Michigan Football, Team 137, 2016 Season.

[Hannibal]

I don't expect Penn State to be bad per se, but I look back on their recruting classes of 2013 and 2014 and see that we poached guys from them who haven't done anything for Michigan but might be starting there. They are going to be mediocre for one more year.

[Jeff Buchanan]

........ the issues (for Alabama before Saban) were discipline, strength and conditioning, standards, and holding players and assistant coaches accountable for poor performance.

I'd say that is exactly where HARBAUGH!!! has the POTENTIAL to correct those extremely important factors to success on the field lacking in both RR's and Hoke's teams.

It's no different than putting a well trained platoon of Marines into battle and kicking some ass. Why do you think Harbaugh hired a Marine Colonel (yeah, I know the one that got the DUI - so what, Marines drink hard but fight harder) as one of his staff (I think he does player development or some such thing)?

When Harbaugh was at the U of San Diego (not San Diego State), he repeatedly took his players to Camp Pendelton's Marine Corps Recruit Depot (boot camp) to experience how the Marines were trained. How Espirit de Corps was developed.

Make no doubt, JH understands the importance of the things AA mentions. Whether or not he can turn that understanding into winning at Michigan is an unknown at this point.

Doug and Teri Dillon were with us in ATL this weekend. Some of you here know Doug as a former poster and one of the most insightful and well connected M football fans I know. I made the comment that we probably wouldn't lean much about team 137 from the OOC games. His response was a frown and this: Well, if, as we should be, are up 35 nothing at the half of each of these games, we'll learn a whole lot."

I'd add if that happens, like it should be EXPECTED to happen for those of you predicting > 10-2, maybe 12-0 and an NC, we'll learn whether Harbaugh has corrected the lack of "discipline, strength and conditioning, standards, and holding players and assistant coaches accountable for poor performance" present in both RR's and Hoke's loser teams. That is what is going to have to happen if 13-0 and a chance at the NC title game is to be realized.

I still think it's an unrealistic expectation. I'll let you guys do the dreaming.

[Ghengis Jon]

I just looked at the AP poll where we're 7th with 1 first place vote. ?????? We don't know who our left tackle or quarterback is going to be, yet somebody slotted us 1st !?!

I'll bet it's sandbaggery from the Columbus Dispatch.

[lineygoblue]

Some presser comments by Coach Brown, and Coach Drevno.

Michigan fans will like Coach Drevno's final comment.

I expect mocking as usual from the kiddie table.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/university-michigan/wolverines/2016/08/22/michigan-football-defense-don-brown/89130566/

[*JD*]

A nice article on Drake Johnson. I didn't know he went to Community High. My mom taught there for over 20 years, so I got to learn about what a great school it is (I went to Pioneer. Oops!)

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/08/the_eternal_optimism_of_drake.html

[lineygoblue]

I'd like to comment on this comment from another thread.

Based on the facts and the data, M has a low probability of exceeding it's 10 win total from 2015. M doesn't have the talent to produce explosive plays or be as efficient on offense than it needs to be to finish drives and score.

This statement has me puzzled a bit, considering we're returning Jehu Chesson, Amara Darboh, and Jake Butt in our top 3 receivers. IMO, not only are these 3 the best receivers on the team, they're likely to be among the top five in the conference. All of them have game breaking experience, or at least that's what they showed on NYD against Florida. The Gators were considered one of the best defensive teams in the country, yet all three had huge plays against them.

Yeah, we need to get the running game going (same story for the last 10 years), but the team has game breakers. I don't see why there would be NO scenarios where Michigan could exceed 10 wins.

I know .. the data doesn't lie....

[Jeff Buchanan]

All of what you say, Liney, can be thought of as accurate observations, as anecdotal as they are.

I've been puzzled, as well, on innumerable occasions in the past, as to why a win for M didnt happen even though the numbers said M should win ..... oh, yeah, never mind Debord, RR, Borges, Hoke, the list is long.

That's CFB in a nutshell. It's one of the reasons its an exciting game. But if you're betting real money on CFB games, you can bet the numbers, the data that has proven predictive value is going to influence your bet. I don't bet money on games. But how bettors act, I would think, is a strong indicator of how important the numbers are.

Does anyone have some thoughts on how predictive betting lines are on outcomes? That wold be interesting.

[lineygoblue]

I feel your frustration too, Jeff. I'm sure yours is intensified by being an alumni, and seeing your beloved team looking so bad over the last 10 years.

I used to bet on games, but I don't any longer. CFB is just way too unpredictable for me. If I were to resume betting on football, I'd much rather gamble on the NFL where outcomes are more predictable.

I know what you're saying about how bettors place their bets, and how they use the data. Professional gamblers use all sorts of data like you mentioned, to assist them in placing their bets. I don't know how anyone makes money betting on CFB games.

[The Oracle]

CFB is much easier to bet than the NFL in my book. Not close.

[lineygoblue]

Well, you're probably a 'better bettor' than I am ... :-)

[Hannibal]

Found via mgoblog -- Wisky OL Dan Voltz is retiring from football. That sounds like a pretty big loss for them.

[The Oracle]

Jeremy Clark was spotted in a boot at practice today. Hope it's not serious, but no further word.

[Hannibal]

We can afford to lose one guy there but not more. Stribling will do fine.

[The Oracle]

Yeah, Clark is definitely the 1B guy at the 2nd corner. Long was a little dinged up earlier, but he's back by all accounts.

[Detroit Dan]

Drevno interview posted at mgoblog full of superlatives, e.g.

Guys are coming out every day throwing great balls, great drops, great precision, great timing. We’re way further along than where we’ve been. I mean quarterback-wise last year... We’re really pleased where we are with the young guys than we were last year in terms of the retention (re offensive line)... Chris Evans is outstanding... (Mason Cole is) Really good. Really, really good. Got unbelievable football awareness, great initial quickness, plays with strong hands... We’re way further along than we were last year... Eddie McDoom: unbelievable... Devin Asiasi: wow

Considering that these offensive players are up against a top defense in practice, this reinforces my prediction that we're in for a special year.