Michigan Football, Team 138, 2017 Season.

[Jeff Buchanan]

talent ...... at least I took note of the typical smiley face thing from mgo. It is what it is.

I'm a bit more skeptical. Until proven otherwise I will remain that.

But, yeah, osu has been and is now fucking crazy good under ufm.

Just don't lose in the opener OTR to IU or to PSU or worse MSU. Heh.

[iam416]

Heh. I'm don't think they'll lose to IU anywhere or Penn State at home.

However, Team Husker will be spitting nails in Lincoln after last year's 63-3 debacle. Though, they may be somewhat appreciative that UFM called off the dogs in that one.

[hack]

Whatever systemic problem there was will likely be corrected just in time for nobody to ever get completely screwed by it again.

Well there doesn't appear to be an actual system. It's just people in charge. So they'll quite possibly overcorrect. They don't want the highlights revisited. It looks awful on them.

[Hannibal]

I suspect that going forward, there will be a lot more scrutiny given to officials' potential conflicts of interest. Whatever the setup, the final result is that we got screwed and the window of opportunity will close so that nobody else (i.e. any of our direct opponents) ever will be. At least not like that. Other programs will discover a different window though, and in a few years we'll have something else to be really pissed off about.

[hack]

I think there was enough outrage to perceive a potential embarrassment next year, but not enough for them to actually implement a system, or make the standards clear. Just my guess. If there was, that guy would have told Greenstein things that are more specific than he did.

[Hannibal]

Tony Gerdeman has a good take on Michigan's best-in-country freshman WR class.

http://theozone.net/2017/06/michigan-monday-freshmen-wideouts/

[Hannibal]

It's a good year to have a tough schedule. It gets easier next year, I think.

Guaranteed wins:
SMU
Indiana

Likely wins:
Nebraska
NW
Maryland
Wisky
Penn State
Rutgers (might be guaranteed)
WMU (might be guaranteed)

Tossups:
MSU (lean slightly to win)
ND (only because it's on the road -- leans slightly to win anyways)

Likely losses:
OSU

Guaranteed losses:
None

10-2 looks likely. 11-1 is very doable.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Tony Gerdeman has a good take on Michigan's best-in-country freshman WR class.

http://theozone.net/2017/06/michigan...hmen-wideouts/

Good stuff ..... talent needs to see that video at the end of the piece featuring new osu CB okudah against new M WR Black. He'll like it.

[iam416]

OSU signed an ok secondary class and is in line to do the same this year.

[WM Wolverine]

M has way too many talented but very inexperienced players being thrust into much large roles than they've had last season. We'll experience growing pains, hopefully most of those are sorted out by the time we play Penn State (wk 8?) and Wisconsin (wk 12)...

Entire new starting defensive line, entire new starting secondary, top two WR's graduated, top TE graduated, no more Jabrill Peppers on kick returns and who was our best linebacker...

The very good depth guys M had last year, are all starting now. Depth could be an issue with injuries at certain positions. I like the 'talent' level on the roster but some of these talented 2nd/3rd/1st year players won't be ready to play at a B1G level.

[Hannibal]

We'll probably see some pretty agonizing busts in the secondary this year and at least one major dookie laid on the road. Maryland worries me as an upset possibility for that reason. They exploited us last year with those long catch-and-runs (they probably should have had 17 points instead of 3).

[Jeff Buchanan]

We'll probably see some pretty agonizing busts in the secondary this year and at least one major dookie laid on the road. Maryland worries me as an upset possibility for that reason. They exploited us last year with those long catch-and-runs (they probably should have had 17 points instead of 3).

I thought Maryland's offensive game plan against Don Brown's blitzomania did a really good job of sucking the defense up at the snap and developing open spaces for receivers. A ton of guys were wide open making a pitch and catch off a quick throw from the QB overly successful. I seem to remember a lot of YAC too.

There are some blueprints out there on how to beat Brown. Young Ss making bad reads is going to be a problem.

[Hannibal]

I think that Hudson and Kinnel will probably be fine, but the new green CBs will be tested, and they'll probably fail those test a few times. For that matter, the safeties will screw up sometimes too. Most offenses nowadays just need one screwup by a safety for there to be a big play. We'll have trouble against competent passing spreads this year. Fortunately, there aren't that many of them on the schedule. Maryland is one that comes to mind because of last year. Penn State doesn't quite qualify but I think that McSorley's playmaking abilities could spell big trouble.

LB will be pretty good. The DL, if it stays healthy, will be elite once again. If more than one guy goes down though, then we could be in pretty big trouble there..

[SeattleLionsFan]

Hudson is playing "viper" not safety isn't he?

[Jeff Buchanan]

Hudson is playing "viper" not safety isn't he?

According to the depth chart contained within "Hail" Hudson is the Viper and replaces Peppers. Kinnel is definitely the FS. The other S is Josh Mettelus. Jordan Glasgow is the back-up.

Brown does a lot of weird stuff with the Ss and LBs. The Viper is essentially a hybrid LB/S that has the speed to control the edges/proximate, horizontal field, side line to side line. He can blitz, he can drop into coverage or play the run like a LB would. All of this is to confuse QBs and line calls - who is coming/who needs to be blocked at the second level? Hard to tell for most QBs which makes the QB's reads after the snap hard. The variations from typical LB sets also makes it hard for whoever on the OL is making the line call (usually the C).

When I'm watching a decent overhead shot on TV or I'm high enough up in the stands and in the right spot to look at where the Ss (including the Viper) and LBs are lined up, it's hard.

I guess if you are an opposing offense and you see enough tape, it's understandable but it's this sort of gamesmanship on Brown's part that makes him a highly respected and effective DC. A lot of that seems to be his ability to translate his concepts to players so they can execute them.