CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: ELA on August 13, 2017, 05:23:32 PM
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Florida suspends seven players including Antonio Callaway.
Sure win just became sure blowout win.
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To be fair, it sounds like the only other would-be contributor who is suspended is a backup LB. Florida's offense shouldn't be able to do much, though.
Ideally, Michigan can get at least a 10 point lead in the first half and then stay in control for the second half. If the offense can score 41 points, again, that'd be great, but I certainly don't expect it against a decent defense.
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The Wolverines are 3-0 all time vs the Gators, thrice defeating them in recent Floridian Bowl Games.
Michigan won 38-30 in the 03 Outback Bowl.
Michigan won 41-35 in the 08 Citrus Bowl; Lloyd Carr's final game.
Michigan won 41-7 in the 16 Citrus Bowl.
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Florida suspends seven players including Antonio Callaway.
Sure win just became sure blowout win.
One guy posted Callaway has been suspended more games than he's played.Pathetic if true
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Wow, guys. I hope the UM players are reading all of this. Might as well not play the game, huh? Thanks for the respect.
I'd like to take this as an opportunity to make note of Coach McElwain not taking the easy route and playing his only threat at WR for a big game. Yes, the opener is a big game, but rules are rules, and Callaway is out.
But McElwain was trying to get out of playing LSU last year, too, right?
Ugh.
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One guy posted Callaway has been suspended more games than he's played.Pathetic if true
You're not very good at weeding through the fake news, are you?
Tell your source, "one guy", to F-off.
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Hopefully goodness prevails. :) Some young men are at least learning a lesson.
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Florida suspends seven players including Antonio Callaway.
Sure win just became sure blowout win.
I don't see a blow out. Teams seem evenly matched..more so now at WR.
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Credit to the UF program for taking these steps IMHO.
It will impact their offensive output and UM game planning on defense.
It might also motivate a few nonstarters to step it up now with more reps as ones.
And send a clear message.
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Florida suspends seven players including Antonio Callaway.
Sure win just became sure blowout win.
funny, i see it as a very probable win just became a questionable and to tough to call game.
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Players or not, I don't know who would be a "probable victor" in this one. Both teams have a lot of unknowns, I think.
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looks like Vegas moved the line a half point after the news
Michigan -3 to -3 1/2
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I don't really have any kind of animosity towards Michigan at all. Seriously.
With that said, I thought a week ago that Florida was going to roll in this one and now I'm putting it at a "Florida only wins by 7 to 10" now.
If this was the third or fourth game of the year, I may have put the odds at even, but this will be the first start for about 14 of Michigan's players on the first game of the year. The Michigan QB situation still isn't clear and Michigan has all of the "hype" right now (ie, they will be under the greater pressure).
Yeah, they are talented, but there is going to be some significant rust to grind off.
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The first Tweet I read said all 7 were starters, so that changes things.
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You're not very good at weeding through the fake news, are you?
Tell your source, "one guy", to F-off.
Evidently you skipped "pathetic if true" - what should I tell you?
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I'm going to give you the respect to expect better.
We bitch about the media, and you're mimicking them - ah, uh, we heard that this happened, but err, if it's true it's bad, but if it's not, then blah blah........why in the hell even say anything at all?
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The first Tweet I read said all 7 were starters, so that changes things.
In the media climate we live in today, maybe don't react to the first tweet you read?
C'mon guys.
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The weird part imo is that it's a bunch of RS and true freshmen....and the best player on the team. Something's amiss there.
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I'm going to give you the respect to expect better.
We bitch about the media, and you're mimicking them - ah, uh, we heard that this happened, but err, if it's true it's bad, but if it's not, then blah blah........why in the hell even say anything at all?
You're right about the media but many of these kids are given - given benefits other students strive/relish/crave to have.God only knows what Mr Callaway has done with his time on campus other than break or flaunt the rules.His repeated infractions aren't mistakes they're trends.He should be booted when convicted.
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I don't really have any kind of animosity towards Michigan at all. Seriously.
With that said, I thought a week ago that Florida was going to roll in this one and now I'm putting it at a "Florida only wins by 7 to 10" now.
If this was the third or fourth game of the year, I may have put the odds at even, but this will be the first start for about 14 of Michigan's players on the first game of the year. The Michigan QB situation still isn't clear and Michigan has all of the "hype" right now (ie, they will be under the greater pressure).
Yeah, they are talented, but there is going to be some significant rust to grind off.
These are my thoughts. Both teams have tons of talent and good coaching but M lost so much it's hard to know what they are yet. Florida still has that defense back too, and if they can rattle the new and untested M QB it could be a long day.
If M actually does come out and roll Florida, well, look out Big Ten.
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These are my thoughts. Both teams have tons of talent and good coaching but M lost so much it's hard to know what they are yet. Florida still has that defense back too, and if they can rattle the new and untested M QB it could be a long day.
If M actually does come out and roll Florida, well, look out Big Ten.
Michigan's QB will be the same as last year, Wilton Speight, who was excellent up to his injury at Iowa. The big question mark on the offense will be the OL with three new and as of yet unknown starters. Starting WRs will be new but very talented. RBs are all experienced and good.
On defense Michigan's DL is experienced and will be very good at a minimum. Linebackers will be as good as last year. The CBs and one safety will be new but very talented.
In short, Michigan will be good, comparable to what is expected from Florida. Should be a great game.
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I read yesterday that the head coach said Speight and O'Korn were in a tie. I've seen O'Korn play and for that to be a tie does not bode well.
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I read yesterday that the head coach said Speight and O'Korn were in a tie. I've seen O'Korn play and for that to be a tie does not bode well.
Are you sure that's not a year old quote? I haven't heard any mention this year of O'Korn being any sort of factor. As several of us told UM fans last year. He's no good.
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That was the company line last year at summer camp as well as this year. "Everything is up for grabs." Having watched both Speight and O'Korn closely in 2016 I would be floored if O'Korn started over Speight with his experience. That would mean O'Korn has improved vastly or Speight was injured.
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That was the company line last year at summer camp as well as this year. "Everything is up for grabs." Having watched both Speight and O'Korn closely in 2016 I would be floored if O'Korn started over Speight with his experience. That would mean O'Korn has improved vastly or Speight was injured.
Or in his final year at Houston, when he had the 2nd lowest QBR of any FBS QB. Even if Speight sucks, I can't imagine O'Korn would even be next up.
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Or in his final year at Houston, when he had the 2nd lowest QBR of any FBS QB. Even if Speight sucks, I can't imagine O'Korn would even be next up.
O'Korn won the starting position at Houston as a freshman and was AAC Freshman of the Year with a QB rating of 133. Then Herman got the job at Houston and things went downhill for him his sophomore year. My point being O'Korn has potential.
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Are you sure that's not a year old quote? I haven't heard any mention this year of O'Korn being any sort of factor. As several of us told UM fans last year. He's no good.
Just read it yesterday.
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2017/08/wilton_speight_john_okorn_emer_1.html
Seniors John O'Korn and Wilton Speight have both emerged as contenders to start Sept. 2 against Florida, leaving redshirt freshman Brandon Peters on the outside looking in, coach Jim Harbaugh said.
