I Like Burgers

January 26th, 2017 at 9:40 PM ^

I'm really not sure of the last coach Michigan had that would've done something like this.  Both Hoke and Rodriguez stuck to their systems and refused to change despite not having the personnel to do what they wanted.  And Carr was certainly stuck in his ways as well.  I didn't follow Michigan football too much before Carr, so I can't really say what they did or didn't do back then.

Joined: 10/06/2012

MGoPoints: 30575

gbdub

January 26th, 2017 at 11:52 PM ^

I'm not sure Hoke actually had a system - it was just a grab bag with mumblings about Power. Rich Rod did have a system, and had it moving in the right direction but had a defense so shitty we couldn't afford to wait and see where the offense ended up.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 02/16/2010

MGoPoints: 26791

Clarence Boddicker

January 26th, 2017 at 7:49 PM ^

So much talent at wr now, you've got to get 4 wide. Evans, Higdon, and Samuels all seem ideally used in the spread with zone blocking. And note that Harbaugh isn't recruiting as many blocky/catchy guys. Speed on the field!

Joined: 05/27/2011

MGoPoints: 72105

1VaBlue1

January 26th, 2017 at 8:14 PM ^

I'd agree...  I don't see a lot of zone read where the QB runs, but I think it would be more of a spread to pass, like the air raid that Leach runs.  Or some other handoff type option to people moving side to side.  We don't have a running QB on the roster.  Mobile pro-style pocket passers (Peters, O'Korn) are not spread to run QB's.  Kapernick is not wearing the Winged helmet!

But I love the sound of this!  There are so many recieving options, coupled with home run hitters in the backfield, that a spread to pass could be a dynamite package with Frey's zone blocking and Pep's WR sets.  Add Harbaugh's willingness to match offense to personnel, and I love the direction this seems to be taking.

Joined: 01/31/2016

MGoPoints: 127757

OneBadMutha

January 26th, 2017 at 9:07 PM ^

This shouldn't be a difficult concept to grasp just watching Green Bay. We've seen plenty of pocket passers play with 3 or 4 receiver sets in the NFL. Harbaugh will play to his strengths. If he gets all these receivers, it's not going to be to play 3 yards and a cloud of dust football. Last couple years Michigan hasn't had the receivers or QB needed to run this type of offense. I also believe this is the most under-rated aspect of Michigan long term. If Harbaugh continues to be the QB whisperer and can develop QBs to use all their weapons, OSU and Alabama aren't going to shut them down regardless of how high their composite recruiting classes rank. Michigan won't need man child maulers on the line either. They just need guys who can pass block reasonably well and won't miss assignments.

Joined: 11/27/2016

MGoPoints: 1510

Wolfman

January 26th, 2017 at 8:02 PM ^

That Bama would be better served to make Hurts the starter as a freshman, knowing it would require a different offensive approach to maximize the beneftis of such a change. Something tells me Saban was more than a little skeptical when first asked to consider this. 

Joined: 07/23/2008

MGoPoints: 8259

Caesar

January 26th, 2017 at 8:07 PM ^

His analysis of how Michigan will utilize Frey seems to be on the money.

I don't follow much Patriots football, but this seems like their strategy with some o-line deficiency issues to speed up the implementation timeline: have all the tools to attack a defense in many ways, then let them try and guess what you're going to do. All the times Brian marveled at Harbaugh messing with a linebacker's keys could have an added twist, for example, of going from power tells to spread execution.

Maybe next year won't be so bad after all. 

Joined: 03/25/2009

MGoPoints: 7726

jalenwestman

January 26th, 2017 at 8:12 PM ^

1) harbaugh doesn't have the dogs up front to play smash you up football. 2) getting the offense ready for peters and mccaffery. 3) likes his speed on offense. 4) reason he hired pep. 5) no shutdown defense anymore. We need points. 6) you get a td catch and you get a td catch and you get a td catch. 7) harbaugh likes to win

Joined: 08/04/2016

MGoPoints: 2480

Michology 101

January 26th, 2017 at 8:31 PM ^

This is what I posted a little over a week ago when we were discussing wide receivers in a thread.

"I'm all for having a lot of talented WRs on our team. Though Harbaugh has to change his offensive mentality for us to really take advantage of having these guys.

We don't spread the field often with a bunch of WRs and slot guys aren't a major part of our offense. A lot of our offensive scheme is designed around the use of tight ends.

I'm really hoping Harbaugh will change things up a little with this new influx of WR talent that we've gotten in the last two classes."

I can understand Nico's concerns about what offense he may enter. Is it going to be more WR friendly than in the past? I was also wondering about that.

Joined: 06/02/2014

MGoPoints: 3798

Mr. Yost

January 26th, 2017 at 8:59 PM ^

NFL you throw WRs open, there are rarely "open WRs."

It's different in college.

IMO, Michigan will look a lot like Bama when they went to the spread, but still ran the ball when they could.

Really I just think this means we'll always have 3 WRs on the field and expect a lot of Chris Evans. Toss in a TE and that is a spread friendly personnel.

A lot of short passes, usage of the TE over the middle, big/tall/rangy outside WRs to stretch the field deep. A big tall, strong QB to fire it around.

People compare Speight to Big Ben...check out the offense he ran at Miami.

Joined: 07/25/2011

MGoPoints: -9898225

Mr. Yost

January 26th, 2017 at 9:01 PM ^

Eh, not any more than Speight already is...

It's just timing on a bunch of short passes that are basically runs.

I really don't think we're going to blow up everything and go AIr Raid though, that's not who we are.

We'll just pass more and use the pass as a running game and get away from the 2 TE sets and use more 3 and 4 WR sets.

IMO it's more about personnel than it is scheme.

Joined: 07/25/2011

MGoPoints: -9898225

jalenwestman

January 26th, 2017 at 10:26 PM ^

Have you ever thought our WRs are going to catching passes that are thrown behind them, 5 feet over their head, and at their knees while they're running full speed? That will help the accuracy. Have I mentioned speight needs to work on this accuracy? Being serious, speight has the leadership qualities and enough of a skill set to run a spread offense. But yes, needs be more Kurt Warnerish.

Joined: 08/04/2016

MGoPoints: 2480