Looking ahead to 2017

Submitted by ThadMattasagoblin on

Yeah we can still play in the Rose bowl and hopefully we somehow get into the playoff but with the season moslty over, it's interesting to look at what type of team we'll have next year.

I think we'll have one of the best RB combination in the country with Chris Evans and Karan Higdon with the possibility of Najee Harris if we can pull that recruitment off.

QB will be a strength also with Wilton Speight coming back and Brandon Peters coming on to battle Speight for the spot.

At tight end, we lose Jake Butt which will be a big loss but bring back Asiasi who looks like a star in the making and also bring back Wheatley and Bunting.

Wide receiver loses Chesson and Darboh but return Grant Perry and Drake Harris and return guys like Crawford and Mcdoom get some reps there with the possibilty of adding difference maker DPJ who will probably get some snaps. Also, Nate Johnson has been talked about as a difference maker.

The offensive line will probably be very thin but we return Bredeson and Cole and hopefully Newsome. Onwenu and one of the potential 4/5 star OL recruits Wilson, Leatherwood, Ruiz etc. look to start.

The defensive line will still be very good with guys like Hurst, Gary, Mone, Winovich coming back. We will be thiner but that line will be very good.

The linebackers should hopefully take a jump forward with McCray coming back and Bush getting some minutes already this year. Mbem-Bosse and Josh Ross could also contribute.

The secondary is another position with a lot of turnover. I feel pretty confident in Tyree Kinnel but hopefully we get some good play from Watson, Hudson, Long, Lavert Hill etc. and we're due a 6th year from Jeremy Clark after Ed Davis got one.

Overall, I think this is a lot of turnover to still be in the national championship picture. I think we probably go anywhere from 9-3 to 11-1 although we have a tough schedule. I think there's numerous positions that people will worry about like TE and WR just because you're losing players but Harbaugh has good talented players that are playing right now. The more worrisome positions are the secondary and OL where we will be thin. Hopefully guys like Hudson and Lavert Hill are the real deal and Newsome is able to play again.  

 

 

 

 

BursleyBaitsBus

November 26th, 2016 at 6:37 PM ^

This was the year to change it all and Michigan fucked it up. 

OSU's recruiting class is just absurd next year. 

 

Not looking so good in terms of the rivalry. 

 

Speight is still not the QB of the future. Peters will have a shot to prove himself next year hopefully. 

CC_MFan

November 26th, 2016 at 6:04 PM ^

will beat all of the weak teams on the schedule and lose to OSU and a couple others.  Best case is 2 loss team.  I think we end up with 3-4 losses.

swan flu

November 26th, 2016 at 6:06 PM ^

Need the o line to get sorted out most of all. I expect onwenu and bredeson to be good. Need to find two good tackles, hopefully Newsome makes a full recovery

Muttley

November 26th, 2016 at 8:57 PM ^

Clark had two obstacles to clear:

  • A medical redshirt for 2016 (partipated in < 30% games)
  • The sixth year issue

Clark played in four games.  Had we won today and played in the CCG and bowl for a minimum of 14 games, Clark would have played in 4/14 or 28.6%.  With the loss today, which pretty much guarantees a 13 game season, Clark will have played in 4/13 or 30.8% of the games.

It sucks, but I doubt that close is good enough.  Harbaugh tried appealing for Ojemudia last year (5/13 or 38.4%), but was denied.

The Fan in Fargo

November 26th, 2016 at 10:07 PM ^

That's what I've been saying. You guys over there need to get a chant going by the student section or even the whole crowd. Let the refs know that shit doesn't fly in the big house. Also, if they are going to throw games like that and take money, they deserve to get their asses kicked. The big joke is on Michigan and they all are behind it and loving it. They will continue to do it until some kind of hammer is dropped on them. Just think about the money that is being made my them deciding the outcomes and scores of games.

An Angelo's Addict

November 26th, 2016 at 6:09 PM ^

I'm just sick of "looking ahead to next year". This year was supposed to be the year man. This was the year we had all the seniors and the talent. This was the year and now all we have is another year of losing to fucking OSU and hoping for the best again next year. I'm just sad and wanted this to be our year.

