The New Michigan: Part One—The Offense

One way or the other, it will be a wait-it-out season for Michigan, as they look to next season to bring in the dual-threat quarterback this system needs.

Until then, when Michigan commits Kevin Newsome and Shavodrick Beaver duke it out for the position and Feagin likely moves to receiver, Justin Feagin will be the only dual-threat option available to Rodriguez and Offensive Coordinator Calvin McGee. 

On the offensive line, Michigan—as noted before—is rather thin and extremely untested.  As such, it is possible that freshmen Rocko Khory and Ricky Barnum will get a shot at starting, while the 6'7", 300-pound Dann O’Neill will certainly have a chance to nail down one of the tackle spots.

Finally, we come to the running back position.  Although the receivers could dispute this point, this is the most likely position to feel some major freshman influence.

YouTube sensation Sam McGuffie is not your typical running back recruit.  He’s small, he’s not overly powerful, and he’s white.  But his highlight reels against some of the toughest competition in Texas remind many of Noel Devine, who Rodriguez recruited to West Virginia last season.

Rodriguez is certain to use him in many different ways next season if he comes as advertised.  Trotwood-Madison product Michael Shaw is also a speedster at running back, and he may see some time along with McGuffie. 

Rodriguez’s offense is versatile with its skill players, so expect the fast players like McGuffie, Shaw, and Robinson to be used in many different ways—not all that different from the way Urban Meyer uses Percy Harvin or how Les Miles uses Trindon Holliday.

Regardless of what happens or how they are used, it will definitely be interesting and exciting for Michigan fans to watch.

The 2008 Michigan offense will look very, very different from last year’s attack.  With the new personnel and the new system, many expect Michigan’s offense to struggle mightily.

While I don’t dispute that possibility, it is unlikely that they will perform much worse than the 27 points per game from last season, or the measly 28 points per game from 2005.

During Rich Rodriguez’s entire tenure at West Virginia, the Mountaineers dipped below 29 points per game just once—his first year in 2001.  In the same time frame, the Wolverines scored less than 29 points per game four times—in 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2007.

No one expects Michigan to produce the 3-8 record with 21 points per game that the 2001 West Virginia team did—in fact, all “experts” concede that Michigan has significantly more talent right now than West Virginia ever did, even with all the star players leaving after last season.

In addition, the 2001 Big East, with both Miami and Virginia Tech still in the conference, was significantly more difficult than the 2008 Big Ten will be (outside of Ohio State). 

The point is that although Michigan’s offense will not be 35 points per game dominant, they will also probably not be all that much worse than the 27 points per game output from last season—which, by the way, includes a 38-point outburst against a terrible Notre Dame team and a 41-point game against Florida in the bowl.

With an improved defense (which I will discuss in the second article of this two-column series), a healthier team, and better coaching, Michigan’s record may not be as bad as most pundits are foreseeing.

Rich Rod’s first year may not quite be the learning curve everyone (including me) expects.

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