Week 4 of Spring practice
XM gets it (tm)
Ironically, it was hockey that got me into Michigan. But after college, I started playing football and never quit till I was in my 40s. And I’ve been coaching ever since, and with the four oldest boys playing I mean football is king.
There were freshman hockey players in East Quad when I was there 73 - 77. I can only recall one guy's name. It was Billy Wheeler. We had some decent talent on our IM football and volleyball teams because of the hockey players.
'It' has taken a beating. The basketball 'it' is fantastic. Coach Beilein, and now Coach Howard, have really brought the basketball program to life. Because the team is smaller, you get to see them and experience what they experience. The joy, the sorrow. Its easy to get invested. The execution of the team has been a joy to watch. The success, the winning. The confidence. They have built up excellence; I don't see how State can say they are the basketball program in the state anymore. Football, on the other hand, is a different 'it' than it has historically been. Before, we were excellence; now it has had this weight of expectations that for the longest time has been unfulfilled. Ohio State is on a totally different level than we are; I wouldn't believe anyone who has a sense of positivity for that game in November. On top of that game, we've been passed up by Wisconsin - you know we have - and Freaking Indiana is a thorn in our side now. The culture is another thing. There is a true brotherhood with the basketball team. All for one, one for all. In football, between the transfers and the lack of continuity both on offense and defense, the culture is a team struggling to regain its culture, with a coach that has changed his 'culture' a few times since he's been here. I hope the football team gets it together, but right now I feel it's just going to open up the same wounds. It's hard to get behind something that causes so much pain.
What proof do you have that the football players aren't close? Transfers? Explain Castleton and DeJulius then. Crap like this unfortunately perpetuates the shitty "choose one sport to care about" mindset that everyone on the front page save for Seth has been speaking into existence. It's very sad that it's either seeped into most of the posters here or driven many better posters away.
I don’t think you have the recruiting class you just had without some good locker room chemistry. These kids all talk.
Losing is not fun but these kids all seem to like each other and stick up for each other. This year may surprise.
But Harbaugh just signed a top ten class... how does that happen if football isn't a "true brotherhood"?
It doesn’t. I don’t you think you pull that class as connected as they are with a broken locker room.
That said winning cures a lot. We really need some success this season.
Trying to get excited for this season but it’s tough right now.
I suppose Washington is the swing game between 7-5 and 8-4.
I'd like to believe that in year 3 of Speed in Space, we'll finally see a cohesive passing attack, but I think the defense will be an absolute trainwreck.
The big question is whether Harbaugh resigns after yet another OSU bloodletting.
Big 12, baby! If they can do it, we can too! As for the Ohio State game, the team needs to stop seeing that as a rivalry game, and see it as a big, big game on the schedule; that rivalry stuff benefits Ohio State 10x more than it does us.
Really Victors2000? Isn't that why the Bucks kick our ass all the time...because of the emphasis on the rivalry! If teams with lesser talent (see Purdue, Iowa) can beat them than why can't we. The game is physical and talent matters for sure, but kids gotta get up and play.
The OSU players said it themselves about what this game means. Our guys gotta believe they can win....they need to want it more on every single day of the year and have that mentality carry over to game day. You don't just get up on game day.....
Giving up and saying we can't win is losers mentality.....
just my 2 cents...
goblue
Have to agree. Defense is going to be hard to watch, regardless of the quality of the coaching.
7 wins would be a victory lap.
5 probably. More than 3, even.
Running game should be good. The quarterback reports on Rivals are sobering.
Defense is a complete unknown... but likely lacks enough talent to be that good.
5 star QBs start as freshman and support great passing attacks every season across CFB. If Harbaugh/Gattis can't simplify the offense enough with the talent we have at OL and RB to put out at least a middle of the road performance with one of our two QBs, then happy days will not be had.
I've come to take reports from camps about the quality of QB play with a grain of salt. They can't be as wrong as they were the past couple of years about QB play and then suddenly get it "right" now.
I think the QB position is unsettled, but considering the turnover on the roster and coaching staff, including positional changes, I wouldn't be surprised if they look janky right now.
I have really mixed feelings about this.....while I'm tired of camp hype year in and year out as I end up disappointed to no end.... I do think the program would do itself some favors by being a little more open to fans and the media. Maybe it's just me but I think transparency buys you something and doesn't alienate the public and give them reasons to grind their axe.....
I would like a spring game so I can make my own hype/disappointment decision
I’m excited. Not because I think we’ll be good, but because I want to see how the young guys develop and what the new staff does to rebuild.
Can we upset even a single team? The closest thing Harbaugh has to an upset win at Michigan is murdering a bad ND team, and even then we were still favored
When is the last time we upset anybody?
According to Vegas, the 2017 opener against Florida.
Sure it'd be nice to beat OSU, but I hate that stat. How many games have they even been underdogs in? Besides a road game or 2, mostly against PSU, they're the favorites. Not that many chances for upsets.
I am hoping for a rebound 8 win season.
