MGoPodcast 15.0.a: Too Many Tooks
2 hours and 53 minutes
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1. Quarterback and Running Back
Starts at 1:00
Savor your back-to-back Big Ten Championship winning Michigan Wolverines. Seth guaranteed a win against Ohio State last year and he was right. It's JJ, what level is JJ at? The TCU game obscures it but he's very good at not throwing the ball into bad places. How would you attack JJ McCarthy if you're a defense? The only thing that really de-rails this season is if he gets hurt. Is there any reason to think that JJ won't make a leap, similarly to Shea Patterson (consensus is no, he should make the leap)? Brian thinks Jack Tuttle is the likely backup and would be a viable caretaker, everyone else thinks it'll be Davis Warren. There is a very mature and very professional conversation about Alex Orji. Apparently he's the kick returner, but could he also be an actually useful asset in short yardage? Is this the best running back duo in school history? Is Blake Corum the best running back in Michigan football history? He's fast, hard to tackle, and just rarely makes mistakes. Donovan Edwards played last year with a broken hand and a knee injury (and also destroyed Ohio State in the process). His decision making improved greatly so while healthy, he should be fun to watch. CJ Stokes and Kalel Mullings are up next, CJ Stokes had some unfortunate plays but hopefully improved and gets play time. Does Tavierre Dunlap last the year?
[The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP]
2. Receiver and Tight Tend
Starts at 1:08:30
Wide receiver has been a "problem" position with some fans but Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson are both probably draftable. If this is the biggest problem, it is a good problem. Seemed like there were a lot of balls that Cornelius Johnson could almost catch from JJ, just need to lock down that connection more. Maybe not a 900 yard guy but still a good option. Roman Wilson will continue to play in the slot as a speedster. He'll be the most open the most often (he was more open than Cornelius on one of the touchdowns against Ohio State). You should check out Roman Wilson's YouTube channel. The other outside receiver is Tyler Morris, who seems to have a telepathic connection with JJ. He might not get a lot of targets but we're comfortable with him as a starter. Peyton O'Leary is definitely going to play and get some receptions this year. Semaj Morgan is a lot like AJ Henning as a recruit. Have Michigan fans ever been so sure about a tight end being an All-American as Colston Loveland? Did you know he was a wide receiver in Idaho two years ago? In Idaho. Does he get the most targets this season? You can line him up as a receiver if you really want to, he can be a matchup nightmare. AJ Barner had to endure Indiana's offense last year, but he should be serviceable at Michigan. Matthew Hibner has shown flashes in the past, but after that the depth gets a little light. There are photos of Marlin Klein playing with the 1s. Max Bredeson is technically a fullback but is also basically a tight end.
3. Hot Takes and Offensive Line
Starts at 1:56:18
Takes hotter than Mel Tucker's seat after he loses to DeVry University. This is the deepest offensive line any of us can remember - we would be comfortable with some of the 3rd stringers. Zak Zinter is the top guard on some draft lists and is probably at his ceiling, Trevor Keegan should be recovered from an injury and have some room for improvement this year. Center is a battle between Drake Nugent and Greg Crippen. NFL folks love LaDarius Henderson for his athletic traits. Giovanni El-Hadi looked good last year up until the Illinois game and will probably be a starter next year. Coaches are going to rotate starters in the non-conference. Karsen Barnhart has been getting a lot of camp buzz - plays really well against bad opponents but really struggles against anyone better than him. We would expect Trente Jones to win the right tackle job, but we're hearing other things from camp. Nice to see Myles Hinton since he was heavily coveted as a recruit. He struggled at Stanford, but that may have been a product of Stanford's offense. Hinton moves really smoothly for how big he is. LaDarius Hunderson is probably the starting left tackle.
4. Offense in Summary
Starts at 2:38:51
This offense looks to be the best of the Harbaugh era. What offense in Michigan football history would you take over this one? JJ is just Zen Harbaugh. What is the biggest concern of the offense (other than someone getting hurt)? Who is your breakout player? Who's your Dude? Final SP+ rank?
MUSIC:
- “Don't Fade Out”— Cut Worms
- “Gilded Lily”— Cults
- “Handsome”— Drug Cabin
- “Across 110th Street”
THE USUAL LINKS:
- Helpful iTunes subscribe link
- General podcast feed link
- Direct Download Link
- What's with the theme music?
Cooks and Tooks
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:03 PM ^
beginning the injection now
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:07 PM ^
Three hours? Holy ****, goodbye productivity!
