Hello friends,
Welcome back to your favorite thread each and every week during the season. Well, there are some better ones but this one can be pretty good as well. I really want to get this thread back to how it was 2,3 and 4 years ago. There was a lot of content, some smack talk and most importantly winning plays. Per the norm, @SHOGUN and myself will alternate starting this thread each week with an occasional cameo from @cubsker or @PaintCrew when we start slacking. So, with that being said I wanted to get this going some 17-21 days out from the games.
For the initial thread this season I would like to...
-Talk about match-ups
-Camp updates
-Team previews if possible
-Links to pertinent articles/tweets
-Injury/Suspension updates
I think we can get a healthy amount of content into the thread and be ready to rock for Week One!
Week One will be spread out from Saturday, August 27th through Saturday, September 3rd...(all lines are as of midnight eastern, 8-10-2022).
August 27th
Nebraska -12.5 and 50.5 vs Northwestern (Dublin, Ireland)
Illinois -10 and 54 vs Wyoming
September 1st
Penn State -3.5 and 54.5 @ Purdue
Minnesota -37 and 55.5 vs New Mexico State
September 2nd
Michigan State -19 and 54.5 vs Western Michigan
Indiana -5 and 47.5 vs Illinois
September 3rd
Maryland -2.5 and 63.5 vs Buffalo
Michigan -27.5 and 58.5 vs Colorado State
Rutgers +7 and 49 @ Boston College
Ohio State -15.5 and 58 vs Notre Dame
Wisconsin NL vs Illinois State
Overall, only two really 'must see' games, and both will be primetime affairs (Purdue and Ohio State hosting). Obviously a game in Dublin is intriguing as well...
Personally, I am still in the midst of my conference capping. I'll have more to add to the 'other' games as we go through the next two weeks or so. Tonight, I'll concentrate on the defending B1G champions...
Michigan
The big losses: Hutch, Ojabo and Daxton Hill from the defense as well as the DC and OC
Additions: Jesse Minter at DC and and co-OC's and Olusegun Oluwatimi at C
Let us start with the offense. Gattis was the Broyles Award Winner last year. I feel good for the guy in that respect as he got trashed a lot here, but this was a total team effort overall. He did well last year, but he won't be missed all too much. In fact, I think over time this offense will be in much better hands. The other positive here is he won't be banging recruits' moms. That is huge.
The KEY position to any team is QB and UM is set up very nice here with McNamara and McCarthy (plus spring surprise Davis Warren). JJ had a shoulder injury from his scampers in the Orange Bowl. They opted out of surgery and let things heal. He's been back to 100% for about a month now but missed some crucial reps in spring. Cade is what he is, a heckuva game manager. He doesn't turn the ball over and mostly makes the correct reads. He is a gamer, and a guy you love to have. Now, he cannot do all the things JJ can. McCarthy is a star in the making. He can make so many different throws, is excellent in the run game and wants to be the man. Ultimately, JH wants the guy who will limit turnovers and lead the team to TD's. You will see these guys both play a lot in September as the schedule is weaker than previous years. Ultimately, they could platoon all year but in a perfect world JJ wins this job by October. Hopefully, it doesn't take a loss at Iowa to make a change.
I'll tell you what, if I am QB, I definitely want to play with the surrounding offense. This is an extremely talented squad with good depth, no doubt...
Last year's offensive line rated out as the best in the country. They had provided a powerful running game and protected the QB position very well. They lost two starters but have plenty of capable guys ready to go. The biggest addition though is Virginia transfer, Olu. Already in camp, some insiders believe he is better than Ruiz (Former C and 1st round pick). This group should pick up where last year's unit left off. Depth here is excellent.
The RB's lose a big piece with Haskins in Nashville. With that being said, Corum is back and ready to be that lead guy. Even better, sophomore Edwards is back and ready to shoulder more of the load. Donovan should have a huge year all-around. He showed his pass-catching abilities in November and is a star in the making. The big thing here will be short yardage situations. They are looking at a few guys right now, and we'll see how that shakes out in September. Remember the name CJ Stokes as well. You should see him a bit in early blowouts.