"John and Wilton have really stepped up," Harbaugh said. "I think they've created a little bit of separation, and they're battling right now. It's one with the 1s, then the next day the other is with the 1s."
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O'Korn won the starting position at Houston as a freshman and was AAC Freshman of the Year with a QB rating of 133. Then Herman got the job at Houston and things went downhill for him his sophomore year. My point being O'Korn has potential.
IIRC, Danny O'Brien was ACC Freshman of the Year too, and I warned Wisconsin fans about him too. Trends and momentum are important.
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You were right about D O'B but I wonder how he'd have done had Chryst stayed or if Bielema hadn't neutered Matt Canada from day one.
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I really think Harbaugh talking up competition between O'Korn v. Speight is just that- talk. Nothing but hot air. He wants to keep Speight on his toes is my guess. But the job is most definitely Speight's. I certainly wasn't in love with Speight, he's got his flaws. But up until that injury he was a more than solid starting QB. And he's definitely shown in practice and in actual games to be superior to O'Korn. Pro Football Focus just came out with a graphic that showed that Speight is the best returning deep ball thrower in the B1G. One thing he does do well is throw the deep ball.
This game is hard to call. I could see Michigan being REALLY good this year OR really struggle to go 8-4. There is a ton of talent but it's young. How fast they mature will tell the story of the season. I really do think this will be the breakout year for the run game. I think Chris Evans and Ty Isaac are both going to have big-time seasons. I have a lot of faith in both of their abilities as players. I think with another year of development and experience and De'Veon Smith finally out of the way and not there to take up a bunch of useless carries- both will flourish.
And the OL just might be improved as well with Greg Frey there. OL coaching is HUGE. So freaking important. Michigan has the luxury of having two excellent ones in Greg Frey and Tim Drevno. That will pay dividends immediately along the offensive line IMO.
WR's are very young but Eddie McDoom is about as fast as it gets- that guy can FLY, Dylan Crawford was a top 100ish recruit in his class and DPJ is a freak of nature. Not to mention Oliver Martin, Tarik Black, or Nico Collins. There is serious talent there at WR.
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IIRC, Danny O'Brien was ACC Freshman of the Year too, and I warned Wisconsin fans about him too. Trends and momentum are important.
I've never trusted CFB trends and momentum because we're working in terms of years and games, so basically pretty small sets of data.
DOB was good, then bad, then unsightly bad. Then again, Russell Wilson fell 25 spots to No. 32 from sophomore to junior. Then no. 1.
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I really think Harbaugh talking up competition between O'Korn v. Speight is just that- talk. Nothing but hot air. He wants to keep Speight on his toes is my guess. But the job is most definitely Speight's. I certainly wasn't in love with Speight, he's got his flaws. But up until that injury he was a more than solid starting QB. And he's definitely shown in practice and in actual games to be superior to O'Korn. Pro Football Focus just came out with a graphic that showed that Speight is the best returning deep ball thrower in the B1G. One thing he does do well is throw the deep ball.
MDot's in the house.I agree Spreight can heave the deep ball and the wide outs just might be up to snagging them.Be nice if JTB could throw 40 yds like that,Burrow has proven he can but Meyer is giving his boy a blank canvas.Good Luck to us
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O'Korn won the starting position at Houston as a freshman and was AAC Freshman of the Year with a QB rating of 133. Then Herman got the job at Houston and things went downhill for him his sophomore year. My point being O'Korn has potential.
A QB rating of 133 in college stinks (mediocre at best).
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A QB rating of 133 in college stinks (mediocre at best).
Not to mention it was achieved in the AAC.
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Man O'Korn was brutal last year. I figured they hype on him was over.
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This is an interesting game I think in that both teams are pretty well regarded but both have many questions. Neither is an Ohio State or Alabama that has proven they reload each year and just about never lose two games. Both have apparent holes and inexperience, and obviously some of those inexperienced players might turn out to be great at some point in the season.
I wouldn't bet on it. And it if is a blow out, I wouldn't say the winner is a world beater but I would tend to think the loser has issues (duh). Like most competitive games, this may hinge on turnovers and critical plays that bounce one way or the other.
I rewatched some UGA games last night on youtube and was recalling how some critical plays went one way on not the other and turned out to be pivotal. It's a crap shoot. The ball bounces on way and you win, or the zebra calls holding and you lose.
It's sort of funny watching a football game where all the dead time is cut out and you see only the action.
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Man O'Korn was brutal last year. I figured they hype on him was over.
I do think the hype is over. I think it's just Harbaugh talking/promoting competition. I don't think Harbaugh wants to just hand Speight the job and make him think he can go through the motions. Speight was OK last year. He wasn't special. Not like he's Andrew Luck or anything. My guess is this is just Harbaugh pushing Speight's buttons to get him to work even harder to improve. Iron sharpens iron.
This O'Korn talk is just that. Talk. Job is Speight's.
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MDot's in the house.I agree Spreight can heave the deep ball and the wide outs just might be up to snagging them.Be nice if JTB could throw 40 yds like that,Burrow has proven he can but Meyer is giving his boy a blank canvas.Good Luck to us
In the house- guilty as charged. Lol.
The WR's are young, but they do have some size. Tarik Black looked really good in the spring game snagging the deep ball. Big, rangy athletic kid at 6'4" ish with good hops. He just went up there and snatched them like it was second nature. Nico Collins is even bigger at about 6'5". DPJ is every bit of 6'2" maybe a tick under 6'3" and he is hands down the best athlete on the entire team. Even as a frosh. DPJ- now that kid is a freak of fricken nature who can jump out of the gym- his vert is over 45" and he can run a legit 4.4 flat on an off day. I think it will obviously take them time to adjust to the college game, but the physical tools are definitely there for all of them. Can't teach size and leaping ability. All 3 of them have it.
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Do college players who think they have a position locked up tend to "take it easy" and not work hard? Do they need encouragement by a coach saying there is still a competition?
The teams on which I played everyone knew who was going to start and why.
I guess I'm not much on this tactic of motivating a player.
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looks like Vegas moved the line a half point after the news
Michigan -3 to -3 1/2
South Point is at -4. Treasure Island has taken it off the board.
http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/ (http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/)
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In the house- guilty as charged. Lol.
The WR's are young, but they do have some size. Tarik Black looked really good in the spring game snagging the deep ball. Big, rangy athletic kid at 6'4" ish with good hops. He just went up there and snatched them like it was second nature. Nico Collins is even bigger at about 6'5". DPJ is every bit of 6'2" maybe a tick under 6'3" and he is hands down the best athlete on the entire team. Even as a frosh. DPJ- now that kid is a freak of fricken nature who can jump out of the gym- his vert is over 45" and he can run a legit 4.4 flat on an off day. I think it will obviously take them time to adjust to the college game, but the physical tools are definitely there for all of them. Can't teach size and leaping ability. All 3 of them have it.