August 23rd, 2023 at 3:13 PM ^
Just on the offense…
August 24th, 2023 at 10:35 AM ^
You'd best be prepared for the 4 hour pod on punting theory
August 24th, 2023 at 11:25 AM ^
This isn’t an Iowa/Ferentz blog ffs
August 24th, 2023 at 3:12 PM ^
Iowa offense podcast is 4 minutes. I feel bad for their fans.
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:09 PM ^
I'm not prepared for preview week; please send help.
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:12 PM ^
Nice. Three hours of delectable content! So I was on track to finish my audiobook (1176 BC) by Friday afternoon, but that seems all blowed up now. Guess it'll finish Monday after taking a back seat this afternoon and tomorrow morning. I listen on my commutes, so half today and half tomorrow.
::contented sigh of contentment::
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:48 PM ^
How's that book? Sounds interesting.
August 24th, 2023 at 8:49 AM ^
Kinda difficult to follow if you don't have any reference for that time period. It's more of a history than a story as it's chronicling the combined collapse of the world economy and the various state powers that ended the late Bronze Age in the 1180-1170 BC time frame. I'm learning a lot of stuff, and every now and then a name will drop that I'm familiar with. It's also interesting to hear how the various Bible stories come into play in world history - scant (ie: no) evidence of the miracles or nomadic life, but the people and cities are all accounted for.
What's amazing to me is that there was a world economy and world-wide trade happening ~3000 years ago. The same things we're dealing with today were also dealt with ~3000 years ago. Nothing changes!
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:15 PM ^
Too many tooks will spoil the broth, but they fill our hearts with so much so much looooove
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
Too Many Cooks was one of the best sketches on Adult Swim. It goes absolutely sideways and annoys the hell out of most people due to the endless repetition. I have been banned from playing it in the house.
August 23rd, 2023 at 2:06 PM ^
If you like "Too Many Cooks," you should check out "Unedited Footage of a Bear." It's strange and deeply unsettling, but in a way that I find oddly hilarious. I would go into more detail, but I think it's better if you go in sight unseen.
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:20 PM ^
I have updated my 2023 MGoBlog music playlists with the songs from this episode - here are the links:
-
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/2023-mgoblog-music/pl.u-11z0ofMkqvL
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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2a7Hw0FHtgqw351LwW8wPz?si=8690043244a24050
Go Blue! Free Harbaugh!
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:27 PM ^
I don't expect a massive leap from JJ, but firing a Greg Roman disciple can only improve our passing game.
August 23rd, 2023 at 1:09 PM ^
i do. i think he'll be in the heisman conversation.
August 23rd, 2023 at 5:20 PM ^
Michigan will run it too much. Unless it's some Gino Torretta logic--QB on the best team. Corum is the better Heisman candidate.
August 24th, 2023 at 6:26 AM ^
we’re not talking about corum, but corum is already a heisman candidate, in any case. mccarthy might not make it to new york, but there will be chatter in the national press about him as a dark horse.
August 24th, 2023 at 10:36 AM ^
I think JJ can potentially play to a Heisman level, but we're not going to use him enough to get him there. There's going to be a ton of days where we sit on the playbook, primarily run the ball, and JJ has less than 20 attempts. That's not getting you to New York
August 24th, 2023 at 4:41 PM ^
well, it's a good thing i didn't suggest he would get there, then.
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
There's a weird rustling/clanging sound in the background (at least in the first 10 minutes where I am at). Am I crazy?
August 23rd, 2023 at 2:10 PM ^
It sounds like somebody tapping their water bottle or mug near the microphone. It doesn't really bother me, but I imagine those who have some form of misophonia would be driven nuts by it.
August 23rd, 2023 at 2:20 PM ^
I came here to mention the same thing. It’s not the first time I’ve heard it. To me it sounds like one of those bendy straws when you expand it. It’s gotta be one of the guys playing with something.
August 23rd, 2023 at 6:20 PM ^
It sounds like someone is playing a game of pong in the background. More pronounced when I have my airpods in. I do have misophonia but will still gratefully devour every second of the podcast. It is the only time I have ever noticed it personally on an MGoPod.
August 23rd, 2023 at 6:35 PM ^
Someone is playing with their mic or shaking their table with the mic on it.
I’ve had to stop listening to their podcasts before and gave up on this one for this very reason
August 24th, 2023 at 7:32 AM ^
Agreed, it’s a mic. Sounds like someone wearing Apple corded headphones with the gain turned up, so that every time that person moves his head the mic picks up the rustle.
I love the blog and loved this pod. But … oy.
August 25th, 2023 at 6:23 AM ^
Dammit. I fixed this a few times before. It's the wand on one of the mics that creaks when it interacts with Brian's hair. When I can get some silicone spray in there it fixes it but we can't hear it while recording.
