If this is truly a rebuilding season like so many are surmising, somewhere in the 7- or 8-win category, there are plenty of things I want to see to have any semblance of proper Michigan football expectations heading into 2022.
1) A QB that is completing 65+% of his attempts with a Yards Per Attempt over 8.0 and a weekly average of 250+ yards per game. These are essentially the standards for a Top 20 quarterback nationally. It's time to join college football in 2021 (or even 2015 for that matter). Obviously there are a ton of other factors at play, but when you enter a game with the better QB - and he plays that way - your chances to win skyrocket. We simply cannot still be talking about alack of quarterback development after this year.
2) Michigan beats Michigan State, wins or is either in the game until the final minutes with Wisconsin and Penn State on the road, doesn't get embarrassed by Ohio State, and restores its status over Indiana, Northwestern, Rutgers and Maryland (by beating the latter two soundly). If Harbaugh's problem really is only Ohio State then you don't lose games to teams you are significantly more talented than.
You also don't get pantsed every time you go on the road against a good opponent.
3) Running back distribution that makes sense. Plenty of teams have proven that a 1-2 punch can be effective but few teams (Alabama a few years back, 2018, the exception) showing you can divvying up carries three ways and have something special in the backfield. It was pretty universal last year that Hassan Haskins deserved to be the guy but he never got that chance. Between him and Blake Corum, a No. 1 is likely to emerge and the coaches can't stand in his way (with Mike Hart coaching the position I'm not really worried about that).
A true complementary run-pass game is a thing of beauty but it doesn't happen if the QB and the RB are not respected as big-play consistent threats. It's been a minute since we've had that at Michigan.
4) Playmakers that make plays (and are afforded the chance to do so). If 2020 was a full season and Nico Collins played, you'd love to believe he has a season with 60+ catches, 1000 yards and 12+ touchdowns but other than a five-game stretch with Jehu Chesson to end 2015 and a decent 2016 from Amara Darboh, wide receivers at Michigan have been largely underutilized. At some point, Michigan's offense has to become a consistent weapon. The idea of #speedinspace only works if you're getting the ball to your playmakers more than 2-3 times per game.
5) Aidan Hutchinson and Daxton Hill being put in position to be difference-makers. Speaking of playmakers making plays ... a lot of the same issues have presented themselves on defense. I'm looking at you Mr. Gary. You don't take one of the biggest physical freaks you've ever recruited and turn him into a run-stuffing defensive end. Not when down in Columbus OSU turns its best players loose on the edge. Don Brown didn't always waste his talent. He made good use of Chase Winovich and Devin Bush, Taco Charlton, Jourdan Lewis and others, but there were lots of frustrations too. In Hutchinson, Michigan has a player that was being wasted under Brown and I pray Mike McDonald recognizes what he has and allows him and Dax (thinking the way Green Bay used Woodson) to create chaos.
6) Honestly, for me, what's going to excite me for 2022 is if Michigan only lose three games, to OSU, Wisconsin and Penn State. They should win all their home games, including Washington and Indiana. They should dominate Western, Rutgers, Maryland, Northern Illinois and THIS Northwestern team. They should beat MSU and Nebraska teams on the road that they are more talented than. That's nine victories. If the road games against Wisconsin, PSU and OSU are all ugly ... meh. I don't expect to win those games but the Badgers can't begin separating from Michigan like the Buckeyes have done. And when you go to State College you can't be deer in the headlights like 2017 and the first half of 2019.
Seems like plenty of folks are looking ahead to 2022 as "the season" for Michigan. I've been very skeptical of this program's future under JH and still am, but if these things happen, then there might really be some light at the end of the tunnel.
1) A QB that is completing 65+% of his attempts with a Yards Per Attempt over 8.0 and a weekly average of 250+ yards per game. These are essentially the standards for a Top 20 quarterback nationally. It's time to join college football in 2021 (or even 2015 for that matter). Obviously there are a ton of other factors at play, but when you enter a game with the better QB - and he plays that way - your chances to win skyrocket. We simply cannot still be talking about alack of quarterback development after this year.
2) Michigan beats Michigan State, wins or is either in the game until the final minutes with Wisconsin and Penn State on the road, doesn't get embarrassed by Ohio State, and restores its status over Indiana, Northwestern, Rutgers and Maryland (by beating the latter two soundly). If Harbaugh's problem really is only Ohio State then you don't lose games to teams you are significantly more talented than.
You also don't get pantsed every time you go on the road against a good opponent.
3) Running back distribution that makes sense. Plenty of teams have proven that a 1-2 punch can be effective but few teams (Alabama a few years back, 2018, the exception) showing you can divvying up carries three ways and have something special in the backfield. It was pretty universal last year that Hassan Haskins deserved to be the guy but he never got that chance. Between him and Blake Corum, a No. 1 is likely to emerge and the coaches can't stand in his way (with Mike Hart coaching the position I'm not really worried about that).
A true complementary run-pass game is a thing of beauty but it doesn't happen if the QB and the RB are not respected as big-play consistent threats. It's been a minute since we've had that at Michigan.
4) Playmakers that make plays (and are afforded the chance to do so). If 2020 was a full season and Nico Collins played, you'd love to believe he has a season with 60+ catches, 1000 yards and 12+ touchdowns but other than a five-game stretch with Jehu Chesson to end 2015 and a decent 2016 from Amara Darboh, wide receivers at Michigan have been largely underutilized. At some point, Michigan's offense has to become a consistent weapon. The idea of #speedinspace only works if you're getting the ball to your playmakers more than 2-3 times per game.
5) Aidan Hutchinson and Daxton Hill being put in position to be difference-makers. Speaking of playmakers making plays ... a lot of the same issues have presented themselves on defense. I'm looking at you Mr. Gary. You don't take one of the biggest physical freaks you've ever recruited and turn him into a run-stuffing defensive end. Not when down in Columbus OSU turns its best players loose on the edge. Don Brown didn't always waste his talent. He made good use of Chase Winovich and Devin Bush, Taco Charlton, Jourdan Lewis and others, but there were lots of frustrations too. In Hutchinson, Michigan has a player that was being wasted under Brown and I pray Mike McDonald recognizes what he has and allows him and Dax (thinking the way Green Bay used Woodson) to create chaos.
6) Honestly, for me, what's going to excite me for 2022 is if Michigan only lose three games, to OSU, Wisconsin and Penn State. They should win all their home games, including Washington and Indiana. They should dominate Western, Rutgers, Maryland, Northern Illinois and THIS Northwestern team. They should beat MSU and Nebraska teams on the road that they are more talented than. That's nine victories. If the road games against Wisconsin, PSU and OSU are all ugly ... meh. I don't expect to win those games but the Badgers can't begin separating from Michigan like the Buckeyes have done. And when you go to State College you can't be deer in the headlights like 2017 and the first half of 2019.
Seems like plenty of folks are looking ahead to 2022 as "the season" for Michigan. I've been very skeptical of this program's future under JH and still am, but if these things happen, then there might really be some light at the end of the tunnel.
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