I was a bit surprised that Erick All returned but not upset whatsoever. He is an All-American candidate. Schoonmaker is back. Louis Hansen enters his 2nd year and should do some things. Frosh Loveland is thought of very highly as well.
There is a plethora of receivers both returning and coming in. The big one is Ronnie Bell is back. This kid has fought through so much and will be a captain this year. Mr. reliable, I expect he'll have some big moments. Bell is an easy guy to root for. Johnson and Wilson return as well, both solid receivers than had big moments last year. Sophomore Andrel Anthony had the breakout game in East Lansing last year and could be ready to be the guy this year. The incoming guys are what really gets me excited. Clemons should be special, and Walker has potential as well. As you can see, depth will not be an issue here at all.
As you can see, there are plenty of talented players and depth on this side of the ball. This should be a fairly high-scoring team. So far in camp they have talked about adding new things to the offense and passing more than they did last year. Of course, all of this comes down to the QB situation. Both are team guys, but we know how these types of battles can go. You simply need to keep team chemistry...
Now, on to the defense...
Starting last year, I think many were nervous about the defense. There was talent there, but my biggest concern was the secondary. While being in attendance at the opener I watched WMU pass right down the field in the 1st quarter and was legit scared. Then, the pass rush started. The secondary guys started making plays and the unit as a whole simply got better and better each game. McDonald was a young hot-shot DC and was proving to be a brilliant hire. Now, there were some breakdowns at times but overall, they had a solid year.
Now, they need to be better. That is a big chore when you lose 3 1st round picks (Ojabo was top 15 till the injury). There is talent though and a new coordinator (albeit from the same system -Ravens). We shall see. Jim isn't one to overhype his team, but he has said twice now this summer that he can see this defense being BETTER than last year. Interesting. Back to Jesse Minter. He is calling this 'year two' in the scheme so hopefully the transition is pretty smooth.
Looking at the line, the inside should be better than last year. Mazi Smith is a giant human being and will be there likely with Jenkins. On the edge, Mike Morris has been waiting for this moment. I'd expect a lot of combinations during camp and even into the September schedule (Harrell, Upshaw and some youngsters will be part of this). Mazi will be the leader of this unit though.
Linebackers seem to be a consensus concern, but I think they will be fine. Colson will be heading to the NFL after next season. He is a budding star, the best since Devin Bush in many people's opinion. Hill-Green also should start. Both these guys got good amounts of playing time last year and should build off that. The other spot will be battled out in camp.
Three guys have departed the starting backfield. I am a fan of the safeties who got their feet wet last year (Moten and Moore). DJ Turner is an all-conference type at corner and likely will start the season opposite Gemon Green. Will Johnson is the local boy, 5-star frosh from the Detroit area and a legacy recruit. How soon is he ready? We shall see. He will be a starter by next year at the minimum. The intrigue back here is Mike Sainstril. He is a converted WR that made the move due to depth on both sides and really showed out in the spring at the nickel position. He will have bits of time on offense, but seemingly has found a home in the backfield.
Overall, I am interested in seeing how this group gels. The September schedule definitely helps A LOT. I keep going back to the JH comments... hopefully he is spot on here. If he is, then they are in play for another championship...
Special Teams will be very good again. Moody and Robbins are both back for the Wolverines. As far as returners, that situation is very fluid. I'd expect AJ Henning back somewhere. I didn't mention him with the WR's, but he's the slot guy that if he can get his act together route-running is a heckuva weapon. We saw great action from him on reverses last season as well on the return game.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No final prediction on the season as of now.
10-2 should be the floor in my opinion but you just never know...
Iowa is looking like a noon game, so that is a bonus if true.
TV apparently wants MSU at night. The AA police etc want no part of that so we shall see who wins out there.
Ideally the Penn State game is the night game(other than Hawaii). That is already a maize-out and would be a fun atmosphere.
Now, betting...
As of now, I will be looking at TT's early on in some capacity. The proper matchups in conference will demand a look at overs as well depending on how the defense shapes up.
Should be fun!
Back over the week with some more conference talk. I'm looking for team stuff from @cubsker @PaintCrew @Marsski @VirginiaCavs @P-Unit and anyone else I missed.
