same old lions
dramatization
This was how my interview for MGoBlog happened. Long ago, I was just some reader who wrote diaries. After I wrote one about one-high safeties (that I won't link for reasons that are about to become apparent) Brian invited me to come to Ann Arbor to talk about maybe doing some work for the site. I was star struck, freaking out about every detail, trying to imagine every question I might be asked and how to best frame responses. I had a brand new iPad from work so I brought that to look like a guy with his stuff together.
When I got to Sweetwaters, Brian was there with this imposing bald guy. The bald guy immediately asked if I had a drawing app or a play design thing on the iPad, and when we couldn't get that to work he began drawing stuff on stray paper bits. After about 5 minutes of the scary dude trying to explain coverages Brian said his first thing: "I'm actually starving, do you guys mind if we go get a burger or something?"
We relocated across the street to Grizzly Peak, and still Brian said virtually nothing while Steve Sharik continued to explain a free safety's responsibilities in a cover 1 or cover 3. Apparently what had happened was Sharik read my diary and it was so blithering incorrect that he tracked me down through Brian so he could set me straight. By the time Brian had finished his burger and Sharik had to go, I half-understood that I didn't understand a thousandth of what Sharik understands about football. Brian then asked if I'd like to copyedit the articles and take over Dear Diary from Tim, and if I wanted any fries. I said yes to everything but the fries, and that was the meeting.
I tell you this story now so you'll understand the first two things I learned about this job: 1) company stuff isn't important; and 2) what Sharik has to say is.
[Hit the JUMP for what Sharik has to say about how Michigan uses its free safety, what I had to say about Chad, and what people have to say about defensive coordinator candidates]
[jonvalk wallpaper]
On WTKA last week (before the Maryland game) the roundtablers got into a short discussion comparing Michigan's 2015 defense to, say, the 2006 one. Asgardian walked with it, comparing the M defense to others this year and some other great defenses by simply counting how many times they…
- Held opponent to 7 or fewer points, or
- Held opponents to 8-14 points, or
- Gave up 15 or more
I'm gonna go position by position. Argue any with me:
| Position | 2015 | Grd | 2006 | Grd | 1997 | Grd | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NT | Glasgow | A | Taylor | B+ | Renes | A- | |||
| DT/3T | Henry/Hurst/Godin | A- | Branch | A- | Williams | B | |||
| SDE/5T | Wormley/Taco | B+ | Biggs | C+ | Steele/Feazell | A | |||
| WDE/WLB | Ojemudia/RJS | B- | Woodley | A | J.Hall | A- | |||
| SAM/Nk | Peppers/Ross | A- | Crable | B+ | Copenhaver/Swett | B+ | |||
| MLB | Morgan | B+ | Harris | A | Sword | B+ | |||
| WLB/BKR | Bolden | C | Burgess | C | Dhani/Mayes | B | |||
| SS | Hill | B | Adams | B | Ray | B+ | |||
| FS | Wilson | B | Englemon | B- | Hendricks | B+ | |||
| BCB | 8/Clark/Peppers | B | Hall | A | Weathers | B- | |||
| FCB | Lewis | A | Trent | B- | Woodson | A+ | |||
| Nickel CB | Clark/Stribling | B | Harrison | C | Peterson | C+ | |||
| Scores | 2015 UM | 3.23 | 2006 UM | 3.08 | 1997 UM | 3.33 |
It's hard to compare eras (Peppers versus Clint Copenhaver!) but the 2006 defense didn't have enough depth at DB for the young spread era and that was its downfall. None of these defenses had any real holes; the 1997 defense didn't even have a spot that was less than really good (B).
I made a tool so you can try this with other defenses (be nice and don't sandbox where someone else is working). I got a 2.93 for this year's Northwestern and a 3.38 for 2013 Michigan State.
Now you're playing with….power rankings. Eye of the Tiger has been doing his own weekly ranking of Big Ten teams. He does this the way Brian does the "Fear Level" and "Desperate Need to Win Level" stuff in the previews, IE he starts with a baseline then gives a +2 for a win over a good team, –1 for a loss to a solid team, etc. Northwestern and Iowa are tops right now, though MSU has fallen behind Michigan.
Alum96 has kept up his version of this too, which informs by pointing out how wrong he was about things like Maryland being any good at football. And if you desire simple numbers instead of feels and backchecks, alum also has started posting the S&P+ rankings of M and the States.
Etc. Weekly reminder you should read B&W and ItBS. THE_KNOWLEDGE is from a future of a parallel universe in which people score on Michigan's defense sometimes.
[jump for the Most Lions Thing Ever]
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