Eye of the Tiger

July 21st, 2016 at 1:48 PM ^

I'm super skeptical about going undefeated, but 11-1 is plausible. Maybe less likely than 10-2 but certainly plausible. I doubt we'll do worse than that, unless there are some major injuries.



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Danwillhor

July 21st, 2016 at 2:07 PM ^

I can see 11-1 but I can also see 8-4. The one team I do not see us beating is osu. I hate saying that but when we hired Harbaugh I thought it would take a few years. The talent gap is too vast and this isn't pro-style USC but that newfangled, speedpowerish, nitro read-option with 5 stars, basketball on turf ball. You really need specific talents to slow that down and score with it. We don't have it yet. We should soon but not yet. Best I see is 11-1 with the late loss really hurting us in the polls.

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Richard75

July 21st, 2016 at 2:33 PM ^

State has beaten them 2 of the last 3 times. Neither win was at home. They don't have "specific talents" for stopping the read option; they're just good.

Michigan absolutely can do it. They just need to get to Columbus with a healthy DL and a sound defensive approach.



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Ghost of Fritz…

July 21st, 2016 at 3:46 PM ^

has been locked in a room in the basement of Schembechler Hall all Summer viewing and re-viewing over and over every single Urban Meyer offensive play for the last 10 years.

By August 1st Brown will know the OSU offense so well that he'll know the next play before Meyer knows the next play. 

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Eye of the Tiger

July 21st, 2016 at 5:22 PM ^

I don't think the style of offense matters. (See: MSU.) What matters is how good our front 7 is. We were badly hurt by not having a proper NT in that game last year. This year we may have two really good ones (barring injury).

And Meyer's offensive style has nothing to do with whether our offense can score on them--and that's half of winning the game.



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Danwillhor

July 21st, 2016 at 6:16 PM ^

but "style doesn't matter"? REALLY?! You mention msu but the typhoon and atrocious play calling beat osu, not msu. A clear day sees osu hang 30 on that defense. Stopping an under center, pro-style offense is not only much easier to do but can be done with players that don't have specific talents. A modern spread cannot be stopped without a HSP. It's essential now. I'd rather my defense have to stop a HB coming that just took the handoff out of the I - formation than have to stop a QB that runs like a HB and has 10 other teammates blocking for him. The modern spread read-option, running a play every 14 seconds is a different animal than a traditional pro-style attack. Other than that I agree with all said. We CAN win and Brown's hire was essentially tasking him with just that - stopping the modern spread offense.

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Danwillhor

July 21st, 2016 at 2:01 PM ^

and are currently fired up about a new coaching staff = PLACE YOUR BETS HERE! CAN'T LOSE BETS HERE! Heya, Michigan fan sporto! Wanna lose some mon....bet some money on your favorite team? Ya can't lose! The return may not be amazing but, look guy, it's a sure thing! Go Amarillo and Blue!

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Danwillhor

July 21st, 2016 at 6:22 PM ^

That was basically my point as the payout is trash but fans tend to take it as many think "best odds" means a sure thing as well as a big payday. I wrote my comment in the voice of an old carnival scam swindler. Sure, you may see a woman with hair on her face but it's not necessarily a bearded woman (lol).

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LV Sports Bettor

July 21st, 2016 at 2:13 PM ^

ESPN headline here is confusing as it makes it sound like Michigan is the team who is actually "favored to win the National Title" which says early on in the story isn't the case. 

The betting definition of " the favorite" is the team/person/horse or whatever it is that has the lowest overall odds which in turn means is most expected to be the winner of the event the highest percentage of the time.

In horse racing if someone asked "who is the favorite in the 2016 Kentucky Derby?" that obviously means which horse has the lowest overall odds.

In this situation Michigan had the "most value" according to the bettors at 15-1 odds and not priced correctly at the start of the betting.

 

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Giff4484

July 21st, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^

3 win seasons and letting teams run the ball 40 straight times at us and being shut out by ND etc. We deserve this hype with all of the kids we have back.

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Chi-City Wolverine

July 21st, 2016 at 5:27 PM ^

Given the coaching staff's inability to modernize their offense at that time and inability to adjust to spread offenses, I think this is a bad comparison. We just hired a defensive coordinator who has a pretty good track record against spread defenses, and our offense is much more dynamic than anything that DeBord or Carr trotted onto the field.*

*And no, this is not a slam on coach Carr.



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FrankMurphy

July 21st, 2016 at 3:46 PM ^

I like it better when we fly under the radar than when we're the darlings of the oddsmakers. In 1997, we started the season ranked outside the top 15 and were expected to have a down year, IIRC. 

But I believe in Harbaugh's submarine and his ability to get his players to tune out the noise. So to this news, I say: whatever.

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RIP Hamilton's…

July 21st, 2016 at 4:09 PM ^

Am I crazy for thinking Michigan at +175 (risk 100 to net 175) to win the big ten is decent value? With the west division relatively weak and it feeling close to a two team race with us and OSU in the east it seems like a solid bet.

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Danwillhor

July 21st, 2016 at 6:33 PM ^

Realistically (no homer or rival cuck), we're showing huge question marks at THE most important position in the game and LB. Smaller questions in a few other spots but still questions. Concerns then arise regarding our running game as both our OL is suspect and we lack a true home run threat at HB. Every HB we have needs to stay clean to the 2nd level to be effective and only Smith can fight for a few if met at the LoS. None of them can make a mediocre line look good, etc. The only sure things on this team seems to be DL, boundary DB, HSP and TE. That's not a safe bet or good deal, IMO. Then again, as we all say every off-season: Nobody thought the 97 team would do what they did so........

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TESOE

July 21st, 2016 at 7:13 PM ^

We are the biggest program with respect to tradition and affluence. Money talks and in this case inflates. My excitement is real. It's greater than it's been since 2006. Can't wait.

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BluByYou

July 21st, 2016 at 8:18 PM ^

qb, questionable linebackers and an inconsistent o-line.  Sorry, wish for the best, but those are the facts.

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MichiganForever

July 22nd, 2016 at 2:08 AM ^

We also have the best D line in the country, perhaps the best secondary in the country, the best tight end, probably the fastest receiver in Chesson, a complete stud at linebacker in Peppers and the best QB developer in the game. Harbaugh turned a game manager who was passing time before Med school who couldn't complete a pass 20 yards down field in to one of the best QBs in Michigan history and an NFL draft pick. You think O'Korn and Speight aren't going to be studs? Look, Michigan State a team who lost to Nebraska, needed a miracle to beat us and had no business being on the same field as Alabama went to the playoffs. Our team this year is more talented than their team last year. Yeah we all remember Ohio State trouncing us, but our D line was decimated. That's the one position you have to have to beat the upper echelon teams, and guess what we have the best in the nation. D lines win national titles, that was the SEC advantage for years, what's changed?

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uminks

July 22nd, 2016 at 12:56 AM ^

Harbaugh will have the offense in 5th gear and our defense will be top notch. I'm excited about the team and Harbaugh's coaching may get us through the season undefeated. If not this season I would bet that Harbaugh will win us a national championship within the next 5 years, by 2021 for sure! It sure feels great heading into a season being one of the favorites to win a national championship over previous years where we were hoping for a .500 record and a toilet bowl bid.

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