Joe Milton- Orange Bowl MVP: It's not how you start...
I know that Joe is a polarizing figure on this board, but I think his path deserves recognition. He is a Michigan Man and Alum. He faced adversity. He lost his starting job at two different schools. He put his head down, went to work, and lead by example. I've gone over his leadership skills on this board before.
He started the season as the backup and finished with the Captain's C and Orange Bowl MVP.
There are a lot of interesting connections though.
- He beat a Cade in the Orange Bowl
- our cade's final game as the unquestioned starter was in the Orange Bowl
- Joe started the season as a backup and ended as a captain
- He won the MVP without his top two receivers, including the Biletnikoff winner
Season Totals:
53/82
971 yds
10 tds, 0 ints
December 31st, 2022 at 12:31 AM ^
Good for him, but I've found it difficult to root for this kid ever since the Antjuan Simmons thing. That was a really bad look.
December 31st, 2022 at 1:17 AM ^
Agreed, and I don't think he's a Michigan man in any way. I think a blind squirrel found a nut tonight. Next season a blind squirrel will get run over by a car.....which will be in the form of whatever QB is competing against him
December 31st, 2022 at 1:55 AM ^
Actually it was Squirrel White.
December 31st, 2022 at 11:35 AM ^
If having a Michigan degree doesn't qualify you for being a Michigan man then who here is? Glad I don't feel the need to hate watch any player.
So is Cade or Eric All a Michigan man? Cause they said things leaving publicly and the Milton thing is just rumors. The difference is that Milton stayed with the team until after the season and then had surgery - the wait which could have delayed his transfer options. Oh and then he waited to graduate before choosing a destination.
Will be interesting to see who has the better year next year Milton or Cade. I hope they both have great years.
December 31st, 2022 at 3:09 AM ^
Is the Antjuan Simmons thing Milton saying “I wasn’t really worried about him. He’s a heck of a player, but he wasn’t really on my radar,” in a post game press conference?
Seems like a pretty innocuous thing to say after you just got beat by a rival. Not a great look but not a reason to dislike a guy in my opinion.
December 31st, 2022 at 6:26 AM ^
Wait, if that's it, that's overkill to dislike someone.
I was assuming Simmons came on a visit and Milton was down talking Michigan to a recruit because he was unhappy. That's something that's bullshit.
But if that's the paraphrase, then...lol.
December 31st, 2022 at 6:44 AM ^
Isaiah Hole tweeted:
Joe Milton was asked if he knew that Antjuan Simmons is that good of a player. "Antjuan Simmons, who's that?"
December 31st, 2022 at 8:02 AM ^
lol, oh the horror!!!
December 31st, 2022 at 8:18 AM ^
Here I am thinking the only reason he was mocked on this blog is because his passes were erratic and we lost some games.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:50 AM ^
You can't root for Milton because he didn't know who Antjuan Simmons was? That's a really sad sattement...
So here's a real question - who the fucking hell is Antjuan Simmons?
December 31st, 2022 at 10:23 AM ^
Sometimes people just don’t like someone and then grab some obscure or made up reason to justify their dislike.
December 31st, 2022 at 12:38 AM ^
So…he finally beat a Cade, just not THE Cade? That’s a thing?
Similarly, I went to HS with a kid named Joe.
December 31st, 2022 at 12:44 AM ^
Oh yeah? I have an accountant named Milton.
December 31st, 2022 at 1:11 AM ^
Milton Wadams?
December 31st, 2022 at 1:12 AM ^
and *I* have a stapler named swingline!
December 31st, 2022 at 8:19 AM ^
Where is your stapler?
December 31st, 2022 at 11:58 AM ^
I'm gonna burn down the building
December 31st, 2022 at 4:36 AM ^
Milton Friedman?
December 31st, 2022 at 12:03 PM ^
I enjoy the ideas of Milton Friedman
December 31st, 2022 at 12:51 AM ^
I'd love to see Joe and JJ have a Peyton and Charles 1-2 finish for the Heisman next season.
December 31st, 2022 at 5:51 AM ^
With one big game under his belt, Joe Milton might declare for the NFL draft. With a rocket arm like his, some team will take a chance on him thinking that they can teach him how to throw with more accurately.
December 31st, 2022 at 6:31 AM ^
Would be a wild turn of events...but spot on.
May not be likely, but it's something he's got to consider.
With his tools, someone is taking a late mid-round flyer on him. Try to stash him for a few years and see what you have.
It almost never works out (for the player or the team), but hey, it's the NFL. Someone could easily convince themselves they've found the poor man's Josh Allen.
