Michigan’s contingent finished its media responsibilities Monday at Big Ten Media Day. Here are some lasting impressions …
First, the offensive line …
Listening to Penn State head coach James Franklin Monday was an eye opener, one quote in particular:
“For the first time [since I’ve been here], the offensive line has a chance to be a strength in our program," he said.
This is a program that finished No. 8 nationally last year with an 11-2 record and beat Washington in the Fiesta Bowl, scoring 35 points. It also put up 42 on a Michigan defense that PSU quarterback Trace McSorley called the best he faced last year.
The Nittany Lions were extremely motivated to play U-M after losing 49-10 in Ann Arbor, and McSorley said having two weeks to prepare due to the bye week proved huge.
Still, a year prior, Franklin and PSU rebounded from the loss to U-M to win the Big Ten in stunning fashion, also finishing No. 7 nationally at 11-3 overall, with an offensive line that was still somewhat subpar.
“The game of football always will and has started up front,” Franklin said Monday.
But Franklin’s last two teams have proven it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker for a good season if a team is lacking in a few areas … and in some ways, Jim Harbaugh’s first Michigan team proved it, too. That wasn’t a vintage U-M line in 2015, but it was good enough to produce a 10-win season and blowout win over Florida in the Capital One Bowl.
Ideally, you don’t want to have to scheme around any position of weakness on a team. But great coaches do, and Harbaugh did it at times in 2016, as well, a season in which the Wolverines were a play (or call) or two away from the Big Ten title game and the playoff.
Poor line play in the Iowa game affected the Ohio State game, too — many people forget quarterback Wilton Speight played with a shoulder injury that would later require surgery — and it was magnified last year. One of the most damning revelations yesterday came from fifth-year defensive end Chase Winovich. In speaking about the loss to Wisconsin, he noted that the offensive linemen were frustrated with their results, but not just because of their play.
“We lost another quarterback, and they said there was nothing they could do about it,” Winovich said. “They said their hands were tied because of the scheme and how they were coached to play different situations.”
There’s no doubt there was confusion up front when it came to twists, stunts and other defensive games in the trenches.
That won’t be the case this year. This still might not be a vintage Michigan line, but it is one that has potential if it can find someone to play left tackle. Harbaugh said yesterday fifth-year senior Juwann Bushell-Beatty has had a really good spring and continues to shape his body, having made another step.
We’re back to believing it could be him for the opener with Notre Dame. True freshman Jalen Mayfield has been outstanding in the weight room and with conditioning since he arrived on campus, but it’s a lot to ask of a freshman to make his first start in his first game in South Bend.
Winovich said redshirt freshman James Hudson would be good in time, but seemed to indicate that might not be this year, and Harbaugh said Hudson was a work in progress, adding, “there’s no doubt in my mind that was the right move for him.”
Redshirt junior Grant Newsome … it’s about the nerve in his repaired leg, Harbaugh said, and how it responds to physical activity. He said they’d ‘throw him in there’ next week and see what happened, but it doesn't seem feasible that he’d be back to full strength this year (though we wouldn’t put anything past this kid). If he plays again, it could be next year.
But Warinner said in spring the pieces were there for a solid offensive line, and there are a lot of great offensive minds in the room. They can make it work.
The Wolverines will also (likely) start a quarterback who can keep plays alive and escape pressure in junior Shea Patterson. Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio spoke Tuesday morning about that quality in Brian Lewerke, who was able to make big plays last year against U-M despite Michigan’s defensive line getting the better of MSU’s offensive line on many occasions.
Harbaugh is still working on building Michigan into a dominant program in year four, but the defense is there. With an even adequate offense, they’ll have a shot to win a Big Ten title. As Franklin noted, it does start up front … but the Wolverines are very good to solid at four of five positions and should have a shot to win big this year whoever mans the left tackle position.
First, the offensive line …
Listening to Penn State head coach James Franklin Monday was an eye opener, one quote in particular:
“For the first time [since I’ve been here], the offensive line has a chance to be a strength in our program," he said.
This is a program that finished No. 8 nationally last year with an 11-2 record and beat Washington in the Fiesta Bowl, scoring 35 points. It also put up 42 on a Michigan defense that PSU quarterback Trace McSorley called the best he faced last year.
The Nittany Lions were extremely motivated to play U-M after losing 49-10 in Ann Arbor, and McSorley said having two weeks to prepare due to the bye week proved huge.
Still, a year prior, Franklin and PSU rebounded from the loss to U-M to win the Big Ten in stunning fashion, also finishing No. 7 nationally at 11-3 overall, with an offensive line that was still somewhat subpar.
“The game of football always will and has started up front,” Franklin said Monday.
But Franklin’s last two teams have proven it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker for a good season if a team is lacking in a few areas … and in some ways, Jim Harbaugh’s first Michigan team proved it, too. That wasn’t a vintage U-M line in 2015, but it was good enough to produce a 10-win season and blowout win over Florida in the Capital One Bowl.
Ideally, you don’t want to have to scheme around any position of weakness on a team. But great coaches do, and Harbaugh did it at times in 2016, as well, a season in which the Wolverines were a play (or call) or two away from the Big Ten title game and the playoff.
Poor line play in the Iowa game affected the Ohio State game, too — many people forget quarterback Wilton Speight played with a shoulder injury that would later require surgery — and it was magnified last year. One of the most damning revelations yesterday came from fifth-year defensive end Chase Winovich. In speaking about the loss to Wisconsin, he noted that the offensive linemen were frustrated with their results, but not just because of their play.
“We lost another quarterback, and they said there was nothing they could do about it,” Winovich said. “They said their hands were tied because of the scheme and how they were coached to play different situations.”
There’s no doubt there was confusion up front when it came to twists, stunts and other defensive games in the trenches.
That won’t be the case this year. This still might not be a vintage Michigan line, but it is one that has potential if it can find someone to play left tackle. Harbaugh said yesterday fifth-year senior Juwann Bushell-Beatty has had a really good spring and continues to shape his body, having made another step.
We’re back to believing it could be him for the opener with Notre Dame. True freshman Jalen Mayfield has been outstanding in the weight room and with conditioning since he arrived on campus, but it’s a lot to ask of a freshman to make his first start in his first game in South Bend.
Winovich said redshirt freshman James Hudson would be good in time, but seemed to indicate that might not be this year, and Harbaugh said Hudson was a work in progress, adding, “there’s no doubt in my mind that was the right move for him.”
Redshirt junior Grant Newsome … it’s about the nerve in his repaired leg, Harbaugh said, and how it responds to physical activity. He said they’d ‘throw him in there’ next week and see what happened, but it doesn't seem feasible that he’d be back to full strength this year (though we wouldn’t put anything past this kid). If he plays again, it could be next year.
But Warinner said in spring the pieces were there for a solid offensive line, and there are a lot of great offensive minds in the room. They can make it work.
The Wolverines will also (likely) start a quarterback who can keep plays alive and escape pressure in junior Shea Patterson. Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio spoke Tuesday morning about that quality in Brian Lewerke, who was able to make big plays last year against U-M despite Michigan’s defensive line getting the better of MSU’s offensive line on many occasions.
Harbaugh is still working on building Michigan into a dominant program in year four, but the defense is there. With an even adequate offense, they’ll have a shot to win a Big Ten title. As Franklin noted, it does start up front … but the Wolverines are very good to solid at four of five positions and should have a shot to win big this year whoever mans the left tackle position.
