SB Nation - David Molk

A Little Reality in an Otherwise Interesting Season for Michigan Football

Maize n Brew Dave — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:14:31 -0000

about 1 month ago: FILE -- This is a Sept. 19, 2009, file photo showing Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier (5) embracing offensive lineman David Molk (50) after an NCAA college football game against Eastern Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says center David Molk is out for the season after tearing a ligament in his right knee against Penn State. (AP Photo/Tony Ding, File)

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For all the grinding and gnashing of teeth I've read and heard since Saturday, you'd think the rapture had occurred. It seems as though the rest of the Big Ten was taken in a divine light, leaving only Michigan to contend with the SEC and other evils left on this world.

Not so much. Saturday sucked. But the reality is Saturday's Michigan loss to Penn State was not unlike other games or years we've seen as Michigan fans. Michigan got thumped by a better team. Penn State's defense was far better than we were willing to give it credit for, and their Defensive Tackles and Linebackers ate our average offensive line for lunch. Darryl Clark was a far better passer and game manager against Michigan than I, personally, gave him credit for. Michigan also shot itself in the foot with drops, stupid penalties, drops, a safety inducing bad snap and more drops.

It was ugly. But we've seen just as bad or worse.

If you're looking for a parallel, don't look at 2008. That's not a particularly apt analogy. Look at Game 2 of 2007. Yes. The season we'd all like to forget. The Oregon game. If you're looking for a game where Michigan came out of the tunnel gamely, put seven points on the board, then collapsed like a New Orleans levy against stiff breeze, that's the one. Saturday's Penn State game wasn't even close to that. Oregon dominated every last aspect of that game in a manner that completely eclipsed the loss to Penn State.

Even worse. Look at the Iowa game in 2002, when Michigan lost 34-9. I have no clue how we got 9 points. None. They should've deducted points from Michigan's score. Then there was the 2007 Ohio State game. Or, look back to Donovan McNabb steamrolling the Wolverine defense in 1999. Even a moment's reflection reveals this sort of thing has happened before. It's happened to good teams as well as bad ones. So please, let's not act like Michigan never lost a game in poor fashion before Rodriguez showed up on the sidelines.

The sad reality is that this isn't a very good football team. Sure there are some exciting players. Sure there is talent. But this is the same team that went 3-9 last year, only it's a year older and starting sometimes two freshmen quarterbacks. The same defensive and offensive liabilities still exist. The difference is, this year, we're beating teams we're supposed to beat. We're just not ready to beat teams we shouldn't.

Going into the Michigan State game I was genuinely afraid that people would look past this team's obvious deficiencies, and work themselves into a delusional frenzy. Check. We played marginally against Iowa, and came within two points of beating the Hawkeyes before blowing the doors off cupcake Delaware State leading up to the Penn State game.

Woo. We're 5-2 with wins against crappy competition! Let's go crazy! Woo! Seriously. Look at who we've beaten. Western Michigan. Eastern Michigan. Indiana. Delaware State. Out best win is against a highly over rated Notre Dame squad that should've lost to Washington, Boston College, and Michigan State. Woo! World Beaters! We deserved to lose both prior games. The only reason Michigan remained in either the Michigan State or Iowa games was because both teams let Michigan stick around and seemed determined to give the game away for no good reason.

Penn State didn't. Penn State played like a good team. And good teams beat mediocre ones.

And let's be honest. This is a mediocre Michigan team. They're not bad. They'll go to a bowl game. But they're not good enough to play poorly and win. But given how bad things were last year, I'll take it.

What's amazed me the most about this season isn't the progress, it isn't the work they've put in. It's just how short Michigan fans' memories are. Michigan's recruiting and talent level was in a nose dive from 2005 onward. 2007 (minus Jake Long) showed that. While poor game planning didn't help anything, Michigan got whipped on both lines by "inferior" opponents. Look at the linebackers and safeties. The upperclassmen we're supposed to have aren't there. Look at the offensive line, our upperclassmen are adequate at best. Our best players are freshmen and sophomores. When that's the case, you're not going to win a lot of games.

After four wins over bad to mediocre opponents there a portions of the fan base expecting the world. Questioning the play calling. Questioning personnel selection. Insinuating different decisions would've netted wins rather than losses. No. They wouldn't have. And if you think they would've, you're fooling yourself. So stop. Please. Stop. You're giving the rest of us a migraine.

The Penn State game turned when David Molk left in the first quarter. The following series, Michigan fell apart. Molk is the key to this offensive unit because he's the only reliable center we have. More importantly, he's our best offensive linemen and arguably the most important player our offense has. He brings a nastiness and purpose that was sorely missing with his departure. Without him, the line was in disarray and Tatenard spent the rest of the game running for his life.

We're not far enough along where we can over come an injury like that. Frankly, there aren't a lot of teams in D1 football that can. Look at the Oklahoma Sooners. A new offensive and they've already lost more games this year than in the last two combined.

Things are getting better. One game doesn't change that. Michigan is still much better than last year. We're 5-3. We're better playing much better than last year. Saturday was both an aberation and an expected outcome. The Penn State defense that dominated the Michigan offensive line and a linebacking crew that confused the hell out of two freshmen. Being freshmen caught up to Tate and Denard over the last four games. That said, I think you'll see a tremendous step forward as the season goes on. We got beat by a game plan that actually executed itself to exploit our weaknesses. It happens.

But ask yourself if you would've taken 5-3 at this point before the season began. You bet your ass you would've. And the fact is this team is getting better, even if it didn't play like it on Saturday. Better days are ahead.

You've just got to be patient.

Matchup of the Week: Michigan Offense v. Iowa Defense

grahamfiller10 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:47:07 -0000

For two quarters, last week's "Matchup of the Week" played out exactly the way I discussed. As I wrote:

On a realistic note, Greg Robinson will probably continue his "bend but don't break" defense (H/T MaizeandBrew) to protect Floyd/Cissy from giving up big plays to Dell, Cunningham, and Martin. Also, if the Wolverine LB's are continuously matched up with with crossing wide receivers, bad things will probably befall Robinson and co.

Then MSU went conservative and allowed the inept and overmatched Michigan offense to mount a vicious comeback. We learned two things about the Wolverines last week. First, they aren't there yet. The defense is a year or two away and the offense is susceptible to teams that can slow the run early. Second, the Michigan passing offense is almost always more effective when quarterback Tate Forcier can get out of the pocket.

Michigan Offense v. Iowa Defense

This week, 95% of you picked Iowa to defeat Michigan by a touchdown or two. Considering the Hawkeye's boast the second best defense in the Big Ten and Michigan just got shut down by the 2nd worst defense in the Big Ten, it sounds like 95% of you are paying attention.

