Hey fellas,
Good to be back, I'm excited to be capping with all of you throughout the year. May all of you have a great year, and remember this is a marathon and not a sprint.
No disrespect intended for anyone who started a Utah/Michigan thread...a lot of great information in there, but for tracking purposes I'm putting my thoughts in here. I hope to give the board some knowledge on UM.
This game is the great unknown, for a lot of obvious reasons...and these are some of my ramblings...I have paraphrased "insider" information from GBW (thanks jumponboard) and other sites and created my own conclusions based on my findings and being fortunate to attend a few practices...hope they help.
1. Who is the QB and playcalling..
Rich Rod wants two qb's that can be effective in his system. So far, it looks like the walk-on Nick Sheridan has won the job...Threet has closed the gap recently, and Justin Feagin will possbily redshirt at this point. Do not be surprised to see Carlos Brown see several snaps for the option read and trick plays. This has been under wraps for quite some time since the first practice where he supposedly took 30 snaps (he is the RB)..they may go to some hog formations ala Arkansas/McFadden with Brown. In the scrimmage last week insiders reported that there were mis-directions, bubble screens, seam passes, belly runs, reverses, hand signals, sprint puts by qb's, direct snaps to RB's, they keep adding more and more each day and it is limitless in the way they use players..no backs, 1 back, 2 backs, several formations with different WR sets---its intense.
2. Offensive Line explanations and injuries
projected starters Zirbel is out for season and Huyge is recovering from high ankle sprain and is week to week. A lot has been said about this system and the complexities of it...but surprisingly the OLine is one of the easiest parts to grasp for what I have gathered. Michigan is hurting on the two-deep, they don't have a lot of bodies and becasue of the injuries they have moved Molk to center and mooseman to guard...this is disconcerning becasue Molk is stuggling snapping the ball..which leads to what...turnovers.
The blocking scheme...
I don't think people realized how difficult UM's old system was. The OL had to implement some version of zone blocking along with asking them to block in a pro passing scheme. That passing scheme frequently asked our OL's to block while our QB took 5 to 7 step drops. I do not know of a team who consistently run a zone blocking scheme who also does not run a majority of their passing game out of the shot-gun. This irritated the shit out of me, plays would take forever to develop becasue of the slow dropbacks of the qb's and they rarely went out of the shotgun.
This system that Rich rod uses is an aggressive (gain ground) on the first step and 1/2 on running plays and a shot-gun quick passing game. The QB's frequently get rid of the ball immediately. They do use a deep passing game, but it is much different because the other parts of our offense is designed to make opposition play with one deep safety..therefore..even when throwing deep, it is basically a read then bam get rid of the ball.
UM's Oline ,even in their zone blocking scheme a year ago, did not emphasize this gaining ground approach from the OL. Overall, although the spread offense has many variations and ways to attack the defense, the OL play is very basic and simple. Does not matter what play is run in most cases, the OL's do the same thing play in and play out. So, it is because of the simplicity of the scheme that makes me believe the production will surprise people....(hopefully).
3. Offensive players that Im stoked about....
Michael Shaw (freshman)...he is FAST and can cut...one of the fastest players I have seen in a uniform....projected slot and RB
Sam McGuffie (freshman)..Fred Jackson (RB coach) says this is the best RB he has ever had at UM..that says it all.
Martavious Odoms (freshman)..has ability to make people miss, rarely gets tackled by first defender according to insiders...projected starting slot.
Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor (juniors)...Expected to be leaders and the dimension both can bring at QB.
________________________________________________________________
Defense, defense
1. Schemes?
Coach Shafer defensive coordinator at UM, will be playing a base 4-3 defense. The defense will have 4 goals.
1. Stop The Run
2. Get to the Qb, then hit him in the mouth (coaches words, not mine)
3. Get to the back Up QB
4. Intercept The Football/Create Turnovers and score if possible.
UM has many adjustments depending on offense's personal in the game, formations, are they lined up into the boundary or to the wide side of field etc. Final rule Coach Shafer gave is was whenever sceondary is in trouble, check to cover 2.
<O
</OI paraphrased the above from a coaches clinic from Schafer.
Can the D defend the spread? I hope so!I have no idea if they can, but I do know this..they are better conditioned and faster than last year.
2. Guys I'm excited to see on D..Brandon Graham..DE..lost 30 pounds-he will be a force
Donovan Warren and Morgan Trent...CB..both fast and will anchor the CB position.
Overall thoughts...
1) kids will play up to their potential
<O</O2) the kids will develop quickly
<O</O3) depth will be developed
<O</OI do not think offensively this team is as talented as teams in the past, but teams won't know how to prepare for them in the beginning. I believe the running game will be much better than people think right out of the gate
I say they win 8 or 9 games...start out fast becasue of a chip on their shoulder and the unknown but Qb play will struggle as schedule gets harder and teams know how to prepare for them.
Betting purposes this week
I would not bet this game against Utah....too many unknowns...WAY TOO MANY.
I wouldn't even bet the under....turnovers can be plenty, offenses could go off..both teams go wide open and take advantage of spacing...too risky for a total.
keep in mind BOTH teams have EXCELLENT special teams..very consistent kickers.
I predict a 30-17 UM victory FWIW..but not touching it.
Good luck this year fellas.
