After this game, is Brandon Peters still the favorite to start next season?
This post is not about the coaching in today's game. I want to solely focus on Brandon Peters and whether or not he is still considered the favorite to start against Notre Dame next season.
Before today I was firmly in the "Peters will win the job" camp. I liked how he played in his limited time this season and watched enough Shea Patterson highlights to know that his game relied on improv and a bit of luck. However after watching the game today, I'm immediately changing my stance. Peters was very innacurate today. He made some good throws here and there, but many of his passes were either a little off or completely off. He also looked very unsure of himself at times, very indecisive. You cannot be a good quarterback at this level with that kind of innaccuracy and indecision. Also, and this is just how it appears to me, he seems a little too soft... I mean he left the game for one play because someone poked him in the eye... really. I have a hard time believing that he needed to come off the field. He also doesn't seem to shake off hits very well, laying on the ground for extended periods of time, which leads me to believe that he gets rattled easily and may have played into his indecision today.
Shea was largely an improvisational QB at Ole Miss but, considering the quality of Michigan's offensive line, that might be exactly what this team needs. I'm watching the UCF/Auburn game right now and Auburn is getting a ton of pressure on McKenzie Milton but they can't get to him because of his ability to avoid the rush and throw on the run (with some weird Matthew Stafford esque arm angles). Shea has a similar ability to make plays when the play breaks down. It's one of the reasons why he was considered a five star QB coming out of high school.
It's a long off season and anything can happen, but as of right now my money is on Shea Patterson winning the starting QB job over Brandon Peters.
EDIT: I thought that if I posed my question in a thought provoking way with some evidence to back up my opinion I might get some equally interesting comments. I can see I was wrong. All I've created here is more bile. I was foolish and I apologize for contributing to the poison infecting the board. It appears that even though this site is dedicated to a university as intelligent and respected as Michigan, this is still the internet.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:37 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 7:26 PM ^
Precisely. "Two Minutes of Film." Watch a full game of him and not just the broken play highlight plays.
I mean, I'm hoping as well, but I just don't think its a savior coming in ready to go.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:37 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^
the problem is the OC playcalling.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^
I didn't read your thesis, but I am assuming your question was "Is Brandon Peters still the favorite to start the bus next season?" Cause he sure as shit is not the favorite to start at QB.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:40 PM ^
Peters should be better than this?
I mean, MSU and IU etc bring in 3* kids that easily out perform this mess we saw today
Perhaps too many variables but still.
Peters can still be a solid back up
January 1st, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^
Just no
January 1st, 2018 at 4:39 PM ^
No, and if Shea is illegible it has to be McCaffrey. It cannot be the noodle-armed, indecisive, immobile, lock on to your #1 receiver Brandon Peters. He is Wilton Speight 2.0, at best.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:39 PM ^
I still believe he can be really good, even though he seemed so passionless today. I think Shea will win because he can run, he'll probably throw a bunch of INTs, but he can also make a lot of plays out of nothing and our oline is horrible and will be horrible again next year. I think the talent is there, I just don't know if the emotional/mental aspect is there yet. If Shea starts, unless he's amazing, he'll probably stay for a second year, so I think this was the last game we'll see Peters play in.
January 1st, 2018 at 5:06 PM ^
Totally aside from whether he was making good decisions or good throws (or not), this is what was really noticeable to me today. He plays with no obvious, palpable fire or physical intensity, and between plays he seems extremely unexcited, like he's taking part in a spring conditioning drill. The contrast between that demeanor and how Harbaugh played is mind-boggling.
Sure, it might not matter if he had a running game that was worth a shit, but as long as the QB is expected to be a dominant Alpha-level factor in Harbaugh's offense and not just a guy who hands the ball off 40 times a game, then I'm far from convinced Peters is that guy.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:40 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:41 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:42 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:42 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:42 PM ^
The next Andrew Luck.....
January 1st, 2018 at 4:45 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:46 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:47 PM ^
Problem with Peters:
1) indecisive
2) looks at his primary target for 3 seconds and doesn't look at any other target
3) release is way too slow
4) doesn't seem awake
5) lacks confidence--stands hunched over
6) soft.
7) he may transfer. what a dud.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:48 PM ^
He didn't seem comfortable out there. Much more of a statue in the pocket than I remembered from the regular season. He's got eight months to go but he looked like a backup trying to fill in today, not a starter.
