Interviews with Speight & O'korn
Watching both of these interviews have kind of change my perception of the QB battle. I've been in the club that has thought it would be Speight starting ever since the QB battle talk started. I think he is a much better player than most people on the board give him credit for.
Having said that, O'Korn seems to be very confident with himself right now. Based on these interviews alone, I would say O'Korn has the edge. Obviously basing everything off an interview isn't the most solid strategy, but watch for yourself. I have a strange feeling we might actually have a starting QB not named Speight or Peters.
Links:
EDIT: I shared this because these are good interviews on a slow day. I'm not predicting O'Korn starts because of this interview. I was just elaborating on a hunch I got after watching. O'Korn did OK during the Indiana game in his first start in gusting winds and snow. After watching the spring game, he looked good in the few reps he got. So the hunch is coming from a variety of things. Some guys on here need to live by the wise words of my late grandmother: "Stop being a f*cking dick!"
August 17th, 2017 at 10:17 AM ^
This.
A million times this.
On rainy evenings or during bouts of insomnia, I went to YouTube and watched all of UM's games from last year. But I'll only watch the offensive plays from a game at one sitting, then only the defensive plays from another. After watching every offensive snap in a row in a short period of time removed from the passion and rooting interests, a couple conclusions.
1. The Offensive Line was pretty bad when it was needed most.
2. Speight, though with faults and work to put in this offseason, was a lot better than what I'd remembered.
3. The play-calling, while everyone's favorite whipping boy, had some "issues" to say the least, and yeah, the deployment of Peppers, especially in the Ohio State game, was maddening.
I don't mean for this to be a rag on Tim Drevno type thread, but let's just say I'm encouraged by the additions of Greg Frey and Pep Hamilton.
August 17th, 2017 at 12:57 PM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 1:00 AM ^
May be this season he will have gained more confidence and will play better on the road.
August 16th, 2017 at 11:09 PM ^
Until he got hurt.
O'Korn has zero chance of starting.
August 17th, 2017 at 12:10 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 12:57 AM ^
Before that we threw several bombs against Iowa on which the receivers were wide open (hence good, aggressive play calling) and he missed every deep throw. He was bad in that game. The whole game.
August 16th, 2017 at 11:11 PM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 11:13 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 11:15 PM ^
in this one.
Reporter: Wilton how have you progressed so far in the first half of camp?
WS: Well, you know, myself along with everyone, we hit the ground running, you know, every day is better than the last is coach's motto. We try to avoid the hiccups, the one step backwards, just continue to go forward every day. I'm happy with the progress I've made, and I think the whole offense and really the whole team is happy as well.
Reporter: Anything in particular where you've seen progress?
WS: Uh, really just across the board, everyone looks pretty solid.
HAAAhaha. Was that five coach cliches in the first response? Then a flat out general answer when asked again (and yes, not the best question from the reporter).
August 16th, 2017 at 11:21 PM ^
August 16th, 2017 at 11:30 PM ^
M to do some real damage this year.
Great interview w Coach Matty today on sam webb show. Guy will get you fired up.
August 17th, 2017 at 12:13 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 12:23 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 12:54 AM ^
I will be happy with. I like all 4 of our QBs. My guess is that Wilton's experience will win him the starting role. I thought Peters would win the number 2 spot but O'Korn may have earned that spot, or may be the starting role.
August 17th, 2017 at 1:16 AM ^
I propose they alternate snaps for the first 10 or 11 games. By then, there may be a clear consensus. Or not.
August 17th, 2017 at 1:19 AM ^
It's easy to talk to reporters about how you've fixed your problems, but it's not time to test to see if that's true in the first game of the season against Florida. I feel O'Korn is a better interview, but not the better QB.
August 17th, 2017 at 1:46 AM ^
John O'Korn is not acting like a guy who is out of the race, and Wilton is not acting like a guy who has the job cemented. That's just armchair body language analysis, though. Maybe that's how they always act, respectively?
More plausibly, John seems to have really benefitted from the Pep Hamilton hire. A new QB coach is an absolutely plausible variable in a change at QB. John has called him a godsend at least twice (BTN and this interview), that's not a normal compliment. It's hard to imagine there's nothing there.
Also, I've never heard anyone say John doesn't have the physical tools to be a great QB. Rather, the criticism has been more focused on the mental/confidence side of things. He noted his improved command, avoidance of "the big mistake", strong pocket presence, and he literally said, "I've never been happier" (at Michigan). That last line is a win no matter what.
What does a confident John O'Korn look like at Michigan? He says we'll have to wait and see.
I would no longer be surprised if he starts.
August 17th, 2017 at 10:11 AM ^
This is why I posted. You're just gooder with words.
August 17th, 2017 at 3:04 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 6:00 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 6:26 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 11:36 AM ^
as #2 last year. His film footage of his collegiate past was against nothing defenses. I seriously doubt he has the skillset to win the B1G. WS, for getting nothing but praise the first half of last year, was the worst deep ball passer EVER. Then he bacame sackman and badpickman in the closing games. What was worse ... was his spring game 4 months ago.
Don't be surprised if Peters is the starter in the home opener on Sept. 9th
Go Blue!
August 17th, 2017 at 12:58 PM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 9:21 PM ^
August 18th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 7:03 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 7:29 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 7:50 AM ^
It's telling that O'Korn is rocking a Nike hat but an Adidas sweatshirt in the video. I think the implications of this w/r/t who starts are pretty damned clear.