But as Bama writes in his "Hitter" article, this can be a dangerous game for Iowa -

Michigan didn't have speed last year. They have it now. Iowa is fast in the front four. Iowa is disciplined in the back seven. That's a polite way of saying that Iowa players use technique, strength and positioning to make up for less speed. There's nothing wrong with that. It can win you a lot of ball games. It also can get you beat if the players are both 1) confused by formations and motion that they have not seen and 2) slower than the men their chasing.

Here's what you should be watching this weekend when Michigan lines up over the ball and the RichRod spread tries to comeback from last week's 28 yard rushing performance.

Forcier will be running, whether that's planned or "Oh Jesus here comes Clayborn again"

The most impressive thing about Forcier is his shifty playmaking ability while scrambling. He throws across his body accurately and he does this nifty move where he sprints toward the line of scrimmage as if to run, but whips the ball to a wide receiver instead.

He also draws incomprehensibly bad intentional grounding calls and heaves the ball while falling down. It's a mixed bag, as expected for a frosh quarterback. Forcier's also not that fast, while is why I have to use the word shifty about a million times.

Unlike MSU with their hidden blitzes and snap count reading, Iowa won't try anything special to pressure Forcier. Frankly they don't need to with Clayborne, Ballard, and the rest of that vicious front four. There's a reason I love watching Iowa play defense - it may be a vanilla scheme, but everyone's a hitter and the pressure generated on straight drop backs is insane.

We all know what Iowa does to quarterbacks sitting helplessly in a pocket (Daryll Clark, avert your eyes). We also know that the key to Forcier's success is misdirection and playmaking on the run. The straight drop isn't going to work against a 4-3 with dropping linebackers, so the roll out will be key to keep Forcier from being hemmed into the pocket. RichRod got Forcier out of the pocket toward the end of the MSU game by rolling him to either side and bringing a halfback or tight end over to shield block.

Bad Weather = Bad For Michigan

The cold, wet conditions hurt the Wolverines in East Lansing. Not only was their run game stuffed by good Spartan line play, but the cut back was not an option on the wet field. The wide receivers didn't particularly enjoy the conditions, dropping five balls and slipping all over the place. Forcier went 17-32, but the rain and drops made about 6-7 of those incomplete. Weather in Iowa City on Saturday night? 38 degrees and wet from the afternoon showers.

3rd Best Run Game in the Nation My Ass

Wolverine rushing totals from their five games: 242, 190, 380, 149, 28...Which number isn't like the others?

Michigan State crushed the Spread run game through a couple different key schemes. First, they slanted their defensive tackles into whichever way the spread run was going, quickly closing any holes. Second, the MSU linebackers keyed on the quarterback run from the Zone Read, never allowing Forcier to pick up 5-10 yards from the misdirection.

Brian from MGo hypothesized that Michigan State succeeded in stopping the run three ways-

they obsess over beating UM to the detriment of their other games (read-Wisconsin)
they overran the Wolverine attack by rushing six or seven players to the side of the spread run
the Michigan O-Line isn't that good right now without David Molk

Conclusions

This from the MGo Board -

...to really have a chance against Iowa, we're going to need to go to a lot of 4 WR sets (especially Trips) and that really puts the onus on the offensive line...which just had it's worst game of the season. We'll probably have to continue to roll protections instead of being able to drop back normally and cuts down half the field against a team that already plays good zone coverage. If there's no running game on Saturday, it could get rough.

It seems that MSU showed the rest of the Big Ten how to stop the Spread Run. But if there is anything RichRod loves doing, it's making adjustments. This sexy Saturday night game will give him a chance to show he learned something from the offensive struggles against MSU.

Kirk Ferentz is blessed with a cohesive ball-hawking unit that's licking it's chops at getting the opportunity to hit a 175 lb. frosh all night. Will Ferentz follow Dantonio's lead and slant his tackles inside the zone blocking to stop the run? Against the best defense he's ever seen, will Forcier show the moxie that's so far defined his performance?

Forcier is Go

Beauford — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:54:36 -0000

The injury report report is up at mgoblog, and Forcier ain't on it. Molk is still out, and it looks like safety Mike Williams will give it a go.

Exhalations of relief go here.

Prayers for Forcier's clavicles (clavicli?) go here.

Hope for better pass protection goes here.

Relief that Denard Robinson is a quarterback who seems to be able to move the chains goes here.

via cmsimg.detnews.com

The Obligatory Predictions Competition - Week 4

Law Buckeye — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:44:55 -0000

While the scoreboard is beginning to take shape, the competition remains in its infancy. It's still anyone's game, so step up to the plate for the fourth installment of college football's smartest picks contest.

1. MINNESOTA at NORTHWESTERN, 12:00 p.m. EST (9/26), Big Ten Network

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts NORTHWESTERN by 7

This game might actually be more important than Penn State-Iowa, because they both want the same thing: 8 win seasons and an Outback Bowl berth. On paper, Northwestern is the favorite. They have a more efficient offense, a more talented signalcaller (the all of a sudden laser throwing Kafka), and will be at almost full strength on defense, unlike last week. But Minnesota showed extreme toughness at home against Cal, battling back when it seemed the game was turning into a blowout. The Minnesota Offensive Coordinator is showing improvement also, calling trick plays and mixing up the offense so that Weber doesn't focus so much on Decker. What will make the difference here? The Wildcats have a proven offensive system, the Gophers don't.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts MINNESOTA by 7

Considering the history of this matchup I don't think there's any question we'll be treated to a close game. The real question here is can a Wildcat defense that blows hot and cold stay stout against Minnesota's dynamic duo of Weber and Decker? I like the Gophers to steal this one on the road, in the wake of a closer than expected showing against California.

2. MICHIGAN STATE at WISCONSIN, 12:00 p.m. EST (9/26), ESPN 360

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts MICHIGAN STATE by 10

Camp Randall, spurned last year by 5 Big Ten losses and a defensive breakdown at home against Ohio State, will be rocking this year. The Badgers have a competent quarterback and less dependence on the run game, meaning they should be 30 times better than last year. Of course they don't feature a defense, which slows down improvement. Michigan State's Kirk Cousins, the 2nd best QB in the land according to my updated rankings, is going to have a big day throwing slants and comeback routes against the sad-sack Badger secondary. Remember how calm Samuel Jackson was at the end of Pulp Fiction (the "be cool baby, be cool" statement, the gold briefcase)? That was Cousins in South Bend, right up until the horrific pick. Good news for anyone worried about this sophomore reacting badly to the thunder of Camp Randall. It also would be nice to see a stagnant MSU run game finally get off the ground and if there is any team to do it against, it's Wisconsin.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts MICHIGAN STATE by 10

One thing you can't deny is that picking games in the Big Ten is tough work this year. Varying struggles, combined with a more competitive conference landscape make matches like this one a headache. Will Michigan State live up to its reputation as an underachiever, riding two consecutive losses into a third defeat -- firmly cementing the season as a disappointment? Or, will Wisconsin, the pariah of the offseason, fall back into a few bad habits in the pass game? I see a Spartan team with a lot of potential, one that had Notre Dame on the ropes. I think Kirk Cousins has a big day in Madison, and Dantonio gets the green and white back on track.

