As a diehard and lifelong Michigan Wolverines fan, it pains me to see the state of the program on this day after a shocking 13-10 upset loss to Toledo in front of over 100,000 at the Big House. Appalachian State on opening day last year was more surreal but at least they are three-time national champions (two-time when they beat Michigan last year) and are the best their conference has to offer.
Toledo was 1-4 entering Saturday's matchup, was allowing over 35 points per game, and are one of the worst teams in the MAC. Also, the Wolverines had never lost to a MAC opponent (24-0 until the upset).
The day Rich Rodriguez became head football coach at the University of Michigan marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Maize and Blue. Out with the conventional, pro-style offense of Bo Schembechler/Lloyd Carr, in with the new spread option attack of Rodriguez.
As is the case for any system/philosophy change, it is going to take some time before Michigan fans will see any rewards, but know this: Help is on the way.
Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan are backup quarterbacks at best. Threet has talent and ability, but not in Rodriguez's system. At Tulane and West Virginia, he had mobile QB's (Shaun King and Pat White) who would look to run but could also make plays from the pocket when called upon. King was more successful from the pocket and White was more successful with his legs, but both QBs could improvise when the designed play broke down.
Threet and Sheridan cannot do either right now, which is the biggest problem this team faces. For Rich Rod's system to work, he needs a program-changing QB. That would have been Terrelle Pryor, but we all know where he chose to go to school.
No need to worry, Wolverines fans, reinforcements are on the way. Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver, two four-star recruits out of this year's class, have committed and are a perfect fit for the spread option.
Forcier, whose brother Chris was a backup at UM until he transferred to Stanford, is a mobile passer in the mold of a Jeff Garcia and should be an instant upgrade over the incumbents Threet and Sheridan. He is only 6'1" but is tough as nails and makes up for his size limitations with good pre-snap reads and quick feet.
Beaver is taller (6'3") and much more physically gifted—in the mold of Dennis Dixon—but is raw and needs more polish before he makes an impact at the next level. Look out for him by year three; he will be a force to be reckoned with and could challenge for serious playing time.
Be patient, Wolverines fans. Rodriguez was 3-8 his first year at WVU and was under the same scrutiny there until he recruited players who fit his schemes and philosophy. He silenced those critics with nine wins in his second season and finished in second place in the Big East.
Michigan might win only four or five games this year, but the effort is there. Rodriguez is getting the most out of his players, which is all you can ask for from a coach. He just does not have the proper personnel yet. Within three years, with the right players, he will have Michigan back among college football's elite and restore pride and prestige in a program chock-full of it.
21 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment
zach e 8 months ago
i couldnt agree with you any more. Even at the press conferences, RR was just dissapointed, because the players he has just cant execute. You can only go so far with coaching, with the rest to the players. We definitely have ability and talent this year, but when it comes to play makers, i dont believe threet and sheridan have any at all (i also think that they would be pretty bad in an pro-style offense anyways) stonum, mcguffie, shaw, roundtree, cisiko are all freshman, and by next year with forcier, beaver coming in, i think we will have solid players with game breaking ability
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Tien Nguyen 8 months ago
Thanks for reading and giving me your input. It is greatly appreciated. To be honest, I am just glad to see something out of the box and new with this program. It had become stale, stagnant and predictable. The opponents knew which plays were coming because they were running the same plays out of the same formations for over 20 years. A change had to be made and Rich Rod is a good coach with a proven track record. Just give him some time.
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Ed Bliler 8 months ago
the question is...will these recruits stay committed to U of M? I would guess you will lose one or two at minimum. The defense that App. State was a two time national champion is pathetic. My god..i would expect Toledo to use that line....wait...toledo beat you. Suck it up. State it is a rebuilding year..and move on. The problem R. Rod will have, is that he doesn't know how to coach a difficult schedule. His schedule at WV was compareable to a high school schedule. As i sit in my recliner on saturday afternoons...it makes me smile and laugh to see R. Rod yelling and getting beaten by the bottom of the barrel from the MAC and elsewhere in the place we call Division 1 football!
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Tien Nguyen 8 months ago
Thanks for taking the time to read my article and giving me your input. It is appreciated. Michigan already lost one QB recruit, Kevin Newsome from Virginia because he did not want to battle for the QB position with these two. Forcier and Beaver both are solid verbals but you are right, until they sign their letter of intent, nothing is for certain.
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Glenn Matheson 8 months ago
I hae been a long time supporter of Blue football. It pains me to see guys like Terrance Taylor busting Butt for the future. All I can say is the season will be a complete success (for me) if the only games the Wolerines win the rest of the year are against MSU and OSU. Already looking forward to next season.
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Tien Nguyen 8 months ago
Thanks for reading and it is refreshing to hear from true Michigan fans. Terrance taylor is a beast and should be a 1st/2nd round pick. Same goes for Brandon Graham if he decides to declare early. I am afraid of Javon Ringer of MSU and Beanie Wells of OSU. These guys usually have big days against the Wolverines defense, especially when they are tired from being on the field for prolonged periods of time because the offense is atrocious and can't move the ball consistently. Not to mention some guy named Pryor.....
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Jeff Contizano 8 months ago
Keep heart my friends, Michigan football is going through a tough time. Players are learning new schemes, and learning to adapt to the new coaches. The same with the coaches, they are also learning a lot about the players as well. Keep your heads up and your wolverine hearts proud, we'll be back.
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Tien Nguyen 8 months ago
Couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks for reading and Go Blue!!!
