What will you consider a positive sign from today's game?

Sense of purpose 

it doesnt matter...we will win this game probably handily and everyone will THINK everything is fixed..IT ISNT....

Simple. The offense clicks. They look like they’ve played football before.

7 ypp, hold them under 4.8ypp, score 50. Win the TO battle by at least 2.

A win by 35 or more.

lots of touchdown passes to WRs to create some chemistry and rythm.

O line does some good blocking and gels together allowing no sacks.

D line records at least 3 sacks.

no fumbles!!!!!

100+ yard rusher.

a win. 

Go blue!

1. We have heard a couple rumors on here that there will be some lineup changes, both for attitude reasons as well as effectiveness reasons. I hope this comes to pass.

2. If 8-4 is the ceiling, let’s see some of the young guys, especially the DTs.

3. How about making speed-in-space more than a hashtag? No more TEs in the slot.

4. Play with passion. Grit. Determination.

5. Shea (or whoever) gets the ball out on time.

6. No injuries.

7. JH looks engaged, fired up and throws his headset at something.

8. Minimum weight for DTs 275.

9. Someone in the A gap on all short yardage plays.

10. We can’t exit BPONE today. It’s impossible considering the opposition. However, we can look like the team gets it that they turtled last week and they care this week. That’s probably the best we can do against Rutger.

If we can get 8/10, I’m happy.

No mistakes, playing with conviction, not wilting if and when adversity strikes.

Functional looking football. 

I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes

Win by 50+

Pretty much everything you said

The responses in this thread have been surprisingly rational. I guess it's only pregame right now

Are they out for warmups yet?  Anyone not dressed we thought would be?

I would consider a win a positive. I would consider a very clear win by 20+ points an even bigger positive. An offensive output of 5+ TDs would be a very encouraging sign. Execution has been a major concern, and you can execute very poorly even vs bad teams (a number of games from the last couple Hoke years are a good example), so that's what we should look at today.

I just need to see Michigan give Rutgers an aggressive face fucking.   We’ve heard and read so much about he details to fix and this and that.   It just comes down to I want to see domination.   

Gattis at home packing up the alarm system he reported told the installer "need to be portable because I'll only be here two years..."

I want to see a Michigan team bent on destruction of the opposition for 60 minutes. Scoring, hitting, executing, winning.

A functional 310 pound defensive tackle.

No busts on D - multiple sacks & forced TO’s

on offense- The receivers running past the secondary and Shae throwing it to them; Sainristil and Giles getting some run and showing some actual speed in actual space; nastiness/attitude/playing through whistle from the OL and Backs. 

Alas I expect to see none of these things. 

Get. It. Together 

DPJ, Nico, and Black having 100 yards receiving each

On second thought, I want to see more than the face fucking. 

I want to relive 2015 when, starting with game 1 at Utah, I saw a team getting better.  If they’re not getting better on gameday. What’s the point of it all?

No turnovers and better production on offense.

Honestly, we could win 100-0 and it wouldn't change how I feel. If we lose or have a close game, I'll feel more negative, but nothing in a creampuff game will move the needle in a positive direction.

An offense that looks somewhat like the #speedinspace that we were promised, and some better play from Jeter or else seeing Smith or Hinton get reps and look competent.

These predictions read like I’m on a ride in Disney World. 

I’m hoping the team can get a discernible rhythm going offensively. Crisply moving the ball downfield with consistency would be a welcome development.

Utter annihilation of a weaker opponent and absolute confidence in every movement on both sides of the ball.

I want them to recite the "what is best in life" routine from Conan and then actually achieve it.

-I want to see some defensive penetration and being able to get the QB uncomfortable. 

-I want to see our o-line get some push and make it easy on our QB's with some comfortable play-action fakes in getting the run game going.

-NO INJURIES PLEASE

No serious injuries.  No targeting calls against Michigan.

Hoping to have good endurance and energy on my hike, perhaps a lack of cell signal, and a general forgetfulness of the fact that there's a football game today.

And somewhere in my heart, I hope the Men in Maize and Blue can turn it around today 

A complete, dominant game would be nice, but no matter what they do today, it will not reveal much. 

Its Rutgers...

I'll be looking for signs, but this bpone is not an imaginary construct, it's based on 4 seasons of increasingly damaging self inflicted blunders. It'll take more than a few positives against Rutgers to take the edge off. If they cover the spread it'll be the first time since last year when we played Rutgers that we achieved it. 

I want to see “what’s your deal?” Harbaugh 

Defense tackling soundly and not missing assignments.  Offense with no stupid turnovers, spreading the ball around, and gaining lots of yardage.  Adequate protection from the Oline.

McKeon, Ross, DMac out for sure. Wilson warming up, but I expect a little more turner today.

How about just not fumbling on the first offensive series?   That would be an improvement. 

Something other than four horsemen.

A win with no turnovers. Also, I’d like to see the freshman play - Mazi, Hinton, Sainristil and Giles. 

Honestly just look like you understand football once again.

Players hitting hard on defense

Offense players running over Rutgers defenders (and running by them)

A dominating o-line

No turnovers

No punts...points every possession

Some fucking visible emotion from the team