If JH can get some quality blocking could be some fun times ahead(for M fans).Might wanna get the ground game up & moving how ever
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If JH can get some quality blocking could be some fun times ahead(for M fans).Might wanna get the ground game up & moving how ever
I'm with you there. It's been a long time since Michigan has had great OL's. I think Drevno and Frey will get them to the point where they just replace and reload on the OL like a Wisconsin or Ohio State seem to do every fricken year. Gonna take a little bit of time though.
As far as the ground game is concerned, I feel like going into 2017 that this is the best depth that they've had at RB in a long time. Chris Evans added some much needed size as did Karran Higdon. Both of them were super quick with great vision last year, just a little undersized and not able to break the arm tackles. Higdon has a knock for hitting that hole hard and getting upfield and if he has any space he's gone. His problem was the arm tackles. He was just too slight. He's a smaller guy but so was Mike Hart- and arm tackles rarely if ever took him down. Higdon needs to build up his lower body. Same for Chris Evans- who was just a wizard in the open field at making people miss and finding space. And Ty Isaac has looked like a beast this spring. He's continued to transform his body and it's showed- and he's improved a lot in pass protection and ball security- the two things that really have been his achilles heel and kept him in Harbaugh's doghouse- because the guy literally has everything else. This could be his breakout year if he can put it all together. That trio is maturing and coming together at the right time. My only concern is that the OL might be absolute trash. We'll see. If Drevno and Frey can earn their money by coaching the hell out of that OL those backs will produce on the ground.
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Just confusing why M didn't use Evans more last season
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Just confusing why M didn't use Evans more last season
probably had to do with pass pro. Plus he was pretty slight in the lower body. Contact brought him down instantly. He needed to add a good 10-15 pounds of muscle and some lower body strength. He was only a 190ish pound true frosh. Not like he came in 220 and ripped to shreds like an Adrian Peterson. Very few HS RB's if any ever have that kind of body. Najee Harris and Leonard Fournette are really the only two that come to mind. Lol. Sky is the limit for Evans though. He is a wizard in the open field at finding space and his hands are about as good as it gets for a RB. Plus while he's not a 4.3 blazer he DOES have that "football speed" gear to hit a home-run.
Also- Harbaugh seemed to have an infuation with De'Veon Smith for some inexplicable reason. Again- probably had to do with pass pro and ball security and De'Veon just being a tough SOB.
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So Florida might rotate 3 QBs?
Good luck with that
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So Florida might rotate 3 QBs?
Good luck with that
I'm amazed that now three years into McElwain's tenure they still seem to be winging it on offense. Stay away from sharks man.
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The f
I'm amazed that now three years into McElwain's tenure they still seem to be winging it on offense. Stay away from sharks man.
Crazy that having McElwain and Nussmeier two guys who coached at MSU under JLS, in prominent positions, isn't leading to clarity.
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OK, so that right there is funny. Bravo.
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Michigan 19
Florida 12
My pred.
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I think that's a pretty good guess Cindy, I just feel like the majority of the better athletes in this game are on the defensive side of the ball.
Michigan's offense was decent last year, but they've lost a great TE and some very solid WR's, and Speight was good but not great.
I think UM's run game last year against top opponents was largely just average, and I guess I need to see some better performances there this year before I believe their offense is going to be something that can win them games.
If either team got to 24, that's probably enough to get the "W"
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So Florida might rotate 3 QBs?
Good luck with that
No, McElwain is just messing around because Harbaugh wouldn't release his depth chart.
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I do think the hype is over. I think it's just Harbaugh talking/promoting competition. I don't think Harbaugh wants to just hand Speight the job and make him think he can go through the motions. Speight was OK last year. He wasn't special. Not like he's Andrew Luck or anything. My guess is this is just Harbaugh pushing Speight's buttons to get him to work even harder to improve. Iron sharpens iron.
This O'Korn talk is just that. Talk. Job is Speight's.
So they are going to keep the Freak on a Leash?
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So they are going to keep the Freak on a Leash?
They're saving The Kraken for the Buckeyes.
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247 Reports rumor that Michigan will wear alternate all maize jersey for Florida game.
http://michigan.247sports.com/Bolt/Hi3-828-Game-week-and-alternate-uniforms-106574792 (http://michigan.247sports.com/Bolt/Hi3-828-Game-week-and-alternate-uniforms-106574792)
(https://thumb.ibb.co/hfsNj5/DIR3u_Vr_VYAE7_Hw_V.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hfsNj5)
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those maize uni's are ugly as shit. yuck.
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Greeeeat, we get to play West Virginia in Jerry World.....
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Some pictures of them wearing them in practice today.
Absolute garbage.
They didn't look good when Minnesota wore them either.
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well hopefully there is a huge fan backlash and national media ridicule of those uni's and we never see them again.
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Florida suspends an 8th player, WR James Robinson.
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Looking forward to this game. It's on the same time as Notre Dame so I might miss huge swathes, but would like to see how UM's defense rounds into shape. Also enjoying the game of "who is playing" from both coaches.
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Well, if Harbaugh won't publish a roster, at least we know what they're going to wear lol...
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Florida suspends an 8th player, WR James Robinson.
Jesus, he was only approved by the NCAA to sign just a few weeks ago (true FR). He was in a hurry to make some bad decisions, I guess.
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Florida is also wearing putrid uniforms - all blue everything w/ the white helmet. Blue socks, blue gloves, blue underwear, blue face paint, etc.
2017 already sucks. I didn't realize how contagious Oregonitis is.
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All we can hope for now is for Jerry to paint his field turf hot pink like the Cowboys' undies.
(https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/4aa014da89cdb6932175b9bd5b625aab56245eaa/c=154-0-1347-897&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2017/08/28/DetroitNews/DetroitNews/636395258018884125-uniform.jpg)
(https://i.imgflip.com/187ao1.jpg)
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All we can hope for now is for Jerry to paint his field turf hot pink like the Cowboys' undies.
(https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/4aa014da89cdb6932175b9bd5b625aab56245eaa/c=154-0-1347-897&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2017/08/28/DetroitNews/DetroitNews/636395258018884125-uniform.jpg)
:57:
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They always use some svelte WR to model the unis.
Just once, I want to see a bloated O-lineman with two knee braces and taped ankles.
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Michigan wins 6-4 in triple over time.
Both squads vote to forfeit the rest of their games because they are too boring to watch even for them.
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An OT safety?
How many false starts would Florida have to execute in order to back themselves all the way to their own goal line, where they could be sacked in their own end zone?
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the Florida team, coach, and fan base seem to be overly-confident. I don't know if I would be if I were them, considering the last time these teams faced off Jim McElwain got out-classed in the coaching department and his team got blown off the field 41-7.
Different teams, different years, I get it. But to me- this is a huge mismatch in the coaching department- and coaching is half the battle.
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An OT safety?
How many false starts would Florida have to execute in order to back themselves all the way to their own goal line, where they could be sacked in their own end zone?
It theoretically is possible. You start on the other 25 of course, so you need a PF penalty moving you to the 40, then a sack back at the 50, then another PF to the 35, then another play where the ball is fumbled and kicked around end at the 15, then a 5 yard penalty to the ten, and then a fumble into the end zone.
It might be somewhat unlikely.
