Exit: Ben Mason
https://twitter.com/seniorbowl/status/1341217367423127553?s=09
Off to the Senior Bowl. This was one player who I thought might take advantage of covid eligibility although maybe it wasn't his choice.
He could carve out a role anywhere on special teams or even catch on with teams like the 49ers or Ravens that still utilize a fullback.
Godspeed, Bench.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:16 PM ^
Goodbye Bench, and good luck. We're going to miss you
December 21st, 2020 at 10:20 PM ^
Anyone know why?
December 21st, 2020 at 10:29 PM ^
Guessing but maybe a firm handshake because who knows how they will handle the scholarship count with everyone carrying over their eligibility.
December 21st, 2020 at 11:16 PM ^
Mason is going to still be a fullback/special teams guy next year, relegating him to the same late round/training camp invite range. Might as well move on after playing for four years and presumably getting a degree,
December 22nd, 2020 at 12:07 PM ^
Ross BBA degree ... with Distinction
December 22nd, 2020 at 1:20 PM ^
Good for him. Football player + Ross BBA = good pay/job for life.
December 21st, 2020 at 11:22 PM ^
Mason will be a 10 year NFL guy as a special teamer and fullback in short yardage situations, especially near the goal line.
Time to get paid.
December 22nd, 2020 at 7:38 AM ^
Good luck Ben thank goodness you are gone not because of you but because of the unnatural obsession your head coach had with you.
December 22nd, 2020 at 5:29 AM ^
He didn't really have a role. If we are gonna run spread, we need to commit and run spread. If there is one thing I want to see from this team, is an identity on offense. Just rip the bandage off and go full on OSU, Oklahoma, Penn St, Oregon spread.
December 22nd, 2020 at 8:20 AM ^
Despite the disaster of this year I still have the Minnesota game as well as my projection of his performance in that game extended over a whole season. There was a moment when manball and the spread were in perfect equilibrium. It was beautiful.
December 22nd, 2020 at 8:46 AM ^
I disagree. I watched the (2nd half) of the Big Ten title game. I saw heavy use of the wham block, the same type of block we have seen deployed with Ben Mason. And of course Trey Sermon set an all-time single game school rushing yards record.
December 22nd, 2020 at 6:23 AM ^
Don't forget, some of these guys have been on campus for a long time and are looking to move onto the next chapter of their lives.
December 22nd, 2020 at 8:07 AM ^
December 21st, 2020 at 10:21 PM ^
Would've been a star in 15 and 16 if he were around
Those offenses had an identity and ran logical plays. 4th and inches? I formation fullback up the gut and it was unstoppable. Now we insist on lining up five yards behind the line of scrimmage and force Milton to make a read he can't/doesn't want to make while everyone in the stadium knows what's coming
What was the point of this? Oh right, good luck Ben and I'm sorry your abilities were largely wasted here
December 21st, 2020 at 10:26 PM ^
This is well said!
December 21st, 2020 at 11:00 PM ^
Back then most fans said the offense was primitive and pointed to the usage of fullbacks as evidence. Everyone wanted to incorporate spread concepts. And the coaching staff definitely did some puzzling wildcat stuff with Jabrill that didn't look "logical" or seem to fit into the offensive "identity". Those offenses in '15 and '16 scored 13 and 17 (before OT) points against OSU.
December 21st, 2020 at 11:11 PM ^
People tend to skew reality too much to the present. Folks weren't happy with 9/10 win seasons because the offense wasn't flashy...
December 21st, 2020 at 11:51 PM ^
All we need is a hammering panda !!!
Go Blue!
December 22nd, 2020 at 12:57 AM ^
Correction, weren't happy because those offenses were mediocre at best. Honestly UM would have overcame the officials in 2016 against OSU with a better offense. Implenting the spread incorrectly and only sporadically using the speed in space concepts that we thought we were getting when the shift was made does not invalidate that the notion that offense had to become more modern. Piss poor execution of said implementation is the problem.
December 22nd, 2020 at 1:27 AM ^
Can’t upvote that enough
December 22nd, 2020 at 8:09 AM ^
Exactly. I don't think there's anyone that is displeased about moving to the spread. What does irk me is we don't really want to commit to all of the necessary spread concepts to actually make it work.
December 22nd, 2020 at 11:27 AM ^
I think that this is half true, but by way of a slightly dissenting opinion...
We frequently point to the 17 points we scored in regulation against OSU as evidence that even the Fisch offense was mediocre against good competition. I just think that there are too many mitigating circumstances that make this game an unhelpful data point. At the time, we were told that Speight's injury in the Iowa game prevented him from making throws of more than 15 yds., and so the offense had to be tailored accordingly. During the game, we had a promising early drive stall because OSU's DB literally tackled our receiver on a slant while the ball was in the air; there was another egregious and costly no-call on pass interference in the second half. Speight fumbled the ball on the goal line, which cost us seven points (and the game--despite his otherwise gritty performance). I'm pretty sure, at the time, that everyone thought Harbaugh and staff called a brilliant game, given the cards that they were dealt.
In the Wisconsin game that year, we left nine points on the board because Kenny Allen lost his mojo, but we dominated a strong Badger team in the box score. Now, admittedly, the IU wasn't great and the Iowa game was a real travesty... though I can't entirely blame a team for having one clunker of a game (and on the road at Kinnick is at least an understandable time for this to happen).
