Michigan Football, Team 137, 2016 Season.

[WM Wolverine]

Game to late to redshirt.

[Detroit Dan]

Michigan's leading rusher this season in both total yards and yards per carry (players with at least 30 rushing attempts): Chris Evans. He's averaging 50% more YPC as compared to both Smith and Isaac.

M football stats

[Jeff Buchanan]

Here's M' remaining opponents and win probability based on the various models for such things:

Illinois - 98.6%

at Michigan St - 95.7%

Maryland - 97.5%

at Iowa - 89%

Indiana - 97.7%

at Ohio State - 49.5%

The win percentage for M v. osu has gone up form 44 something to 49.5. A vertible pic-um if you go by the numbers.

Michigan holds on to the #2 spot, just behind Alabama on the ESPN Team Efficiency ratings, osu is #5, MSU, astoundingly has dropped to #90. MSU is not even close to being the second best team in the state. WMU is.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/statistics/teamratings/_/tab/efficiency

[jaadam4]

I hope WMU makes a decent bowl game but I'd rather them not get destroyed if they play someone real

[Jeff Buchanan]

Stolen from mgoblog ....... some interesting trivia:

With Michigan moving up to No. 3 in the AP poll today, a nice little run (last four games) of playing as the No. 4 team comes to an end.

Since Bo started in 1969, Michigan has played 57 games as the AP No. 4, more than any other place in the rankings. M's record playing as the AP No. 4 in that time is 46-9-2, for a winning percentage of .825.

Starting this Saturday, Michigan will add to its stats playing as the AP No. 3. Since 1969 Michigan is 30-11-1 (.726) playing as the AP No. 3. Michigan's last win as AP No. 3 was September 9, 2000, 38-7 over Rice. Michigan's last loss as AP No. 3 was to Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl, 32-18, on January 1, 2007.

Also, since Illinois is unranked...

Since 1969, when Michigan is ranked in the AP poll, the Wolverines are 269-33-5 (.884) against unranked teams.

[Jeff Buchanan]

As an aside, with a big win over Illinois this weekend, I will feel like a new man with respect to my feelings about M football.

I've found it interesting over the the last 18 months going back to the beginning of the Harbaugh era for M football. The previous decade had left me as a huge skeptic with bad feelings before the 2015 season and even before each game of that season even though HARBAUGH!! had returned to M. The end of the 2015 season loss to osu in an ass-railing and the earlier MSU loss just perpetuated those uneasy feelings going into the 2016 season. So, I predicted 2 losses for 2016 - one to either MSU or Iowa and one to osu. While those games are still all ahead of us fans, I'd bet to a man here, given how this team has looked so far and how those three opponents look now, 12-0 is in reach. It's not impossible. It's not even unlikely.

While that healthy skepticism is still present to some degree, it has almost disappeared. When I look at Bo's win percentages when M was playing at the top of the polls, it reminds me of the absolute certainty of a win against conference opponents and the utter surprise when M lost ....... I remember walking through a store when M was losing to Minnesota at their place virtually incapable of understanding how that could happen.

That loss was in 1977 during a 3 year Michigan run where Bo went 30-6 {1976 through 1978}. What is pretty amazing is that 3 of those losses were in the Rose and over that 3 year period, M lost only 3 conference games, one each year - Purdue in '76, Minny in '77 and MSU in '78. In my recollection, and even before those three years, the match up between osu and M at the end of the season was for a trip to the Rose ..... Bo versus Woody. That appears to be back but in the form of Woody and Bo disciples - ufm and JH and the prize is spot in the CFP after M or, if that should happen, osu getting through ...... well, it looks like Neb or Wisky.

I can sense that feeling of confidence in M football returning. It's a nice one.

[UMStan White]

I just remember the last years before Harbaugh how flat the whole experience felt. No electricity at the tailgate (although great people always) , no charge in the stadium just people going through the motions.A combination of losing and Brandon wanting to "create a Super Bowl atmosphere".His total lack of understanding that the Super Bowl is a corporate event, not a fan event. Glad to have the charge back!