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jordan krumrey 8 months ago
Actually Shaun King wasn't really a dual-threat.RR ran a pass heavy offense at Tulane.King passed for over 3,000 yards in i believe '98 while he also set the NCAA record for pass efficency,which still stands.RR didn't start up his option spread until he was OC at Clemson i believe.Not sure if he even started it then.
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Tien Nguyen 8 months ago
Thanks for reading the article and taking the time to give me your feedback. True King was not a true running threat but he had mobility within the pocket, could buy time with his feet and was not a stiff, like Threat and Sheridan. He definitely ran the spread at Tulane because he referred to his days at Tulane with King as his QB in one of his first press conferences after he was introduced as Michigan head coach. Also he stated that you did not need a "Pat White" to run his offense efficiently and effectively but Threet and Sheridan are just plain awful and look shell-shocked out there.
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jordan krumrey 8 months ago
That is true,however, I find that Threet is capable of getting it done.Saying that, in order for him to get it done he must consistently use proper throwing technique.He has enough mobility, but it's his throwing motion that kills him.People say Threet straight up sucks...not true.He was highly recruited and could start almost anywhere.He has issues with his throwing motion due to years of baseball.Threet use more of a wind up release which makes him lower his shoulder causing him to sail his passes.We have missed many big plays because of this.He needs some more confidence too that never hurts.If he works out that throwing motion he could be very good for us he is a smart kid. It is my belief that even with a dual-threat QB RR will run a new style of spread that is more balanced than WVU or Tulane thanks to the new found talent. I expect it to be better and more than his previous spreads....i hope anyway.With accurate dual-threat QB's like Tate Forcier an 09 commit i can really see him running a more balanced attack.
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Pinnocchio's Nose 8 months ago
Great observation Jordan on Threet. O so true. Anyone else notice? The talent IS on THIS team. They are just not being coached to their potential right now.
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Tien Nguyen 8 months ago
Michigan has never lacked talent. They annually rank in the top 15 in recruiting classes, according to espn, scouts, rivals, etc. Threet definitely has talent and pro potential. He just does not fit Rodriguez's scheme. Did you see that throw he made against Toledo that gave them their only touchdown? That is not bad coaching, just bad execution. Threet reminds me of a poor man's Ryan Mallett, who are more geared to pro-style offenses.
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jordan krumrey 8 months ago
Idk Threet can excel in this spread IMO,just needs to gain some composure and fix his throwing motion.Kid can run fairly well for his size.Also i noticed that u said Tates older brother Chris Forcier played for UM before transfering to UCLA. It was not him that played for UM it was Tates other brother Jason who played at UM before transfering to Stanford.U are right about them being 4 stars recruits but in Tates case size prohibits him from a 5 star rating...also he is the second highest recruited QB in the nation with 30+ scholarship offers only behing UGA commit Aaron Murray with 50+.Kid is the real deal can't wait to see him.Also curious to how Feagin may turn out to.
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Tien Nguyen 8 months ago
Good point on Chris Forcier and thanks for pointing that out, I knew I got that wrong and have been trying to fix it but cannot edit the article. Feagin is a sleeper for sure, but he is really small (5'11, 185). This kid Barkley going to USC is the best QB in the nation, isn't he? Threet has good top-end speed, but it takes him a long time to get it going and he doesn't have quick feet/elusiveness. We will see how everything turns out. Thanks for reading again and GO BLUE!
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jordan krumrey 8 months ago
Actually i just read some info on Feagin.Apparently they removed his redshirt and are placing him in the slot position with occasional snaps at QB in certain situations.He also seems to be moving along very slowly.He hasn't shown a good grasp of the offense yet and his passing skills seem to be well below par, which they are from what i've seen from practices.U are right Barkley is the top rated QB recruit but not the highest recruited.I like following scholarship offers more than ratings provided by scouting sites.More scholarships you got just shows you must have something coaches want or you have more to offer in comparison to other players.
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Tien Nguyen 8 months ago
Good stuff on Feagin, have you seen the youtube clips of him while in high school in Florida? He is the elusive style of QB Rich Rod needs. Barkley would definitely have more scholarship offers, had he not committed to USC so early but I have agree with on the offers. This kid Barkley is the goods though, I saw him on ESPN earlier this year and he did not dissappoint. He is more pro-style though and probably would not fit Rodriguez's scheme. Forcier will be exciting to watch next year and should start from Day One unless Threet shows dramatic improvement soon.
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Ryan 8 months ago
I have a lot of hope for next year with Force and Campbell coming aboard to probably start as true freshmen. It'll be nice to have Barnum starting at guard as he'll be a major upgrade.
I have faith that, after this brutal season ends and 2009 arrives, Michigan will be flying under the radar and surprise a lot of people. The talent is there, the experience is just a matter of time.
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jordan krumrey 8 months ago
I'm interested to see how Mealer will bounce back from injury.If he comes back strong then he may be another great addition to the o-line.
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Tien Nguyen 8 months ago
Thanks for taking the time to read and give me your input. Barnum and O'Neill from last year's class should make contributions next year. Did Campbell recommit? it doesn't matter anyway, all that matters is he signs his letter of intent on signing day.
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Ryan 8 months ago
Will hasn't re-committed yet, but I'm still a firm believer that he will.
Also, I don't expect to see O'Neill as a major contributor next year. I suspect he'll end up on the path Jake Long was on (start Junior year, or at worst, redshirt Sophomore). Still, things should be better.
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