Friday night ligths. Or the start of college football season. Here I am, at my friends house in Lansing, MI. It's 11:33 am and I have David Guetta jammin, my lady friend is happy. I need some whiskey. I have been the Meijer and the cooler is packed. It is about time for a drink, but first I need to make a prediction.
OFFENSE: This is fairly obviously the biggest question mark for MSU. With a new QB and mostly new WRs the MSU offense will need to limit turnover and control the clock. The key here will be making most of your possessions. Field goals are cool with me, and I LOVE touchdowns. What will kill us are turnovers. I am looking at you Maxwell. Today in the Lansing area it is very windy. This is supposed to continue through the day, so I expect MSU to pound the ball on the ground Though I expected that anyways. Today is one of those game where Bell will get his number called a lot and then to change the pace we will see Caper and Hill. With Caper and Hill in expect to see screen passes and tosses outside. Once that is established for these runners, expect that out of Bell as well. This will open up shots down the middle. That is where I expect Maxwell to start out passing. Sims figures to have a big game. There will be limited shots down field with this wind. For BSU, I expect to "trick" plays as they will be called by the announcers but it will be mostly misdirection. BSU is also starting a new QB who has been effective in his time as a backup. We might see some halfback options and into a pass. I am not sure. What I do know is that BSU has about 5,000 offensive plays so the defense needs to be ready for all of them.
DEFENSE: The strength of this MSU squad and the basically the only reason, as far as I can tell, why we are getting any hype is the defense. It will be necessary for the Spartan defense to limit its pursuit. With the misdirection that I am expecting, becoming an over zealous tackler will lead to massive gains and massive scores for BSU. The defense will need to stay home and then attack quickly. In my head it will be similar to how they have played Michigan. Over pursuing Denard is a death sentence, same with the BSU offense. I expect a lot of disruption from Gholston and Allen. This should keep the BSU offense out of sync. Our defensive line needs to have a good game push that BSU offensive line back on each snap. Anything to overpower and deflate BSU will be crucial.
PREDICTION: The crowd is going to be electric. It is a beautiful day out today with temps in the high 80s/low 90s and a strong breeze making it feel cooler. The night game allows plenty of time for people to get pre lubed. I am seeing a lot of older(my aged) Spartan fans in and around town. This is good thing since I am mostly critical of our student section and its ability to be lackluster. Expect a few shots early from both teams until they settle into a groove. The MSU defense will come on strong as the game ends and I see this swinging MSU's way. Though it should be noted that last home openers BSU has won (Oregon, Georgia*, VaTech). I think this defense is going to flex a lot of muscle. 31-21 MSU
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The Comparison: Offense
Summary:
QB: Michigan (Big)
RB: Push
WR/TE: Tbone says Push, Pat says Michigan
OL: Tbone says Push, Pat says Michigan
2011 Statistics:
Total Offense:
MSU: 56th, 390 ypg
UM: 42nd, 405 ypg
Scoring Offense:
MSU:37th, 31 ppg
UM: 26th, 33 ppg
Returning Starters:
MSU: 5? (The lose at least 5 in Cousins, Cunningham, Martin, Nichol, Linthicum...and maybe one Oline guy?)
UM: 7
The Better O in 2012?
I expect MSU to change their offensive identity back to the running game behind Bell. Last year with a senior Cousins they really were a pass first squad for the first time in Dantonio's career at MSU. There offensive production will likely take a step forward on the ground (Oline and RB are the strengths) and a step backward in the air (QB and WR are the huge question marks) to keep them right around the same spot right around the number 50 offense in the country.
Michigan should be spectacular on offense in 2012. They may have trouble with Alabama but shouldn't be slowed down too much again until they play MSU, Nebraska and OSU. After trying some square peg, round hole type things with Denard early in the season last year, Al Borges was able to tinker and tailor his system to better suit the skills of Shoelace. They will be held back statistically by playing ball control as well as a lack of a dynamic big play receiver on the outside, but Michigan will be a top 15-20 offense this season.