December 31st, 2022 at 9:17 AM ^
Michigan and Tennessee took flyers on Milton because of his physical skills. Some team in the NFL will too based on his size and arm strength in the combine.
December 31st, 2022 at 2:27 PM ^
Yup. He has all the physical tools to be tantalizing and some coach will hitch his wagon to him. Unfortunately, I just don’t think he’ll turn out to be Josh Allen. He won the starting job twice at two different schools and got replaced mid season both times. I think he’s more Jay Cutler, ie a coach killer.
And to the people who negged me in the other post, my opinion is not a criticism of Joe Milton the person. He seems like a nice kid for all I know.
December 31st, 2022 at 7:54 AM ^
Mike McMahon was athletic and had a strong arm too.
December 31st, 2022 at 9:03 AM ^
Mike McMahon is the guy
December 31st, 2022 at 9:55 AM ^
Reminds me of the Cardale Jones bowl game for OSU in 2014. Lightning in a bottle.
December 31st, 2022 at 9:58 AM ^
I think of JaMarcus Russell.
December 31st, 2022 at 4:00 PM ^
Oh my, one good game and he gets drafted early. How stupid can a GM be?
December 31st, 2022 at 12:31 PM ^
Never forget that Kyle Boller was a first-round pick because he could throw fifty yards from his knees.
December 31st, 2022 at 7:38 AM ^
Wait, the way you worded this means JJ is runner up
December 31st, 2022 at 8:22 AM ^
Saw that, too. It should read:
Charles and Peyton 1 - 2 finish
December 31st, 2022 at 9:44 AM ^
You’re right.
1) Charles/JJ (Michigan)
2) Peyton/ Joe (Tennessee)
December 31st, 2022 at 12:27 PM ^
It's going to be JJ and the Don, but Joe's welcome to fight Penix for third in the voting.
December 31st, 2022 at 12:51 AM ^
Glad he is having success, no sense being a 34 year old man and holding ill will toward a youngster. Wish he exited M more gracefully but he had his reasons. That said he is one of the guys who left I don’t actively cheer for. Honestly he showed his tools coming together, he was always a project and maybe one that is starting to work. His physical prowess looked good again today, good for him. In all fairness, he handled a tumultuous 2020 better than most of us on this board.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:52 AM ^
What did he say/do on his way out the door? Please explain...
December 31st, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
As I mentioned in the other thread, word on the street was that he was a major driver in the departures of Giles Jackson and Xavier Worthy.
December 31st, 2022 at 9:59 AM ^
So why hold it against him? We are better off without those three. The results prove it
December 31st, 2022 at 10:05 AM ^
So unsubstantiated rumors?
In another comment, Bronxblue mentioned that Milton allegedly said Michigan turned players into robots. Well, from ~2018-2020 (increasingly through 2020), that appears to have been quite true.
December 31st, 2022 at 10:40 AM ^
They exact same comment was made from a significant former coaching staff member I was personal friends with during the 2020 season. We were talking about how to get Michigan recharged for 2021 and how Harbaugh needed a reset in terms of involvement and intensity. Maybe Milton was right?
December 31st, 2022 at 12:29 PM ^
I, for one, welcome the return of our robot overlords. More Robo-Henne, less whatever the fuck Ryan Mallett was.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:56 AM ^
What did he do when leaving that was so horrific?
December 31st, 2022 at 1:03 AM ^
I always liked the guy and was hoping he'd shine more consistently here. Best of luck to him!
December 31st, 2022 at 1:11 AM ^
One might even say he had himself a night!
December 31st, 2022 at 1:16 AM ^
So Tennessee has 9 foot tall wide receivers? Would explain the better fit.
Jokes aside, happy for him, and he could still throw it over them there mountains.
December 31st, 2022 at 11:56 AM ^
No, but their receivers were about 5 yards open on many key throws, making inaccuracy less of an issue. He has tons of arm talent, but still seems to be slow reading defenses. He had lots of time yesterday, which allowed him to take his time on his reads.
I don’t hate the guy, but won’t root for Tennessee other than to throw a wrench into the SEC machine.
December 31st, 2022 at 1:21 AM ^
The 0 INTs is the biggest thing that I noticed.
Since he has left the Team has done a 180 and I have no clue if that's coincidence or not but I'll just happily root for Michigan & say good luck Joe
December 31st, 2022 at 8:45 AM ^
The 0 INTs is the biggest thing that I noticed.
Well, given Milton and Tennessee's offense, he either connects with a wide open receiver or throws the ball 10 yards out of bounds. Not much room for interceptions
December 31st, 2022 at 8:55 AM ^
It's coincidence. There were a helluva lot more changes than just Milton departing between 2020 and 2021. Most notably about half the coaching staff.