself.
a legitimate chance that Gary is the #1 overall pick in the draft.
April 15th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
Were in every game except PSU even with poor OL and QB play - both of which will be better (or at least not worse) in 2018.
Worst Case QB is RS Soph Peters who was doing at least OK last year given the OL and new starter caveats. (Choosing to blank out the bowl game — which we did have a big lead in anyway.)
Only lose 2 starters of note on either side of the ball.
Defense may be better than last year - possibly best ever under Don Brown — this from the man himself.
Practice insiders say that the offense is “beating” the defense 4 or 5 plays out of 10 in Spring practices vs. 1 out of 10 in Fall 2017.
I’d say those are good reasons for optimism.
Offense was just plain ugly last year - QB and young receivers were a big part of that - exacerbated by sub-par pass blocking by the OL and RBs.
If you want to dig deeper for a good feeling - watch some MSU games from last year and envision how their season would have been without Lewerke - his ability to extend plays and scramble allowed them to be successful with and OL at best equal with M’s and a defense not as good. Now imagine M with Patterson being in the same mold as Lewerke.
- WRs have a year of experience under their belts now.
- Patterson (hopefully). Kid was arguably the best QB in the SEC.
- Higdon & Evans.
- McElwain has a very good track record as an OC.
- Don Brown is still our DC.
- Penn State is losing a lot of talent (Barkley, Hamilton, Gesicki).
- MSU is a dumpster fire.
- OSU has to replace one of the best QBs in B1G history, a very good CB (Ward) and a very good DE (Hubbard).
Lots of reasons to be optimistic; Go Blue!
Regardless, if we get decent QB play and stay healthy...that’s enough reason to be optimistic, despite the schedule being stacked against us.
April 14th, 2018 at 10:37 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 11:14 PM ^
Never underestimate MSU. Coach Dantonio's point of pride is to find a way to make his players play with a chip on their shoulder.
April 15th, 2018 at 11:45 AM ^
Now. For the love of God. And more than ever. FUCK Molest U !!!!!!
Everyone is optimistic before the season starts because you have no idea what might happen, and I guess because in this case, we've won or should have won almost every game that Harbaugh has coached. And even in the games that got out of hand, that happened only in the second half of those contests, specifically against Ohio State Harbaugh's first season and Penn State last year. We haven't won the way we want, but to claim some severe disappointment about the progress of this program seems rather myopic at this point.
If Patterson is eligible there isn't anything to worry about. This team will be good and it will go at least 10-2 in regular season play. The real question is, will Michigan finally find anything that resembles reasonable luck? If so, then Michigan has a chance to win the Big Ten and make the playoff.
2016 could have been that. It was not.
If anything, you should be more worried about the 2020 or 2021 season if recruiting does not pick up.
Michigans recruiting class this year is looking really good. already have the number 1 Strong defensive end in the class to replace gary eventually. Dont sleep on this past class either Myles Sims is going to be a stud along with the Twins from texas cant remember their names
April 15th, 2018 at 12:13 AM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 11:01 PM ^