QB: Michigan (Big)
RB: Push
WR/TE: Tbone says Push, Pat says Michigan
OL: Tbone says Push, Pat says Michigan
2011 Statistics:
Total Offense:
MSU: 56th, 390 ypg
UM: 42nd, 405 ypg
Scoring Offense:
MSU:37th, 31 ppg
UM: 26th, 33 ppg
Returning Starters:
MSU: 5? (The lose at least 5 in Cousins, Cunningham, Martin, Nichol, Linthicum...and maybe one Oline guy?)
UM: 7
The Better O in 2012?
 | ||
| Denard finds that question funny |
Michigan should be spectacular on offense in 2012. They may have trouble with Alabama but shouldn't be slowed down too much again until they play MSU, Nebraska and OSU. After trying some square peg, round hole type things with Denard early in the season last year, Al Borges was able to tinker and tailor his system to better suit the skills of Shoelace. They will be held back statistically by playing ball control as well as a lack of a dynamic big play receiver on the outside, but Michigan will be a top 15-20 offense this season.
And Finally. QB
MSU
Some people call this the most important position on the field. It would be hard to argue against that, which is why it is important for a smooth transition on this Spartan team. With the graduation and drafting of senior Kirk Cousins, Andrew Maxwell is the new starter for MSU. Andrew Maxwell is a junior who has been developing under Kirk for the past three years. For his career Maxwell has only 294 yards and 1 touch down. That is not a whole lot of action. I can remember the touch down, I believe it was to Dion Sims and then pretty much all I can remember is him getting injured against Alabama. Maxwell missed the spring game with a knee injury but has since made a full recovery. His scrimmage stats are solid, though skewed because they are scrimmage stats. One thing that has been coming out of scrimmages and practices is that Maxwell does not make mistakes. I don't need to spell out why this is a good thing. Along with that Maxwell is said to possess a stronger arm than Cousins. What is obvious about Andrew is that he is more athletic, I expect Andrew to run for short third downs rather than forcing passes. Andrew will benefit from limiting his mistakes in the first few games. Confidence will be key. Outside of that, I have no idea what to expect. We will get a good glimpse of that this Friday.
Behind Andrew, MSU has Connor Cook. Cook is a redshirt freshman. During the spring game, Cook played for both teams due to Maxwell's injury. His stats were solid, but again this was a glorified scrimmage. What is being said about Cook is that his spring game time, and reps with the first team have been incredible for his growth. Cook is a quarterback in a similar vain to Maxwell. He has a strong arm and is a more mobile quarterback. Should an injury occur to Maxwell, Cook would be our guy. While he has a solid grasp of the offense having spent the summer studying the plays, this would cause me to lose what little hair I still have (on my head).
From there MSU has Tyler O'Connor who is expected to redshirt. O'Connor was an excellent high school athlete, even kicking for his high school team. Finally there is Peter Badovinac. Peter is in his final season after playing one year at Drake in 2008. Pete was fairly successful there though he only played in 5 games. Pete is another quarterback with the ability to run the ball.
This was pretty short for the Spartans mostly due to the lack of experience. There is not a lot to comment on. I am very excited about the potential of Maxwell. I think he will be a good quarterback for us. It will be nice having a player that scrambles a bit more, Especially if that means first downs and not forced down field passes. Spartan fans should temper their expectations for now. Cousins was a great quarterback with boundless poise. It will be interesting to see what Maxwell looks like when this Boise State game is close.
UM
Denard. Everyone knows this story. One of the most dynamic athletes in all of football. This is his swan song, his last chance to win big at Michigan. I wish Denard would have redshirted his freshman year because he still has a lot of room for development and growth, but then again we would have missed out on this:
Denard needs to limit his turnovers and stay healthy but with a little more development in the passing game he is solidly in the Heisman Trophy mix. He is probably the best (and most important) player in the Big Ten conference. As MSU fans can attest, senior QBs are good to have leading your team. Michigan finally gets just that this season. Denard also gets to play in year 2 of Al Borges' offense and should be much more comfortable than last year in what was a transition year.
For MSU fans, if you haven't seen many Michigan games other than the UM-MSU game, you probably don't understand all the hype around Denard. His two worst games in his entire career have come against Michigan State. Some credit for that needs to go to Dantonio and Narduzzi, and maybe they have his number, but he needs to step up his play his best against the very best competition. A positive sign in that direction was Denard's performance in last season's finale against the Buckeyes.
