Team 137 by Jim Harbaugh. Football talk and Predictions.

[Pasadena Blue]

talent's analysis of M's defense is basically correct.
He seems to be suggesting that everyone here has an over optimistic appraisal of M's defense last year, and believes the defense was lacking on talent and that was the explanation for the poor performances against IU and O-state at the end of the year.

I think M's D featured a truly talented secondary all year and a good D-line at the beginning of the year. Losses of Glasgow and Ojemudia on the D-line had a significant effect on the D-line. The D-line early in the year was able to conceal what was a substantial lack of talent at the LB position. The lack of LB talent was especially exposed against certain style of offenses.

For next year, the D-line mostly returns with Gary and Mone coming in and Henry and Ojemudia going out --- i think it is not a stretch to think the D-line will be as good, barring injury. The secondary is mostly intact as well --- Strib looks to have made a jump up as well. Jarrod Wilson is a loss, but I think DT is finally ready to take the next step.

The real wildcard is how will the LB's play? Will McCray, Gedeon, and Peppers (with DBJr., Kemp, and Winovich subbing in), outperform Bolden/Morgan/Ross? I guess from an "athletic/capable of defending spread offenses" standpoint, some of us believe there is a chance for improvement --- perhaps, talent, that is the reason for the optimism you are seeing around here.

Road games at Sparty, Iowa, and C-bus will be a challenge --- I think we have a good chance at Sparty and Iowa. As for C-bus -- who knows.

[The Oracle]

Good post, agree with nearly all of it.

[Wellington_beefhouser]

Let's not sleep on Maurice Hurst Jr. He played well last year and seems to be picking up where Henry left off. I'm excited to see how Mone performs. Maybe Mone will be money...mone money. I'm hoping D Bush can get acclimated quickly enough to the college game to become a starter this year. His speed on the 2nd level is sorely needed. Let M fans rejoice in the fact that easy Zeke is off to the pros...fuck that guy and his unbelievable "talent". (See what I did there?)

I'm all in on Don Brown...he's an alchemist.

[iam416]

PB:

I think the corners were unit-wise elite. I think the safeties settled into things and became a really solid group. I like Dymonte's progress. I thought the LBs were mediocre at best. So, all that is no #hottake....is pretty much where most people are. Where I probably part ways with you guys is that I think the DL is "just" good, but that's about it. To my mind, no really good DL gets steamrolled like they did against IU and OSU. Ever. I can't help by think about how OSU basically shut down Oregon's inside running game with Washington and Bennett.

So, I'm not at the same place you guys are with your DL. That's JMO.

I also think the best example of my overall take on M's defense is Peppers, who is obviously very good. But against OSU I remember thinking he has zero chance to affect this game on defense.

Anyway, I really like Wormley -- that guy is an NFL player. And I really think Gary will make an impact, so I do think the DL will be better. But, if you told me today that OSU would run for 300 yards again and score 42 points again, I wouldn't be shocked.

[Hannibal]

Losing our starting WDE and then losing the entire 3-deep at NT hurt us badly. Still not a valid excuse though. That game was a Hermann/English shitshow special.

[iam416]

On LBs, I'd be very surprised to see a true frosh make a real impact. Ryan Shazier ended up starting by the end of his frosh year, but he wildly inconsistent and that was the trainwreck 2011 season. I mention him because he had/has ungodly speed, but that only got him so far. He eventually became a 1st round pick, but 2011 was meh.

Raekwon MacMillan was highly touted coming into OSU and lots of people thought he'd supplant an underachieving Curtis Grant. But the best he could do is spell Grant every 3rd or 4th series. To be fair, MLB is a little harder because it requires more grown-ass man attributes whereas OLBs, especially WLBs, can get by more on speed.

[iam416]

Losing our starting WDE and then losing the entire 3-deep at NT hurt us badly. Still not a valid excuse though.

Right. And your WDE and non-Glasgow 3-deep played against IU and limited them to 300 yards rushing. Even with the complete unit, a very meh Goofer team ran semi-effectively simply by running Bitch Leidner a little.

