6-0 start: Once every five years (& Content request)

"Better than MIke Hart" is a high bar.. high enough where I wouldn't give that title to anyone, until it's backed up by more than a half-season of carries.   Corum definitely has the opportunity/talent to do it though

RB: Hart (2006) + fast = Corum (2021)

2016 Speight before the hit against Iowa was playing very well.    That having been said, might have been a very different season in 2016 if we’d had a freshman backup like McCarthy ready to come in post Speight injury.   I can see giving the nod to Speight over McNamara, but I would definitely take this years two deep.

IMO, the Bell injury and Worthy decommit have affected how people are feeling about the QB situation vs 2016. Darboh, Chesson, and Butt would do wonders for everyone's perception of Cade. It's not like Wilton Speight was going to do anything in the run game or had overwhelming arm strength.

I would say I was much more confident in the Passing Game in 2016 than 2021 but I think Cade is a better QB than Speight. Darboh, Chesson, Perry and Butt are way better than Johnson, Baldwin, Sainristil, and All. The only upgrade of this passing game is Corum is a much better receiver out of the backfield than the 2016 backs (mainly because they didn’t use Evans enough in that role)

Ehhhhh…I would put this a notch above the 2011 defense. I would put Dax Hill and Hutch over anyone on 2011 as individual playmakers (even as good as Kovacs and Martin played). I would obviously give the nod for interior DL to 2011 with Martin and Van Bergen, DE’s a big edge to this years group, LB’s a slight edge to this years group because I believe they are faster and more athletic than the Desmond Morgans of the world and about equal in run fits, safeties a slight edge to this years group b/c senior Brad Hawkins is about equal to Junior level Kovacs (don’t forget how bad safeties were with RRod so our comparison to what we were used to in 2011 was skewed), outside CB’s are probably close to equal, although I think this years group is better at run fits, and Dax Hill is far above any DB on 2011 team.
 

As far a coordiantors I’d have to obviously give the nod to Greg Mattison, but I believe MacDonald could end up with a better trajectory and is way more creative with confusing opposing offenses. 
 

Also 2011 was in a notoriously down period for the BiG10 (that year with FickellOSU), especially in the “having several good QB’s” dept. We dodged having to play against Russell Wilson fortunately. I remember the discussion about how surprised we were with the success of our pass defense in 2011 when in reality we basically faced no very good throwing QB’s outside of Kirk Cousins who obviously beat us, and I also recall dropping a stupid game to Iowa that year on the road. 
 

edit: I may say 2011 LB’s closer to a wash with this year as I forgot about Jake Ryan (how dare I), but still much more athletic this year and each player with a higher upside than Ryan I think. 
 

All three defenses, 2006, 2011, and 2016 were all flashier/with proven senior playmakers

For what it's worth: Hutch and Hill should qualify as flashy+proven senior defensive play makers

I was a senior in 2011. After 3 years of Rich Rod, I felt great 

I remember in 2016 thinking we were going to be national champs. I remember in 2006 thinking we were going to be national champs. I think our 7th game in 2011 was against Sparty. It didn't go well, and RR had gotten off to fast starts in 2009 and 2010 that fell flat against Sparty before everything sorta crumbled from there, so I was decidedly in BPONE back before we were calling it that. In both 2016 and 2006 I wasn't too worried about Sparty - maybe because of bad juju in 2016 but in 2006 we were just removed from Braylonfest and an OT win in 2005. The bad juju went the other way, including the Little Brother game in 2007.

FWIW this isn't 2009 or 2010 - where we had desperate escapes against Indiana, and UMass in 2010, and the D was an absolute sieve. While we have flaws, this team is a good team, and deserves the comparisons to the 3 best seasons since our last Big Ten title. (2016 was SO snakebit. That crew was so good. Losing 3 games by 2 regulation points is so...college football)

Our OL and RB talent is better and deeper now than in 2016.

Eh, I think if Bell doesn't get injured I think I would take 21' receivers. I also think the offensive line is better than 16'. 16' O-line was still prone to more mental mistakes than this years group imo. RB is probably the best of any of the teams as Haskins gives you pretty much everything D. smith did and then some, plus an electric back like Corum which the '16 team lacked and a 5* freshman that actually looks like a 5* RB. 

The 16' Defense is nearly unmatched by any Michigan team the past two decades with 06' being the only competition. They were a real joy to watch having experienced and elite talent + depth at pretty much every level. The D-line was full of NFL players and the back seven was loaded to. 

…and did Wilton overtake any ass in 2016?

Baldwin drops alot of passes, though.

On one of the deep balls to Johnson he didn’t even jump up for it. This allowed the trailing DB to knock the ball away. Compare Braylon in Braylonfest versus this group of WRs. It’s like they’re playing a different game.

Prior to Michigan, Baldwin had 57 receptions in 28 games. They play good football in the SWAC, but it’s not the Big 10. He was brought in for depth. He’s been given more playing time because of injuries. He’s not an all Big-10 caliber receiver (not 1st, 2nd, or 3rd teams, maybe HM if he starts getting more receptions in the upcoming notable games).

While it's a tongue-n-cheek comment, RR was hired in 2008. And Big Ten was divided into Leaders and Legends. I think those have something to do with this cycle as well. 

A few things in Michigan's favor this year:

1.  It's a home game.  If the game was in Columbus they wouldn't have a chance.

2.  This defensive scheme seems like the perfect match to OSU's offense.  Just hoping the players can execute when the time comes.

3.  Based on what you've written in your comment, Michigan is due for a victory.

So what you're saying is we are undefeated at home vs OSU when we start 6-0

this is... sobering.  I might need to temper my expectations for the back half of the season a bit.  

I remember him being really friggin good. Maybe it's just because those 2008-2009 teams were so putrid that every half decent player looked like a good to me but I can't remember him every gaining less than at least a yard even on those crappy Olines.