Next in is Devin Gardner. He's such a good athlete that he's likely going to be Michigan's most dangerous threat at receiver this season. He worked his way into a bunch of playing time last season, even seeing snaps when Denard was totally healthy. I'm not sure how much of that we will see this season. Gardner would still be very raw if he is forced to start games for Michigan this season. He's in the mold of Minnesota's Marquies Gray and provides height, speed and a strong arm.
Redshirt freshman Russell Bellomy is the third guy on the depth chart for the Wolverines. Bellomy has been receiving a lot of hype out of spring and fall camp and Hoke has even stated he would be comfortable if Bellomy had to play. Sorry coach, I wouldn't be comfortable with it. Bellomy was a Purdue commit before flipping to Michigan and in his scrimmage footage he looks about like a typical Purdue QB. He's mobile, has a decent arm and good touch but I've never seen him make those throws on a rope that elite college QBs are capable of making.
Overall this is the best unit on Michigan's team. Their best player and their second best athlete are both QBs (though Devin may play more WR this year). Anything less than All-Big Ten for Denard is a massive disappointment.
The Comparison
Spartan fans probably haven't had such a combination of being excited and nervous for a season opener in quite a few seasons and that is mostly due to having such high expectations, a great opening opponent and massive uncertainty at the QB position. We know Maxwell is the guy, we just don't know how effective he will be. Spartan nation will be watching closely each time Maxwell drops back with keen interest. He could be anywhere from a liability, making MSU a one dimensional offense, to a fresh on-the-scenes superstar who is immediately one of the Big Ten's best quarterbacks. That's a giant range. I expect Maxwell to be a steady, consistent performer who makes a few mistakes as all first time starters usually do while making a few throws that showcase an NFL caliber arm down the road.
It's difficult to envision a scenario where both teams have healthy quarterbacks and this is anything but a huge edge for Michigan. Denard should be further improved as a passer and all the while be on his way to breaking records on the ground. Denard is special, Maxwell would have to be that special type of talent as well.
Edge: Michigan (big)
Some people call this the most important position on the field. It would be hard to argue against that, which is why it is important for a smooth transition on this Spartan team. With the graduation and drafting of senior Kirk Cousins, Andrew Maxwell is the new starter for MSU. Andrew Maxwell is a junior who has been developing under Kirk for the past three years. For his career Maxwell has only 294 yards and 1 touch down. That is not a whole lot of action. I can remember the touch down, I believe it was to Dion Sims and then pretty much all I can remember is him getting injured against Alabama. Maxwell missed the spring game with a knee injury but has since made a full recovery. His scrimmage stats are solid, though skewed because they are scrimmage stats. One thing that has been coming out of scrimmages and practices is that Maxwell does not make mistakes. I don't need to spell out why this is a good thing. Along with that Maxwell is said to possess a stronger arm than Cousins. What is obvious about Andrew is that he is more athletic, I expect Andrew to run for short third downs rather than forcing passes. Andrew will benefit from limiting his mistakes in the first few games. Confidence will be key. Outside of that, I have no idea what to expect. We will get a good glimpse of that this Friday.
Behind Andrew, MSU has Connor Cook. Cook is a redshirt freshman. During the spring game, Cook played for both teams due to Maxwell's injury. His stats were solid, but again this was a glorified scrimmage. What is being said about Cook is that his spring game time, and reps with the first team have been incredible for his growth. Cook is a quarterback in a similar vain to Maxwell. He has a strong arm and is a more mobile quarterback. Should an injury occur to Maxwell, Cook would be our guy. While he has a solid grasp of the offense having spent the summer studying the plays, this would cause me to lose what little hair I still have (on my head).
From there MSU has Tyler O'Connor who is expected to redshirt. O'Connor was an excellent high school athlete, even kicking for his high school team. Finally there is Peter Badovinac. Peter is in his final season after playing one year at Drake in 2008. Pete was fairly successful there though he only played in 5 games. Pete is another quarterback with the ability to run the ball.
