Saw the implied UM overrated blog/article

[Reality Man]

I am somewhere in the middle. I do believe UM can run the table in BT but don't necessarily believe that will happen.

I think UM has a big time defense potentially. Big Time. I think these coaches are really selling the defense short.

However...UM fans are really dismissing the question mark at qb and does UM have a very good running game? I don't know. This defense can probably cover up a lot warts on offense but I don't think UM has the horses to beat OSU on the road....maybe MSU.

I am in the 10-2/11-1 camp. Not the 9-3 camp. I think UM can do it but ask me after the MSU game because whomever is the qb is going to have to win it at MSU. Tell me about the OL...are they ready to be great? I agree with one coach who said Rudock was the guy who made UM look better (paraphrasing) and people are dismissing his MAJOR contributions short. It's all about Chesson and Butt. People think Harbaugh is going to make Speight/O'Korn into Rudock by mid season...we will see.




RM

 

[michnittlion]

No matter how good a defense is, you will inevitably face a couple games where things are tight and you need the offense --- more specifically, the QB --- to make big plays in big spots.

Going back to 1997 --- those games were Iowa and Washington State.

We'll see if O'Korn (or whoever starts) can reach the Brian Griese levels. Anything less, a B1G Championship likely isn't in the cards.

 

[Reality Man]

IF UM can run the ball effectively....big big IF...then UM can win big time. I am not sold on UM running the ball.

My gut tells me (which is somewhat sizeable) is that UM needs a really good running game to take the heat off the qb's. If UM wants to win big and get into the playoffs then it needs to run it's offense like the Griese 97 year.

It's possible but I refuse to be oversold on the Florida game against a team who looked like they quit and wanted to be somewhere else.



RM

 

[Reality Man]

No matter how good a defense is, you will inevitably face a couple games where things are tight and you need the offense --- more specifically, the QB --- to make big plays in big spots.

Going back to 1997 --- those games were Iowa and Washington State.

We'll see if O'Korn (or whoever starts) can reach the Brian Griese levels. Anything less, a B1G Championship likely isn't in the cards.

I agree with you. Let's make the assumption Speight is the qb. This is a guy who has played based a half of football. Come on. O'Korn....off a year and has problems with turnovers.

Can these guys win against most of the Big Ten? Yes. The defense is really good and UM can probably run most of the time and win 20-6. Let's keep

No matter how good a defense is, you will inevitably face a couple games where things are tight and you need the offense --- more specifically, the QB --- to make big plays in big spots.

Going back to 1997 --- those games were Iowa and Washington State.

We'll see if O'Korn (or whoever starts) can reach the Brian Griese levels. Anything less, a B1G Championship likely isn't in the cards.

I agree. Speight has played 1/2 a game and really one good series against Minny. O'Korn hasn't played in over a year and lost his job. Now...can Harbaugh improve the performance of the position. Yes...I believe that but unless the running game is very good then YOU are right...the defense can only do so much especially against better teams.

We will see. I would personally rank UM at around 8-10 and #2 in the Big Ten.



RM

 

[ArrowheadBlue]

my "concern" is different than all of yours. The linebacker corp has virtually zero experience. Fortunately the schedule allows for players to gain experience without too much of a challenge.

 

[Reality Man]

The difference is that the lb'ers are going to be given a legit defensive front and secondary so it's not like the lb'ers are going to have to do the heavy lifting. You will have Peppers as a pseudo lb'er along with Thomas, etc.

The OSU game was a perfect example (one anonymous BT player talked about this) where UM lost Glasgow and now the lb'ers were exposed for their lack of speed against a quality spread team. The safeties had to come up and help them defend the perimeter.

UM got chewed up. Fast forward to this year..assume no injuries. Now the safeties know the DL can keep an offense like OSU contained up front and the inside backer's can drop back into the lanes. Basically it becomes saturated for an offense in the middle of the field and the opposing offense has a harder time getting to the edge because of Charlton and Gary and Wormley.

A DL makes an enormous impact. See the Bears of 85. It was the DL that made that team...not necessarily singletary. It was Dent and Perry and others who just suffocated opposing offenses.

I think UM (will go on the record) as saying this defense is going to be NASTY. Last year I thought UM wasn't nearly as good because the lb'ers were slow and poor. This year I believe the lb'ers will be tough and potentially average but they will be dealing with a big time Dline. A dline that will resemble Glen Steele days.

This dline is going to be everybody in that linebacking corp look like Singletary. It's really easy to play linebacker when the offensive line is going back 2 yards on a pass play and the running back is going horizontal to start the play.

Mark my words...on the record..this line is going to be LEGENDARY in the annals of UM defenses.


RM

 

[scfanblue]

I call bullshit on the OSU game. They lost a TON of talent that played together for 3-4 years and that is a MAJOR deal. Michigan can beat OSU this year and for the first time in a decade or more has just as much if not more EXPERIENCED talent on BOTH sides of the ball. Michigan fans are so used to getting beat by OSU that they think they cant beat them every year/

 

[Reality Man]

I call bullshit on the OSU game. They lost a TON of talent that played together for 3-4 years and that is a MAJOR deal. Michigan can beat OSU this year and for the first time in a decade or more has just as much if not more EXPERIENCED talent on BOTH sides of the ball. Michigan fans are so used to getting beat by OSU that they think they cant beat them every year/

I think UM can win but it is on the road and the offense is going to have to play well. Not saying it can't happen...just going to be a struggle. OSU has plenty of talent.


RM