Finally, even though I think that the '16 team left wins on the field and should have made it to the CFP, that team was always going to rely primarily on its defense. That team lacked elite RBs, WRs, an elite OL, and an elite QB. Were we really going to "scheme our way" into having a top-ten offense? Certainly, speed in space is off the table when Speight, D. Smith, and A. Darboh are the main cogs in your offense.
December 22nd, 2020 at 3:01 AM ^
Offenses held the team back from getting over the hump and that's why Michigan could beat garbage teams to some good teams but not elite teams. You can't beat elite teams with a great defense and trash offense in the NCAA, and not even in the NFL anymore like the Ravens did with Trent Dilfer 20 years ago.
Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees changed the NFL and even NCAA by showing how big of an impact a top-tier QB could be for offensive (and team) success. So the mentality is now, "The best defense is a good offense" and no longer "Defense wins the games," which is where Michigan still seems to be stuck in not being able to adapt to the modern era.
Michigan Total Defense vs Total Offense under Harbaugh before 2020
2019 - 11 v. 68
2018 - 2 v. 50
2017 - 3 v. 105
2016 - T1 v. 58
2015 - 4 v. 69
Average: 4 v. 70
December 22nd, 2020 at 7:41 AM ^
Imagine thinking you need an offense that features more Ben Mason!! Good lord
December 22nd, 2020 at 11:25 AM ^
speaking of which...
Since it was Harbaugh that fired Pep and Drevno, I am going to assume he fired them for more substantive reasons than being "not flashy enough"
December 21st, 2020 at 10:24 PM ^
DT depth takes another hit.
Joking aside, I enjoyed watching Ben truck and hurdle dudes when given the opportunity. I'm confident he'll be on an NFL roster for a few years.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:25 PM ^
John will give him a chance in Baltimore.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:32 PM ^
Thanks for the memories
December 21st, 2020 at 10:33 PM ^
Would've loved to be a fly on the wall the day they came to Ben and said "hey, what would you think about putting on about....oh...i dunno.....about 75 pounds or so and playing defensive tackle?
You see Ben we really meant to recruit some tackles and somehow we completely forgot. I mean it's our bad, we absolutely should've recruited some, but you know how things are right? You're busy with the kids, your wife is yelling at you and then BAM. You realize, oh snap, I forgot to recruit any tackles.
So how about Ben? You wanna play tackle?"
December 21st, 2020 at 10:35 PM ^
I understand the team's ceiling might be higher if his scholarship is spent on a different player, but I'm going to miss that guy. The team needs someone with his attitude and energy.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:36 PM ^
What could have been
December 21st, 2020 at 10:51 PM ^
Actually,I'm pretty sure that IS actual footage of Bench from a Michigan game a year or two ago.
December 22nd, 2020 at 12:55 AM ^
Met Lou in person before. What a monster (in the nicest sense)
December 21st, 2020 at 10:38 PM ^
Quite a football player. Godspeed and good luck Bench !
December 21st, 2020 at 10:43 PM ^
Bench will have a long nfl career
December 21st, 2020 at 10:55 PM ^
FB’s take a beating in their careers. I can’t blame the guy if he wants to move to getting paid to be a battering ram.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:58 PM ^
Good luck to him. Hopefully he'll find a niche in the NFL.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:58 PM ^
Good luck Ben, hope you get a fair shot in the NFL and have a fruitful career!
Thanks for being a Michigan Man!
December 21st, 2020 at 11:02 PM ^
Thanks, Mason. Good luck.
December 21st, 2020 at 11:06 PM ^
Symbol of harbaugh era behind the times. Good luck.
December 21st, 2020 at 11:14 PM ^
Good luck Bench!
And to all those who constantly criticize NE recruits, Mason is another example (e.g. McKeon, Paye, Hurst) of them outperforming their stars and accolades coming out of high school and a refutation of the narrative that it is a waste of time to recruit this region, especially in light of all of the busts that we have gotten recently from some of the supposed “talent hotbed” regions.
December 21st, 2020 at 11:36 PM ^
People tend to pick weird hills to die on when it comes to recruiting strategy.
December 22nd, 2020 at 12:12 AM ^
This board is made up of a high percentage of liberals...... And they are quick to judge recruits based on their heritage as if that makes any sense.
December 22nd, 2020 at 12:30 AM ^
It does not make sense whatsoever.
December 22nd, 2020 at 1:19 AM ^
Nope, doesn’t make any sense. Not sure what you were trying to go for there but it was a swing and a miss.
December 22nd, 2020 at 1:43 AM ^
It does not make sense.
December 22nd, 2020 at 9:28 AM ^
Possibly the dumbest thing I've ever seen on this board. And that is a high bar to clear.
December 22nd, 2020 at 11:14 AM ^
The irony in this comment? What is the bluest of blue regions in the United States? The northeast.
December 22nd, 2020 at 1:31 PM ^
Suh-wing and a miss.
December 22nd, 2020 at 8:07 AM ^
I could see him heading back to NE, to the Pats -- who are among the teams that invest more than the average amount in both special teams and fullback.