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the Florida team, coach, and fan base seem to be overly-confident. I don't know if I would be if I were them, considering the last time these teams faced off Jim McElwain got out-classed in the coaching department and his team got blown off the field 41-7.
Different teams, different years, I get it. But to me- this is a huge mismatch in the coaching department- and coaching is half the battle.
What makes you think they are overly confident? They are underdogs in the betting. I have yet to hear a Gater fan claim they would win easily. And of course if the fan base is overly confident, it doesn't mean the team or coaches are, nor does it affect the play.
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I took a gander at the Florida discussion page (followed quickly by a shower) and didn't see any notable over confidence there. I also don't know that it matters if fans are over confident.
I can't see how coaches and players could possibly be overly confident, though they should be confident in some regards.
A player lacking confidence may not perform to his capabilities.
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Florida head coach Jim McElwain just announced that RB Jordan Scarlett and WR Rick Wells have both been suspended. That makes it- what- 10 players now for Florida that have been suspended for this game? Scarlett was the top RB and Calloway their top WR. Their leading returning pass catcher and runner. Both gone.
What in the hell is going on down there in Gainseville?
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I read that this is Urban Meyer's fault, all of it.
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That should shift the line some more points I'd think. The team may be having "internal issues" as well.
I think Michigan wins this one handily.
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That should shift the line some more points I'd think. The team may be having "internal issues" as well.
I think Michigan wins this one handily.
I'm a homer but I thought Michigan would win handily before all the suspensions just based on the coaching factor (Harbaugh vs. McElwain), QB factor (Speight vs. who??), and the Don Brown factor. Brown has worked miracles on defense with much less talented defensive rosters than this. I'm sure there will be a defensive drop off to start the season- especially with so many new faces- but this won't be a RichRod Michigan defense- this will still be a very respectable defensive unit and maybe even a lethal one by the end of the season.
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Whichever Gator fans were overly confident may not be right now.
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Well by now, Florida is supposed to lose with a first-time starting QB and 10 suspended players, Michigan is supposed to win.
How bad is it if Michigan loses now?
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It's always bad to lose. I think Florida's chances just got considerably slimmer.
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About the QB suspense for M.
At the college level most teams carry a 3 deep depth. O'Korn being a senior, I think Harbaugh cooked up the competition to keep O'Korn on the roster. Peter's is the heir apparent but that would make 2 quality QB(don't grief on whether they are or not) so the possibility of O'Korn to keep the 3 deep roster.
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The Gators won't have a "three deep" with all the suspensions.
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Well by now, Florida is supposed to lose with a first-time starting QB and 10 suspended players, Michigan is supposed to win.
How bad is it if Michigan loses now?
pretty bad.
also...Bruce Feldman- probably the best CFB guy out there- says Florida has named Felipe Franks the starting QB.
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Yeah, I kind of don't like having Franks, the RS FR with no starts getting the nod, but with a stripped-down team to lead. Not exactly setting him up for success.
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I read that this is Urban Meyer's fault, all of it.
Exactly,Urban could coach them up but couldn't keep them out of trouble.
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remember watching Franks a couple years back in that Army bowl game. Big time arm, great size but looked about as raw as it gets. Not sure Doug Nussmeir is the guy to coach him up. That dude was a disaster as OC at Michigan. All the QB's seemed to regress under him. Don Brown is not a good DC to face for a Frosh making his first start ever while missing his top WR and RB. They don't call Brown Dr. Blitz for nothing. Just sayin'.
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Looks like even more suspensions could be coming
http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/sports/article.html/content/news/articles/bhsn/2017/8/30/florida_gators_footb.html
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I didn't see where that article suggested more were coming.
I did get an email from Macelwain asking if I could suit up.
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Article says RB Scarlett and WR Wells implicated and may be suspended. The two may be the players Coach McElwain said would not travel for the Michigan game.
I would imagine all this BS is quite the distraction.
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I didn't see where that article suggested more were coming.
I did get an email from Macelwain asking if I could suit up.
Sounds like the additional suspensions may be in future games
The Gators will now be without 10 players for Saturday’s opener, but that number could rise. A source tells Spectrum Sports more players will be suspended in the future due to their involvement in the ongoing UFPD investigation.
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Michigan is sounding focused vs. Florida's ongoing suspension drama. So,
Michigan 31
Florida 17
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I was the one thinking that Florida would roll in this one. When the first 7 were suspended, really only one was a starter, so I still though Florida had a good shot. Now with their starting RB and WR out, I'm willing to admit that Michigan probably has the edge now. I still don't think it will be a blowout, but I'm willing to see it as a competitive game now.
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How would a Wolverine fare against a Gator, within the confines of the animal kingdom?
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How would a Wolverine fare against a Gator, within the confines of the animal kingdom?
Well, I've gotten to the bottom of that.
The Wolverine prevails over the Gator with ease.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZEtF7hPqI8
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I was the one thinking that Florida would roll in this one. When the first 7 were suspended, really only one was a starter, so I still though Florida had a good shot. Now with their starting RB and WR out, I'm willing to admit that Michigan probably has the edge now. I still don't think it will be a blowout, but I'm willing to see it as a competitive game now.
Ummm what? Florida was never going to roll Michigan, even at full strength.
Florida looks like they are falling apart at the seams, while Michigan seems locked in. Franks is a frosh making his first start ever on the road in Texas in a nationally televised game, without his top WR and RB, with Doug Neisemer (who literally sucks) OC'ing vs. Don Brown (who is literally awesome) DC'ing. I think this game will get ugly for Florida, and quickly.
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Before the suspensions, I would have put $100 on Florida, and I think that I have made a grand total of 2 money sports bets in my life previously.
I think you are drastically underestimating the impact of losing 14 starters. Yeah yeah....the brand new talent......blah blah blah.
A) You are assuming that the Michigan talent was worlds ahead of Florida. It's better, but it's not THAT much better.
B) Both teams are going into an unknown environment. When going to a neutral site, I'll take the more experienced team.
C) Michigan was good last year, no doubt, but their success was a bit of a product of their schedule. They played exactly 5 games away from Michigan Stadium and lost three of them. The two they won (@ Rutgers and @ MSU) had a combined record of 5-19 (really only 4-18 since one of MSU's wins was against Rutgers....).
Again, this was before the latest Florida suspensions and before they named the RS FS starting QB. The first bout of suspensions was mostly freshmen. It would have hurt depth, but it wasn't going to have a huge affect on the outcome of the game. Now that more starters are suspended and the threat of future suspensions are coming, I agree that the team psyche could be shot and I no longer think that Florida has the edge it had.
So I'll stand by the original statement. I thought Florida was going to roll Michigan. Now? Who knows, but I still believe it wont be a blowout. We'll find out in a couple of days.
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Michigan by 7-8 thinking JH throws to his young stable of talented WR's.Fla with new QB & wide outs is a tall order IMO
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Well, Michigan has no excuse for not winning. They are favored obviously, and now all this.
If perchance they did slip up, it would not auger well for JH.
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The Gators have won like 25 straight openers.IMO the suspensions hurt more than UM's exodus
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Before the suspensions, I would have put $100 on Florida, and I think that I have made a grand total of 2 money sports bets in my life previously.