3. INDIANA at No. 23 MICHIGAN, 12:00 p.m. EST (9/26), ESPN 2

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts MICHIGAN by 17

None of you are going to pick Indiana, so why analyze? Because I love the matchup and it poses some interesting questions. Will Michigan's struggling defensive line, hammered by the ND run game and scored on twice by run-focused EMU, be able to stop the suddenly run-effective Pistol? Does Indiana have the defensive options, outside of Kirlew and Middleton, to slow the third best run attack in the BCS? Will Michigan show the numerous defensive formations (4-3, 3-4, 3-3-5) to confuse the steady but unspectacular Chappell? Or will all my questions be mooted by a 41-10 thrashing?

LAW BUCKEYE predicts MICHIGAN by 17

Michgian hasn't lost to Indiana in Ann Arbor in 42 years. That streak will be extended Saturday. In the easiest game of the day to pick, a Wolverine squad averaging 270 yards a game rushing will run over the Hoosiers. Not so fast? It's true that IU's run defense is solid, allowing a scant 228 yards over three games, and that Michigan will be without starting center David Molk (broken foot) and right guard David Moosman (dislocated shoulder). Still, their run block will be strong enough to overpower IU's defensive front. As Rich Rodriguez said after last week's win, "We had the intention of throwing a little bit more. But why would you when you don't have to?"

4. ILLINOIS at No. 13 OHIO STATE, 3:30 p.m. EST (9/26), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts OHIO STATE by 14

A healthy dose of Juice Williams running and J Lehman doing his best Superman impression was enough for the Illini last time they visited Columbus. But there's no J Lehman (hell there's no MLB Martez Wilson, he's done for the year) and Juice Williams showed no comfort or passing touch against Mizzou. Although OSU is saying the right things, I can't see a hobbled 7 to 9 attack getting anywhere against the bend but don't break Buckeye defense. One other thing I'd like to discuss - USC loss aside, this is still OSU. Don't forget that until they lose more than two conference games in a single year.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts OHIO STATE by 14

The Fighting Illini always seem to put up a fight against the Buckeyes, especially in Columbus. The last time Ron Zook and Juice Williams visited the Horseshoe they ran out the clock on Ohio State's No. 1 ranking, employing an impressive Williams/Mendenhall run tandem. Not this time. The fastest and meanest defense Columbus has seen in 5 years will bury a hesitant Juice Williams. Meanwhile, the Illini will be forced to corral Terrelle Pryor without star linebacker Martez Wilson. It's a frustrating day away for the Illini.

4. IOWA at No. 5 PENN STATE, 8:00 p.m. EST (9/26), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts PENN STATE by 10

Penn State might have to go one-dimensional if the run game gets stymied early by this solid Iowa front four. Will the Spread HD's favorite routes (wheel, sit down, sideline comeback route) succeed against the healthy and talented Iowa secondary? Will Ricky Stanzi throw an inexplicable pick early and kill all Iowa momentum? How can a frosh RB succeed in Happy Valley against Sean Lee and Bowman? Will the spiritual power of one hundred thousand fans drunk on revenge somehow form a ghostly 12th man in the shape of Jack Ham who plays every down next to Bowman, making tackles and screaming"We Are" the whole game? Oh my...Well Brick, that got out of hand.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts PENN STATE by 14

Revenge is a dish best served white and at night. Iowa ruined Penn State's perfect regular season in 2008 in front of a zealous home crowd. This time, they'll have to go it alone -- in the den of 110,000 roaring Nittany Lions. Iowa is banged up on offense, with left tackle Bryan Bulaga out with an undisclosed ailment, tight end Tony Moeaki sidelined with a sprained ankle, and receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos off the depth chart. Penn State is banged up on defense, with star linebackers Navorro Bowman and Sean Lee probable. I think this game belongs to Daryll Clark, a veteran averaging 274 yards in the air. The Nittany Lions storm out to an early lead and they never look back.

Big Ten Football Is Here!!... Mostly!!

SCM — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:34:12 -0000


via blog.pennlive.com

So, for the most part, Big Ten football the 2009 edition is upon us! Huzzah! Three yards and a cloud of dust, power football, conservative gameplans, DEFENSE! AHH! The way football was meant to be played right? Or was I simply describing the Nebraska/VT and Florida/Tennessee games from over the weekend? You be the judge. Forgive my tangent, anyways after months and months (and more months for us Michigan fans) we finally have some on-field product to evaluate! The leaves here in the Midwest are starting to hint that October is indeed right around the corner, and with it a new chapter of the football season awaits. Sure it's still early, but at least there are plays and results and trends that can at least be noticed at this early juncture of our season.

So with conference play mere days away (except of course for you Purdue), why not take a quick look at this week's matchups and where the teams find themselves at this juncture?

Iowa @ #4/5 Penn State - This being, by far, the most intriguing match-up in the conference this week, I'm going to delve a little deeper into this one than the others. For further reading please refer to the excellent leading blogs for both teams: Black Shoe Diaries and Black Heart Gold Pants. Alright, so I think it's fairly safe to say, without upsetting the constituents of either program, that neither team can feel entirely comfortable that they "know what they've got" so far this year. Penn State has looked comfortable in all of its matchups thus far, but no single performance has been the dominating one that many likely expected when glancing at the non-conference schedule. Iowa managed to survive one of the single oddest sequences I can remember in college football against Northern Iowa and has since managed to take care of business against ISU and Arizona. Let's look at the matchup shall we? Respecitve national rankings:

	Penn State	Iowa
Rushing D	4th	68th
Passing D	28th	53rd
Scoring D	2nd	15th
Total D	7th	36th

Penn State's defense has done exactly what it was supposed to do against it's opponents thus far, of course this is what one would hope for when playing the 106th, 100th, and 74th total offenses in the country respectively. Meanwhile Iowa has come up against the 5th best offense in FCS, as well as FBS' 55th and 39th total offenses respectively. I don't think I'd be stretching it too much to say that Iowa has been tested a little more than Penn State, but I have a real hard time faulting any team that's given up less than a TD a game thus far. Of course, Happy Valley's mood likely will also swing on the statuses of Bowman and Lee.

Offenses? Offenses...

	Penn State	Iowa
Rushing O	75th	70th
Passing O	25th	55th
Scoring O	48th	70th
Total O	46th	68th

Penn State has faced the 54th, 89th, and 73rd ranked total defenses thus far in their schedule. Iowa has come up against *20th (FCS), 84th, and 14th ranked total defenses thus far.