[jaadam4]

Its been amazing with Harbaugh home. My only concern is all the loses we're going to have next year. I can't wait to see how he prepares everyone and how they react with stepping up.

[WM Wolverine]

Depth chart assuming EVERYONE returns:

QB: Wilton Speight - Brandon Peters/John O'Korn (grad transfer)
RB: Ty Isaac/Chris Evans/Karan Higdon/Kareem Walker/Najee Harris
FB: Hammering Panda
WR: Grant Perry - Drake Harris/Dylan Crawford
WR2: Donovan Peoples-Jones - Mo Ways
WR3: Eddie McDoom - Nate Johnson
TE: Ian Bunting/Devin Asiasi - Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
LT: Grant Newsome
LG: Mason Cole
C: Patrick Kugler
RG: Ben Bredeson
RT: Juwan Bushell-Beatty

WDE: Chase Winovich - Lawrence Marshall
SDE: Rashan Gary
NT: Maurice Hurst, Michael Onwenu
3T: Bryan Mone
SAM: Jabrill Peppers
MLB: Noah Furbush
WLB: Michael McCray
CB: Jeremy Clark - David Long
CB: Brandon Watson/Lavert Hill
FS: Tyree Kinnel - Josh Metellus
SS: Khaleke Hudson
K: Quinn Nordin

Talent level looks good but really young, tons of freshman & sophomores.

[jaadam4]

Najee Haris huh?

[hack]

Jabrill Peppers, huh?

(What a dream that would be)

[WM Wolverine]

M is in okay shape at running back regardless of Najee but he's exactly what M needs offensively, similar to Donovan Peoples-Jones at receiver... Both could make a good offense, very good and you need talents of those type to compete in the CFP...

Assumption of everyone returning because I don't like projecting anyone to leave early. Yeah, Peppers returns to get his degree and wants to be #1 overall pick... Jeremy Clark got his very unlikely 6th year approved too.

[Jeff Buchanan]

M is in okay shape at running back regardless of Najee but he's exactly what M needs offensively, similar to Donovan Peoples-Jones at receiver... Both could make a good offense, very good and you need talents of those type to compete in the CFP...

Assumption of everyone returning because I don't like projecting anyone to leave early. Yeah, Peppers returns to get his degree and wants to be #1 overall pick... Jeremy Clark got his very unlikely 6th year approved too.

I did not know about Clark. That is great.

Agree on Peppers. He clearly has the potential for a strong Heisman run in 2017. If that makes him a #1 pick or even a top 5 pick. We're talking about millions of dollars difference in his Rookie contract. In a couple of 2017 NFL draft projections his highest number was #10. I've heard others talk about top 5 but I've not seen that in print anywhere.

In the 2016 NFL draft, Jared Goff was the #1 Pick. He will earn approximately $27,946,656 over his rookie contract with the Los Angeles Rams, including a $18,515,839 signing bonus.

Laremy Tunsil, who was projected to be drafted as high as No. 5, fell to the Dolphins at No. 13 after a video was posted on his twitter account which appeared to show him smoking marijuana. The drop cost him at least $8 million in salary on his rookie deal, estimated to be worth $12.4 million.

Astounding.

What is going to happen to Left OT Grant Newsome? The Clark news is good. Will we see a similar situation with Newsome? I know he had passed several of the cut points but who knows what the NCAA will approve or disapprove.

[WM Wolverine]

Oh no, my above is my optimistic projection where I gave Jeremy Clark his 6th year. Very wishful thinking as he just misses the criteria for the NCAA's.

[iam416]

Peppers doesn't play at a position that goes #1. Elliot could have returned this season, rushed for 2500 yards and maybe not have even gone as high as he did.

I, of course, realize WM is doing his wishful two-deep.