And I won't insult the good members of this board by spelling out what it all means. You know.
August 17th, 2017 at 8:49 AM ^
I would like to see O'korn get a chance to show what he can do, but, I don't know how you pull Speight back after a good first year, would expect to see significant growth in year 2. Regardless, if there is one area I trust Jim Harbaugh in, it is his eye for QB's and their development. I believe whomever he selects will be the correct choice.
August 17th, 2017 at 8:50 AM ^
Watch the Indiana game from last year (JOK's 1st start @ M). I understand the weather was not good, but it looked like he was basically not allowed to throw the ball if his 1st read was not open.
Also, why didn't JOK play more when Speight was injured? Fans didn't know Speight was hurt, but I'm sure the coaches knew, yet they played a hurt JOK.
August 17th, 2017 at 8:51 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 9:23 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 10:13 AM ^
O'Korn's weaknesses against Indiana seemed to be his decision-making and pocket presence, neither of which should be affected by wind. That said, he's played well at Houston and in other opportunities at Michigan, so I'm not writing him off.
I think it's a luxury to have three QBs as talented as Speight, O'Korn, and Peters - it's a long way from being one injury away from Nick Sheridan or Russell Bellomy.
August 17th, 2017 at 10:53 AM ^
With both. Wind was bad but he just seemed lost. Not what I expected from a QB who had success at Houston and who has had significant time under Harbaugh.
August 18th, 2017 at 1:41 AM ^
become risky, it can cause you to look like you're making bad decisions, because you won't even try what otherwise might be viable throws. Plus, we had the best defense in football and were playing IU in inclement weather. At home.
The gameplan had to be "do not make a mistake for any reason whatsoever" because we literally could not have lost that game unless we lost the TO battle by at least two. Not only was he not asked to make a play, he was probably on a very, very short leash. We ran it 50 times and threw it 16. That's it. Let the defense and running game win it, and get to next week.
It is a bit ridiculous how much he's being judged based on that game.
August 17th, 2017 at 9:14 AM ^
Then you hear Okorn and he raves about Pep all the time. I do wonder what that means behind the scenes. On the surface it would seem that Speight and Pep have a very business relationship and Okorn and Pep are a bit closer.
Thoughts?
August 17th, 2017 at 9:58 AM ^
Speight said in the interview that Fisch was the best in the business, and Harbaugh went out and got someone just as good.
I heard that as Speight being grateful to Fisch for his work with Speight, while saying there was no regression in moving to Pep. I took it as a classy move where he was not forgetting Fisch.
August 17th, 2017 at 9:24 AM ^
August 17th, 2017 at 9:38 AM ^
It might all be a ruse. It wouldn't surprise me one bit for Harbaugh to have given no mention to Peters being in the fold, only to see Coach hammering on Peter's shoulder pads before he trots on to the field in Dallas.
#hottakes
August 18th, 2017 at 1:45 AM ^
the other day when he said JOK and Speight are neck and neck. He said Peters is only a little bit behind them. Certainly close enough to make up the ground.
August 17th, 2017 at 9:44 AM ^
So before I watched the interviews, I was like many of you thinking that these interviews probably don't mean anything. But after watching the O'Korn interview, I kind of see what the OP is talking about. He's got a swagger going right now, maybe he is feeling confident based on knowing he has been outperforming Wilton in camp. Maybe not, he could very well just be confident in who he is at this point in his life. Either way, I am less critical of the OP after actually watching the interview and I am a fan of O'Korn as a person regardless of if he is our starting QB or not.
August 17th, 2017 at 10:22 AM ^
Half of the people who are down on this thread haven't even watched the video. Yes, it's ridiculous to predict the starter based on an interview, which is why this isn't a prediction. After watching the interview, if you put any stock in behavioral analysis, you might think the competition is real.
August 17th, 2017 at 1:20 PM ^
I think anybody who places a large amount of importance on "swagger" as an indicator of anything meaningful or substantive is fooling themselves.
Having said that, I look at O'Korn's demeanor in the interview as confident as opposed to "swagger." Speight might seem less verbally assertive in his interview, but myself I don't read it as being less confident in his own abilities.
If Harbaugh chooses Wilton to start, I'm fine with that. If he goes with O'Korn or Peters I'm fine with that too. He's the one watching them during practice and after practice every day, not me.
August 18th, 2017 at 1:54 AM ^
checks out.
But seriously, it's not that difficult to tell the difference between "swagger" that comes from real confidence and overcompensating swagger that comes from a place of insecurity. There is a very big difference. While I am certainly not an expert, JOK seems very at ease. As someone mentioned, he probably is either playing really well or he's just comfortable with his role whatever it may be.
Confident people don't have to try to tell people how great they are or try to talk about themselves and their acheivements all the time (those are insecure people). Confident people know others already know or can tell how great they are.
August 17th, 2017 at 9:49 AM ^
...that either O'Korn or Speight will comport themselves with grace, dignity and, most importantly, panache as the potential starters.
August 17th, 2017 at 1:54 PM ^
But I'm hoping we destroy teams bad enough that both O'Korn and Peters get decent reps. Gotta love O'Korn's attitude. Leaders and Best.
GO BLUE!!