Good to be back, I'm excited to be capping with all of you throughout the year. May all of you have a great year, and remember this is a marathon and not a sprint.
No disrespect intended for anyone who started a Utah/Michigan thread...a lot of great information in there, but for tracking purposes I'm putting my thoughts in here. I hope to give the board some knowledge on UM.
This game is the great unknown, for a lot of obvious reasons...and these are some of my ramblings...I have paraphrased "insider" information from GBW (thanks jumponboard) and other sites and created my own conclusions based on my findings and being fortunate to attend a few practices...hope they help.
1. Who is the QB and playcalling..
Rich Rod wants two qb's that can be effective in his system. So far, it looks like the walk-on Nick Sheridan has won the job...Threet has closed the gap recently, and Justin Feagin will possbily redshirt at this point. Do not be surprised to see Carlos Brown see several snaps for the option read and trick plays. This has been under wraps for quite some time since the first practice where he supposedly took 30 snaps (he is the RB)..they may go to some hog formations ala Arkansas/McFadden with Brown. In the scrimmage last week insiders reported that there were mis-directions, bubble screens, seam passes, belly runs, reverses, hand signals, sprint puts by qb's, direct snaps to RB's, they keep adding more and more each day and it is limitless in the way they use players..no backs, 1 back, 2 backs, several formations with different WR sets---its intense.
2. Offensive Line explanations and injuries
projected starters Zirbel is out for season and Huyge is recovering from high ankle sprain and is week to week. A lot has been said about this system and the complexities of it...but surprisingly the OLine is one of the easiest parts to grasp for what I have gathered. Michigan is hurting on the two-deep, they don't have a lot of bodies and becasue of the injuries they have moved Molk to center and mooseman to guard...this is disconcerning becasue Molk is stuggling snapping the ball..which leads to what...turnovers.
The blocking scheme...
I don't think people realized how difficult UM's old system was. The OL had to implement some version of zone blocking along with asking them to block in a pro passing scheme. That passing scheme frequently asked our OL's to block while our QB took 5 to 7 step drops. I do not know of a team who consistently run a zone blocking scheme who also does not run a majority of their passing game out of the shot-gun. This irritated the shit out of me, plays would take forever to develop becasue of the slow dropbacks of the qb's and they rarely went out of the shotgun.
This system that Rich rod uses is an aggressive (gain ground) on the first step and 1/2 on running plays and a shot-gun quick passing game. The QB's frequently get rid of the ball immediately. They do use a deep passing game, but it is much different because the other parts of our offense is designed to make opposition play with one deep safety..therefore..even when throwing deep, it is basically a read then bam get rid of the ball.
UM's Oline ,even in their zone blocking scheme a year ago, did not emphasize this gaining ground approach from the OL. Overall, although the spread offense has many variations and ways to attack the defense, the OL play is very basic and simple. Does not matter what play is run in most cases, the OL's do the same thing play in and play out. So, it is because of the simplicity of the scheme that makes me believe the production will surprise people....(hopefully).
3. Offensive players that Im stoked about....
Michael Shaw (freshman)...he is FAST and can cut...one of the fastest players I have seen in a uniform....projected slot and RB
Sam McGuffie (freshman)..Fred Jackson (RB coach) says this is the best RB he has ever had at UM..that says it all.
Martavious Odoms (freshman)..has ability to make people miss, rarely gets tackled by first defender according to insiders...projected starting slot.
Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor (juniors)...Expected to be leaders and the dimension both can bring at QB.
________________________________________________________________
Defense, defense
1. Schemes?
Coach Shafer defensive coordinator at UM, will be playing a base 4-3 defense. The defense will have 4 goals.
1. Stop The Run
2. Get to the Qb, then hit him in the mouth (coaches words, not mine)
3. Get to the back Up QB
4. Intercept The Football/Create Turnovers and score if possible.
UM has many adjustments depending on offense's personal in the game, formations, are they lined up into the boundary or to the wide side of field etc. Final rule Coach Shafer gave is was whenever sceondary is in trouble, check to cover 2.
<O
</OI paraphrased the above from a coaches clinic from Schafer. Can the D defend the spread? I hope so!I have no idea if they can, but I do know this..they are better conditioned and faster than last year.
2. Guys I'm excited to see on D..Brandon Graham..DE..lost 30 pounds-he will be a force
Donovan Warren and Morgan Trent...CB..both fast and will anchor the CB position.
Overall thoughts...
1) kids will play up to their potential
<O
</O2) the kids will develop quickly<O
</O3) depth will be developed<O
</OI do not think offensively this team is as talented as teams in the past, but teams won't know how to prepare for them in the beginning. I believe the running game will be much better than people think right out of the gateI say they win 8 or 9 games...start out fast becasue of a chip on their shoulder and the unknown but Qb play will struggle as schedule gets harder and teams know how to prepare for them.
Betting purposes this week
I would not bet this game against Utah....too many unknowns...WAY TOO MANY.
I wouldn't even bet the under....turnovers can be plenty, offenses could go off..both teams go wide open and take advantage of spacing...too risky for a total.
keep in mind BOTH teams have EXCELLENT special teams..very consistent kickers.
I predict a 30-17 UM victory FWIW..but not touching it.
Good luck this year fellas.
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) and the reasoning for it. Good luck this year.