I think you are drastically underestimating the impact of losing 14 starters. Yeah yeah....the brand new talent......blah blah blah.
A) You are assuming that the Michigan talent was worlds ahead of Florida. It's better, but it's not THAT much better.
B) Both teams are going into an unknown environment. When going to a neutral site, I'll take the more experienced team.
C) Michigan was good last year, no doubt, but their success was a bit of a product of their schedule. They played exactly 5 games away from Michigan Stadium and lost three of them. The two they won (@ Rutgers and @ MSU) had a combined record of 5-19 (really only 4-18 since one of MSU's wins was against Rutgers....).
Again, this was before the latest Florida suspensions and before they named the RS FS starting QB. The first bout of suspensions was mostly freshmen. It would have hurt depth, but it wasn't going to have a huge affect on the outcome of the game. Now that more starters are suspended and the threat of future suspensions are coming, I agree that the team psyche could be shot and I no longer think that Florida has the edge it had.
So I'll stand by the original statement. I thought Florida was going to roll Michigan. Now? Who knows, but I still believe it wont be a blowout. We'll find out in a couple of days.
You've only made 2 sports bets ever in your life, and before the suspension you would've put $100 on toss-up game on a team that was a 3.5 point dog? Good thing you don't bet. There were/are far, far, far better CFB bets out there week 1 than this game.
Michigan "lost" 14 starters, but more than a few of those guys listed as starters were barely starters, and Michigan will be better off with them out of the program to be frank. RB Deveon Smith and DT Matt Godin immediately jump to mind. The guys replacing them- will be infinitely better. Obviously losing actual NFL talent level guys like Peppers, Lewis, Wormley, Charlton, Butt, Chesson, Darboh- that is always going to hurt like hell. But a good chunk of those "starters" they "lost" were pretty damn mediocre to put it bluntly. 2017 Chris Evans and Karran Higdon will be light years better than 2016 Deveon Smith. That is just a fact. And a lot of guys they have coming back got plenty of playing time on that defense last year- guys like Winovich, Gary, Hurst, Mone (when he was healthy), Bush, and Kinnel. Losing all those CB's are going to BLOW chunks- but they have a lot of young talent there and Florida doesn't have the QB/WR passing game to really exploit that youth. Florida is extremely young there themselves. It's a wash. Just because of the way the schedule sets up they'll have 6-7 games to learn on the fly before they are seriously tested.
A) Forget talent. I never once mentioned talent. I've been mentioning coaching. Why? Florida is at a pretty big coaching disadvantage in this ball game. Jim McElwain v. Jim Harbaugh is as big of a head coaching mismatch as there. The even greater mismatch is Don Brown v. Doug Nussmeier. Nussmeier is terrible at his job and he's going to be breaking in a freshman QB and is without like 80% of UF's offensive production last year in RB Jordan Scarlett and WR Antonio Calloway.
B) Experience is overrated. Florida was a bad offense last year. They'll be a bad offense this year. Experience isn't going to change that. They were light on offensive talent before the suspensions and they were even lighter on offensive coaching. You know what's better than experience? Talent that is being coached and developed by great coaches. Not sure there is a better maximizer of talent than Harbaugh. He gets every last ounce out of a player. He'll take cast-offs and turn them into real life football players. Seen him do it time and time again. Haven't seen McElwain ever do that once.
C) Forget the fricken bowl game which- which oh yeah by the way- they lost by 1 point. Have my doubts a lot of those guys even wanted to really be there. Not after the mantra was B1GCCG and playoffs or bust. We certainly know Jabrill Peppers didn't want to be there. He sat out when he could've easily played. They lost two conference games on the road by a combined total of 4 points AFTER their QB got his shoulder broken in half. You do realize that Wilton Speight finished that Iowa game- a night game in which they lost by ONE point on a last second FG- with a broken collarbone, right? And he played the Ohio State game with...yup...you guessed it- a broken collarbone. And he was horrific in both of those conference road games and honestly was the primary reason they lost games that they probably should've won by a total of 4 points. Won't get into the bad spot. If Speight doesn't have a broken collarbone- they win both of those games and are in the B1GCCG and playoffs.
You're right, we'll find out in a couple of days.
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I usually don't get worked up when an opposing fan thinks his team will win. I sort of expect that. Or if some other fan thinks X will win and I think Y will win. It happens, and I'm wrong about as often as right, at best.
I don't really know that much about either team, so I have a rather useless opinion which is mundane on this game. I will find it interesting to watch if it's on TV.
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Wow, mdot, I wonder why they're even bothering to play the game at all. Right?!?
Florida's 70-man talent has improved the last couple of years.
The RS FR QB is starting for a reason.
The WR corps aren't new, the top 5 guys after Callaway have plenty of experience.
Now for some legit reasons Florida may lose, besides the suspensions:
The LB corps is razor thin, with only 3 healthy, legit guys.
Multiple true FR DBs will play a lot, which should be able to be exploited.
Our big (now) backup RB has fumblitis, which could come into play. (#24)
2 big unknowns:
The OL has gotten a lot of love in practice, but that's practice. They stunk at times last year, and may still.
The playcalling - either it will be different and better or the same and awful. One or the other, we'll have to wait and see.
Michigan should win. It would make sense if they won. Florida could lose, get their players back, and have a great year (or not). If Michigan loses to a depleted Gator squad, it could be a long year. Again, I'm glad they play the games so we can see how it all unfolds.
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Wow, mdot, I wonder why they're even bothering to play the game at all. Right?!?
Florida's 70-man talent has improved the last couple of years.
The RS FR QB is starting for a reason.
The WR corps aren't new, the top 5 guys after Callaway have plenty of experience.
Now for some legit reasons Florida may lose, besides the suspensions:
The LB corps is razor thin, with only 3 healthy, legit guys.
Multiple true FR DBs will play a lot, which should be able to be exploited.
Our big (now) backup RB has fumblitis, which could come into play. (#24)
2 big unknowns:
The OL has gotten a lot of love in practice, but that's practice. They stunk at times last year, and may still.
The playcalling - either it will be different and better or the same and awful. One or the other, we'll have to wait and see.
Michigan should win. It would make sense if they won. Florida could lose, get their players back, and have a great year (or not). If Michigan loses to a depleted Gator squad, it could be a long year. Again, I'm glad they play the games so we can see how it all unfolds.
I am 100% certain there is a ton of raw talent on the Florida roster. There is a shit load of talent there. C'mon. It's Florida. There always is.
Not talking raw talent really. More or less talking about the development of said talent- aka the coaching.
Not sold on Jim McElwain. Never have been. What was his claim to fame? Going 10-3 at Colorado State in year 3? OC'ing a vanilla offense at Alabama where literally 80% of the roster is blue-chip 5* and 4* recruits? Besides- we all know that Saban is the one pulling all the strings there. Being a co-ordinator for Saban is basically like being a Hallway monitor. Even less sold on him after his stint at Florida. And last but not least- Doug Nussmeier. Saw with my own two eyes how horrible he really is when he was at Michigan for a single year. You want an offense ranked in the 100's? Hire Doug Nussmeier as your OC. That's a guarantee.