1974

November 26th, 2016 at 7:35 PM ^

Agreed on the QB situation. As well, the O-line was merely adequate. I'll be interested to see how recruitment and player development go in that area.

By biggest concerns and regrets are on the defensive line. I hope Hurst stays. Having Taco, Wormley, and Glasgow all in the same class is amazing and they'll be greatly missed. We obviously got Gary, so that's a good start. I hope at least a couple of the Jeter/Malone-Hatcher/Villain/Hudson group turn into stars. Getting Solomon would be nice. So, too, would having Mone turn into a star.

Today sucked, but I'm cautiously optimistic overall. There's a lot of young talent on the team.

1VaBlue1

November 26th, 2016 at 10:15 PM ^

WTH did Speight do?  Aside from being injured - no deep throws, so he was clearly not at full strenght.  The pick 6 was an unobstructed blitz ( a fantastic blitz that wasn't telegraphed at all) where the guy hit his arm during the throw.  Blame the play call maybe, but not Speight.  The other pick was a poor read, that's on Speight.  Otherwise, what did he do wrong?  Who dropped the fumbled snap?  Was that Speight dropping it, or Cole not snapping it so well?  We don't know...

I don't think Speight lost this game.  But I wouldn't say the same thing for the play calling, especially in the second half.

Mr. Owl

November 27th, 2016 at 4:06 AM ^

I saw something in the replay of the second pick that was just a split second, but showed how well coached the defender was for exactly what happened.  He saw where the ref was and hid behind him.  You can see him juke back a little and pause.  Speight then throws & he breaks on the ball.  Speight threw it because he didn't see him behind the ref when making his read.

Michigan4Life

November 26th, 2016 at 9:54 PM ^

Michigan will lose pretty much just about everybody due to graduation and the draft. A lot of unproven players stepping into the starting role.

Michigan will lose 8 starters and 10(maybe 11) starters for 2017 season. No matter how you slice it, that's a lot. Michigan defense is senior laden team and will be the most inexperienced defense in the country. They have Rashan Gary, Maurice Hurst and Chase Winovich at DL which is solid. You know Hurst will perform well in starting duty, you hope Gary progress and Winovich is an unknown thrusting into starting role. Hard to tell if a player will step up from reserve to starting role.  Secondary will be a lot different with Jourdan and Stribling (plus Jeremy Clark) gone at CB.  Michigan could be in for a growing pain as far as defending against the pass.

The Oracle

November 26th, 2016 at 6:43 PM ^

When was this year "supposed to be the year?" This team is just two seasons away from 5-7. Harbaugh's only real recruiting class are all freshmen. The team has some talented defensive players, but the O-line is mediocre and the offense, overall, is comprised of good players, not great ones. The overall talent level is about to take a dramatic step up. " The year" is still yet to come.

Ghost of Fritz…

November 26th, 2016 at 8:17 PM ^

in terms of how to view things last August.

But the D was so loaded and played so well this year that 10-2 ends up being disappointing. 

And the offense was also the highest scoring Michigan offense in modern history.  '

Therefore, by mid-season it became totally reasonable to reset the expectation as winning the Big Ten title and getting into the playoff. 

But in the end the weak link in this team was a good but not great o-line. 

M was two (maybe just one) really domiant o-line player from being a national championship team. 

That was the missing piece.

It made the run game too limited against good defenses.  

 

 

Ghost of Fritz…

November 26th, 2016 at 8:17 PM ^

in terms of how to view things last August.

But the D was so loaded and played so well this year that 10-2 ends up being disappointing. 

And the offense was also the highest scoring Michigan offense in modern history.  '

Therefore, by mid-season it became totally reasonable to reset the expectation as winning the Big Ten title and getting into the playoff. 

But in the end the weak link in this team was a good but not great o-line. 

M was two (maybe just one) really domiant o-line player from being a national championship team. 

That was the missing piece.

It made the run game too limited against good defenses.