"Channeling my inner Dennis Green: “They are who we thought they were!” Pains me to say it and I know many reading this will not enjoy what I am about to say, but,
Michigan football is SOFT. This football team is the kid that beats up folks in middle school then wimpers in the corner when they get to high school and there are finally kids bigger than him. The have beaten the Northwestern’s, Indiana’s and Purdue’s of the world but get manhandled by real Big Ten tough guys." - Ace Williams, November 11, 2011
Wow. A lot has changed in 3 short weeks since I made the above statement on the toughness of this Michigan football team, Team 132 as Hoke and the players refer to themselves. When I wrote this column on the Monday following the Iowa loss, I was certain of several things:
- Denard Robinson would never win the big game
- Al Borges has put a governor on a Ferrari of an offense
- The Michigan offensive line was softer than wet tissue paper
- Michigan had no chance of winning against Nebraska and 'Ohio' because they would be 'out-toughed'
- This team had made zero progress against the upper-echelon schools of the Big Ten.
Well, trust me when I say there isn't a happier man in America than I am right now to eat crow for dinner on how wrong I was about this resurgent 2011 Michigan football team. With people questioning their toughness and their quarterback, this team went out and played the best 3 week stretch of football that any Michigan team has played since Penn St., Wisconsin and OSU victories to end the 1997 regular season.
It is almost as if someone flipped a light switch on for every offensive player on this ball club. All the things fans have been screaming at their TV's for 9 weeks were finally accomplished. Denard took off running for large gains when a passing lane wasn't open; the Oline blocked and held blocks like they were protecting their grandmothers; the receiving corps ran crisp, precise routes and held onto the ball . . . and a guy named Fitz emerged as a star alongside Shoelace in the Michigan backfield.
Who could have seen these performances for the offense coming down the stretch this season? After the rough road the team had been down offensively to date, the answer is no one. As one Schembechler Hall insider told me post-game Saturday "These guys on offense finally got it. It is truly amazing to see such a turnaround, especially from Denard. The thing that motivated this group and brought them together was really that goal line stand failure against Iowa. If we get that, maybe these guys ease up a little and don't roll off the 3 straight to end the year. That loss was a blessing in disguise."
On to 2012 . . .
My 2012 Michigan starting lineup looks something like this, based on what I know now: (projected starters at Big Ten opener against Purdue)
QB -Denard
RB - Fitz
FB - Hopkins
WR - Roundtree
WR - Gallon
WR - Stonum
OL - Lewan, Schofield, Barnum, Kalis, Jack Miller
DL - Pipkins, Campbell, Black, Roh
LB - Demens, Ryan, Jenkins-Stone
CB - Countess
CB - Floyd
S - Kovacs
S - T. Gordon
Yes, you read that correctly. 3 true freshman starters. The problem moving forward with this team is that the leadership and talent on the lines that we will lose is not going to be replaced with guys on the current roster. Frankly, the backups on the lines this season are a liability.
At LB, I can see any of the freshman getting time and really see one of them moving into a starting role similar to Blake Countess this season. Kenny Demens, and I have said this before, is a guys who I can see ending up on the bench before the 2012 season is over, being replaced by younger talent. Not to go too far into details, but Demens has seen the doghouse too many times with this new staff and he will be under a "senior leadership" microscope this off-season. If he fails to step his game and his attitude/personal issues up, Demens could be Pierre Woods V2.0
Vote now - Who was Michigan's 2011 defensive MVP?
Recruiting
Yeah, the juicy stuff . . .
I am rejuvenated in my optimism for Josh Garnett coming to Michigan. A couple weeks
[caption id="attachment_1432" align="alignleft" width="228" caption="Garnett with Jake Long. . . "]
[/caption]
back, I had written him off after receiving less than positive reports from multiple sources on his likelihood of leaving the west coast. But, after talking with the parent of one committed recruit in attendance Saturday, coupled with a source telling me that Garnett's name was circled on the recruiting Big Board Sunday night, Michigan is the team to beat for Garnett. The parent told me that Josh was openly rooting for Michigan, told fellow recruits to keep in touch until next season, and was at the airport Sunday decked out in Michigan gear that he bought himself on a trip to the M-Den before leaving back to the west coast. As we stand today, I like Michigan's chances with landing this blue-chipper.
Latest Awesome Michigan football articles:
My photos - Michigan beats Ohio State
Pictures - Michigan Football - Conquering Ohio State and rushing the field with the students
Big Ten Announces 2011 All-Big Ten Teams and Select Individual Award Winners
Robert Griffin III and Amber Heard - They Get No Respect
Bri'onte Dunne. Who knows. Dunn has gone silent. He didn't root for either team Saturday and was said to not be the same guy as he was the previous week. One source who was on the field Saturday (keep a low key eye on recruits, of course) said that the chemistry between Jr. QB commit Shane Morris didn't seem to be as electric as it was the week prior against Nebraska when the two were described as "attached at the hip." With today's hiring of Urban Meyer, and the fact that Dunn has never de-committed from OSU, I am not nearly as optimistic as I was a week ago on Michigan landing the talented RB. No one outside of the Dunn household knows his intentions for sure.
Jordan Diamond is a prospect who is holding to his timeline of committing on signing day. That is just fine by the Michigan coaches. Right now, I would say that Diamond ends up at Illinois.
Remaining commitments: My best guess for the remaining 2012 recruiting class - OL Josh Garnett, WR Amara Darboh, WR Stefon Diggs, TE Tyler Mcnamara (based on some major recruiting by 2012/13 Michigan commitments), a sleeper QB (yes, I believe we are taking one) and CB Yuri Wright. Finish with that class and you have a top 3 class by every recruiting service.
Back to the Michigan Wolverines Newsfeed