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sounds like frosh Tarik Black locked up a starting WR role. Not that surprised considering the way he looked in the spring. Very polished, smooth 6'4 ish with great catch radius. Showed a real knack of going up and snatching the ball and he's a more advanced route runner than the frosh WR's. Also sounds like Frosh WR Donovan Peoples-Jones will be the return man. Very excited if this is true. 6'2+, 200+ lbs- explosive athlete- just a freak of nature. Get him the ball and let him go. He has the ability to break some big returns this year.
Nolan Ulizio has won the battle at RT. Insider "word" is he's been a devastating run blocker all camp and they've tried him at both tackle spots and he's looked great. That right side could really punish people in the run game- especially with the noise that Mike Onwenu has been making. Onwenu is a devastating run blocker and he tips the scales at 6'3+ and 350+. Both of them have had high remarks from the "insiders" all fall about their run blocking- it's the pass blocking where they've shown some inconsistencies. Florida should be able to really exploit that. My hope is that Michigan runs the ball early and often and they do a lot of quick passes to slow that Florida pass rush down.
Also- sounds like Tyrone Wheatley Jr has won the starting TE role. Best blocking TE on the team and oh yeah, he's 6'7ish and 270+. And oh yeah, word is he's also the fastest TE on the team. Genetics. Really think he's a potential break-out star this year. Call it a gut feeling. A Harbaugh offense develops TE's. He's a lot faster than any 6'7, 270 pound human being has any business being.
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Who is M's other starting WR?Jones?Collins?
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Who is M's other starting WR?Jones?Collins?
sounds like it's Dylan Crawford as the other outside WR and Grant Perry and McDoom splitting time in the slot.
Crawford was the #126 player in the nation overall, #20 WR, and #18 player in the state of California in the 247Composite for the 2016 class. Listed at 6'2, 195, played on special teams and in a few games at WR last year as a true frosh hauling in 4 passes for 48 yards and 1 TD.
Good size, good speed. Tested very well at the nike opening event- had the 5th best SPARQ rating there- checked in at 6'1.5", 183 lbs, ran a 4.45 laser-timed 40, a 4.01 shuttle, with a 37.5" vertical. Knock on him coming out of high school was he was a little raw, more pure athlete than refined WR.
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I am 100% certain there is a ton of raw talent on the Florida roster. There is a shit load of talent there. C'mon. It's Florida. There always is.
Not talking raw talent really. More or less talking about the development of said talent- aka the coaching.
Not sold on Jim McElwain. Never have been. What was his claim to fame? Going 10-3 at Colorado State in year 3? OC'ing a vanilla offense at Alabama where literally 80% of the roster is blue-chip 5* and 4* recruits? Besides- we all know that Saban is the one pulling all the strings there. Being a co-ordinator for Saban is basically like being a Hallway monitor. Even less sold on him after his stint at Florida. And last but not least- Doug Nussmeier. Saw with my own two eyes how horrible he really is when he was at Michigan for a single year. You want an offense ranked in the 100's? Hire Doug Nussmeier as your OC. That's a guarantee.
while you might be able to disparage his hc abilities (though i'd disagree), his oc job done at bama was by far the best one we've had under saban. call it vanilla, fine. but it was efficient and deadly. and creative within itself.
nuss, i won't disagree much, though his offenses at bama weren't in the 100's. far from it. but he's also not one i'd hope to be back at bama anytime soon, so... (it'd be a tough call on who i'd want less between him or kiff, though)
you seem to have quite the case of homeritis. i'm not sure i'd rank harbaugh outright better than mcelwain, and certainly not any kind of considerable measure better, aside from recruiting, which is mcelwains biggest flaw.
having said that, you are correct in that um looks focused and has a determination that the gators seem to be severely lacking at the moment. um should win fairly convincingly, all things considered.
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while you might be able to disparage his hc abilities (though i'd disagree), his oc job done at bama was by far the best one we've had under saban. call it vanilla, fine. but it was efficient and deadly. and creative within itself.
nuss, i won't disagree much, though his offenses at bama weren't in the 100's. far from it. but he's also not one i'd hope to be back at bama anytime soon, so... (it'd be a tough call on who i'd want less between him or kiff, though)
you seem to have quite the case of homeritis. i'm not sure i'd rank harbaugh outright better than mcelwain, and certainly not any kind of considerable measure better, aside from recruiting, which is mcelwains biggest flaw.
having said that, you are correct in that um looks focused and has a determination that the gators seem to be severely lacking at the moment. um should win fairly convincingly, all things considered.
Please. Anybody could OC those Alabama offenses with that kind of NFL talent they had at OL and RB. Not to mention oh um....Julio Jones and Amari Cooper. I sat through a year of Doug Nussmeier. He is horrible. Like Mike DeBord levels bad. I think DeBord is actually better.
Not sure you'd rank Harbaugh outright better than McElwain? Are you serious right now? Little tiny scholarship-less USD to back to back 11-1 years. The worst program in the P5- Stanford from 1-11 to 12-1 and a perennial powerhouse. San Fransisco 49ers from a lost decade of mediocrity in the NFL and no playoff appearances from 6-10 to 13-3, 11-4-1, 12-4 - 3 straight NFC chip games and a Super Bowl appearance. Michigan from 5-7 to 10-3 with a cast-off QB that wasn't good enough for friggin' Iowa's offense. Any of that ringing any bells?
Yeah, has nothing to do with homerism. One guy is about as good as it gets in the coaching ranks and if he was on the NFL coaching market he'd be the hottest commodity in years. The other guy? He'll be fired from Florida within a year or two and he'll never get a head coaching job again unless it's at like a lower tier MAC school or FCS school.
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You've only made 2 sports bets ever in your life, and before the suspension you would've put $100 on toss-up game on a team that was a 3.5 point dog? Good thing you don't bet. There were/are far, far, far better CFB bets out there week 1 than this game.
really? what games are better bets? I took Michigan to cover the 3.5
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Please. Anybody could OC those Alabama offenses with that kind of NFL talent they had at OL and RB. Not to mention oh um....Julio Jones and Amari Cooper. I sat through a year of Doug Nussmeier. He is horrible. Like Mike DeBord levels bad. I think DeBord is actually better.
Not sure you'd rank Harbaugh outright better than McElwain? Are you serious right now? Little tiny scholarship-less USD to back to back 11-1 years. The worst program in the P5- Stanford from 1-11 to 12-1 and a perennial powerhouse. San Fransisco 49ers from a lost decade of mediocrity in the NFL and no playoff appearances from 6-10 to 13-3, 11-4-1, 12-4 - 3 straight NFC chip games and a Super Bowl appearance. Michigan from 5-7 to 10-3 with a cast-off QB that wasn't good enough for friggin' Iowa's offense. Any of that ringing any bells?
Yeah, has nothing to do with homerism. One guy is about as good as it gets in the coaching ranks and if he was on the NFL coaching market he'd be the hottest commodity in years. The other guy? He'll be fired from Florida within a year or two and he'll never get a head coaching job again unless it's at like a lower tier MAC school or FCS school.