So yes, lies, damn lies, and statistics I know. It's being kind to say that Penn State has played effectively nobody while Iowa has played... well they've played Arizona. The key questions that jump out from that analysis? If the Penn State D is in fact that good (and if their LBs are healthy) will Iowa be able to move the football? On the other side of the coin, how is that Nittany Lion O-line going to perform? Will Penn State be able to move the ball on the ground or is Daryll Clark going to be forced to make plays to move his team down the field? A few intangibles to add in here: Penn State and their homogeneously attired crowd will be ready to go Saturday night after watching their MNC chances fade into the darkness last year in Iowa City, they also have a nice 24 for the last 24 streak going for them at home against unranked opponents. Curiously, since Iowa upset Penn State last November, they themselves are undefeated @ 7-0. Iowa also has created their own amount of Michigan voodoo against JoePa, winning 6 of the last 7 meetings. The visiting team has 13 of the 21 meetings and Kirk Ferentz is 6-2 against PSU in his career... Including an EPIC 6-4 eye-gouger back in 2004. Penn State finds themselves a double digit favorite at this juncture (-11), but I'd be curious to see if the general mood of the fanbases matches that line. From this standpoint, I don't see a double-digit victory in the mix, but hey, I've been wrong before.

#22/23 Michigan vs Indiana - IU blog Crimson Quarry has their breakdown of the match-up posted as well. Let me just get this out of the way to start: fair warning to everyone... this game is on ESPN2 which means, yes you guessed it, Pam Ward. Sigh. But, BUT! No Andre Ware!!! So it's a trade off you see? I really wish I could somehow stream the Beckmann/Brandstatter broadcast in-sync with the TV. This will be the 60th time the Hoosiers and Wolverines have clashed, with Michigan holding a slight edge in the series at 50-9... and is 30 for the last 31 (last dropping one to the Hoosiers in 1987). Interestingly the Michigan game notes are incorrect in stating that Michigan has won its last 23 home conference openers, seeing as how we lost our first conference home game to Minnesota in 2005. Perhaps they're really having fun with stats and mean true conference openers... at home? Who knows. Last pointless historical anecdote of this writeup (maybe): anyone care to guess the last time Michigan played in front of crowd smaller than 100,000 at home? October 25th, 1975 against Indiana, the Wolverines prevailed 55-7 in front of a meager 93,857.

Anyways, on to the matchup: Defenses:

	Michigan	Indiana
Rushing D	54th	15th
Passing D	111th	101st
Scoring D	43rd	33rd
Total D	74th	40th

Also of note, Indiana is 17th in the nation in sacks thus far this year. Who have they faced? Michigan has gone up against the 94th, 14th, and 109th total offenses in the country thus far this year (yowza). IU has clashed with the *42nd (FCS), 94th (woo common opponent woo!), and 106th total offenses this year. Michigan's pass defense comes in at a HOLY GOD 111th which, well, there's just no sugar coating that one. Both teams faced Western, with Michigan giving up 7 points in the opener and IU surrendering 19 points the following week. Overall this will be as stout of a Hoosier defense as we have faced in a long time. Their defensive ends, Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton are seriously solid players, Kirlew's honors list especially stands out (Ted Hendricks DE of the year watch list, Bednarik watch list, Lombardi watch list, Sporting News 1st team All-Big Ten, Athlon Sports 1st team All-Big Ten). With Michigan having to replace starting center David Molk, the offensive line is going to have its job cut out for it Saturday.

What about the offenses?

	Michigan	Indiana
Rushing O	3rd	65th
Passing O	97th	53rd
Scoring O	23rd	68th
Total O	28th	60th

Michigan has gone up against the 100th, 96th, and 79th total defenses in the country and has played pretty much accordingly. Indiana has faced the *43rd (FCS), 100th, and 54th total defenses. In the common opponent category, IU put up 23 points against Western while Michigan put up 31 against the Broncos (albeit all of them in the first half). Of note, Michigan's lack of a need to actually throw the football against Eastern last week dropped the passing attack from 61st in the country to that 97th ranking you see now.

Michigan finds themselves a 3 touchdown favorite heading into this game. The main concerns I have are dealing with Indiana's excellent defensive ends, who between them own 40 career sacks. I actually got to watch IU's opening win against Eastern Kentucky as it was FAR more entertaining than the South Carolina vs North Carolina State snoozefest that was going on at the same time. Chappell is not the most mobile of QBs out of this new pistol attack, but he does have a couple of decent outside receivers in Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher. I would imagine that Donovan Warren will line up on Doss and Boubacar Cissoko on Belcher, although as Belcher is 6'5'' I am curious to see how the Michigan secondary handles the coverage... and by curious I really mean, somewhat nervous, we haven't really given our corners a ton of safety support thus far in the season. IU will easily be the second best team, from a talent standpoint, that we have faced this year, and with road trips looming to East Lansing and Iowa City the next two weeks, it's unbelievably important that the Wolverines not get caught looking ahead here.

A quick check of the pulse of the Michigan fan base reveals a near universal raised eyebrow regarding the defense. Two positions have featured prominent play from walk-ons, the depth is razor thin in many spots, and a number of guys thought to be big-time contributors in the preseason have not quite stepped up to expected form yet. That's not to say there haven't been pleasant surprises (Roh), but I think it would go a long ways to see the Michigan D return to the opening game form in terms of fundamental execution. Tackling guys on first contact, filling gaps, not over-pursuing, etc. I have little concern regarding the passing attack despite what the national media has been saying this week, Michigan's offensive skill players are going to present mismatches across the field, and I would love to see us continue to work the ball to Kevin Koger as much as possible. Another key matchup will be to watch the field position battle as Indiana has one of the worst net-punting rankings in the nation (95th).

Again, I think the primary concern here is that I would like to see the Michigan defense put in 60 minutes against an opponent. Our second halves have been, for the most part, very solid defensive efforts, but it would be awfully reassuring to see a complete game out of this unit heading into the conference slate.

Photo by John T. Greilick via multimedia.detnews.com

#11/13 Ohio State vs Illinois - Which Juice Williams shows up? Does he show up at all or does Eddie McGee step in? Without Arrelious Benn does it even matter? Which Terrelle Pryor shows up? Will Tressel continue to assuage Buckeye fans by letting his uber-recruit QB run the football? Ohio State favored by 15 and I see no reason to doubt that one, Buckeyes roll.

Purdue vs Notre Dame - I wish I foresaw this one going better for the Boilers, but I don't. Even without Michael Floyd I think ND is going to march up and down the field on Purdue, who's defense hasn't exactly been stout thus far this year (100th overall, 101st in scoring). ND's O-line will max protect all day and give Clausen time to do his best Kurt Kittner impression, lob the ball towards the sidelines time and time again. It will be interesting to see if Purdue's offense can get Bolden on track and make an attempt to control the clock, but this is one where I don't quite understand the spread only being 7 for ND. Yes, yes 3 points for home field and all, but again, I think there are a LOT of matchup problems here for the Boilermakers.

