Michigan vs. FSU, Orange Bowl, 8pm, ESPN, Game Day - Post Game Discussion

[iam416]

I think there's way more cause for high optimism. That said, next year will be HARBAUGH's biggest challenge. It'll be entirely his team. Hoke recruited really well for a couple years, but fell off in his final season and even in his penultimate season. There won't be much to fill in around HARBAUGH's recruits. That said, he has a QB -- a good one.

I think it'll only get better after that and I expect program parity with OSU in 2-3 years.

That said, this was their season for reasons otherwise stated.

[WingsFan]

As long as Jim Harbaugh is our HC everything will be fine. At the beginning of the year I predicted a loss @ Iowa and @ msu or @ osu (not both). Crushing defeat yesterday, but I just seen Harbaugh (steaming mad) tell Brandstatter "Its not over!". Things are looking good going forward.

[Mainevent]

Expectations were raised by the performance this year. The loss to OSU is frustrating but not unexpected. The loss to Iowa is the killer one given how they played most of the year and what it cost M.

Next year will be an interesting trial for Harbaugh, the defense really takes some hits. I'm less worried about the offense, but I expected to see more out of the young TEs and WRs than we saw this year so there are definitely unknowns.

[WM Wolverine]

We were good enough to belong in the CFP. Two extremely close, road losses to awfully good teams. Iowa was tons better in mid October & November than they were in September; that was the Iowa team we expected to play when the season started...

It hurts to know how winnable each of our losses were. Just ONE play in EITHER of those games and we are pretty much where I hoped we'd be, a likely CFP team.

Hurts even more that Brady Hoke couldn't recruit after his '13 recruiting class and we've known for some time '15 & '16 were going to be 'peak' seasons and '17 is certainly going to be a valley with the massive losses to graduation on both sides of the ball. Way too many 1st, 2nd, 3rd year players will be in the 2-deep next season and not near enough guys in their 4th/5th year...

Long-term, this program is back on track to be as strong as we were in the 70's/80's/90's. Harbaugh is an elite coach, is recruiting extremely well, and knows enough about football that he can spot the difference between an average coordinator and an excellent one. Looking at our schedule, '17 could be quite a struggle but it's only going to be short-term with the talent Harbaugh is presently bringing in.

[hack]

It's the offensive skill positions that I worry about. We'll still have a good chunk of that insane DL rotation back, with guys like Gary and Winovich and Mone ready to take a step up. It'll be interesting to see where Onwenu breaks in, but IMO the lines will be fine. Of course we won't have the insane pass rush of this year, but still. I'm also looking forward to Devin Bush busting into the lineup and seeing that true LB speed and in-space instinct he is supposed to have. Secondary -- shudder. At least there are talented kids ready to step into those roles.

On offense, well, it's gotta be all-out for Najee Harris. The roster of good/not great backs is an issue, esp with green WRs apart from Grant Perry. We saw very little of Bunting this year. I hope that's not a red flag.

[hack]

The known dip coming is why this is such a hard one to take. They didn't play a perfect game, but you shouldn't have to. They were the better team. Needed to get this one, especially for those seniors.

[WM Wolverine]

Michael Onwenu moved back to OL for good allegedly.

Maurice Hurst sounds like he'll return for a 5th year, which is GREAT news. Bryan Mone should return too at NT. Rashan Gary could move inside if he can add the weight though if those two return, he'll likely stay at SDE. Chase Winovich will be at WDE... McCray returns for a 5th year(?) at OLB...

Front seven should be average-to-good. The defensive backfield is the reason for worry. We'll have four new starters in the defensive backfield barring Jeremy Clark getting a gift of a 6th year. Brandon Watson was the most used nickel/CB so he's very likely to be a starter... Tyree Kinnel FS impressed me in his limited action and Khaleke Hudson is pretty likely to start at strong safety...

-

Darboh & Butt are huge losses but those are areas where we do have talented albeit inexperienced depth. Better talent than most the competition on our schedule; Devin Asiasi will be very good in a year or two and M has its share of 4-star receivers; Keoka Crawford, Drake Harris, Grant Perry, etc could be solid enough....

Offensive line will have tons of holes to fill, especially if Grant Newsome isn't healthy. By far my biggest position of concern on the offense and even the team. Outside of the Iowa game, the OL was pretty good at protecting Speight. Speight won't have as much time to throw plus he won't have Darboh and Butt to throw too.

[hack]

Re OL, it's all about whether Newsome is healthy.

[Wellington_beefhouser]

The Game was the highest rated CFB game this year. Not really a surprise considering the teams playing, stakes involved, rankings, coaches, and rivalry blah blah blah. It'd be nice if the committee opted for money and pit M vs OSU in a playoff game.

[paul daugherity]

I'm where Hack is. The talent dip because of the issues with Hoke's final recruiting classes is coming and next year is going to be tough. I expect 3-5 losses next year and makes this year's failure to win the division and against OSU that much more galling. It feels like the staff and team let a great opportunity slip through their fingers.

[hack]

I expect 2 losses next year. Maybe 3. But they did let a great opportunity slip through their fingers. Especially with Peppers on offense.

[paul daugherity]

Only 2 or 3 losses? On paper, there are some tough games. They open at a neutral site against Florida. They go to Penn State (likely a night game), go to Wisconsin and have OSU and MSU at home. I think that is an awful lot to ask of a roster that will be inexperienced.

[hack]

I forgot we open neutral-site against a potentially very good team. But I don't think more than 3 losses. That's not OK under Harbaugh.

[CGVT]

That inexperienced roster doesn't matter, but They will have an experienced QB. That matters.

The days of the Big Two/Little Eight are well past. The are solid teams up and down the conference. Going undefeated in the conference is unlikely for any team.

Plug and play is the way it works now.

If he is the coach that we think he is, he'll have them ready and in the hunt

[WM Wolverine]

7-5 is a possibility if the OL can't protect Speight or open up running lanes. I expect closer to 8-4, still way too early without seeing early departures and such.