August 24th, 2023 at 9:43 AM ^
You're not crazy - it appears in most of their podcasts. I always assumed it was somebody tapping their mouse on the table or looking things up in their copious notes. It makes me nuts, but power through for the amazing content.
August 24th, 2023 at 11:56 AM ^
It's Brian's hair, according to Seth. He won't pull it back, so it hits his mic.
One day Seth needs to lock that man in a car and make him listen to the podcast so he knows how infuriating that sound is.
August 24th, 2023 at 1:01 PM ^
Once you hear it, you can't stop noticing it. It really distracts from the entire show.
August 24th, 2023 at 3:13 PM ^
Fire Borges.
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
beat me to it!
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:45 PM ^
IT’S HAPPENING
August 23rd, 2023 at 1:04 PM ^
you beat me to it, too!
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:53 PM ^
I came for the Campbell Soup. Not the…is that, Lord of The Rings?
August 24th, 2023 at 7:37 AM ^
And did anyone else catch Brian’s mention that a player on another team is just an NPC (non-player character) in his world?
So, when are we convening MGoBlogCon? Brian can bring his +3 Rapier of Witty Self-Loathing, and Seth can wield the +2 Staff of Sunny Optimism.
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
I can only base this off of the teams that I have seen, but the 2000 Michigan offense was really special. That offensive line was incredible, you had a talented, mobile QB in Henson and the trio of Anthony Thomas, David Terrell and Marquise Walker was as good as any trio I have seen at Michigan. What they lacked in a dynamic pass catching TE in Loveland and a second all-american caliber RB in Edwards (and that 2000 offense was still good at those spots), I think that WR duo of Terrell and Walker more than made up for it. David Terrell was a special player.
August 23rd, 2023 at 6:14 PM ^
I'd put in a word for 1999. An offense with Tom Brady as a senior at QB? Yes please! The only thing holding them back was play calling, and one damn thing after another.
August 24th, 2023 at 9:32 AM ^
With 5 NFL offensive lineman (one a hall of famer), Tom Brady, David Terrell, Marquise Walker, and Anthony Thomas. Aaron Shea was no slouch at tight end/H back. They averaged 3.2 ypc and it's not even that dramatically altered by sacks. A-Train averaged 4.3.
Mike DeBord was comically bad. This is Jane Coaston's personal hobbyhorse and she's totally right.
In 2000 with Stan Parrish (not exactly a genius) all the numbers went way up with mostly the same personnel a year older (except Brady --> Henson). Like a 50% increase in ypc!
August 24th, 2023 at 7:45 AM ^
Yes, the Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul that was the RichRod-Hoke era obscures some of those really, really good offenses of the past. Grbac-Howard 1992. Brady-Henson 1999. Henne-Hart 2006. There were some teams with great elements at one position or other along the way.
But I’ve got to agree with the guys. Focusing just on offense, and considering the breadth and depth of talent—this team has the most potential on offense of any Michigan team I’ve seen since I’ve been following them (1987 to present).
Just keep JJ healthy.
August 24th, 2023 at 12:03 PM ^
Yeah, 2000 was the first one that come to mind for me also. Otherwise one of the Gary Moeller offenses with Grbac, Wheatley, Derrick Alexander, Tony McGee, Desmond, et. al. plus bad-ass offensive lines.
August 24th, 2023 at 1:04 PM ^
I was coming on to say the 2000 team was the only offense that I'd compare to this team in the modern era. 2000 Henson i'd say was equal to estimated 2023 JJ, and for fit in a college offense, healthy A-Train / Terrell / Walker was a great combo. Look at the games they lost that year-- UCLA on the road when Henson was hurt, and two absolutely bonkers games against Drew Brees-led Purdue and the Northwestern night game where Henson put up 300 yds passing and only lost because of shitty defense and A-Train fumbling. The bowl game against Auburn was an absolute smoke show on offense, and they blew the doors off of Ohio State.
August 24th, 2023 at 1:42 PM ^
I was at that Northwestern game. Pretty sure it took a good two or three years off my lifespan. Ahhhhh how do you score 51 points against Northwestern and lose!
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
AHHHHHH ITS STARTING AHHHHHHH
August 23rd, 2023 at 1:17 PM ^
FWIW Bitdefender is blocking me from accessing page 2 on my desktop and any of the comments. Said the reason was “hate speech” - what the hell are you guys talking about anyways?
August 23rd, 2023 at 1:58 PM ^
OHHOWIHATEOHIOSTATE
August 23rd, 2023 at 2:01 PM ^
You.
August 23rd, 2023 at 1:26 PM ^
Thanks guys
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