Michigan v Indiana - Post Game Discussion

[Wellington_beefhouser]

He's a bailer. One way to remedy that is to get the ball out of his hands fast. The thing he may do better than Speight is throw the deep ball. Can anyone remember any plays from the spring game? Speight def has him in the poise category though.

[UMStan White]

"All these comments that "O'Korn bails way too early" are complete nonsense in my opinion. "

I agree. Most of your opinions are complete nonsense

[iam416]

I'm thinking that if there was something that was going to take M's starting QB out of the IU game, the odd's would change.

The sites I watch there is no change. It's still M by 28.

It's down to 23.

[Rocky Bleier]

In the very limited time that I've actually seen O'Korn play in a Michigan uniform, I have seen his tendency to tuck and run early. A valid reason why he didn't win the job. If he can learn to go through his progressions, I believe he has more upside than Speight. To be honest, Speight has been pretty good this year, but O'Korn has the tools to put more stress on a defense.

[Jeff Buchanan]

......All these comments that "O'Korn bails way too early" are complete nonsense in my opinion.

Well, small sample size but he appears to do that. This has been pointed out several times: The style of offense he played in before coming to M, including HS ball, was the Pistol style. He thrived at Houston in that offense before the Cougar's OC's changed and with it, the offensive style of play.

If I understand the philosophy of a Pistol offense (and there are a bunch of different forms of this offense first brought to CFB by Nevada HC, Chris Ault), it tries to take advantage of spread concepts while maintaining the ability to run power. Harbaugh actually used the framework of the Pistol For Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore. It's not what he used at Stanford or apparently, now, at M.

It is a no-huddle, quick read offense fundamentally. O'Korn was listed as a pro-style QB out of HS. That kind of QB is what works in the Pistol used by Houston when he was recruited. My sense is that Harbaugh decided at some point that he was going to run I-Form Power at M with an under center QB and Play Action as his base set. Clearly, Speight is better at that that than O'Korn whose used to sitting back in Pistol to survey the defense, pre snap, not as he drops back, find an open receiver and get the ball out quickly.

I think it's interesting that Harbaugh reached out to O'Korn knowing full well he was best suited for an offense that at the time of his recruitment to M, JH was probably not going to install. Harbaugh might have considered it though using O'KOrn as his QB, much like he used Kaepernick at SF, but as spring and fall practice evolved, he found his players were better suited to an I-Form Power style of offense. Speight emerged as the better QB in that style offense and O'Korn became a back-up.

Run concepts also change in the Pistol. Primarily Zone Read, again, that is clearly not what Harbaugh is doing right now, requires more zone than man blocking. M's OL man blocks for the most part.

So, it seems to me O'Korn is not a good match for what Harbaugh wants to do on offense right now. Moreover, JO's QB clock runs at a different tempo than Speight's. To optimize O'Korn's pre-snap reads from the pistol then quick release in the passing game would probably require some substantive changes in Harbaugh's offense. When you put JO under center and drop him back in a pocket, ask him to read through probably three check-downs, that's a hard process for him and explains a little bit about why he appears to bail.

[iam416]

I think HARBAUGH!!!! was unnerved by the quarterback position and was in "any fucking port in a storm" mode from Day 1. O'Korn was just another way of increasing the likelihood he'd find a serviceable QB.

I still think he's a little thin for 2018 -- Peters or McCarthy -- but at least he recruited those kids and has coached them from Day 1, so he should feel pretty good about them. Still, a little lacking in depth.

But eons upon eons better than the shitshow he stepped into.

[Hannibal]

McCaffrey

Plus Speight still in 2018, and Gentry in an emergency, I suppose.

We're going to be stocked at that position.

[Hannibal]

It's down to 23.

I'll lay the points. Fuck it. I've seen this a million times. QB gets injured, team gets laser focused and then kicks the shit out of somebody.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I think HARBAUGH!!!! was unnerved by the quarterback position and was in "any fucking port in a storm" mode from Day 1. O'Korn was just another way of increasing the likelihood he'd find a serviceable QB.

I'd disagree. Harbaugh is probably a bit smarter than how you portrayed him although that's just my take.

I think you can make a case that Harbaugh might have considered a Pistol offense and reached out to O'Korn because of that consideration. Bilema did it with Russell Wilson, a Pistol QB at NCSU, and that worked out pretty well.

That he used Kaepernick in Pistol formations at SF lends some fuel to that fire as well. JMO.

[Jeff Buchanan]

On a related note ...... the line is down, as talent points out. The books know something.

I think there's a good chance that it is known by M's coaching staff that Speight is not going to be 100% at game time. There is probably plenty of consideration being given to O'Korn starting and a good chance O'Korn at 100% is a better QB than Wilton at, say, 70%.

Nothing has changed at mgoblog and Brian's post is still up. That tells me that he thinks his "source" is good. I guess I'd have to move in the direction that there is some gamesmanship being played by Harbaugh and Speight via Twitter/Facebook, however, I think there is plenty of debate regarding the intent of it.

[iam416]

Well, it's blindingly obvious O'Korn is playing this week. So, that line SHOULD drop.

What is apparently not clear is whether Speight is done. The OSU-M line re-adjusted after the weekend, but it's still around 6'.

[hack]

Brian said he's out for the ``regular season''. Harbaugh said he's not ``out for the season''. Fine print says bowl game, but not rest of the conference sked.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Saw that ...... hair splitting.

I did think Brian did a good job of explaining why he kept the post up. Speight is very likely out for the next two games. I thought that as soon as I saw him get up from the big hit he took after his last 3rd and 8 passing attempt to Butt that sailed. Suspected an AC joint injury right away with his body posture.

[hack]

Well yes, but it's hair splitting that explains the discrepancy in answers. For now. Allows JH to be vague, which he wants to be.

[Whitley]

Brian said he's out for the ``regular season''. Harbaugh said he's not ``out for the season''. Fine print says bowl game, but not rest of the conference sked.

Or perhaps the CCG.