January 1st, 2018 at 5:08 PM ^
Yep. If every game is an audition, this one did not go well.
January 1st, 2018 at 5:27 PM ^
Mostly because it's true :(
January 1st, 2018 at 6:21 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:51 PM ^
Maybe more of a hell no.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:52 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:53 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:54 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 7:53 PM ^
Not an O'korn fan but when he came in for a play and completed a pass I was hoping he would stay in. Never expected that reaction.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:55 PM ^
I have to say no. It was 3 and 1, he took off running and slid short of the 1st down with defenders far away from him.
I understand he is a freshman and will improve but if McAffrey or Patterson a better options, play them.
January 1st, 2018 at 5:20 PM ^
Still should have tried to stop the clock w/ a 1st down.
http://www.espn.com/college-football/playbyplay?gameId=400953410
January 1st, 2018 at 4:57 PM ^
UCF’s QB looked confident, fast, and accurate against an Auburn team with far more talented recruits. We just need to be done with the low mobility, poor decision making QBs. Even Speight didn’t inspire confidence. Something went terribly wrong this season as all 3 of our starting QBs looked absolutely awful.
Peters does look soft. His throws today were wildly inaccurate for the most part, even when he was not under pressure. He held the ball too long, couldn’t convert a 4th and 1 to keep the game alive, and just generally gave me no hope that the team will be better with him at the helm.
Patterson, McAffrey, or Milton have to be the future. Peters just doesn’t have it for this level. Some guys just can’t make the jump from High School success to the P5 college level. All 3 of our qbs in 2017 seemed to look inept, so maybe we need something completely different. I miss Denard
January 2nd, 2018 at 8:24 AM ^
Kevin Doyle is also a QB commitment this year. Idk why 80% of the fanbase completely forgets about him but he looks to be extremely underrated and has a promising future. With Milton's college completion percentage and how raw he is I think Doyle has as much of a chance of starting as Milton.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:57 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 4:58 PM ^
LOL. No.
He was never going to start anyway after they brought Shea in. I don't know why people thought that. The staff clearly doesn't trust him.
January 1st, 2018 at 4:58 PM ^
Patterson has to be in the driver's seat as of this moment. Peters was not very good. He had decent protection and time to throw on most drop backs.
January 1st, 2018 at 5:10 PM ^
Folks, how on earth can you watch today's game and even remotely believe that Brandon Peter's will lead Michigan to the Big Ten championship as a QB??? Come on man. Shea Patterson is very very good and if he is not eligible next year then Michigan loses 6 games easy. Secondly. Harbaugh needs to get rid of Pep Hamilton and make Drevno the OL coach ONLY. Harbaugh needs to be the ONLY person calling plays OR hire a full time proven OC. If he don't, Don Brown is going to get tired of his shit and take his ass back to the Cape in retirement. The defense is on the field for 75 snaps per game. Losing to Will Muschamp who was fired at Florida and a South Carolina team that is not very good is embarassing. Amani Toomer was right with his rant. 7 Million dollars????? Who cares about Rome. Jordans or anything else. Stay out of Washington politics and stay at home and teach FUNDAMENTALS!!!! then talk shit after you beat Meyer and Dantonio
January 1st, 2018 at 4:59 PM ^
No, he was never the favorite -- it was always Patterson. Peters performed in line with everything we've seen from him. I have no idea why anyone thought he was the favorite. Sorry OP, you literally had zero reason to have him over Patterson.
January 1st, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
To bad as I was pulling for him, but after today's performance he is playing scared and has no concept of a audible or looking off a DB! Sad to say but he will never QB a game for us again unless there is a injury
January 1st, 2018 at 5:01 PM ^
This offense is worse than it was in Sept and will not be effective next year without substantial player and coaching improvement.
We do not make plays, SC made plays against a very tough defense. Looked like Mich scout team offense.
January 1st, 2018 at 5:02 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 5:03 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 5:30 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 5:09 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 5:15 PM ^
January 1st, 2018 at 5:19 PM ^
Peters has some issues, But it's not all on him. The offensive line at times looks like it's a giant block of swiss cheese. Recievers seem to have trouble getting open when the O-line does decide to pass block. The offense in general is anemic. So just playing musical chairs at the QB position won't fix the problem.
As of now I am officially on the "Tim Drevno needs to go" bandwagon.