Welcome back to your favorite thread each and every week during the season. Well, there are some better ones but this one can be pretty good as well. I really want to get this thread back to how it was 2,3 and 4 years ago. There was a lot of content, some smack talk and most importantly winning plays. Per the norm, @SHOGUN and myself will alternate starting this thread each week with an occasional cameo from @cubsker or @PaintCrew when we start slacking. So, with that being said I wanted to get this going some 17-21 days out from the games.
For the initial thread this season I would like to...
-Talk about match-ups
-Camp updates
-Team previews if possible
-Links to pertinent articles/tweets
-Injury/Suspension updates
I think we can get a healthy amount of content into the thread and be ready to rock for Week One!
Week One will be spread out from Saturday, August 27th through Saturday, September 3rd...(all lines are as of midnight eastern, 8-10-2022).
August 27th
Nebraska -12.5 and 50.5 vs Northwestern (Dublin, Ireland)
Illinois -10 and 54 vs Wyoming
September 1st
Penn State -3.5 and 54.5 @ Purdue
Minnesota -37 and 55.5 vs New Mexico State
September 2nd
Michigan State -19 and 54.5 vs Western Michigan
Indiana -5 and 47.5 vs Illinois
September 3rd
Maryland -2.5 and 63.5 vs Buffalo
Michigan -27.5 and 58.5 vs Colorado State
Rutgers +7 and 49 @ Boston College
Ohio State -15.5 and 58 vs Notre Dame
Wisconsin NL vs Illinois State
Overall, only two really 'must see' games, and both will be primetime affairs (Purdue and Ohio State hosting). Obviously a game in Dublin is intriguing as well...
Personally, I am still in the midst of my conference capping. I'll have more to add to the 'other' games as we go through the next two weeks or so. Tonight, I'll concentrate on the defending B1G champions...
Michigan
The big losses: Hutch, Ojabo and Daxton Hill from the defense as well as the DC and OC
Additions: Jesse Minter at DC and and co-OC's and Olusegun Oluwatimi at C
Let us start with the offense. Gattis was the Broyles Award Winner last year. I feel good for the guy in that respect as he got trashed a lot here, but this was a total team effort overall. He did well last year, but he won't be missed all too much. In fact, I think over time this offense will be in much better hands. The other positive here is he won't be banging recruits' moms. That is huge.
The KEY position to any team is QB and UM is set up very nice here with McNamara and McCarthy (plus spring surprise Davis Warren). JJ had a shoulder injury from his scampers in the Orange Bowl. They opted out of surgery and let things heal. He's been back to 100% for about a month now but missed some crucial reps in spring. Cade is what he is, a heckuva game manager. He doesn't turn the ball over and mostly makes the correct reads. He is a gamer, and a guy you love to have. Now, he cannot do all the things JJ can. McCarthy is a star in the making. He can make so many different throws, is excellent in the run game and wants to be the man. Ultimately, JH wants the guy who will limit turnovers and lead the team to TD's. You will see these guys both play a lot in September as the schedule is weaker than previous years. Ultimately, they could platoon all year but in a perfect world JJ wins this job by October. Hopefully, it doesn't take a loss at Iowa to make a change.
I'll tell you what, if I am QB, I definitely want to play with the surrounding offense. This is an extremely talented squad with good depth, no doubt...
Last year's offensive line rated out as the best in the country. They had provided a powerful running game and protected the QB position very well. They lost two starters but have plenty of capable guys ready to go. The biggest addition though is Virginia transfer, Olu. Already in camp, some insiders believe he is better than Ruiz (Former C and 1st round pick). This group should pick up where last year's unit left off. Depth here is excellent.
The RB's lose a big piece with Haskins in Nashville. With that being said, Corum is back and ready to be that lead guy. Even better, sophomore Edwards is back and ready to shoulder more of the load. Donovan should have a huge year all-around. He showed his pass-catching abilities in November and is a star in the making. The big thing here will be short yardage situations. They are looking at a few guys right now, and we'll see how that shakes out in September. Remember the name CJ Stokes as well. You should see him a bit in early blowouts.
