Is this team any good?
Are they too young to compete for a Big Ten Championship this year? ( 61 of 85 scholarship players are either true/redshirt freshman )
Is Devin Gardner better than he has shown in the first four games?
Is Fitzgerald Toussaint the guy to carry the load, or should Derrick Green and/or De'Veon Smith be getting more looks?
Does the Notre Dame win mean anything now that they are 3-2? ( and probably should have lost to State )
With the conference slate starting this week with a home game against Minnesota, Michigan is looking to bounce back from two shaky victories, dropping them 7 spots in the national rankings. After the first two games, Michigan nation was rolling with enthusiasm and all the optimism possible. After the last 2 games, they are ready to shut the program down, with a zero in the loss column mind you.
The bye week could not have come at a better time. Taylor
Lewan, Devin Gardner, and other Wolverines I'm sure needed a week off to
heal, and the coaching staff needed a week off to figure out better
execution on the offensive line. Does Jack Miller need to be replaced at
center? Is the core of our offensive line going to improve as the
season progresses? The Connecticut staff came up with brilliant game
plan in my opinion, blitz the middle of that line relentlessly and make
those young kids adjust and pick up the stunts. It worked for three
quarters. You can question Gardner's decision making ( and he made some
bad ones ), but it's hard to play that position when your line doesn't
block for you. In the end, our depth, and their lack of depth led to a
comeback victory.
The bottom line is this, the season starts now, somehow
Michigan got through the first four games unscathed. Michigan Nation
believes in this coaching staff, and in this team. The reality is, it's
impossible to know how this season is going to turn out. Is there enough
talent to win our division and get to the Big Ten Championship game? I
say yes. Is there enough experience in big game situations to get us
through a grueling conference schedule? That remains to be seen. I think
we'll handle the Gophers, but they're better than they have been in the
last 2 years under Jerry Kill. Going to Penn State is going to be
tricky, Coach O'Brien has that team believing. Indiana has a big play
spread offense, will they pick us apart if we can't pressure their
quarterback? And then there is November, starting at Michigan State, in
my opinion, the best defense in the country, and their season is made if
they beat us. Home against Nebraska, the Black Shirts have struggled,
but still a talented group overall. At Northwestern is going to be a
nightmare, big talent, great coaching staff, and revenge on the brain
after Michigan stole one from them last year. Iowa seemed like a gimme,
but Kinnick stadium is a tough place to play regardless, and Iowa looks
better than we originally thought. If Michigan sleep walks or looks
ahead, they will lose. And after all that, and that's a lot if you ask
me, there is the finale against the Buckeyes. This team is loaded.
Braxton Miller, Devin Smith, Corey Brown, Evan Spencer, Chris Fields,
Jordan Hall, Dontre Wilson, Ryan Shazier, Bradley Roby, CJ Barnett, just
to name a few. When they go fast tempo it's literally scary. The only
way to beat an Urban Meyer coached team is to step up and punch them in
the mouth. I think Michigan did that in Columbus last year, but with
some terrible play calling in the second half, they came up a little
short. It is a mix of some favorable home games mixed in with some tough
road games. This teams character will be tested, It will be interesting
to see how they respond to adversity, and there will be a lot of that,
believe it!
It's all in front of us, and like the rest of Michigan Nation, I can't wait! I hope you will join me at The Sports Bar - Westside to TALK SPORTS! While you're here enjoy a burger, steak, salad, or one of our specials. The atmosphere is fun and the food is filling! http://the-sportsbar.com/
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