Minnesota @ Northwestern - Minnesota hung tough against Cal until a late pick sealed their fate, and you have to love Decker. Northwestern appears to have been walking a tightrope all season. Without delving deep into anything at all I'll take the Gophers in this one.

Michigan State @ Wisconsin - My only point here is that I'll be very, read VERY interested to see how Sparty responds after the last two weeks. For the chic preseason conference pick by many, a 1-3 start would have to rank up there with one of the bigger surprises of the year, plus it would put Dantonio that much closer to the ledge heading into the Michigan game in two weeks. I won't even comment on Wisconsin playing Wofford, and yes, I know we have Delaware State on the schedule (single tear down cheek here).

So there you have it, the Big 10 season officially underway on Saturday!!! Go Blue!

Sunshine, Open Rushing Lanes and Victory, Michigan Football Tops Eastern Michigan 45-17

Maize n Brew Dave — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:34:46 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: Michigan running back Carlos Brown (23) breaks away from Eastern Michigan defensive back Ryan Downard (10) and defensive end Devon Davis (94) for a 90-yard touchdown during the second quarter of an NCAA football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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There aren't a lot of things on this earth that make a late September afternoon spent in Michigan Stadium more enjoyable than a victory. Two things, however, do greatly enhance that gameday experience. The first is the Sun. The second is Carlos Brown. On a gorgeous, sunny Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor, the Michigan Wolverines led by 187 yards from the aforementioned Brown, throttled the Eastern Michigan Eagles in route to a 45-17 win. The win over the Eagles, sent Michigan to 3-0 on the young season as they prepare to start conference play against Indiana this Saturday.

Over the past three games we've seen a lot of different things from this 2009 squad. Mostly, we've seen them dominate their opponents in the air, assisted by the running game. On Saturday, Rich Rodriguez' offense displayed its potency in the running game. Michigan amassed 380 yards on the ground, a number that would've exceeded 400 rushing yards had Tate Forcier not been sacked on two (three really) occasions. You're going to have to go back to 2006, when Michigan's rushing game was last at full potency, to see numbers like that.

Most impressively, Michigan ground Eastern into the dirt using five different tailbacks. Carlos Brown only got 13 carries but put up 187 yards (14.4 YPC) and two touchdowns. Michael Shaw only saw the ball 9 times and piled up 57 yards (5.9 YPC) and a touchdown. Michael Cox ran twice for 31 yards (15.5 YPC). Shifty freshman Vincent Smith got two carries for ten yards (5.0 YPC). Brandon Minor carried the ball three times for 21 yards (7.0 YPC) before sitting the remainder of the game to rest a battered body. So, the running backs accounted for Three Touchdowns and 302 yards. Not so bad. But that's only part of the story.

(the rest of the story after the jump....)

The quarterbacks and slot ninjas also got in on the ground game. Denard Robinson carried the ball three times. He had 60 yards and two touchdowns. Read that again. If you're wondering why Rodriguez keeps bringing up Robinson at his press conferences, you now know why. With just 18 carries, Robinson has 155 yards, an 8.8 YPC, and leads the team with 3 TDs. Folks, that's in maybe, maybe, 40 plays. It's fair to say that he's putting these numbers up against that are a combined 1-5 (Eastern and Western), but he's still learning the offense and getting used to being on campus. It's hard not to be excited about his future, even if I am more comfortable with Tate Forcier under center. Robinson's electric on the ground.

Then there's Martavious Odoms. The diminutive slot receiver took the reverse from Forcier for a walk in touchdown after some outstanding blocking from Darryl Stonum. He basically walked into the endzone the play was so well executed.

But, even with all of the above to consider, it all comes back to Carlos Brown. Brown dominated the Eastern Michigan game. A ninety yard touchdown blast, shaking off an arm tackle that would've brought him down a year ago. He was shifty and powerful all at once. For the first time in as long as I can remember Brown in a Michigan uniform, Brown hit his cutbacks authoritatively and without hesitation. He ran with a confidence and energy that has been missing from his game in his previous incarnations. Whether it was his workman like crushing of Illinois in 2007, his workmanlike performance against Northwestern last year, Carlos had never shown us the "angry" side of his rushing ability. Once in 2007 against Minnesota, Brown got loose for an 85 yard touchdown scamper. But even then it appeared to be more of an "OMG I can't believe I'm free" type run.

Saturday was the complete package. There was no tentativeness and no concern in his running. Where Brown would usually run crouched over, protecting the football at all costs, he instead ran low and fast. Brown seemed to know the ball wouldn't come loose, almost as if he'd glued the damn thing to his arm. And he played like it. Brown punished tacklers. He made the cut when he was supposed to rather than when he felt the slightest pressure. He followed his blockers, all while running at speed with quick short steps, then bursting into the second and third levels with the explosiveness we've all longed to see from him. With the aide of a crystal clear September afternoon and a warming sun, everyone saw with their own eyes why Lloyd Carr fought so hard to keep Brown in Ann Arbor and why Rodriguez has embraced him as a starting tailback.

Certainly there were things to be concerned about on Saturday. David Molk's injury. Dropped balls. Boubacar Cissoko getting pass interference penalties seemingly on reputation, despite excellent coverage for most of the day. then there was Michigan's first half defense, which seemed more concerned with over pursuit and stat padding than playing their positions. And Robinson's interceptions, lord were those bad. Anyone concerned about Robinson replacing Tate under center permanently need not look any further than the two horrid ducks he threw to Eastern's safety and cornerback. He's not there yet.

But today, we'll focus on the positives. In three games Michigan has equaled its win total from 2008. All the drama of the off season seems to be a distant memory despite the fact we're only a month removed from it. Michigan has fielded a good team for 2009. One that has shown it can play from behind, in a tight game, or well in the lead. While it has dynamic players and personalities, it acts and talks as a unit.

On a sunny day in Ann Arbor that was plain for everyone to see.

Center David Molk Out 4-6 Weeks with Broken Foot

Beauford — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:33:44 -0000

Per the Michigan Daily's coverage of Rodriguez's press conference this morning. Rocko Khoury or David Moosman will play in Molk's place. This could be a significant blow. Molk was very well suited to blocking in Rodriguez's system, and the Center is the anchor of the entire line. Mooseman - looking to return from his own injury - was replaced without a hiccup previously, and hopefully he will be inserted at the Center position without too much of a transition. Line play is about turning 5 bodies into one cohesive unit. Molk is a leader, and the Center is usually what glues the line together. Definitely worth monitoring.

The Endzone Through Carlos Brown's Eyes

Maize n Brew Dave — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:00:38 -0000

First down. Where are we? At the ten? Cool. I'm getting the ball, right? You just gave it to Michael Shaw for a series, you're damn right you're givin' it to me. Cool. Looks like that doofus with the red gloves is wavin' his arms. Time to roll.

