Is UM's new threshold ten win seasons?

[detroitjohn]

I think so, next year will be rebuilding on defense, offensive line, and receivers, but I think overall the schedule favors us early (neutral game vs FL will be the highlighted challenge). Biggest games are at home and two tougher, but winnable games on the road vs PSU and Wisky. A great challenge, but I love that anything less than 10 wins now can be seen as a let down. That's a clear shift!

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa-17/2017-michigan-wolverines-football-schedule.php

 

[anon_sg4bgyiuileo1]

Gators game is going to be pretty huge and may set the tone for the season.
Here's to 4-0.

 

[BigHouseBallin]

if we get to 10 next year I'll be thrilled...

 

[Nick Samulus]

I think we will beat Florida and get to 10 wins even though we lose a lot. I think our defense will be better than people think and I definitely think our offense will be better. Speedier receivers and one of the younger stud rbs getting more playing time.

 

[Reality Man]

UM is going to have to be better at the running game next year because Butt, Darboh and Chesson are gone.

Want 10 wins? Tell me about the new OL guys and get a stud rb or two. Everything else will work itself out.

This program is being held back by the OL/rb in a Harbaugh system.


RM

 

[detroitjohn]

UM is going to have to be better at the running game next year because Butt, Darboh and Chesson are gone.

Want 10 wins? Tell me about the new OL guys and get a stud rb or two. Everything else will work itself out.

This program is being held back by the OL/rb in a Harbaugh system.


RM

Completely agree, that's why we're signing something like 8-9 offensive linemen this year. I could see us having one or as many as two true freshmen starting there, especially if we sign some of the studs we're going after. Add a stud RB into the mix and we're on our way to getting this offense loaded

 

[michigangoblue999]

Want 10 wins? Tell me about the new OL guys and get a stud rb or two. Everything else will work itself out.

The new OL will be more talented than what we have now, I can pretty much guarantee that. Not as experienced, but we have seen that that means only so much. 12th game in during their 5th year, and yet guys were still whiffing on blocks.

 

[michigangoblue999]

And our WRs, who were generally really good, still had a ton of drops down the stretch. It can and will get better than that. Hopefully quickly.

What I'm waiting for is Michigan's 1st loss next year, when maelfan posts that Harbaugh can only win with Hoke's players. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ChicagoBlueFan]

The new OL will be more talented than what we have now, I can pretty much guarantee that. Not as experienced, but we have seen that that means only so much. 12th game in during their 5th year, and yet guys were still whiffing on blocks.

AGP. I still think the SR bunch never fully overcame two wasted years under Clappy/Funk. Last year was probably devoted to mostly deprogramming them from that idiotic lack of coaching.
The common thread in both losses this year (and losses/struggles under JH in general) is that the OL couldn't block anyone. Against poor or average defenses, we can run it. We can't run it against good defenses, and that needs to get fixed.

 

[Blue_note]

OL won't be right until 2018.

Losing Newsome this year was big, bigger loss than it should have been, with proper depth.

Hoke recruited well overall. The OL, though? Not so much,

Go BLUE. Always,

 

[Reality Man]

AGP. I still think the SR bunch never fully overcame two wasted years under Clappy/Funk. Last year was probably devoted to mostly deprogramming them from that idiotic lack of coaching.
The common thread in both losses this year (and losses/struggles under JH in general) is that the OL couldn't block anyone. Against poor or average defenses, we can run it. We can't run it against good defenses, and that needs to get fixed.

I would slightly disagree. Kalis is just overrated. Great on brute strength but has some major weaknesses pulling and picking up blitzes or stunts.

I thought Braden was never a guard. He was athletic enough to play both tackle and guard but not really a high level guard. Cole...is he really a great center? Newsome gone with injury and Magnuson was a very good right tackle but not a power tackle. Basically too many flaws and they had more than enough coaching.

Harbaugh needs to get road graders to fit his system. For all the attacks on the OL...Harbaugh tried to rely on them in crunch time and didn't get the results he wanted. He tried to rely on Smith too. Harbaugh is a great coach but he couldn't pull off the ground game in crunch time.

I thought last year he got a couple of guys but he really needs to hit it out of the park on this next class. Maybe Ulizio will be a big surprise but I want to see big time OL and rb's in this class because clearly he wants a dominant run game and just wasn't able get the results he wanted. Think about Harbaugh and Drevno and at the end of the day what did they really get on the ground?