I was a bit surprised that Erick All returned but not upset whatsoever. He is an All-American candidate. Schoonmaker is back. Louis Hansen enters his 2nd year and should do some things. Frosh Loveland is thought of very highly as well.
There is a plethora of receivers both returning and coming in. The big one is Ronnie Bell is back. This kid has fought through so much and will be a captain this year. Mr. reliable, I expect he'll have some big moments. Bell is an easy guy to root for. Johnson and Wilson return as well, both solid receivers than had big moments last year. Sophomore Andrel Anthony had the breakout game in East Lansing last year and could be ready to be the guy this year. The incoming guys are what really gets me excited. Clemons should be special, and Walker has potential as well. As you can see, depth will not be an issue here at all.
As you can see, there are plenty of talented players and depth on this side of the ball. This should be a fairly high-scoring team. So far in camp they have talked about adding new things to the offense and passing more than they did last year. Of course, all of this comes down to the QB situation. Both are team guys, but we know how these types of battles can go. You simply need to keep team chemistry...
Now, on to the defense...
Starting last year, I think many were nervous about the defense. There was talent there, but my biggest concern was the secondary. While being in attendance at the opener I watched WMU pass right down the field in the 1st quarter and was legit scared. Then, the pass rush started. The secondary guys started making plays and the unit as a whole simply got better and better each game. McDonald was a young hot-shot DC and was proving to be a brilliant hire. Now, there were some breakdowns at times but overall, they had a solid year.
Now, they need to be better. That is a big chore when you lose 3 1st round picks (Ojabo was top 15 till the injury). There is talent though and a new coordinator (albeit from the same system -Ravens). We shall see. Jim isn't one to overhype his team, but he has said twice now this summer that he can see this defense being BETTER than last year. Interesting. Back to Jesse Minter. He is calling this 'year two' in the scheme so hopefully the transition is pretty smooth.
Looking at the line, the inside should be better than last year. Mazi Smith is a giant human being and will be there likely with Jenkins. On the edge, Mike Morris has been waiting for this moment. I'd expect a lot of combinations during camp and even into the September schedule (Harrell, Upshaw and some youngsters will be part of this). Mazi will be the leader of this unit though.
Linebackers seem to be a consensus concern, but I think they will be fine. Colson will be heading to the NFL after next season. He is a budding star, the best since Devin Bush in many people's opinion. Hill-Green also should start. Both these guys got good amounts of playing time last year and should build off that. The other spot will be battled out in camp.
Three guys have departed the starting backfield. I am a fan of the safeties who got their feet wet last year (Moten and Moore). DJ Turner is an all-conference type at corner and likely will start the season opposite Gemon Green. Will Johnson is the local boy, 5-star frosh from the Detroit area and a legacy recruit. How soon is he ready? We shall see. He will be a starter by next year at the minimum. The intrigue back here is Mike Sainstril. He is a converted WR that made the move due to depth on both sides and really showed out in the spring at the nickel position. He will have bits of time on offense, but seemingly has found a home in the backfield.
Overall, I am interested in seeing how this group gels. The September schedule definitely helps A LOT. I keep going back to the JH comments... hopefully he is spot on here. If he is, then they are in play for another championship...
Special Teams will be very good again. Moody and Robbins are both back for the Wolverines. As far as returners, that situation is very fluid. I'd expect AJ Henning back somewhere. I didn't mention him with the WR's, but he's the slot guy that if he can get his act together route-running is a heckuva weapon. We saw great action from him on reverses last season as well on the return game.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No final prediction on the season as of now.
10-2 should be the floor in my opinion but you just never know...
Iowa is looking like a noon game, so that is a bonus if true.
TV apparently wants MSU at night. The AA police etc want no part of that so we shall see who wins out there.
Ideally the Penn State game is the night game(other than Hawaii). That is already a maize-out and would be a fun atmosphere.
Now, betting...
As of now, I will be looking at TT's early on in some capacity. The proper matchups in conference will demand a look at overs as well depending on how the defense shapes up.
Should be fun!
Back over the week with some more conference talk. I'm looking for team stuff from @cubsker @PaintCrew @Marsski @VirginiaCavs @P-Unit and anyone else I missed.
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