Everybody runnin' out. Me an' Tate in the backfield. Love that kid, but he's always joggin' out of the TV timeouts. Think I'll put some shaving cream in his socks. Teach him a lesson. Don't know who he thinks he's foolin' with that razor and shaving cream in his locker. Little man ain't never shaved in his life. A'ight. Time to get set. What we got? Molk's smilin. Means he's about to hurt someone.

Tate to my right. Eastern Safeties split. Two backers. Third LB down weak on the slot an Martel. He's got the leftside DE. Schill's got the NT. Three wide. We're going right up the middle. Dave's my man, I'm followin him.

Got the count. SNAP. Quick right. Two hands. Martell crossin, Schill levelin. Damn. I could drive through this. Mark's got the left backer. Dave crushin the right. One safety, up an to the right.

It's just you an me, boy. An you ain't gettin near me

John T. Greilick via Detroit News.com

Endzone.

Unit by Unit: Breaking Down Michigan Football's Offense Following Its Win Over Western Michigan

Maize n Brew Dave — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:47:35 -0000

A new weekly post game feature here at Maize n Brew will be what we like to Unit by Unit. We'll take a hard look at the players and the coaches for each particular unit on the team, and bring them in for a pat on the back or a wag of the finger. After we've looked at each position, we'll give you a final wrap on the team's play on Offense and Defense (Special Teams too!). If you're looking for more detail, game bullets are here, the wrap up is here, the boxscore is here, and the general AP recap is here. There are the links, so now let's get to the nitty gritty.

The Offensive Line

The Offensive Play in a Photo, Tate untouched. Awesome Photo via John T. Greilick

The Offensive Line always goes first, good or bad, because they're going to determine how this season pans out. Frankly, the line was excellent. In particular I thought Mark Ortmann played outstanding football. Say what you will about it being "just Western Michigan," but Michigan lost at home to 3-9 Toledo last year and the line got pushed around by a bad Toledo defense. This year it was an entirely different story. I thought the ends actually outplayed the middle of the line. David Molk had a good, but not great game and missed a few blocks. On the other hand, David Moosman and Steve Schilling played fairly well. On the right side, Mark Huyge was excellent. IIRC, he simply dominated the Western DEs on Saturday, much like Ortmann. They didn't give up a sack. Michigan averaged 4.8 yards a carry. The boys on the line deserve a game ball a piece.

Overall, Michigan was outstanding up front. They controlled the line of scrimmage, buying time for Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson, and Nick Sheridan to throw without pressure and lanes for the quarterbacks and running backs to run through. Protection outside the pocket was excellent too, as the lineman set up their blocks very well. Carlos Brown averaged 5.4 yards a carry for 54 yards and Michael Shaw racked up 37 yards for a 4.9 a carry average. Not bad for a run offense that couldn't get past two yards a carry for its first four games. What was also impressive was the fact that Michigan was able to play it's second string in the second half. Elliot Mealer, Perrry Dorrestein, Rocko Khoury, Patrick Omameh, and Justin Ferrara all saw playing time. That's going to pay dividends down the line should anyone get injured.

(More awesomeness after the jump....)

The Running Backs

Awesome Photo via John T. Greilick

Judging the Running Backs on a day like Saturday is a little difficult. While they played a crucial role in balancing the offense, there was nothing spectacular to hang your hat on. Carlos Brown was good on the ground. 5.4 a carry is nothing to sneeze at. Brown also deserves a little praise for his pass catching out of the backfield, which I thought was a great addition to his overall game. He does deserve a little fisking, however, for meekly putting the ball on the turf at the start of the second half. That was not a play where the ball should've come out. But Carlos gets some serious props for his pass blocking. Watching him flip a DE was one of the highlights of my day.

I would've liked to have seen a little more of Michael Shaw. Shaw did get seven carries and looked fairly good, but I don't think he or Brown really ever got in a rhythm. I'd say it may have been better to go a little more two back on Saturday, but I think Rodriguez started hiding cards after he saw the game was in the bag. It was nice to see Kevin Grady and Vincent Smith get some carries. Grady, hopefully, will be a good backup this season and I'm really pulling for him personally. Smith had some happy feet, but he's a freshman in his first game, in mop up time. 6 carries and 23 yards isn't too bad. Overall a good, workman like day for Michigan's ball carriers.

The Receivers

Junior Hemingway, Kevin Koger, Kelvin Grady, Marativous Odoms, and Greg Mathews were absolutely outstanding. Route running. Improvisation. Blocking. Everything. Hemingway just stole the show. It's been more than a year since a receiver caught more than one touchdown pass in a game (Adrian Arrington - Citrus Bowl). I think it's fair to say the Hemingway came close to matching Arrington's performance on New Year's day 2008. Reeling in five catches for 103 yards and two TDs, Hemingway was solid in every aspect of the game. He ran the short routes. Caught in traffic. Worked with his quarterback. And he just flew past the WMU secondary for his second score. Hemingway gave us a glimpse of his talent on Saturday, so all we can hope is that he stays healthy and keeps reminding us of another #21.

Awesome Photo via John T. Greilick

From New Math to Old School. That's how we're rolling. And that's how the new 86 rolls. Kevin Koger also flashed a large amount of his considerable talent on Saturday notching a TD, three catches and a highlight reel one hander he'll be talking about for the next month. If there was one pass that Forcier threw to Tacopants, it was Koger's one-handed catch. Making his cross, Koger leaped and stretched out his right hand for a catch he had no business making. Yet, he did, cradled it into his body as he hit the turf, and popped out of his barrel roll like nothing special had happened. Anyone still have questions about how Rodriguez uses his tight ends?

Then there were the slot receivers. Though Odoms got the start, Grady got his number called the most. In his first football game in three years, Kelvin pulled in two catches for 13 yards and took an end around for 11. While the numbers aren't crazy, he looked natural out there. Frankly, I was in shock that he was able to haul in Denard Robinson’s first throw, which appeared to be going close to the speed of sound. Grady’s got great hands, and combined with what appeared to be some tremendous wheels, it was like the passage of time meant nothing. Kelvin's really going to help us this year. Odoms didn't see a lot of balls thrown his way, but made his presence felt in other ways. On Denard Robinson's TD scamper, the tiny slot receiver was slated to take an end around, but once he realized the play was broken immediately found someone to block. Watch Odoms come from nowhere and block the closest man to Robinson after the first guy misses. I may not have been sold on Odoms before Saturday, but that play sold me. He never took his foot off the gas when the play went haywire and made the crucial block to spring his quarterback (@ 0:37 below). Maratavious, when you're old enough and the NCAA allows it, the first beverage is on me

Also making appearances were Greg Mathews and LaTerral Savoy. Mathews was fairly quiet, notching only two catches, but was extremely effective after the catch. If Hemingway can become the deep threat, I think Mathews is going to have an outstanding season as our possession receiver. Savoy tallied a catch early, but was a not so innocent bystander to Nick Sheridan's interception.

Overall, this was the best regular season game out of Michigan's receiving corps since the 2006 Ohio State game.