Again, I realize I'm very much in the minority on the DL play. There's a good case contra my position. I'm merely stating my opinion.

That game was a Hermann/English shitshow special.

Nah, that was a Jimmys and Joes asswhipping.

[Hannibal]

RichRod had Jimmy and Joes problems out the wazoo and none of his defenses ever gave up 367 rushing yards in a game. You can mitigate issues like that and have a manageable day.

[iam416]

RichGOD played Tressel. Tressel's offensive philosophy would have run headlong into the teeth of M's defensive strength last season. There's no way they score more than 24.

And my comments are more to how ridiculously talented Ohio State was across the board.

[Hannibal]

RichGOD played Tressel. Tressel's offensive philosophy would have run headlong into the teeth of M's defensive strength last season. There's no way they score more than 24.

And my comments are more to how ridiculously talented Ohio State was across the board.

It speaks volumes about the potency of the spread when it comes to maximizing talent advantages. Something that I am deeply concerned about as we have adpoted a Tresselball type offense that sets two or three series on fire in order to set up one or two big misdirection plays.

It should work pretty well since it is being competently taught, but I don't expect us to go rushing for 367 yards against a competent defense with it or to destroy a defense with our 3rd string QB like what Baylor did in their bowl game this year.

[drok]

I'm a big fan of the spread offense as Urbz runs it, but I wouldn't describe what Jimmy does as a Hoke manball or a tresselball offense. Unlike those offenses, I do think that Harbaugh's plays and playcalling have a lot of scheme and strategy built in to create mismatches and numbers advantages...just in a different way than the spread. However, I also don't think it has the same ceiling as a spread offense like OSU's.

[Jeff Buchanan]

......... One huge advantage of osu's version of the spread is its emphasis on power and a QB who presents a run option threat to the defense.

The discussion earlier about a Soft Edge versus Hard Edge, along with blatantly obvious poor LB play v. osu is important. Here are the choices a DC is facing. He can put a guy inside the EMLOS playing a soft edge but insuring that guy is going to be in the mix for the play or putting him outside the EMLOS and having him potentially eliminated from the mix in the wash.

Case in point that it took me a while to visualize and understand is that putting a FS up at near LB depth, which Durkin did do, does little to keep the speed option getting small chunks of yards allowing the O to just chip away and if a tackle is missed by a pursuing FS, a big play.

OTH, putting a guy outside the EMLOS (Hard Edge), something Durkin never did and nobody talking about this is sure why he didn't against spread teams including osu, has a much better chance of forcing a runner back inside where the potential of limiting the play to 3 yards or less is higher.

While people here and elsewhere are talking about Peppers playing inside, I thinking it's much more likely that he'll be Brown's guy playing on the LOS and outside the EMLOS. Scheme wise, that would seem to help defend v. the speed option. Guess we'll see but I absolutely cannot disagree with talent that having a freshman, no matter how much speed or talent he has, come in and play right away at LB isn't going to get that unit to the elite level it needs to be at.

On the DL. Man, I think these guys have potential to be really good and depth is probably the reason. If Hoke did anything well, it was recruit and coach these guys. Depth. Brown is going to optimize that unit, IMO and that's why I'm more optimistic about it than talent is.

[iam416]

Good stuff, JB.

[WM Wolverine]

Jarrod Wilson imo was a lot better college safety than given credit for. Wilson didn't make the big plays that end up on sportscenter but he was always where he was suppose to be and was terrific defending the deep middle. M has two talented senior safeties but I still think his loss to graduation will show up more times than most expect in '16.

Overall, I thought Wilson was the better safety than Peppers last season. I remember against Penn State he made two excellent tackles in space when there was nobody behind him. I felt Jarrod was deserving of 2nd team all B1G but Peppers must've overshadowed him.

[WM Wolverine]

Yeah, the true freshman LB's won't be anything more than depth barring a major surprise. Even 5-star types usually need a year to figure out your assignments, coverages based upon what the offense is running.