Why should we be optimistic about 2018 M football?
I am trying to stay positive about the 2018 football season. However, through no fault of my own, I was flipping around & came across BTN Football in 60 & they're showing the IU game from last year. OMG! This is a real stinker!
I have a gift for selective memory. I easily delete from my memory bad things. Which is why I have no memory of this game.
We are playing terribly. Terrible offense. Mediocre defense. Suspect coaching. We look confused, undisciplined, unfocused. There is only 1:05 to go & we are only up 3 to a bad Indiana team. We just committed another bad penalty. IU is driving on our "great" defense. They just tied it to go to OT.
So, with the brutal schedule this year, why should we be optimistic? Help me here. I'm always optimistic about our team but watching this game just have me a jolt! HELP!!
April 14th, 2018 at 11:30 PM ^
April 16th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
I tried too...It didn't work. Damn you neg button!
April 14th, 2018 at 11:39 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:02 PM ^
point in his career, and with him I think we're winning 9. probably 10. Some people just inherit the swag that goes with superior athletic DNA and that's why he was voted greatest qb in the history of CO h.s. football. He'll be ready to lead the team, if needed.
This is great because I might be talking about the 3rd string qb. There's every reason to believe Peters is going to make the jump Harbaugh is expecting and probably thought he'd get from him last year. He is playing for his football future because Harbaugh has been totally honest with him; therefore he knows this to be true. If he responds in the manner I anticipate, I think he's the backup if Shea is granted his eligibility. The OL is better, wr corps substantially better, making qb better as well and the RBs, who have improved each year, continue the growth and will break 2000 yds between two of them. That side of the ball will show great improvement.
This side of the line, already featuring 3 or 4 of the best players in the country is, like the offense, going to take a major step forward due to maturity, in this case physically as well, making an already truly elite athletically gifted squad much, much better. Thomas is going to add more than many think and Bush will be Bush. That is good on its own. Add in your leaders, which are your two DEs, of course, and a fellow named Furbush and an AA lber and hey, this D will just be as nasty as any in the country and teams will play afraid of them for good reason. They play clean but on my they are going to hurt people. That type of speed coupled with that strength and , well you get the picture. Good times this year my friends, good times.
April 14th, 2018 at 10:04 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:49 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:50 PM ^
April 15th, 2018 at 12:12 AM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:07 PM ^
If the offense is anything more than that (which I don’t expect), this is a playoff caliber-team. This is a national title caliber defense led by the best goddamn DC in America.
All depends on what Warriner can do in one offseason. If he can work some magic, sky’s the limit. If next season is more of the same, we’re in store for 8-4 or 9-3 and a guaranteed seventh straight loss to OSU.
If we want to beat OSU, the defense has to maintain the status quo, the OL has to be at least average against a good defense, and Patterson has to be who his recruiting ranking says he is. And even then we need some luck. A turnover or two, or Gary burying Haskins in his own blood.
April 14th, 2018 at 10:48 PM ^
You're a troll.
Fuck off.
April 14th, 2018 at 10:15 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:19 PM ^
Or Brady? Depends on which side of that fence you were on.
April 14th, 2018 at 10:51 PM ^
In Henson's entire career he threw for 2631 yards at 7.5 ypa. He threw for 22 touchdowns to 7 intercpetions at a 55.8 completion percentage. In his best season, he threw for a 60.4% completion percentage.
Shea, in 10 games, has thrown for 3139 yards at 8.0 ypa. He has thrown for 23 touchdowns to 12 interceptions at a 60.7 completion percentage.
Henson's best season he had a rating of 152.7. In Shea's last season he had a rating of 151.5
In fact, if Shea had played for Michigan last season he probably would have ended up having the best season a QB has had at Michigan in the last 20+ years. And Shea is now a year older and still has two seasons left to play if he decides to stick around. There is a reason why he is projected to potentially be the top pick in the draft. The potential and hype is most certainly there, now let's see what actually happens on the field.
April 14th, 2018 at 10:17 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:23 PM ^
The OL will be better. I predict much better. Dare I say playoff contender? I won't. But I did say it if it happens. So it will. I think. Well who the fuck knows?
April 14th, 2018 at 10:27 PM ^
Top 10 staff
Shea will be All B1G along with Ruiz and Bredeson
Gary/Winovich best combo in the country
CB's are elite
WR/TE corp (Top 3 in B1G)
April 14th, 2018 at 10:42 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:52 PM ^
Dumbass
April 14th, 2018 at 10:53 PM ^
OL, we would be national champions. But I think we'll go 10-2. Probably lose @ OSU. ND, UW, PSU and MSU will be toss up games, probably lose one of these.