The Quarterback(s)

Tate Forcier is your starter from here out. No question about this. While Robinson’s run was amazing, it was off of a broken play. He just improvised that whole thing with the aid of some great blocking. Tate looks light years more polished and in control. His pass to Hemingway for the opening score was something you don’t see out of freshmen. Frankly it’s something you don’t see out of a lot of seniors. When he rolled left, he clearly knew where the LOS was, got the corner to bite on the scramble, and lofted a damn near perfect pass the Hemingway who read his quarterback like a book. That was as good as it gets.

You really couldn’t ask for a better start to a college career. Forcier went 13-20 for 177 yards, 3 TDs and no picks. Notsobad, eh? Tate’s arm was excellent in all aspects of the passing game. The deep ball to Hemingway was Henne-esque. But what what most impressive was his ability to throw on the run, with accuracy and steam. Michigan moved Forcier out of the pocket numerous times, and 95% of those instances resulted in positive throws. If there’s room for improvement, I will say that there were a few moments where his ball protection was less than ideal and he danced around too much. He’s not going to have the same type of time against Notre Dame, and he’s certainly not going to be able to evade the Irish the way he did the Broncos. Just ask Colin Kaepernick. Forcier gunned a few passes in the second half and got a little outside of the offense, but I’m willing to be forgiving because most of that happened when Michigan was up 31 points. All things considered, that game was as good as I’ve ever seen out of a freshman, especially when you considered the youth around him.

Denard Robinson’s feet were just as good as advertised. His arm was as "live" as advertised. However, he’s not the level of passer that we were hoping to see. Robinson attempted only four passes on the day compared to 11 rushing attempts. The reason for this is obvious. He’s a much better runner at this stage than he is a passer. While Denard showed a live arm and can throw decently on the run, he doesn’t look as comfortable pulling the ball back to look downfield. You could tell he’s still a scramble first player who takes off when his first or second read isn’t there. Frankly, with only a month under his belt, I’d be surprised if he’s getting past his second read. The long and short of it is that Robinson doesn't know the system or himself well enough to hang in there and let the play develop. But that will come and it really doesn’t matter right now, does it? The kid is blazingly fast. He’s going to be an excellent change of pace in the Notre Dame game, but he’s no where near being a starting quarterback based on what we saw from his arm and reads. The keys for him moving forward will be playing a bit more under control, and rolling him out of the pocket to allow him to use his legs and allow him to throw or tuck it under without large men in his face. All in all, a great and electric start for Robinson.

Nick Sheridan looked like a new person and the same guy all at once. Sheridan is noticeably bigger and stronger. He moves better than last year. He’s definitely got a great grasp of the system. But he’s still not a D1 quarterback. Sure a penalty wiped out a near TD, but a veteran doesn’t force a throw into tight coverage. Especially a throw that far inside. Nick’s a nice insurance policy to have, but he and Robinson appear to be about equal in the passing game (Nick more experienced/Denard much better arm) so I’ve gotta go with Robinson’s legs. As I said in my QB preview, if Sheridan’s on the field for any extended period of time, we’re in trouble.

The Offense Overall

Sure you can nitpick and find things to complain about, but the bottom line is at no point last year did our offense look this good. Penn State? Nope. One trick pony. Purdue? Not so much. Bad tackling let that happen. No. This was a complete offense on the field. If you can't be excited about this then I've got nothing for you.

On a micro level, the Offense performed much, much better with Forcier under center than either Robinson or Sheridan. He's just a better passer right now and frankly he's got pretty good wheels. I don't think he'll have nearly as much time against Notre Dame's defense as he did against Western, but his ability to scramble will force the Linebackers to play a little further off the LOS.

Macro, the play of Michigan's wideouts was incredibly encouraging. If Junior Hemingway can stay healthy, Michigan has a legitimate No. 1 receiver. The emergence of Kelvin Grady as a threat will also start to take some of the pressure off of Mathews and Odoms, both of whom had good games.

It was clear that Michigan had a game plan for Western and they executed it to a tee. I'm looking forward to seeing more of that as the Wolverines take on an excellent Notre Dame squad.

The 2009 Michigan Football Preview, Part One: The Offensive Line

Maize n Brew Dave — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:45:16 -0000

It's go time people. There are just four days until kickoff. Frankly, those days can't end quick enough. After three weeks of practice. Months of tedium. Oh, and a two-day stretch of mind blowing incompetence from the Free Press editorial staff. Football is just about here. That means it's time to get a better handle on how the Michigan Football team looks heading into the 2009 season. In Spring practice we thought we had all the answers. After a week of Fall Practice, all those answers went out the window. So what we're left with is a pile o' questions about who is going to start where and whether talented player A will overtake talented played B for position X.

That's what we're here for. Over the next few days leading up to kick off, Maize n Brew will be providing you with some answers to your questions about the team, the season, and what to expect. We'll try to keep it grounded, but we're not guaranteeing anything. We are fans (compete and total homers), after all. If you can't wait for the season to get here and want answers on how it'll play out, we've already previewed the season in depth. Wins and losses too! Take a look, here are Beauford's, MnB Dave's, and SCM's season predictions. There's your quick fix if you need a baseline.

But this is going to be a little more indepth. That's why I'm splitting things up in to a couple of separate posts. The unit we know the most about at this point is the offense, so lets start there. The Depth Chart is out, so we'll break it down.

2009 Michigan Football Season Preview: The Offensive Line

The linemen do the dirty work, so they get top billing. They also get top billing because this unit, more than any other, will determine the fate of Michigan's season. Don't believe me? Ask yourself how much better Michigan's season would've turned out had Threet/Sheridan not been running for their lives and had time to throw? What about the run game? You saw the improvement as the line improved. For this offense to work, the linemen are the linchpin of the system. They have to be mobile, quick, and able to get to the second level of blockers; something they were rarely able to do last year.

This year Michigan returns 4 starters and 7 players with starting experience. From Left to Right, the line is as follows: Mark Ortmann (LT), Steve Schilling (LG), David Molk (C), David Moosman (RG), Mark Huyge (RT). Your primary backups will be Perry Dorrestein (LT), Ricky Barnum (LG), Rocko Khoury (C), John Ferrara (RG), and Patrick Omameh (RT).

The Starters

via www.mgoblue.com

Of the starting lineup, only Huyge hasn't seen game action. To an extent my concerns about his abilities were assuaged by his performance in the spring game, praise he garnered when the Big Ten Network did their Michigan practice show, and the fact he would've started last year if not for a knee injury. Everyone else has extensive starting experience, and frankly, the inside of Michigan's line may be one of the strongest three man sets in the Big Ten. Both Molk and Schilling were blue chip recruits, with Molk being rated the #1 Center in his class and Schilling a 5 star tackle. Moosman wasn't as heralded, but he progressed wonderfully last season and at 6-5, 295, with quick feet, I'm to the point where I'm expecting big things from him as well. The interior line's experience combined with their talent should mean very big things for the interior running game. Looking at the schedule, only Penn State returns a pair of outstanding Defensive Tackles. There are some units with one good DT returning, but no one else in the conference has a dominant interior defensive line. What that means is look for Rich Rodriguez to use that straight up the gut advantage in the run game a lot more than last season.

