Interviews with Speight & O'korn
Watching both of these interviews have kind of change my perception of the QB battle. I've been in the club that has thought it would be Speight starting ever since the QB battle talk started. I think he is a much better player than most people on the board give him credit for.
Having said that, O'Korn seems to be very confident with himself right now. Based on these interviews alone, I would say O'Korn has the edge. Obviously basing everything off an interview isn't the most solid strategy, but watch for yourself. I have a strange feeling we might actually have a starting QB not named Speight or Peters.
Links:
EDIT: I shared this because these are good interviews on a slow day. I'm not predicting O'Korn starts because of this interview. I was just elaborating on a hunch I got after watching. O'Korn did OK during the Indiana game in his first start in gusting winds and snow. After watching the spring game, he looked good in the few reps he got. So the hunch is coming from a variety of things. Some guys on here need to live by the wise words of my late grandmother: "Stop being a f*cking dick!"
August 16th, 2017 at 9:43 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 9:57 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 9:46 PM ^
Here's clip of Devin Bush Jr. as well.
August 16th, 2017 at 9:48 PM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 1:58 AM ^
That leads to my question which is how many people commenting thinking it is 100% Speight were more than confident that Okorn would be the starting QB last year.
August 17th, 2017 at 8:31 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 12:17 PM ^
Steve Lorenz (sp?) posted something on here after fall camp opened saying Peters/Speight was going to be more of a battle than it was last year for the starting QB job. I asked him how much of a battle it was year. He replied that it wasn't much of a battle last year. Speight won the job early in fall camp.
August 17th, 2017 at 8:45 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 9:53 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 9:57 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 10:03 PM ^
It's amazing what a couple years of good coaching can do for someone.
August 16th, 2017 at 10:16 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 10:20 PM ^
First off, just because they are coached by the same person doesn't mean they will develop at exactly the same pace.
Secondly, Pep isn't the same guy that coached them last year. He's been in since spring, and some would say that Pep's style compliments John's game more than it does Wilton's. John himself said that Pep has been a godsend.
August 16th, 2017 at 11:12 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 11:29 PM ^
I am definitely pro-Speight. He gets way too much hate on this blog for no reason. I'm just pointing out that sometimes it just clicks with players. O'Korn has been known to have better physical tools than Speight. It's not very far fetched to talk about him possibly being the starter after getting his head right.
Having said that, I still think Speight will be the starter.
August 17th, 2017 at 12:45 AM ^
John Navarre would probably not be everyone's favorite. I think Wilton will improve but I don't think he will be an elite QB but may be the best in the B1G. Wilton still leads in experience and skills and I expect him to start and remain the starter, unless he gets injured. It's great that O'Korn has made big improvements, we need a good backup ready to lead the team.
August 17th, 2017 at 8:33 AM ^
Navarre is at the top of the heap for most maligned Michigan player ever, especially relative to his production.
August 17th, 2017 at 1:17 AM ^
Two interceptions, one being a pick six and fumbling the ball at the two yard line in the main game of the year will do that to people. Okorn adds another dimension to the game and is the type of QB Hamilton would prefer especially in college football. Okorn runs a 4.4 forty and would put a lot more pressure on a defense, of course he needs to deliver the ball also. Barrett beat us again with his legs, is a Heisman candidate and probably won't be drafted IMO. Don't know who the QB will be but always said to myself watch out for Okorn and wouldn't it be funny if while everyone is thinking it's a Speight vs. Peters battle out trots Okorn for the first snap against Florida. That is pure Harbaugh and with Hamilton in his ear don't be surprised if the QB situation takes on a strange twist. Of course it could just be Speight and that is why this year is going to be fun with so many battles. I can't say I have a favorite as I think they are both good guys who both will play this year.
August 17th, 2017 at 2:04 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 6:09 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 6:29 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 8:36 AM ^
I'm sure there are some really really fast 6'3" white QBs out there too that would take offense.
Let's just say for someone to come on here and claim in front of all of us dialed in, die-hard wolverine fans and say that John O'korn runs a 4.4/40....well...he must've been having some major delusions.
