The Official ORANGE BOWL Score Prediction and Discuusion Thread

[thewolverines24]

Wormley says Hurst will be back next year. That's great news. We're thin at DT next year and Hurst is really needed.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sp...ason-vital-time-michigan-youngsters/95626068/

 

[Monster]

Wormley says Hurst will be back next year. That's great news. We're thin at DT next year and Hurst is really needed.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sp...ason-vital-time-michigan-youngsters/95626068/

I'm not sure we're thin at DT, but we are young and inexperienced. Call that thin if you'd like. Still have Mone, Dwumfour, Gary, Hurst (if Wormley is correct), and we still have Michael Onwenu if needed. I also think Carlo Kemp could play inside some times. Kemp is listed at 255 and you know the coaches will have him gain some weight over the winter/spring if they think he'll be needed there.

 

[thewolverines24]

I'm not sure we're thin at DT, but we are young and inexperienced. Call that thin if you'd like. Still have Mone, Dwumfour, Gary, Hurst (if Wormley is correct), and we still have Michael Onwenu if needed. I also think Carlo Kemp could play inside some times. Kemp is listed at 255 and you know the coaches will have him gain some weight over the winter/spring if they think he'll be needed there.

Hurst and Mone are what's proven on the inside. I believe Gary can play there and do it well, but he may spend the vast majority of his time at SDE next year. Hopefully Dwumfour pans out because we will need him in the rotation.

Onwenu has been permanently moved to guard. I suppose they could still move him back, but it looks like he is sticking at guard.

 

[deathroh]

Did Dwumfour do something this year that I missed? I remember him being a marginal recruit (by Harbaugh standards) with no real indication that he'd be ready for a major role by his second year. Maybe I'm missing something, but if he and two guys playing other positions in Kemp and Onwenu are what's competing for the 2-deep....yeah, we're thin.

 

[dubbsco]

Of this team coming back next season, I'm least concerned about the D-line.

Biggest concern is offensive line.

QB, RB will be fine. Plenty of star potential at WR.

Secondary will be a concern but Clark getting another year would do wonders.

 

[deathroh]

Sure would be nice if Marshall came out of nowhere and was ready to play, allowing Gary to slide inside.

 

[deathroh]

If Hurst doesn't come back then the d-line is a serious concern. Mone is a huge injury risk and didn't do anything for the majority of the year. Winovich is undersized and when asked to stand up against the run this year got blown out. Gary should be awesome. But that's it. No one else with anything close to meaningful playing time. An injury to Gary and this turns into a potentially poor line. Pretty much every other position group could withstand an injury better than this one (if Hurst does indeed go pro).

Sure, we can have blind trust in the athletes that Harbaugh brings in, and the staff's ability to coach them up, but this is the last position group that you want to rely on young guys playing above their heads.

 

[deathroh]

All that said, I do think Hurst will be back, and barring injury the line will be good. I just can't agree with it not being thin or a concern.

 

[thewolverines24]

Of this team coming back next season, I'm least concerned about the D-line.

Biggest concern is offensive line.

QB, RB will be fine. Plenty of star potential at WR.

Secondary will be a concern but Clark getting another year would do wonders.

I'm hoping o-line is addition by subtraction. The o-line was bad against every decent/good defense we played this year. Hoping the younger guys can step in and improve the o-line.

 

[dubbsco]

Yeah for sure.

O-line has been a problem for this team for awhile. And that type of position group is not a quick fix, you can't just start 5 freshman and expect to be in the top 10. With skill positions and the positions that require more instincts, you can get away with freshman and sophomores.

Hoke's schemes did years worth of damage to that position group.

 

[Michchamp]

I'm concerned about the massive loss of experience we're about to endure all across the two-deep, more so than any position group.

but if - like everything else - Harbaugh is better at recruiting than Hoke, I'm guessing we'll be fine. and I'm not talking about higher rankings on scout/rivals, but in actually recruiting guys who will live up to the hype & their potential.

 

[thewolverines24]

Yeah for sure.

O-line has been a problem for this team for awhile. And that type of position group is not a quick fix, you can't just start 5 freshman and expect to be in the top 10. With skill positions and the positions that require more instincts, you can get away with freshman and sophomores.

Hoke's schemes did years worth of damage to that position group.

Couldn't agree more. I honestly believe our senior o-linemen could have been very good. Hoke and his staff destroyed their development, which contributed to us missing out on the playoffs this year.