RM

 

[DrCorona]

I do look at next year's schedule being a challenge, even early.
The Gators of course present a challenge, a pro style attack with a very talented defense, & don't sleep on Air Force or Cincinnati. I know Nati stunk this year, but they usually present an up tempo spread attack that
puts up 30+ points a game. Of course Air Force brings an unorthodox running attack that you have to prepare differently for, so you're talking essentially 3 totally different styles to prepare for.

 

[tarun262]

I think Michigan will be better then most people think next year. Yes we are losing a lot of seniors but a lot of these seniors were not "spectacular" players. Lewis and Peppers will be the biggest losses. If we look at a player level (good players, not just average):

• DL: Wormley, Taco, Glasgow. Glasgow is the biggest loss here but I think a line of Hurst, Mone, Gary, and Winovich is no slouch and likely still the 2nd best D-line in the BIG. We will not have a lot of depth but our starters will be very good.
• CB: Stribing & Lewis. Huge loss here is Lewis. Stribling was inconsistent at best. The hope here is that Hill and Long step up and getting Clark back helps us out. Our pass defense will be our biggest weakness next year.
• LB: Peppers & Gideon. Peppers is obviously a big loss given his speed and how he can spy on people but having McCray back will be huge for us and I think he will be a special player next year. Bush and Hudson could be pretty darn good too.
• WR: Darboh & Chesson. Chesson was invisible and Darboh made clutch catches. We do return Perry & Harris and I think we will have some very good freshmen WRs that will likely enroll early and can be pretty darn good. This position was not good all year so not a huge loss in my mind.
• TE: Butt is a big loss but we are so stacked at this position we will be just fine. Wheatley, Assiasi, Bunting, etc - we will be better then fine here.
• RB: Smith - never been a fan, likes to run over people versus get more yards. I think we will improve here personally.
• OL: Kalis was inconsistent and EM was ok. Another year under JH and I think we will have some very good linemen. Cole will be more experienced and I think other OL will step up.

Net net, I think on offense we may actually be a bit better. Another year with WS, a better stable of RBs, some up and coming WRs. I think our OL will be as good next year as this year - I don't think there is a huge drop off here. On defense, we will be hurting at CB but don't forget that even at Stanford JH really started to turn things around his 3rd year. 3 years under his system with more of his players in the fold will help.

I think we go 9-3 or 10-2 with losses to OSU & Wisconsin (both teams return virtually EVERYONE) and potential loss to Florida. I personally think we end up beating them given how inept their offense really is and we seem to have Florida's number for quite a while now.

I agree with DetroitJohn - I think 10 is the new low for us. If we somehow get to 10 wins next year, maybe 11 with a bowl game, watch out for 2018 when we will be absolutely stacked with talent top to bottom and experienced.

 

[detroitjohn]

I think Michigan will be better then most people think next year. Yes we are losing a lot of seniors but a lot of these seniors were not "spectacular" players. Lewis and Peppers will be the biggest losses. If we look at a player level (good players, not just average):

• DL: Wormley, Taco, Glasgow. Glasgow is the biggest loss here but I think a line of Hurst, Mone, Gary, and Winovich is no slouch and likely still the 2nd best D-line in the BIG. We will not have a lot of depth but our starters will be very good.

We lose serious talent here, but the second team as you say are very good and I expect we'll bring two studs at least to groom. There will be a dropoff, but not a free fall.

• CB: Stribing & Lewis. Huge loss here is Lewis. Stribling was inconsistent at best. The hope here is that Hill and Long step up and getting Clark back helps us out. Our pass defense will be our biggest weakness next year.
• LB: Peppers & Gideon. Peppers is obviously a big loss given his speed and how he can spy on people but having McCray back will be huge for us and I think he will be a special player next year. Bush and Hudson could be pretty darn good too.

Stribling is a bigger loss than you give credit here. This is the position that really worries me, it is key for Brown's defensive, man-to-man coverages and we have very little experience. I hope Clark gets back, a sophomore steps up, and we find a freshman diamond.
McCray really impressed me vs OSU, he stepped up and had a great game (as did Gideon). Bush will step up for sure.
You don't mention safeties, I'm excited to see what Kinnel does and Metellus do. They've both looked fairly solid in coverage and seem like head hunters on running plays.

