August 25th, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^
Glasgow is really the starter and Pipkins is really an "or" with Mone?
Wow
August 25th, 2014 at 10:52 AM ^
I don't think Pip is 100% yet he might be close but I'd imagine a 300+ lbs guy coming back from an ACL in under 12 months and being full go is pretty rare.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:59 AM ^
August 25th, 2014 at 11:06 AM ^
August 25th, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^
Your first mistake is basing your entire opinion of a position group over 1 or 2 reps you saw in 1 drill in 1 4-minute video from mgoblue.com
August 25th, 2014 at 11:43 AM ^
There is more that goes into the evaluation of who starts than simply how the DTs perform at the Michigan drill.
August 25th, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^
Well sure, I would hope and expect that. That being said, if Glasgow participated in the MIchigan drill and was blowing people up, he would have appeared in it.
Since they're probably going to rotate frequently it may not really matter who the designated starters are, but I'll be a bit surprised if RG is the starter by the time conference play rolls around.
August 25th, 2014 at 12:01 PM ^
I bet he will be. Now, Pip is still coming back, some of the other guys are still young. But I'm not going to write off RG because he was a PWO. He won't be the most athletic guy, and he will certainly get rotated out in some situations, but if he performed the most consistently in Fall camp and continues to do so, he'll continue to start.
Michigan drill also teaches the DL to be a little more of a two-gap (though not necessarily). But they aren't showing their one-gap ability, they aren't showing how they handle doubles (which they almost always will), etc. So there are many more applicable things in other drills.
August 25th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
This assumes there's a direct correlation between sound technique and on-field production. In cases where the talent level is approximately equal, I can easily see how the technique would be the difference-maker. What if the physical talent levels are not?
I heard an anecdote several years ago on the radio that involved Bo Schembechler and Alex Agase. While both were primarily OL during their college years, Agase was a far more talented lineman than Bo was, and was a three-time All American guard and had a short career in the pros.
Both Bo and Agase were young assistants under Ara Parseghian at Northwestern during the '56 and '57 seasons, and at some point they got into an argument about the importance of physical talent versus technique and execution when it came to line play. Eventually they decided to conduct their own version of the Michigan drill, going mano a mano to see who could get the better of whom, with Bo declaring that superior technique would defeat raw physical talent. As the story goes, despite repeated attempts, Bo and his superior technique was no match for the physical talent of Agase, and Alex basically cleaned Bo's clock.
August 25th, 2014 at 5:48 PM ^
I am really curious to see how this plays out. I am not there evaluating performance, so I have to reserve judgement. I sure hope they are truely starting the best players rather than basing decisions on experience in the program.
What I really want to see is whether or not Michigan is actually more aggressive at corner and on defense. From all that we have been hearing Lewis was the most aggressive at the line of scrimmage throughout spring and fall.
August 25th, 2014 at 11:16 PM ^
It was also in the book "BO", co-written by Bo and Albom. I just finished re-reading it over the weekend.
August 25th, 2014 at 12:25 PM ^
If you watch the video again, there's very little editing. It seems like they just rolled the camera and whoever happened to be doing the drills at that moment was who made it on the film. That's why you have a lot of depth guys on the tape right alongside the starter types.
August 25th, 2014 at 2:20 PM ^
Doesn't appear in that video. What great conclusion do you draw from that?
August 25th, 2014 at 12:12 PM ^
Like WHAT?
August 25th, 2014 at 10:49 AM ^
"As of 8/25"
Do you really think this is set in stone for Saturday?
August 25th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
Well I think all of Hoke's depth charts are to be taken with a grain of salt (Funchess/TE), but it's the last one you'll see before Saturday
August 25th, 2014 at 11:58 AM ^
I thought too things,
a) BH is using this as a motivational tool of some sort.
b) D Brandon is making him issue one, so he had some grad assistant throw a list together. .
August 25th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^
This was my thought too, I'd bet this all changes before the game. So much "OR" on this page. We get it Hoke, you want competition still but why even have a depth chart when it says "OR" on it that much.
August 25th, 2014 at 11:16 AM ^
"why even have a depth chart when it says "OR" on it that much."
Because fans demand one. I think Hoke would personally be very happy to be on complete radio silence until kickoff and then and only then reveal the starters.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:49 AM ^
August 25th, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^
Based on what, exactly?
Last year, Pipkins appeared in five games, had 7 tackles and half a sack.