(more of the preview after the jump...)

While I'm confident in the Guards and Center (David Molk is a badass), I'm still a little concerned on the edges. Sure I think Huyge and Ortmann will be more than serviceable at Right and Left Tackle. But I don't think they're going to be dominant. Reports out of camp were that Brandon Graham was tearing through the tackles on a semi regular basis. Your reaction is probably "so what, it's Brandon Graham," but I think there's a little more to it. The Big Ten is absolutely loaded with excellent Defensive Ends this year. Top to bottom you could probably rank the ten best DE's in any order and make a legitimate argument for it. Want proof? Even Indiana has a pair of DE's that would start tomorrow at Penn State. Trevor Anderson is back at MSU. Thaddeus Gibson at OSU. Ryan Kerrigan at Purdue. And the list goes on. Wanna know what's weird, the tackles dodge a bullet because Correy Wootton and Northwestern aren't on the schedule. Ever thought you'd say that? Ortmann is a good Tackle, but he can get caught up in his own feet from time to time. Huyge moves well, but we only have limited video to go on. Honestly we're throwing darts with a partial blindfold on here because our info is so limited. Ortmann played last year with a series of injuries including a shoulder injury of some kind that meant he could barely move on of his arms. Huyge's ankle injury caused him to miss the entire season. When you combine uncertainty at the position with the depth of talent at the End position in the Big Ten this year, even optimistic fans have to admit the Tackles may be better than they were last year but could still have a rough year despite it.

The Back Ups

This is the biggest difference between this year and last. Depth. If someone goes down, we've got two guys behind him that are ready to go. Last year you were holding your breath because no one had played. If an unknown starter went down, you plugged in another young, unknown to get mauled. Notsomcuh this year. The line took its lumps last year, but in the process Michigan was still able to redshirt a number of talented players. A year later, they're much larger, much stronger, and have a full year of practice under their belt in Rodriguez' system. With Ortmann and Moosman departing after this season, they're ability to step in from time to time will critical not just to Michigan's success this year, but in 2010 as well.

via blog.mlive.com

At this point you're probably aware of who Perry Dorrestein and John Ferrera are. But just in case here's a quick catch up. Dorrestein was a middling recruit on the offensive line who actually walked on to the team sans scholarship. Ferrara was a low mid Defensive Tackle recruit who was moved to offensive line last year when the Coaches went "Holy hell, there's no one on the Offensive Line!" They are your primary backups at Left Tackle and Right Guard. Now before you go jumping out a window, keep this in mind, Ferrara started five games at Left Guard last year before Schilling moved inside. For a guy that played guard for all of fifteen minutes before the season started, he was actually pretty good. His experience and size (6'4" 280) make him a more than capable backup and fill in starter if need be. Dorrestein I'm not as high on, but the fact remains he started in four games at Tackle last year and acquitted himself well. He's not going to be a starter unless injuries require it, but he's a capable backup.

The rest of the backups you should be excited about too. Patrick Omameh is apparently going to be an absolute beast at right tackle. The very definition of a sleeper, Omameh was a lightly regarded prospect who everyone said had the "potential" and "body" to be something special. Just no one wanted to expend a scholarship in the Big Ten for the kid to develop. Michigan did. Now they get to reap the benefits as Omameh made a massive push to overtake Huyge for the RT slot. Not bad for a redshirt frosh. Ricky Barnum was one of the snake oil pitches that worked two years ago, as Rodriguez slithered Barnum out from under Urban Meyer. Barnum was the 5th rated center in his class and seems to have emerged as one of Michigan's soon to be stars on the OLine. He's another kid who made a push for playing time but ran into having Schilling ahead of him. Then there's Traverse City's own, Rocko Khoury. The big redshirt freshman likely won't see a lot of time at center with David Molk in front of him, but you should be glad to have him back there. The 6'6" 280 pound kid has a nice little mean streak and had enough of an off season of Mark Ortmann to throw some praise his way at Big Ten Media Days. One other guy to watch for in the back-up category is true freshman Quinton Washington. Washington shocked a lot of the older members of the team with his natural strength. Steve Schilling noticed it immediately when the freshman was standing up defenders on the first day of pads even though he'd only been in camp Barwis for a couple of weeks. I can't wait to see what happens to Washington after a year in the gym.

Injuries?

One guy I haven't mentioned is Tim McAvoy. Unfortunately, McAvoy suffered a knee injury in practice and Rodriguez indicated he be out for a couple of weeks. It's really too bad. McAvoy had a legitimate shot at playing time this year, but it's likely his senior season will mostly be spent in the trainers room and on the bench. At this point though, everyone else seems mostly healthy.

2009 Outlook

With the exception of tailback, the Offensive Line is easily the deepest, most experienced position Michigan has this year. The starting five are talented and mobile. The backups are experienced or brimming with talent and strength. As an added bonus, Michigan's ability to ~~tort~~ trot three quarterbacks onto the field who can run or roll out of the pocket should greatly increase the line's effectiveness because it will prevent teams from pinning their ears back and bumrushing the quarterback like they did last year.

The strength on the line will clearly be it's interior. I suspect you'll see multiple plays this fall where the center or one of the guards is used to maul a linebacker or two. When you've got the strength and speed of the interior line, you can do those sorts of things. The edges won't be quite at the level of the intereior, but it should still be measurably better than last year. Ortmann and Huyge have without a doubt learned a substantial amount going face to face with Graham all summer long. I think Ortman should have a decent year, but he's not going to remind anyone of Jake Long. He'll be a good tackle, to expect anything more at this point is unfair and unwarranted. On the other side of the line I am very excited to see Huyge in game action. I can't really tell you why. Rumors, hype, TV, and spring film all make me think he's actually going to be pretty good. It's a total hunch, so take it FWIW.

One of the biggest differences you'll see this year the that you'll see all five linemen on the same page. For the majority of the 2008 season the Michigan Offensive Line was a mess in terms of execution. Players were blocking the wrong guy, they were running aimlessly after they released to the second level, they were telegraphing the snap counts. You're not going to see that this season. These guys actually know where they're supposed to go, who they're supposed to block, and how the plays work. The result will be our running backs and quarterbacks having room to run and not having to escape their first tackler five yards behind the LoS. In the passing game, we'll have to see. I think the group will execute much better than they did last year. But until we see Tate, or Denard or Nick throw the ball, I don't know how it'll turn out. What I do know is that they'll have a lot more time than last year.

Overall, this should be one of the most improved units in the conference, let alone the team. Play on playas.