I don't think your initial post on this was homerish, but this one certainly is. You can go back to his coaching record from 10 years ago if you want, but I don't see the relevance.
Harbaugh
20-6 at UM, 13-4 in the B10. Two 3rd-place finishes in a tough division
McElwain
19-8 at UF, 13-3 in the SEC. Two division championships in a weak division
*should be 20-8, but UF missed a cupcake game due to hurricane rescheduling
Harbaugh's resume is better overall, but they're nearly even at their current stops. JH has a little better overall record in a tougher division, but JM won his division twice. JH is playing OSU and PSU every year, but JM is playing FSU and Bama both years.
To suggest one is great and one sucks....is silly.
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just think what Chip Kelly could accomplish at UF
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What coach would've been favored vs Bama the last 2 years in Atlanta? Clemson wasn't favored in the NCG either of the past 2 years. Urban Meyer and OSU wouldnt have been favored, not Harbaugh at UM, not anyone, anywhere.
So aside from not winning the NC and the SECCG, McElwain has reached the next-highest goal of any Florida HC: win the East.
I don't see the problem. Would it be cool if we scored more? Sure. Would it be better if Bama didn't blow us out? Yup. But whattaya gonna do? Can't go back in time. 13-3 in the SEC over 2 years is good enough.
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Maybe I'm a giant homer, but predicting Florida would have rolled Michigan is pretty laughable, especially saying that and now hiding behind suspensions. It's a no lose situation to make that statement.
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Final pregame thoughts:
I'm glad this will be the last time Michigan plays a regular season neutral site game for the foreseeable future, and hopefully these awful all maize uniforms never come back. I don't think this will be a blowout like the bowl game two years ago, but I wouldn't surprised if it is.
The biggest key is how successful Michigan is at running the ball. I think Evans is going to be very good, potentially all-BigTen this year with Higdon and Isaac being good backups at RB. The OLine is supposedly better at run-blocking than last year. Meanwhile, supposedly Florida's DLine is their strength along with some decent linebackers.
The wildcard of the game is Michigan's passing game. I think Speight will be ready but the OLine could struggle in pass-protection and the aforementioned RBs aren't as good in blocking as Smith was last year. Of course, the receivers are mostly inexperienced but talented, so I suspect shorter routes will be Michigan's primary passing plays. Avoiding 3rd-and-long situations will be important.
Defensively, I am feeling rather confident. The DLine should be able to create a lot of pressure and the LBs are strong against the run. The safeties are new starters, but both played well last year. The CBs are my main concern, but so long as the front 7 gets to the QB soon enough, that should mitigate that, though they'll still probably give up a few big plays.
Special teams were a major advantage for Michigan last year. The kicker, punter, and returners are all new, which is a concern, but the kicker and punter were both highly rated and there have been positive reports about them so far. I'm less optimistic that the new returners will be as good as Peppers and Lewis were, but as long as they catch the ball, I won't complain. The coverage teams were pretty good last year, and Michigan led the country in punt blocks, too, so that could be a big advantage. I understand that Florida has strong special teams, as well, though.
34-23 is my score prediction.
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I will guess that the score is lower, more defense
first team to 21 wins
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I will guess that the score is lower, more defense
first team to 21 wins
Yep.. I'm right there with. I have low expectations for Michigan's offense. The only reason I see a big point day is turnovers leading to easy touchdowns.
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Speight is so underrated by UM fans. You now have DPJ.
Michigan will be fine on offense. They put up at least 31 today.
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Speight is so underrated by UM fans. You now have DPJ.
Michigan will be fine on offense. They put up at least 31 today.
He's a decent an. He does a lot of things slightly above average but nothing great.
I rarely get excited about freshman receivers. The only one that I was excited about and remotely lived up to the hype was manningham.
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I know. I'm pretty much done with hype.
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For all the people who said Grant Perry isn't the caliber of player who should have had his sexual assault ignored, he showed why Harbaugh was 100% cool with ignoring it.
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Thank you Michigan. Hearing McElwain say we got physically whupped by big strong guys made my day. Lol.
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It was a veiled motivational technique for Callaway - describing what prison will be like.
Are UM fans nervous at all about the 5 FG attempts? UM totally dominated in yardage, has a stout D, etc.....but shouldn't they have won by more than 16? Or 9 without the final sack-fumble-TD?
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It was a veiled motivational technique for Callaway - describing what prison will be like.
Are UM fans nervous at all about the 5 FG attempts? UM totally dominated in yardage, has a stout D, etc.....but shouldn't they have won by more than 16? Or 9 without the final sack-fumble-TD?
Very nervous. Wilton Speight hasn't gotten any better at all. All he's got is the deep ball and his accuracy is horrible. If anything he's regressed. It's very concerning. He's holding back this team.
As far as the FG attempts go....I wanted to see that Frosh kicker in a big stage. He didn't disappoint. That's a future NFL kicker. I see why Harbaugh had a sleepover to land him.
Michigan would be a playoff contender...if they had a QB. Give them Deondre Francois or JT Barrett they are a legit playoff contender.
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Are UM fans nervous at all about the 5 FG attempts? UM totally dominated in yardage, has a stout D, etc.....but shouldn't they have won by more than 16? Or 9 without the final sack-fumble-TD?
You can't ignore the sack fumble td. That's like ignoring Speight's two pick 6's.
To your point, the lack of disparity on the scoreboard was concerning. The problem is clearly the qb position. What's concerning to me is there are not flashes of greatness. There is good play and then there is "don't make a mistake" play the remainder of the time. There's absolutely zero evidence of elite play or above average play at the QB position. Too many years of this song and dance in Ann Arbor. God I miss Denard.
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You can't ignore the sack fumble td. That's like ignoring Speight's two pick 6's.
To your point, the lack of disparity on the scoreboard was concerning. The problem is clearly the qb position. What's concerning to me is there are not flashes of greatness. There is good play and then there is "don't make a mistake" play the remainder of the time. There's absolutely zero evidence of elite play or above average play at the QB position. Too many years of this song and dance in Ann Arbor. God I miss Denard.
I miss 2000 Drew Henson. Still the best QB I've ever seen at Michigan.
Give Harbaugh that guy and this team wins a title this year.
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The first half was very frustrating of course, and fortunately the defense continued to hold up in the second half. I would've thought that more of the drives would've ended with TDs than FGs, but there's enough time between now and the Penn State game to get that all resolved.
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Michigan is a playoff contender. The only team good enough to beat them between now and Penn State, is themselves.
That game could be for the division. That defense is as good as last year, which is sick. The offense is good enough and will get better.
What team did you see this weekend that could run away from them?
Exactly!
It is week one.
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It was a good win for the Big Ten.
It looked like Michigan had their hands full, but then the Wolverines just buried them in the third quarter.
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It was a good win for the Big Ten.
It looked like Michigan had their hands full, but then the Wolverines just buried them in the third quarter.
at no point did I think Michigan had their hands full to be perfectly honest.
I thought Florida was very lucky to even be in that game. They were dominated in every facet of the game. I think the only edges they had was their punter was better than Michigan's and their QB's were far more careful throwing the football than Speight.