It all comes down to the Washington game though. If we get beat, the boos in the stadium will be deafening. Harbaugh has been a man who has looked defeated lately. I don't think the team can be rebound from the booing of our stadium. Harbaugh would look even more lost after making a lot of staff changes. I'm not hoping for this but I think it would snowball. I know its a different team in a lot of ways but we haven't shown much backbone lately when thr going gets tough (like embarrasing ourselves in bowl games)
Am I the only one that wanted to know if that field goal kick was good or not?
It would put me in a good Mood if it was.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the Michigan Athletic Department’s success is a zero sum game based on like a hundred point system, and for both Basketball teams to be successful, the department had to take 20-30 points from the football team. Other sports programs then took another 10-20 points.
On a real note, I think they win 5-7 games, and Harbaugh gets to stay for 2022. God I hope I’m wrong and the program goes 11+ wins OR Harbaugh is axed.
11+ wins or Harbaugh gets fired despite a complete overhaul of the defensive staff? I would hate to work for you.
Ok but it should only be a win or 2 less than 11. This team should absolutely be better than 8 wins. It's still tied for 2nd in talent in conference with PSU. Being dogshit last year isn't a good excuse for having a 2nd bad season. I don't expect the defense to be great because of the overhaul but the defense was terrible last year. It's not like there's an overhaul because Brown was so good he got an HC job.
I think you need to reread that and think about it.
No, not really. Maybe you do?
If the team gets to 9 wins this season then it would be a big success and a feather in Harbaugh's cap. A 10+ win season and Harbaugh should earn that half of his salary back that he lost this season. A 7/8 win season is status quo and he buys himself another year. Anything less than 7 wins and I think it's time to move on.
This is absurd reasoning. 7/8 wins is status quo? Why does Harbaugh somehow get credit for last year's shitty team? Now we're just glad not to be like Rich Rod in his first year? He's not swooping in to rescue the program. That was him.
Michigan will always have more talent than Northwestern, Indiana and Michigan State. If they can’t scrape out 8 wins.....
Undefeated, yeah!
My only observation: I'm not sure I've seen anyone put on as much muscle as Blake Corum.
Wake me up when basketball starts again.
Thanks for some good micro bits.
Offense is talented but OL will be a weakness and play-calling will be mismanaged yet again. We don't have much demonstrated talent on D and apparently they will be tasked with running a complicated "multiple" NFL-style system.
5-7 / 6-6 / 7-5 and Harbaugh tries for the NFL again, is rebuffed, and stays at M. The ultimate in football malaise.
The OL returns everyone but the RT who missed most of the season to injury and the backup center. Also, the starting LT who missed most of the season will (hopefully) be healthy. We add a massive transfer and likely starter at RT.
We better score lots of points...but that ain’t happening.
sigh... no juice or excitement on my end at all. I used to crave any M football content at any time of the year. Now i only crave anything but football content.
basketball, baseball, hockey, swimming. Anything else
Truth is we have no idea what to expect here - we have enough talent at most spots to win games but need to have the coaching and preparation to do it. The schedule isn’t an easy one but it never is. At least we had some change for this year, so we don’t know for sure we are getting the same old same old. We shall see if it was enough change or if more is needed. Either way I’ll cheer for them and hope for the best but can’t say I’m optimistic. One game at a time. Week One, let’s get a win and go from there.
Any insider info coming to light recently? Where’s ghostofjermaine?
Nothing like arguing about the football team's win-loss record on April 3.
In phase 2 of Harbaugh's rebuilding, I think 7 wins would be the goal. Though I would not be surprised if our floor is 5 wins and our ceilings is 9. I expect another reaming by OSU, which sucks. I'm getting sick of the losing streak and very irritated by the blowouts.
There're so many toss up games this season, Washington, Northwestern, @ NE, @ MSU,IU, @ Maryland.
Losses will be @ WI, @ PSU and OSU.
Wins: NIU, Rutgers,
If we win all the toss ups, we could finish at 9 wins, which is possible. If we beat @ NE, @ MSU, IU and @ Maryland we would be at 8 wins.
Though this season could implode on Harbaugh and if it does and he only get 2 to 3 wins, he should be shown the door. He will be at RR level.
Too much pessimism on this board.
I have no idea how many games M wins in 2021.
But way too many posters are too overconfident that the result will be bad.
Only those who are very inside the program have any idea one way or the other.
Roster talent is good enough to have a pretty good year.
Big dysfunction in the coach in staff could undermine that, as could poor moral/team chemistry, or injuries.
But no one posting here knows one way or another if those problems will drag down the results.
Hi, have you even watched Michigan football over the past 20 years? This is a 6 to 8 win program, and somehow that has become okay around here.
Another good example of what I am talking about.
You are so negative that you can't even perceive facts and reality straight.
First, Harbaugh is averaging 8 wins per year at Michigan, even factoring the disaster season last fall.
Second, who said it has 'become okay'?
JH should be averaging 10 wins per year. He has underperformed. But that does not mean that anyone here has enough inside knowledge to be so confidently predicting things like '7 wins would be a reach' for 2021, or 'no way Michigan can stop Maryland' etc., etc.