August 17th, 2017 at 8:28 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 9:46 AM ^
He ran a 4.43 at the combine
August 17th, 2017 at 1:58 PM ^
I would expect O'Korn to probably run around the 4.9-5 range in the 40. Saying he has 4.4 speed is ridiculous.. he would be the fastest most athletic QB in the country. That he is not.
August 17th, 2017 at 4:52 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 8:11 AM ^
Speight will start due to his experience despite the fact O'Korn runs a 4.4 and can throw a football through a keyhole at 80 yards. BUT if Speight stalls some drives early on I expect to see O'Korn get his chance.
August 17th, 2017 at 8:47 AM ^
O'Korn's progress will not have any factor in who Harbaugh sends out for the first offensive snap against Florida. It is 100% Speight, without a doubt........but his leash is going to be a lot shorter.
August 17th, 2017 at 9:16 AM ^
Not true. If there's one thing we know about Harbaugh and his QB choice, it's that he picks his starter and rolls with him as long as he can. The winner will not have a short leash.
August 17th, 2017 at 8:22 AM ^
there were no periods.
August 17th, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^
get a bad rap for the pick 6 against OSU. The ball was being released to an open receiver. A defensive player got a piece of the ball and it went off course into a hairlessnut's hands for the TD.
August 17th, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
the oline and running back completely blew the blitz pick up on that play. The LB came up the middle untouched.
August 17th, 2017 at 11:48 AM ^
We all agree these interviews indicate very little about who is ahead in this race. Having watched both, I thought WS was more mature and confident. He sounded like the older QB. As Sam said earlier in the week, he just looks the Alpha on this team.
I agree JOK sounds more confident and seems happier, but those are relative to the guy who wasn't happy, and by his own admission had confidence issues. Also, if his growth includes recognizing protections and understanding them, that is a very low bar for our hopes of who will lead this team.
Both have likely made strides, but I hope it is WS. His ceiling this year should be higher than the other two, and I hope his "leap" from year 1 to year 2 makes it more possible. I think ya gotta like the QB room in Schembechler hall as a whole better than any other B1G team.
August 17th, 2017 at 9:44 AM ^
O'Korn has more career starts and passing yardage, it's not like this guy hasn't played the game at a high level and maybe he's had a break through with the coaching he's received.
August 17th, 2017 at 10:00 AM ^
Well considering O'korn has had two years as a starting QB to Speights one I sure as shit would hope he has more passing yards. Those stats also came against Houston competition, I'm pretty sure Speight would have had a better season if MD was one of the top defenses on the schedule.
August 17th, 2017 at 10:09 AM ^
he played in a QB friendly offense, Air-Raid, which makes his numbers worse in comparsion.
August 17th, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 12:02 AM ^
Posts like these are funny, as if any of us actually intently watched Houston football or paid attention to what was going on in that program.
August 17th, 2017 at 7:16 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 9:19 AM ^
he had fluctuating consonants.
August 17th, 2017 at 9:35 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
I assumed he was referring to early season Jake Ruddddddock
August 17th, 2017 at 1:25 PM ^
I gotta say, if he chooses O'Korn, who has had little success in the past 3 seasons, over an incumbent QB with a history of success last year, O'Korn had better produce. Because that decision is going to be scrutinized HARD if they lose out of the gates.
August 16th, 2017 at 9:53 PM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 8:36 AM ^
100% chance unless... equates to less than 100% chance.
August 16th, 2017 at 9:59 PM ^
but I don't think interviews are an indication of who's starting.
August 16th, 2017 at 10:03 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 10:08 PM ^
But I think I acknowledged how this isn't the most solid strategy in guessing the QB. I shared because they were good interviews with good information. Me saying that I have a weird feeling O'Korn will start is nothing more than a weird feeling.
I had no such feeling before watching these interviews, and I think it's still 80% chance going to be Speight FWIW.
August 16th, 2017 at 11:21 PM ^
You're saying Speight is the starter UNLESS(!) he isn't. So you knew it all along and got it right.
Yet somehow you've turned this into a conversation. Embrace debate, anyone?
August 16th, 2017 at 11:33 PM ^
I didn't think their was much of a competition before seeing these interviews, and now I'm convinced that the coach speak that we've been hearing my be a little more than just that. I'm not one of those guys that says "See guys! I got it right back in fall camp!!!" All I'm saying is that the competition seems to be real, and it could swing in O'Korn's favor.