Michigan Football, Team 139, 2018 Season

[WM Wolverine]

Ian Bunting leaving the crowded TE depth chart where he was bypassed by a few much younger players. Wasn't a good or even acceptable blocker but seemed a plus receiver for a TE.

[Cody_Russell]

Ian Bunting leaving

M is freeing up a scholarship for Nick Petit-Frere of course!



(Not happening)

[Jeff Buchanan]

247 is reporting that Roy Roundtree, former M WR recruited by RR and played for Hoke returns as a Grad Assistant to coach WRs. He's taking the spot of Joe Hastings who just departed a few weeks ago.

https://247sports.com/college/michigan/Article/Source-Roy-Roundtree-to-return-to-Michigan-as-grad-assistant-114507648

[Jeff Buchanan]

Re the above, I have yet to sort out who is actually on M's coaching staff. Not sure what went down with Ed Warriner either????

[Hannibal]

A grad assistant coaching our WRs again. That worked so well this last year.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Agreed. There's a lot head scratching moves going on with the staff. I've stopped trying to follow it closely or figure out what the heall he's thinking.

We'll, TBH, this is Jim's sink or swim season for me. He's been a disappointment as far as I'm concerned.

What's going on in the post season with the coaching staff after the 2017 season and the shit-stain that was the OB Bowl just mystifies me.

But WTF do I know.

[Hannibal]

Our shitty athletic department will never stop providing John U. Bacon with good book material. I can't wait to read the behind-the-scenes stories from this era.

[Rocky Bleier]

A grad assistant coaching our WRs again. That worked so well this last year.

At least he played the position, unlike Jay who just has his last name as a qualification.

[Jeff Buchanan]

From mgoboard:

Jim Harbaugh was on the Dan Patrick Show this morning, basically just to provide some Super Bowl analysis. He didn't get asked any Michigan questions.

It was a pretty unremarkable interview. The only interesting thing I took out of it was that Harbaugh seemed VERY interested in how the Eagles ran the RPO (run-pass option). He remarked that they seemed to run that type of offense 6-10 times, and Harbaugh said he was going to study each of them closely.

Of course, he studies everything closely, but in my overanalysis of what he said, I deduced that he's going to be incorporating some of those option plays into the Shea Patterson offense. You can listen to his segment here:

http://www.danpatrick.com/dp-podcasts/

Great ...... the RPO is nothing new. That M didn't incorporate any of that sort of thing into their 2017 offense is pretty telling. To me, it reeks of the likelihood that JH didn't think any of his QBs could execute those plays and that because of that view he (and whoever else was involved in M's inept play calling) kept the shit that teams M played laughed about how easy it was to read and defend.

Count me not confident M's offense will change because JH is going to study how the Eagles ran a lot of RPO in the SB. We still have what appears to me to be two guys calling the plays and coaching the OL/QB who plain and simple shit the bed on offense in 2017.

[hack]

It's down to QB play. The playbook is what it is because they don't believe in the QBs.

[WingsFan]

If Shea Patterson plays (looking doubtful) 8-4 if not 7-5 book it Danno!

[Jeff Buchanan]

James Ross, former LB at M during the RR years, joins Michigan Coaching Staff as a graduate assistant .......

Looks like Harbaugh is (1) Tired of hiring hi visibility guys that say yes to an offer and then bolt for another school, (2) Tired of trying to lure other high profile coaches to join him on M's staff and getting worked by those guys when all they want is leverage with some other program (NFL and College).

[WingsFan]

Welcome aboard?

[Jeff Buchanan]

Rumors of the hiring of University of San Diego offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand as an offensive analyst floating around. Engstrand has been one of the top young play-callers in the FCS, as San Diego is 38-10 during his four years as OC. He started... (link: http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=2...371075139471-4) espn.com/espn/now?nowId… 6:19 PM ? Feb 6, 2018

The recent staff hirings into analyst positions of two former players, McElwain and now this make my head spin. The approach is way out there in left field given the NCAA restrictions on, like I mean, actual coaches.

I guess HARBAUGH!!! is into chaos but will look like a jackass if M stumbles to another 5 loss season.

[iam416]

HARBAUGH!!!! really needs to figure out a viable offensive approach. He needs to, IMO, reorient himself a bit more to college efficiencies. But those are largely predicated on at least a semi-mobile QB. I guess you can work around that with more RPO stuff.

In any event, M's offense has yet to look particularly frightening against good defenses -- unless you count 2015 nFw or 2016 PSU (w/ water boys playing LB).

Further, the B10 East catalyzes that need -- you're playing some no joke teams that you can't just out-talent.

M should be very good in 2018, but so much of that depends on how effective HARBAUGH!!!! can make his offense against good defenses. And, TBH, the fact that he needs to go after a transfer doesn't speak favorably about his ability to follow the "normal" course of offensive development.