• WR: Darboh & Chesson. Chesson was invisible and Darboh made clutch catches. We do return Perry & Harris and I think we will have some very good freshmen WRs that will likely enroll early and can be pretty darn good. This position was not good all year so not a huge loss in my mind.
• TE: Butt is a big loss but we are so stacked at this position we will be just fine. Wheatley, Assiasi, Bunting, etc - we will be better then fine here.
• RB: Smith - never been a fan, likes to run over people versus get more yards. I think we will improve here personally.
• OL: Kalis was inconsistent and EM was ok. Another year under JH and I think we will have some very good linemen. Cole will be more experienced and I think other OL will step up.

I'm concerned about finding a number one receiver, Perry is a possession receiver, like Jason Avant, and Harris has not shown us anything so far. We are going to bring in 2-4 studs, here, I think we'll be fine, but it will be a position of early struggle I think.
The OL could be very intriguing and rather young. If again we get a couple freshmen studs, we likely have 1-2 freshmen, 2 sophomores, and 2 upperclassmen starting there.

Bottom line, we will be leaning on freshmen for several key positions and backups next year. That's always a nervous prospect. 2017 will likely be the last time that's such a crisis, we're paying for a large hole in the recruiting in the transition from Hoke to Harbaugh. We have a great home slate and two tough non-home games. We beat Wisky or FL and MSU or OSU and 10-2 seems entirely possible.

 

[tarun262]

I think the way to think about this - youth sometimes can help. OSU won 2 years ago with a lot of youth and again this year...they are a young young team. Wisconsin is a young team. That's where coaches have to earn their money is getting young players to step up and we are seeing it more and more. Clemson's D-line achored by a true freshman. The NC winning QB (assuming Bama wins) is going to be a true freshman. I think you need seniors to provide leadership but you need kids to just step up especially the highly touted ones.

Bottom line is this - if we really want to win and win consistently, you have to have the "next man up" mentality regardless of who you lose. JH had that at Stanford. Urban has that top to bottom at OSU as does Saban.

Agree at Safety - I think Kinnel will be very good. At WR - I think Crawford will step up...we have Johnson, Crawford and McDoom. Essentially we will have 4 guys that have burners and I expect 1 or 2 of them to really step up.

Overall, we will be fine across the board. The largest jump you generally see in college players is during their 2nd year of playing. Think Butt, Wormley, even Lewis. They really started to flourish 2 years ago and you could see shades of what was to come. Think Woodson, Funchess, Breaston, Manningham, Braylon. We had a very good class last year. While I expect Gary to be a beast - it would not shock me to see folks like Johnson, Bush, Crawford, McDoom, etc improve dramatically.

We lose serious talent here, but the second team as you say are very good and I expect we'll bring two studs at least to groom. There will be a dropoff, but not a free fall.


Stribling is a bigger loss than you give credit here. This is the position that really worries me, it is key for Brown's defensive, man-to-man coverages and we have very little experience. I hope Clark gets back, a sophomore steps up, and we find a freshman diamond.
McCray really impressed me vs OSU, he stepped up and had a great game (as did Gideon). Bush will step up for sure.
You don't mention safeties, I'm excited to see what Kinnel does and Metellus do. They've both looked fairly solid in coverage and seem like head hunters on running plays.


I'm concerned about finding a number one receiver, Perry is a possession receiver, like Jason Avant, and Harris has not shown us anything so far. We are going to bring in 2-4 studs, here, I think we'll be fine, but it will be a position of early struggle I think.
The OL could be very intriguing and rather young. If again we get a couple freshmen studs, we likely have 1-2 freshmen, 2 sophomores, and 2 upperclassmen starting there.

Bottom line, we will be leaning on freshmen for several key positions and backups next year. That's always a nervous prospect. 2017 will likely be the last time that's such a crisis, we're paying for a large hole in the recruiting in the transition from Hoke to Harbaugh. We have a great home slate and two tough non-home games. We beat Wisky or FL and MSU or OSU and 10-2 seems entirely possible.

 

[scfanblue]

I think we will be better next year and surprise many people who think we are going to be down