The Case for Speight
I realize that the anti-Speight movement isn't as strong here as in other venues, but I still thought that this column was worth a read. He isn't perfect but last year was pretty good, and he was a big part of wins against Colorado, Penn State and Wisconsin.
https://www.michigandaily.com/section/football/kevin-santo-case-wilton-…
September 14th, 2017 at 11:22 PM ^
He's the best option for the most snaps. I still say he shouldn't get all the snaps but the situation is what it is. He's Michigan's quarterback that sometimes makes terrible terrible throws and he sometimes makes huge mistakes in big games. It'd take me about 10 shots of whiskey and a six pack of beer to look like Wilton on some of those short throws. Either way, Go Blue and Wilton get your shit straight!!
September 14th, 2017 at 11:22 PM ^
I'm not advocating that Speight should be replaced, but this article missed all of the important points. Speight should be the quarterback because he is the team's best option, not because of grit and tougness. "He's a leader" should not be the reason why you stick with a guy.
September 15th, 2017 at 9:39 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 10:31 AM ^
On a young team with only returning 6 starters your plan is to bench one of your best leaders?
Yeah, that's smart, arrest the developement of your passing offense by putting in more guys that don't know wtf is going on.
I would argue that leadership and command of the offense are more important than accuracy at this point.
September 14th, 2017 at 11:22 PM ^
September 14th, 2017 at 11:27 PM ^
You don't get it.
Kid's won us games.
September 14th, 2017 at 11:31 PM ^
He's also lost us games. Really, really big games.
September 15th, 2017 at 5:46 AM ^
The run game also failed to do anything meaningful vs Iowa or OSU. Speight, the running backs, and the OL cost us those games. Not Speight alone
September 15th, 2017 at 8:46 AM ^
The run game didn't hand OSU 21 points.
September 15th, 2017 at 10:57 AM ^
It didn't score 21 points against them, either. As I recall, Speight had a couple of TD passes in that game - including the OT play on 4th down that kept it alive. Did Speight just stand idly by watching a LB run him down in the end zone and hit him while throwing the ball? Nope. That was Dev'eon Smith. So do we now blame that game on Smith? Because if Speight isn't hit, that's a completed pass for a first down, rather than a pick 6. So lets blame that game on Smith - if he had only picked up that blitz we would have won the game.
But go ahead and continue hating on the best QB the roster has while telling everyone that Harbaugh doesn't know anything about QB's. Because that's what you're doing.
September 15th, 2017 at 11:55 AM ^
the run game did absolutely nothing all game long. At least Speight scored 2 TDs
September 15th, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
Yeah, well your inside run game cost the Confederates the war, so why should we listen to you?
"Run up the middle, run up the middle, run up the middle, retreat". You're an 18th century general in a late 19th century war. You're the Mike DeBord of infantry commanders.
#FirePickett #FireLee #HireLongstreet
September 15th, 2017 at 1:39 PM ^
Pickett was just running the play that Lee called.
And that was a weird choice, because Lee was typically too smart to call that kind of attack from that kind of position. Kind of like Nick Saban bizarrely calling a bad defense in a key series in the playoff or something.
September 15th, 2017 at 2:30 PM ^
Or like Urban Meyer sludgefarting away a game against Sparty by inexplicably making JT Barrett throw a bunch of times?
Meyer: JT, get back out there and hit your receivers!
JT: Coach, I have no receivers!
(also, Hoke was clearly our McClellan)
September 15th, 2017 at 3:33 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 5:16 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 11:00 AM ^
Minnesota, 2015; Wisconsin, 2016
But what is a "generic" Michigan QB? Please tell us...
September 15th, 2017 at 7:35 AM ^
Enthusiastic is different than satisfied though. I think most fans (that aren't in the anti-speight camp) are satisfied with what he has done and what he can do. Is he ever going to win the heisman? No, but he is definitely good enough and smart enough to lead our team into doing big things.
September 14th, 2017 at 11:27 PM ^
The case for Speight: Harbaugh considers him the starting quarterback.
Don't need a column. You can tweet it.
September 15th, 2017 at 9:42 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 9:50 AM ^
Damn! if only we could get a coach who knows something about developing QBs!!!