Glasgow appeared in eleven games, and had 2 tackles.
August 25th, 2014 at 9:33 PM ^
Nothing against the OP (thanks for posting by the way), but the chart is a tad ridiculous.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
I wish the best for Joe Burzynski but I'm really hoping for Bosch to come through at RG.
August 25th, 2014 at 11:19 AM ^
I thought Burzinyski played well in the couple of series against Indiana last year. Granted, Indiana made a lot of people look good, but he was getting push, playing his assignments, etc. It might just be a case of experience trumping natural talent for another year before the younger guys start reaching that potential.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
So, in typical Hoke fashion, this tells us nothing that we didn't already know and nothing that matters worth a hill of beams come Saturday.
I am fine with that. Adds excitement.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
RJS finally living up to the hype is nice to see! I don't think this OL is going to be the same for ND.
August 25th, 2014 at 11:31 AM ^
August 25th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
Brian eats a lemon now down to "OR" status
August 25th, 2014 at 11:03 AM ^
Not sure what happens in the unlikely event that Morgan starts over Ryan at MLB (they're also listed as an OR pairing). Is that a half lemon?
August 25th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
So did anybody NOT go straight to the O-line and then RB positions?
August 25th, 2014 at 10:52 AM ^
I went straight to RG then RB.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^
August 25th, 2014 at 10:57 AM ^
I think that's just because he's listed as the starter at nickelback. I wouldn't take that listing to mean too much other than that Countess, Taylor and Lewis are the top 3 options at outside CB, which shouldn't be too surprising.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^
I'm glad Green is listed first, don't get me wrong, but it seemed like reports from camp indicated Smith was the first option....am I remembering that wrong? Either way, I know both guy will get some reps and I think the offense is better for it.
August 25th, 2014 at 12:25 PM ^
and he is trolling our fanbase.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:52 AM ^
I really thought Pipkins, Charlton, and Dymonte would be starting this year. Seeing them on the bottom of their respective positions is surprising, but hopefully it just means our D is that good.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:58 AM ^
If that chart held (as everyone knows, "Depth chart" does not mean depth chart, and it is qualified with "as of 8/25"), then certainly that's what the optimist in me takes this to mean, is that we are pretty well set in the two-deep most everywhere on the defense.
As for something which was posed elsewhere in thread, I am also willing to admit that I did not scan this document top-to-bottom and left-to-right, but did indeed scan middle-out on the offense column, if you will.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:52 AM ^
So the night practice was a huge smokescreen and everyone (including Brian) overreacted.
Ain't no way you're going to bench Countess after you give him #2. Anyone that was thinking that, ever, was a moran.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^
August 25th, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^
They are listed as OR, though I do think RJS being first gives some indication of preference (i.e. the ORs on this list are not alphabetical).
Sam Webb has been talking up the competition at that spot for a while, saying since after spring that it was even. RJS has speed and blitz-ability the coaches like, if I recall correctly.
August 25th, 2014 at 11:46 AM ^
RJS will start against more run happy teams.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^
Yeah, there's some shenanigans, but Khalid Hill on the chart with no sign of Heitzman is probably good, and RJS showing up is likely another positive.
August 25th, 2014 at 11:47 AM ^
One thing to note is that there is no H-back position listed. Michigan has put the FB there a bit, but also has dedicated the position to it. Expect maybe some Heitzman, Shallman, etc in that mold. And when they flex a FB, it'll probably be Houma
August 25th, 2014 at 10:54 AM ^
August 25th, 2014 at 1:19 PM ^
August 25th, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
JJ Watt was a walk on (Bielema recruit. Bert was also a walk on, at Iowa, coincidentally).*
Probably every Bielema team, too.
I'm fairly certain the 2012 and 1993 Wisconsin Rosebowl teams had two.
/not a fan of Wisconsin. Just saw a BTN show on Alvarez recently.
To answer your question, probably lots of teams, even if you exclude necessary 'starting spots' that don't usually get scholarships.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:55 AM ^
Jake Ryan is an OR with Desmond Morgan?
So many ORs on here you can't really put much stock into it. I think Hoke uses this as a way to keep depth players motivated/interested.
August 25th, 2014 at 11:48 AM ^
That they are going to rotate those three fairly evenly. Ryan will get about two-thirds, Morgan will get about two-thirds, and Bolden will get about a third for the two positions. They'll then stick with who is doing best in that game later in the game.