I think after Speight threw those 2 pick 6's and Harbaugh gave a couple series to O'Korn and then put Speight back in there he basically put the offense into shut-down mode. I don't think Harbaugh trusted Speight to do anything but throw short dump-off passes to his TE's, hand the ball off, or throw bombs off of play-action once the run game got going- because quite honestly that's all Speight can do. They ask him to throw the out routes, the fade, the slant, the hitch- he can't fricken do it- everything is behind, high, or way out of bounds. He hinders the offense greatly because all he's got is about 3 throws- the screen, the deep ball, and those short crossing routes to the TE's- that's literally all that bum has.
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hate to say it- but losing De'Veon Smith might've been a blessing in disguise. Karran Higdon and Chris Evans both looked bigger, stronger. Ty Isaac looked like a senior who is hungry to prove to everyone why he was a 5* RB recruit out of HS. He ran harder and more decisive than ever, held onto the ball, and he actually protected the QB on blocking assignments! I think Ty is going to be the starter, and Evans and Higdon both will get their share of carries. All very different, all bring something different to the table, and all of them look like solid backs to me. This is an addition by subtraction.
They are loaded at TE. Losing Jake Butt sucks- but they have a ton of guys providing production- Nick Eubanks, Sean McKeon, Zach Gentry, Ian Bunting, and Ty Wheatley Jr all played a lot of minutes.
Very impressed with the safeties. Tyree Kinnel was active and all over the field, as was Josh Mettellus. Neither were really tested in pass coverage- but they both moved side-line to side-line and were in on a ton of tackles. Didn't see any bad angles to the ball carrier or missed tackles there- and Mettellus really hustled his ass to get off a block and hit Franks and stop him short of the first down and cause that fumble. That was a super impressive play for a young safety to me. He fought hard through a block and just hustled his ass to Franks to make the tackle.
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UM fans might want to chill on their D being so great. We don't know how bad Florida's offense actually is. It may be dismal.
It's one game, both ways, good and bad.
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UM fans might want to chill on their D being so great. We don't know how bad Florida's offense actually is. It may be dismal.
It's one game, both ways, good and bad.
call me naive, but I'm a big believer in that defense. Don Brown is about as good as it gets. They did what an elite defense should do to a team like Florida.
Both safeties played a lot of minutes last year- especially Kinnel- and they both looked great in run support and in diagnosing the short stuff and blowing that stuff up before there could be YAC. They weren't really tested deep in coverage- but neither had a horrible busted coverage that was noticeable on live tv- so hey at the very least there's that. Last thing you want to see out of the safeties is busted coverages that go for big TD's. There was none of that on that day.
Front 7 looked how I thought it would. LB Mike McCray, DL's Winvoich, Hurst, Mone, and Gary were all very productive last year. All of them looked like better players- which is what you'd expect with another year of S&C and a full year and another off-season in Don Brown's system. Less thinking- more reacting. Gary is still scratching the surface- he'll only get better- which is scary because he's already fricken ridiculously good- he's got the look of a guy who will be a very high NFL draft pick. We knew those guys would bring it- and they did. What surprised me was the play of the back-ups. Carlo Kemp, Lawrence Marshall, and 5* true frosh Aubrey Solomon all looked pretty dang good in the minutes they got. There wasn't a massive drop off when those guys came in and Winovich, Hurst, and Gary came out.
Doesn't get talked about enough- but Greg Mattison is a fricken steal to have as the DL coach. He could be a DC at a lot of other places. He is one of the best DL coaches in the country if not the best. Simply put the guy is just awesome at scouting, recruiting, and developing NFL defensive linemen. Just off the top of my head in his 2nd stint at Michigan since 2011 he's put out Frank Clark (2nd round- would've been 1st if not his off-field crap), Willie Henry (3rd round), Taco Charlton (1st round), Ryan Glasgow (4th round), Chris Wormley (3rd round)- and he's about to put out 4 more DL's into the NFL in Gary, Mone, Hurst, and Winovich.
LB's looked deep and athletic. Devin Bush, Noah Furbush, Devin Gil, and Khaleke Hudson all got a lot of minutes- and they all looked very athletic, active, and moved really well sideline to sideline. Bush looks like a star in the making. So does Khaleke Hudson.
The CB's weren't really tested all that much- but LaVert Hill showed some flashes. He showed really good coverage and made some big plays in run support. David Long was in and out of the line-up with a leg issue. When veteran Brandon Watson filled in for him he held his own. Don't think I saw true frosh Ambry Thomas in there. CB's to me are by far still the biggest unknown and really didn't answer anything for me this game.
Have to think this defense will only get better throughout the season as these guys gain experience.
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Or do the exact opposite of what I suggested. lol yeesh
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nice win for Michigan
corngrats!
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Michigan is a playoff contender. The only team good enough to beat them between now and Penn State, is themselves.
That game could be for the division. That defense is as good as last year, which is sick. The offense is good enough and will get better.
What team did you see this weekend that could run away from them?
Exactly!
It is week one.
Not seeing it. Speight will cost his team the playoffs. Just like he did last year. That was a playoff team with even a Jake Rudock level QB who is mediocre and can manage games but won't cost you games.
I give Speight a lot of credit for playing with a broken collarbone on the road in the 2nd half against Iowa and against Ohio State in Columbus. He's a tough SOB. Won't ever deny him that. Unfortunately he's just not all that good at playing QB-and the kind of mistakes he makes don't just result in bad plays for his team- they lose his team games.
His last 4 starts he's thrown 6 interceptions- with 4 of them going the other way for touchdowns. Against FSU, Michigan was down 33-32 with about 25 seconds left and 2 TO's and he threw a ball way high and it was tipped for the INT. Game over. All he has to do is get the first down, not try to be a hero. First down stops the clock, leaves plenty of time to run up to the line and spike the ball, you have TWO timeouts- all you need is to get a couple first downs and get into FG range to give your team a shot to win the game. Not trying to be too hard and maybe that is nit-picking for sure- but a great QB is always aware of all situations.
He feasts on cupcakes and he's a tough kid, pretty solid pocket presence and feel for the rush, he's excellent at avoiding pressure, he's got an above average deep ball, but everything else a QB should have- he completely lacks.
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Good:
OL and running game was effective but not dominate. Ty Isaac is running the ball very well. Well enough to be named the "starter" if there is such a thing on this team. Freshman WRs are good. Place kicker Nordin is special as advertised. Linebackers and DL are very good. CBs are serviceable but not up to the level of Lewis and Stribling which is fine considering.
Bad:
Speight is easily rattled and Ulizio at RT is less than OK which is a scary combination.
I don't think Michigan is a playoff contender at this time. Just hoping they improve enough over the next few weeks to beat the Nitts on the road.
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Speight is a yo-yo. Drevno said 2 years ago about Rudduck: he never gets emotionally hijacked. Speight gets caught too many times hopping and jumping about his performance on the last play. I can get that emotional as I am a fan with the beer. I get nervous with my QB for not being close to level headed.
My advice to Speight: Let your teammates whoop to the heavens. You need to get ready for the next play.