 

[deathroh]

I'm concerned about the massive loss of experience we're about to endure all across the two-deep, more so than any position group.

but if - like everything else - Harbaugh is better at recruiting than Hoke, I'm guessing we'll be fine. and I'm not talking about higher rankings on scout/rivals, but in actually recruiting guys who will live up to the hype & their potential.

I hear you. This is where the culture that Harbaugh is creating will be put to the test. His attitude clearly lends itself towards contributing early and playing (and winning) with youthful exuberance. While it has been a pleasure watching so many experienced seniors play and perform well this year, I'm hopeful that the drop-off isn't nearly as drastic as it seems on paper.

 

[biggunsbob]

How many wins do we get next season ?


Sep. 2 Florida Gators
Sep. 9 Cincinnati Bearcats
Sep. 16 Air Force Falcons
Sep. 23 at Purdue Boilermakers
Oct. 7 Michigan State Spartans
Oct. 14 at Indiana Hoosiers
Oct. 21 at Penn State Nittany Lions
Oct. 28 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (HC)
Nov. 4 Minnesota Golden Gophers
Nov. 11 at Maryland Terrapins
Nov. 18 at Wisconsin Badgers
Nov. 25 Ohio State Buckeyes

 

[thewolverines24]

Sam Webb ‏@SamWebb77 8m8 minutes ago
Maurice Hurst: "I've decided I'm going to come back for my 5th year."

From the horse's mouth. Das ist gut!

 

[dubbsco]

Sep. 2 Florida Gators - W
Sep. 9 Cincinnati Bearcats - W
Sep. 16 Air Force Falcons - W
Sep. 23 at Purdue Boilermakers - W
Oct. 7 Michigan State Spartans - W
Oct. 14 at Indiana Hoosiers -W
Oct. 21 at Penn State Nittany Lions - L (night game, don't like this)
Oct. 28 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (HC) - W
Nov. 4 Minnesota Golden Gophers -W
Nov. 11 at Maryland Terrapins -W
Nov. 18 at Wisconsin Badgers - L
Nov. 25 Ohio State Buckeyes - W (enough's enough, have to stop this crap).

I got 10-2. But for me, this will be enough to get them to the conference title game. OSU will drop a BT game before getting to Michigan.

 

[thewolverines24]

Sep. 2 Florida Gators - W
Sep. 9 Cincinnati Bearcats - W
Sep. 16 Air Force Falcons - W
Sep. 23 at Purdue Boilermakers - W
Oct. 7 Michigan State Spartans - W
Oct. 14 at Indiana Hoosiers -W
Oct. 21 at Penn State Nittany Lions - L (night game, don't like this)
Oct. 28 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (HC) - W
Nov. 4 Minnesota Golden Gophers -W
Nov. 11 at Maryland Terrapins -W
Nov. 18 at Wisconsin Badgers - L
Nov. 25 Ohio State Buckeyes - W (enough's enough, have to stop this crap).

I got 10-2. But for me, this will be enough to get them to the conference title game. OSU will drop a BT game before getting to Michigan.

In the last 31 seasons, we have finished with one loss or less in exactly one season (1997 for those with amnesia). There's two losses somewhere in the schedule. I'm assuming the two losses will come out of the games against Florida, Wisconsin, and Ohio State.

 

[dubbsco]

Are you counting bowl games as season? Weren't we 11-0 in 06 before OSU?

 

[thewolverines24]

Are you counting bowl games as season? Weren't we 11-0 in 06 before OSU?

I was. I just went off the season by season list on Wiki. Wasn't thinking about the bowl result. You'll have to excuse my error there. I'm still at work and haven't been able to have my whiskey yet. :cheers:

If you go regular season only (which makes more sense here so thanks for pointing it out), then we have finished with 1 loss or less in 1986, 1989, 1997, and 2006. A bit better.

 

[deathroh]

From an interview with Mason Cole...

Q - For you going forward, do you want to stay at center or are you entertaining other moves?

“Yeah, I’d like to stay at center but whatever has to happen has to happen.”



I've been thinking about how likely it would be for Cole to move back to Tackle for a while now. Seems to make a lot of sense when you consider the current roster composition. Probably not in his personal best interests, but he has shown the NFL what he can do at Center. I'm sure a solid season at LT then a Senior Bowl at Center would put him at the top of the list among college Centers. I'm glad to see that he's open to it.