April 14th, 2018 at 11:33 PM ^
But how is the kicking game (incl. punting) coming along?
/s but not actually /s
April 14th, 2018 at 10:32 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:53 PM ^
He was an impact player at center. Him at tackle always felt a bit forced and muted his impat. But even then, that's 2 guys you lose. It was still a very young team and a lot of that talent is returning.
April 14th, 2018 at 10:35 PM ^
I'm always optimistic going into every year. I guess I had erased that game from my memory & was taken aback by the overall mediocrity at all levels. I just needed some reassurance & thanks. I just hope we all have realistic expectations. This could be the best Harbaugh team yet & with our ridiculous schedule, still lose 2-3 games.
I will be at every game in Section 2 & at the Wolverine Little House before & after! Can't wait! GO BLUE!!
Though I'm not that poster. Actually, I have never posted on any blog other than this one. God knows why I post on this one! Lol
I have three Harry Chiti baseball cards. Tigers, Cubs & Kansas City A's. The comment on all three is the same. "A good handler of pitchers." Priceless. Can't make this shit up.
So, the Reader's Digest version of 227 replies is we should be optimistic because of a player who is waiting on the NCAA to decide whether he will even be allowed to play. And this is the NCAA that these same bloggers repeatedly maintain is incompetent, corrupt, and anti-Michigan.
Got it! I feel much better now!
Now, to celebrate my first ever onslaught of downvotes, a Xanax washed down with a New Holland Mad Hatter chased by a double shot of El Tesoro!!
LIFE IS GOOD! IT'S GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!!
April 14th, 2018 at 10:36 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:55 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:39 PM ^
Watching the key plays on the Amazon Documentary taught me one thing...DO NOT GIVE THE BALL TO MCKEON IN CRITICAL TIMES OF THE GAME.
MSU...Fumble at midfield when driving at the end of the 1st half.
OSU...Drop at critical drive to start the 2nd half
Bowl Game...Somehow he's the running back and he fumbles.
More Gentry, Eubanks, and Wheatley...LESS MCKEON PLEASE
April 14th, 2018 at 10:59 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 11:25 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 10:42 PM ^
Last year was slightly, and only slightly, worse than we should have expected.
There was a reason that 2016 opened with most of us, including fearless leader Brian, saying "this is The Year." It was a talented and experience-laden squad that was primed for success, and looking at an experience cliff in 2017.
2017 was always going to be a rebuilding year, with many of the crucial roles filled by Harbaugh's first classes of recruits. An experienced Maurice Hurst anchored an otherwise diaper-laden defense, and we were guaranteed to be relying upon a couple of true sophomore (and, as it turns out, later a true freshman) guards and a bunch of kids at receiver.
The OL was shaky and the QB position was a real disappointment. Average QB play wins MSU and South Carolina easily, and right there you have a 10-3 season. Small margins. A rebuilding year.
From that team, we've lost our center, a tackle, two fullbacks, two of our QBs (it's never good when you have three guys starting multiple games in a season), Maurice Hurst, and Mike McCray.
Of those, we are going to miss: Maurice Hurst.
Literally everything else projects to be the same or an upgrade. Ruiz and Dwumfour are getting big-time hype. The interior OL should be terrific. The receivers are getting proper coaching, and should make significant leaps. QB will either be a modest upgrade (DCaf/Peters winner, of which I project McCaffrey to be the better player) or a big upgrade (Shea).
In short, the offense will be significantly better. Perhaps excellent, perhaps just good, but a huge step up.
The defense was one of the top units in the nation for the entirety of last season. Sure, there were times when things didn't go great, but literally EVERY defense in football has games like that in today's college football. Yes, even Bama and Clemson (remember how Clemson got sliced up by Syracuse last year? Yeah).
We will have a top 2 defense next season. They're going to devour everyone.
If Shea is eligible and the real deal, and our OL congeals, we're going to be dominant. A poor OL or an ineligible Shea reduces things a bit, and we'll have a tough schedule, but this team is still going to be waaaaay better than last year's.
It's on schedule. Now, if Harbaugh can bring in the recruits this year, we can keep the schedule moving.
April 14th, 2018 at 10:48 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 11:18 PM ^
April 14th, 2018 at 11:50 PM ^
Also, coached by Chris Partridge, will be a clear upgrade.