September 15th, 2017 at 10:54 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
Okay, so now you are doubting Harbaugh's ability as a QB coach?
I am starting to think the "AA" in your username doesn't stand for Ann Arbor.
September 15th, 2017 at 1:55 PM ^
with any of the 5 QBs (and one former QB) on the roster now.
You're free to try to demonstrate otherwise.
September 15th, 2017 at 2:49 PM ^
Exhibit 1: Rudock improved dramatically over the course of his season at Michigan. It was easily the best season of Rudock's career and statistically one of the best seasons a M passer has ever put up, even despite a slow start.
Exhibit 2: Wilton Speight has improved dramatically since his first appearance as a backup in the 2015 Minnesota game. In that outing, per UFR, Speight dropped back to pass 8 times and recorded two bad reads, one of which was a BRX. By comparison Speight averaged less than two bad reads per game in 2016 and has posted zero BRs so far in 2017.
Exhibit 3: Dylan McCaffrey, a borderline 5-star QB prospect and the son of a long-time NFL player, signed with Michigan earlier this season. Given his talent and connections, it is highly unlikely McCaffrey would have signed with Michigan unless he and his family--who are clearly in position to know who can develop a QB and who can't--were sufficiently impressed with Harbaugh.
Exhibit 4: Shane Morris, who competed for two seasons under Harbaugh, transferred to CMU this offseason. He immediately won the job, and just obliterated Kansas with a 467 yard, 5 TD performance.
The defense rests.
September 15th, 2017 at 6:47 PM ^
Exhibit 5: Andrew Luck
Exhibit 6: Colin Kaepernick
September 15th, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^
You want Hoke back?
September 15th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
Here's the hawt take of the day!
September 15th, 2017 at 2:12 PM ^
September 14th, 2017 at 11:32 PM ^
I feel like maybe we've kind of gone over this topic once or twice before.
September 14th, 2017 at 11:36 PM ^
There's nothing left to say about Speight. He's a mediocre to decent QB who will make some plays but probably prevent us from ever being a national title contender while he's here.
September 14th, 2017 at 11:40 PM ^
September 14th, 2017 at 11:42 PM ^
There is not. Speight is the best we have right now.
September 15th, 2017 at 2:13 PM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 4:39 PM ^
Yawn. Obvious troll.
September 15th, 2017 at 3:08 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 3:31 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 4:35 AM ^
September 14th, 2017 at 11:35 PM ^
So many people know more than Harbaugh.
What a joke the critics are.
September 14th, 2017 at 11:37 PM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 1:32 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 3:30 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 4:38 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
If Jim Motherfuckin' Harbaugh said that your Grandma was the best QB on the team, and suited her up to play, yes - I would absolutely trust him. I would have confidence in her to do her best at whatever Harbaugh asked her to do - and to do it better than the other QB's on the roster.
Jim Motherfuckin' Harbaugh runs a meritocracy.
September 15th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 11:10 AM ^
Must suck to be you! A negative attitude about everything, no hope for the future, nobody you can support or get behind...
I'm concerned for your mental state, you should just go follow teams with all the talent. You know, the OSU's and Alabama's of the world.
Oh, wait, both OSU and Bama are whining about thier QB play. Maybe just jump to Clemson or Louisville, they seem okay.
September 15th, 2017 at 2:03 PM ^
Harbaugh has 5 scholarship QBs and one former QB under his tutelage. Not one of them is better than just above average. Not one of them has improved from last year to this year. You can convince yourself to be optimistic about that if you want, but I'd have the same concern that you claim to.
September 14th, 2017 at 11:35 PM ^
is he makes good decisions with the ball. Really liked his "audible" play change at the line based on what he saw. Just makes inaccurate throws at times. Which is important.
The other thing I liked is he didn't get the "yips" trying to analyze and overcorrect to the point where he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn for "guiding" the ball rather than throwing it thru the target. It seems like he stays calm and goes back to work.
This is the time of year to sort this type of thing out. As the season progresses the stakes of course get higher.
Re: Peters. I would love to see what he can do (next year), but if he can't pass Speight, then he can't pass Speight. The simplicity of meritocracy.
September 14th, 2017 at 11:37 PM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 3:25 AM ^