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Cade is a RS Jr. who has been in the system going on 4 years now and was the full-time starter last year on a B1G Champ and playoff team. He played a role, but he wasn't the driving force- that team was all run game and front 7. Haskins & Corum and Hutchinson & Ojabo were the guys propelling that team forward. And three of them are gone to the NFL. You're not getting anywhere near a B1G championship or playoff berth without them this year imo. JJ just a true soph but brimming with talent and coming off a true frosh year in which he displayed flashes of high level talent. JJ missed all of this spring ball with a minor shoulder injury- and he'll be back full go for fall camp.

$64,000 question for Michigan is: who do you start at QB? JJ McCarthy or Cade McNamara? Board thoughts?

My gut says you have to roll the dice on McCarthy, give him the reigns and open up the offense. Upside if he pans out is so much higher than McNamara. This team isn't going anywhere with McNamara this year as it's constructed. The run game won't be as physical or dominant in short yardage without Haskins and you aren't replacing a pair of elite bookend pass rushers like Hutchinson and Ojabo overnight- this ain't Bama or UGA. You get your go to #1 WR in Ronnie Bell back and Andrel Anthony and Donovan Edwards both look like future big-time play-makers who flashed big-time as true frosh and look ready to breakout on offense as sophomores. Going to have to out-score people and make big plays. JJ gives you much better chance of doing just that.  

If it’s a new normal for Clemson, which I think it is, the downfall can be traced back to auto-piloting their offense for so long they forgot how to run it. Throughout last season’s 10-3 campaign it was eye-opening how ineffective Clemson’s offense was, so much so many of us concluded that the problem existed beforehand but was masked the few previous seasons by Trevor Lawrence, who, to use a basketball phrase, can create his own shot every play. QB Uiagalelei's 173 passing yards/game ranked 88th nationally and nobody on staff is properly developing him. He's Logan Thomas, valued for his sizeable, ideal frame, but worse at throwing down field.

After losing to Pittsburgh to drop to 4-3 last season, Clemson won their last six (10-3) largely on the backbone of their defense, and should this likely be the case this year, the good news is that Clemson already knows going into the season rather than spending the first half of last season finding ways to work around an inept offense. And of course it helps to have a nationally top 3 front seven lead by likely NFL first-rounders Bryan Bresee and Trenton Simpson. #4 is too high but their schedule is difficult.

Uiagalelei = Joe Milton. Dude looks like a f***king adonis at 6'4-6'5, 245-250- is surprisingly mobile for that size- and has freakish arm strength - but he just sucks at football. They are eerily similar players/QB's.

Accuracy/ball placement and speed reading defenses and making smart decisions with the football in a split second are what counts these days for a QB more than ever. I think guys like Drew Brees and Russell Wilson changed the game. The 6'4/6'5 dude with a cannon arm is overrated these days.

I think you have to go with the future here.

I tend to agree with this and with @Mdot21 's analysis above but coaches in general and Harbaugh specifically tend to be conservative by nature so I have my doubts as to whether or not they'll actually do it.  

One factor that may tip the balance in favor of switching to the new kid is that Michigan's OOC is ridiculously weak then their first league game is at home against Maryland.  Thus, the Wolverines would have no excuse not to make it to 4-0 even without playing ANY of last year's starters.  Thus, they have plenty of time to work on development before their first serious challenge (@ Iowa on October 1).  

Conversely, this actually might lead to them NOT switching because the weak opposition could mask any weaknesses.  

I am curious if Maryland might be a little better this year than people suspect though.  I know that Michigan has basically dominated them since they joined the Big Ten, but with Taulia back and Demus and Jarrett healthy at WR, they could be dangerous.  They are coming off a 54-10 blowout of Virginia Tech in the bowl game, which could spring-board them into a big year. 

I keep thinking this and it keeps not happening, we'll see.  Maryland's record against the B1G since joining:

• 1.000 vs Illinois 2-0
• .625 vs Rutgers 5-3
• .500 vs Minnesota 3-3
• .500 vs Purdue 1-1

• .375 vs Indiana 3-5
• .250 vs Penn State 2-6
• .250 vs Iowa 1-3
• .143 vs Michigan State 1-6
• .143 vs Michigan 1-6
• .000 vs Ohio State 0-7
• .000 vs Wisconsin 0-3
• .000 vs Nebraska 0-2
• .000 vs Northwestern 0-2

I tend to agree with this and with @Mdot21 's analysis above but coaches in general and Harbaugh specifically tend to be conservative by nature so I have my doubts as to whether or not they'll actually do it. 

One factor that may tip the balance in favor of switching to the new kid is that Michigan's OOC is ridiculously weak then their first league game is at home against Maryland.  Thus, the Wolverines would have no excuse not to make it to 4-0 even without playing ANY of last year's starters.  Thus, they have plenty of time to work on development before their first serious challenge (@ Iowa on October 1). 

Conversely, this actually might lead to them NOT switching because the weak opposition could mask any weaknesses. 

I admit, I try to look at it a little more like a coach, and thus I'll give the cop out answer. 

Whoever can run the offense better should start. Simple as that. 

Now, Michigan has a few months before it needs to answer that. It'll have player run practices, actual practices, plenty of film room and such. Can run that competition all the way up to the end. 

Fact is, that's the position that is the least tools reliant. If the young kid is all that, he'll show he can run the offense, know where the ball needs to go, etc. And if he can make all that go smooth, he should start. 

The sport is littered with guys who got handed the job because a coach needed upside or the backup wasn't working. And you learn that often, just because a guy is young, has tools and gets reps, it won't shoot him along the developmental curve. Sometimes it takes time. Sometimes, it's not there at all. 

Which is all to say, you don't give it to him. You know what the older guy can do. Younger guy just has to go earn it by running that offense better. 

I thought Maryland was set for an uptick, but Tucker seems to be doing a better job at MSU of what Maryland is trying to do.  Franklin is recruiting better than ever, and Schiano is making Rutgers at least a factor.  Maryland needs to completely lock down the DMV if they aren't going to recruit nationally, and I'm just not seeing it

Oh I agree that they've not been impressive since joining the Big Ten and usually have their little September fling with success before it comes crashing down later in the year.   I don't really have a comment on their long term success, but I think they might finally have the right team this year to make a little more noise and win 8 games or so.  

I tend to agree with this and with @Mdot21 's analysis above but coaches in general and Harbaugh specifically tend to be conservative by nature so I have my doubts as to whether or not they'll actually do it. 

One factor that may tip the balance in favor of switching to the new kid is that Michigan's OOC is ridiculously weak then their first league game is at home against Maryland.  Thus, the Wolverines would have no excuse not to make it to 4-0 even without playing ANY of last year's starters.  Thus, they have plenty of time to work on development before their first serious challenge (@ Iowa on October 1). 

Conversely, this actually might lead to them NOT switching because the weak opposition could mask any weaknesses. 

which is exactly what will happen because: Harbaugh. How is this the same guy that benched Alex Smith for Kapernick?