After this game, is Brandon Peters still the favorite to start next season?

Submitted by NotADuck on

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.

johnnyg

January 1st, 2018 at 5:41 PM ^

The OL has to protect the QB (no hospital visits).  WRs have to get open, (UM's leading receiver is a TE),  On QB... It's a shit show... a big time program like UM can't recruit a QB?  

What is UM doing to solve these problems? The OL has sucked for years.

Are these freshman WRs going to be better next year?

I don't want to hate on a player but Peters is not the answer.

 

It seems we get top 20 recruiting classes every year.  Why can't we challenge for a conference championship.

Imjesayin

January 1st, 2018 at 5:51 PM ^

Please, OP stop the pearl clutching. You knew our answers to your question notwithstanding your transparent attempt to add something substantive to the post. Peters is a choker. He is soft and lacks confidence. He is not a winner at this level. Grab a clipboard, son. You blew it.

gobluedore

January 1st, 2018 at 5:52 PM ^

Not saying he can’t go out and win it, but he’s definitely not a favorite!! He looked terrible today. He was starring down his receivers all day, one of the few times he went through his progressions he threw a interception in the end zone which should’ve never been thrown. He looked like O’korn and this years version of Speight today. Everyone has a bad game at times but today’s performance does not equal him being a favorite, even though he’ll have 2 years experience in this system over Peterson and 1 year over McCaffrey

MGoStretch

January 1st, 2018 at 9:09 PM ^

I really am interested what they have in common aside from being tall and white? You wouldn't take John Navarre on this team?!? I would personally throw him a welcome back parade if he could pull a Chris Weinke and return to college. The dude played in a Rose Bowl and started a game in the nfl. Please tell me you think Peters will have either of those things on his resume and please please please be right.

OneBadMutha

January 1st, 2018 at 6:08 PM ^

Peters isn’t good right now but I have a hard time seperating that from coaching. He was accurate in High School. I understand college isn’t High School however he’s missing wide open guys now. Too many blocked passes for a 6’5 guy. Something about his fundamentals seems off. He may be the 3rd string guy next season except this staff hasn’t proven they can make anyone better so that may something he can hold on to. He’s going to have to figure out ways to get better without relying on the staff.

GoBlue C4

January 1st, 2018 at 6:16 PM ^

2018- Patterson ( Jr ) 2019- Patterson ( Sr ) 2020- McCaffrey ( Jr ) 2021- McCaffrey ( Sr ) QB is loaded the next 4 years, thanks to Harbaugh getting Patterson. If Michigan can find a LT ( Hudson vs Stueber) and a better O coordinator this team will be in the playoff conversation and BT title hunt the next 4 years.

Craptain Crunch

January 1st, 2018 at 6:25 PM ^

Easy to say. Hard to do. Michigan is a team that has a problem executing. I don't see next season being one that will go well for it as you have ND away, MSU away and OSU away. 

Asking a team that hasn't been able to play consistently solid football for almost a decade now to be contenders next year is asking a lot. 

But we'll just have to see what happens come September. 

BlueHills

January 1st, 2018 at 7:20 PM ^

Harbaugh knows his QBs’ ceilings, and he went after Patterson because of what he saw all year in practice and in games. I’ll be surprised if Patterson doesn’t win the starting job, given his game experience. I also wonder if the loss of Fisch was a possible factor in this year’s relatively poor QB performance? In any case, I agree that Peters will have to make some serious strides to have a shot at beating out the other QBs on the roster next year. Doesn’t mean it can’t happen, though. People develop at different rates.

ChicagoBigHouse

January 1st, 2018 at 7:25 PM ^

I think I can see what Harbaugh and the staff were seeing in peters, or not seeing. When he first came into the game this year, I wondered what took the staff so long to put him in. However maybe they were trying to stimulate some fire, competitiveness and drive in peters that would lead to wins. But obviously that didn’t happen.

Before this game 50:50 peters starts next year. After this game, 60 Patterson 20 peters 20 McCaffrey. Patterson not eligible then 50:50 peters.

An Angelo's Addict

January 1st, 2018 at 9:04 PM ^

I’m confused as to why so many people throughout the season thought Peters was better than what we saw today. All season he missed open players/missed reads and always just looks slow out there. Really looked like a middle of the pack QB, and looked like he regressed today after a month of preparation

MaizeGVBlue

January 2nd, 2018 at 8:44 AM ^

I think the push to get Patterson was/is Harbaugh realizing what he has in Peters.  

 

All of Harbaugh's coaching success pre Michigan has been with QBs who can run and throw.