THIS ARTICLE HAS A SPONSOR: If you haven’t yet talked to Nick Hopwood, our 
MGoFinancial Planner from Peak Wealth Management, this might be a good week to catch him, since Nick reports he has barred himself in his office and plans to do nothing but work until all the Spartans in his life think he’s run off to live a simpler life in the woods or something.
Our deal is Nick is the guy I go to for financial strategies, and he gets to ask us Michigan questions on your behalf. Anytime it’s a Nick question, we’ll let you know. Anytime you’ve got a financial question, let Nick know.
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| Michigan ran a few zone read-like things with O’Korn but for whatever reason these just got a back swarmed for no gain. [Bryan Fuller] |
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Nick’s Question: …
MGoBlog: Do you have a question this week?
Nick: f---?
MGoBlog: That question is self-answering. New question.
Nick: sigh.
MGoBlog: …
Nick: How does this offense get better?
MGoBlog: Yelling at it?
Nick: I mean that’s my question. You have to answer it.
MGoBlog: Yell at it LOUDER.
How does this offense get better?
Seth: Let's start with the simplest: build some quarterback running plays into the offense because O'Korn is a better run threat than a Tom Brady-esque check-to-your-5th-read distribution center. Also the pocket won't last that long. If the ends are constantly having to worry about holding the edge or getting optioned that takes some pressure off the tackles. And I think they are starting to build an interior running game that's functional as long as the counters are.
I thought I saw O'Korn mess up a couple of zone reads in this game and then Michigan dropped it but the Denard power offense might be a good fit for these guys if they could find a running back willing to lead block.
[Hit THE JUMP for other ideas that don’t involve testing the stickiness of substances]
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David: This was mentioned a a couple of times before, but it may be time to tinker with the offensive line? They are 0 for 2 at right tackle so far and the better defensive lines are still to come. Normally, time and experience are solutions here, but neither of those will do in this case. While quality tackles are not something that Michigan possesses a lot of, they do have a few interesting interior line options. Perhaps it is time to flip Bredeson out to right tackle and try someone else inside. They have Runyan (who has filled in for Onwenu at times), Spanellis, super-center prospect Cesar Ruiz, or maybe even walk-on Andrew Vastardis? There are many reasons why each of these will not work, but they are at least new options to attempt. From the last few weeks, it seems that it would not be a ton worse than what we've already seen on the edge so far this season.
For all I know, Michigan has already attempted each of these scenarios in practice or Fall Camp. If that's the case, then obviously there's a reason it hasn't already been trotted out. However, if they haven't ever looked at them, this might be the latest best time to take a peek.
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Ace: I’d like to see more playcalls that attack up the seam through the air. The lack of those type of shots was glaring against a Michigan State team that’s still weak at safety. It was bizarre to see O’Korn take a few shots down the sideline, which haven’t worked much at all this year, to receivers who are either really struggling (Kekoa Crawford) or are true freshmen (DPJ).
While I’m all for putting it up deep to DPJ, I wouldn’t mind seeing him run some of those routes out of the slot, which would potentially get him on a safety instead of a corner and give him more margin for error on his route. This is more about Zach Gentry and Sean McKeon, though. They’ve proven to be the most reliable targets outside of Grant Perry; they’re both huge; they’re both impressively athletic for their size. Given the quarterback situation, Michigan might as well play high-risk ball because there are going to be turnovers one way or the other. I’d much rather see them go out in a blaze of glory taking deep shots to tree-people than farting away games with a dink-and-dunk attack.
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Brian: I'm afraid the answer is "it doesn't," and we're in for a bunch of rock fights against pulse-bearing opponents.
I am mildly encouraged by Michigan's ground game against MSU, which didn't do amazingly statistically but had a lot of confounding factors (rain, game situation, QB woof). With limited exceptions Michigan ground forward against MSU by returning to a running game that looks more like what Michigan did the last two years instead of this year's early-season zone-a-palooza. Michigan ran a bunch of power, trapped some guys, and mixed in zone stuff. This looked and felt a lot better. The opposition was off guard instead of just teeing off on IZ with slants the whole game.
Continue doing that and get a little better at footballing and Michigan's ground game will improve into the realm of the adequate, especially if they can find a better option at right tackle. Which they probably can't? I don't know.
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Ace:
Brian: The day where you speak exclusively by handing people gifs is coming. Podcast is gonna be lit yo.
Ace:
Seth: For those asking this is how a podcast goes from 100% kitten-free to not that.
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Seth: Say this question doesn't have a time limit. Next year are they good? Are they good in 2019?
Brian: They return everyone except O'Korn, the fullbacks, Cole, and Kugler. So... uh. Probably? If they do get Grant Newsome back that changes the picture considerably.
Seth: They struck out this year but the grad transfer market could yield a guy as well.
Brian: I'm very dubious about grad transferring OL. I think the Clemson guy they were in on already quit Florida's team. I mean, a QB like Shea Patterson at a school that's about to get a hamblasting from the NCAA... sure. Literally every good OL in the world already starts.
Ace:
[remembers Chad Lindsay]
[nods]
Seth: Yeah, if he's useful he's probably already starting, but I think there's a window with the current rules (and a gaping hole if the proposed transfer rule goes through) to pick off somebody's starter. Not only do you have the FBI storm ready to strike in weird places, but half or more of the SEC are going to have new coaches next year.
That creates a bunch of Power 5 schools either bringing in a new guy or losing one, plus a handful of mid-majors who just lost their rock star. WMU had a really good OT who was kicking the tires on grad transfers after Fleck left last year. If you just lost your coach, you've got your degree, and you're smart enough to play offensive line at maybe not quite draftable level, a graduate education from Michigan is quite an opportunity.
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| Your buddy’s in the next room right now about to tell us how the Cam Newton thing really went down. Whoever talks first gets the deal. |
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Brian: I mean the problem next year is that they're still pretty young on the OL. Current projection would be... uh... Stueber/ Bredeson/ Ruiz/ Onwenu/ JBB? With JBB very much under threat? That's two third-year players and two second-year players with a potential for a third second-year player if Ulizio and/or JBB get passed by one of the tackles in the 2017 class. Which I think we hope happens. If Michigan didn't have to take redshirts off Bredeson and Onwenu because of a dearth of guys ahead of them that's a one-or-zero upperclassman line. It could be good. It could be iffy. Knocking out one of the tackles for Newsome is a huge upgrade.
Also, dude, the FBI is probably not going to impact football. Cheating in CFB is organized by boosters, not shoe companies.
Seth: I think there's some reasonable hope that the FBI finds a bagman or two. These aren't hardened criminals they're interviewing, and if half of campus already knows where the bodies are buried, chances are one of these assistants is willing to share that information to cut a deal.
David: They also return Tarik Black, who looked as advanced as any non-Perry WR on the roster. We didn't think his injury would be THIS catastrophic at the time, but...it may well have been.
Seth: Far more relevant: quarterbacks another year with Jim Harbaugh, tackles with a year under Greg Frey. And Drevno, who had a good track record until a bunch of Hoke's guys plateaued at mediocre and the next wave didn't pop early.