Michigan Football, Team 138, 2017 Season.

[Kstat]

I have less faith in his ability to actually complete a pass to a hot route than I do his ability to make those calls at the LOS.

He seems to have a good temperament for a QB. His arm just sucks. Strong but inaccurate as shit and his release can be timed with a sundial.

Put him on Alabama and he'd be fine but we actually need to complete vertical routes to win games.

[Rocky Bleier]

Speight may not last next season due to injury. David Dawson is leaving school. He never cracked the lineup, but OL depth keeps getting worse. Kugler could be next to leave. Pay Filiaga whatever it takes...

[Jeff Buchanan]

The OL depth and experience is going to make 2017 an adventure on offense. I don't see how Najee Harris can look at this and say, "yah, I'm coming to M. It's going to be great"

No it's not. You have to have a competent OL to make any RB, even Harris, look good. M is not going to have that regardless of which Offensive Linemen show up in the current recruiting class. They may get early playing time but they won't be good. See my posts above.

THIS IS NOT DREVNO's fault. It is not scheme, it is not play calling although the play callings seems to be getting exceedingly vanilla ....... why? Because the OL is bad and is not going to get a whole lot better in 2017. It may get worse if that is even possible.

I'm as pissed about this as Hannibal is but I just don't agree with what he is offering as a solution (get rid of Drevno and spread out the offense in a more spready version of Harbaughffense). I do agree with him in one sense. Run 3 and 4 wides a bit more. Back off on the 3 TE stuff. Spread the field with something other than McDoom on a jet sweep. But a wholesale shift away from a pro-style, power offense to something resembling osu's IZ power game would be dumb. M has nothing like jtb or any of the other QBs ufm has in the pipeline. M has Speight and most agree here he IS good now and Peters in the pipeline and he is going to be good. They are pro-style QBs perfect for Harbaughffense maybe with that offense adding tweaky stuff ....... see the Patriot's play book.

[Rocky Bleier]

It's not scheme, it is not play calling although the play callings seems to be getting exceedingly vanilla ....... why? Because the OL is bad.

Marcus Ray has been saying the same thing all season.

[paul daugherity]

Brian has a good take on this up today n Mgoblog. The 2012 2013 and 2014 OL classes were miss after miss. It really is remarkable.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Very good post, indeed. Balanced, fair, as usual.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Jedd Fisch to UCLA as OC.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Speculative names to replace Fisch:

Greg Roman tops the list of possibilities only because there was some talk of him joining Harbaugh's staff in some capacity when Drevno was interviewing/looking around and thought to be on his way out. Who knows, Drevno may be the next guy to find another coaching or possibly HC gig. In that case, Roman would probably be an ideal hire as OC with Harbaugh thinking of hiring him in that capacity and then bringing on another full-time coordinator in another role (WRs, STs).

"6 years as an OC, his rushing offenses were top 3 four times, only once outside the top 10 (11th). The passing numbers are lacking because he has had for the most part Colin Kapernick and Tyrod Taylor at QB. Fans love passing and hate rushing so you get the "Greg Roman sucks" takes from casual and fantasy football fans. "

Roman was fired from the Bills by now fired Rex Ryan. Retrospectively, no one being asked thinks Roman as OC was the problem at Buffalo. Ryan is and now was the problem it seems. Players just didn't want to put out for him.

The chatter about Roman is interesting because he is an OL guy who has always run power. Where is M's problem that needs fixing right now and quickly? He worked on Harbaugh's staff at Stanford so, he's got some understanding of coaching at the CFB level. He followed JH to SF and became SF's OC. Since then he's moved around a good deal and apparently other NFL teams are interested in him.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Here's another dark horse candidate to replace Fisch:

Chris Weinke!! That would be a really interesting name.

Age 44
1989 USA Today High School All-American
Florida State QB (1997-2000)
2000 Heiman Trophy winner
#16 retired by FSU
2010-2014 IMG Academy Director of Football
2015- Present Rams QB coach
Bring in Weinke as the QB coach (He won't be returning to the Rams). Promote Drevno to full time OC. Weinke can take over recruiting in the south, mostly Florida where his is huge due to FSU and IMG!!!

That would be an interesting hire and great name to have on the staff!

[Detroit Dan]

A couple of intriguing possibilities!

[Detroit Dan]

1. Assume your QB is going to get hurt every year.
2. Have two QBs ready to go full on at all times.
3. In order to accomplish #2 above, have the second string QB play aggressively in all blow-outs, and get meaningful snaps in close games.

O'Korn was not ready this year. Speight was not capable last year. When Denard Robinson went down one year, our season was over. Morris was not ready to replace Gardiner.

This is an area where U.M. needs to improve.

[Kstat]

Speight wasn't capable this year either.

They need more improvement at starting QB than they do backup QB.

[WingsFan]

exactly

[The Oracle]

Lol

[UMStan White]

Shane Morris transferring to play elsewhere. No surprise