This was pretty short for the Spartans mostly due to the lack of experience. There is not a lot to comment on. I am very excited about the potential of Maxwell. I think he will be a good quarterback for us. It will be nice having a player that scrambles a bit more, Especially if that means first downs and not forced down field passes. Spartan fans should temper their expectations for now. Cousins was a great quarterback with boundless poise. It will be interesting to see what Maxwell looks like when this Boise State game is close.
UM
Denard. Everyone knows this story. One of the most dynamic athletes in all of football. This is his swan song, his last chance to win big at Michigan. I wish Denard would have redshirted his freshman year because he still has a lot of room for development and growth, but then again we would have missed out on this:
Denard needs to limit his turnovers and stay healthy but with a little more development in the passing game he is solidly in the Heisman Trophy mix. He is probably the best (and most important) player in the Big Ten conference. As MSU fans can attest, senior QBs are good to have leading your team. Michigan finally gets just that this season. Denard also gets to play in year 2 of Al Borges' offense and should be much more comfortable than last year in what was a transition year.
For MSU fans, if you haven't seen many Michigan games other than the UM-MSU game, you probably don't understand all the hype around Denard. His two worst games in his entire career have come against Michigan State. Some credit for that needs to go to Dantonio and Narduzzi, and maybe they have his number, but he needs to step up his play his best against the very best competition. A positive sign in that direction was Denard's performance in last season's finale against the Buckeyes.
Next in is Devin Gardner. He's such a good athlete that he's likely going to be Michigan's most dangerous threat at receiver this season. He worked his way into a bunch of playing time last season, even seeing snaps when Denard was totally healthy. I'm not sure how much of that we will see this season. Gardner would still be very raw if he is forced to start games for Michigan this season. He's in the mold of Minnesota's Marquies Gray and provides height, speed and a strong arm.
Redshirt freshman Russell Bellomy is the third guy on the depth chart for the Wolverines. Bellomy has been receiving a lot of hype out of spring and fall camp and Hoke has even stated he would be comfortable if Bellomy had to play. Sorry coach, I wouldn't be comfortable with it. Bellomy was a Purdue commit before flipping to Michigan and in his scrimmage footage he looks about like a typical Purdue QB. He's mobile, has a decent arm and good touch but I've never seen him make those throws on a rope that elite college QBs are capable of making.
Overall this is the best unit on Michigan's team. Their best player and their second best athlete are both QBs (though Devin may play more WR this year). Anything less than All-Big Ten for Denard is a massive disappointment.
The Comparison
Spartan fans probably haven't had such a combination of being excited and nervous for a season opener in quite a few seasons and that is mostly due to having such high expectations, a great opening opponent and massive uncertainty at the QB position. We know Maxwell is the guy, we just don't know how effective he will be. Spartan nation will be watching closely each time Maxwell drops back with keen interest. He could be anywhere from a liability, making MSU a one dimensional offense, to a fresh on-the-scenes superstar who is immediately one of the Big Ten's best quarterbacks. That's a giant range. I expect Maxwell to be a steady, consistent performer who makes a few mistakes as all first time starters usually do while making a few throws that showcase an NFL caliber arm down the road.
It's difficult to envision a scenario where both teams have healthy quarterbacks and this is anything but a huge edge for Michigan. Denard should be further improved as a passer and all the while be on his way to breaking records on the ground. Denard is special, Maxwell would have to be that special type of talent as well.
Edge: Michigan (big)
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Running Backs
MSU
The Spartan running backs were once a crowded group. However, with Edwin Baker leaving last year for the NFL, the main man is now Le'Veon Bell. Last year, Bell had a solid season, as mentioned in a previous post, he came on more towards the end of the year, when the bulk of the carries were now his. Bell averaged 5.2 ypc which is very solid. You are going to win a lot of games if you do that every game. Bell actually had the 5th most rushing touch downs in the B1G inspite of rushing for a team with the second to worst rushing stats. Bell is with out a doubt a punishing running back. However, he can juke and spin out of tackles. With his punishing style, he also packs a mean stiff arm. Being the feature back should allow Bell to reach 1200 yards. Up from the 948 last year. I expect Bell to average about 100 yards per game. With such a new passing attack, it seems that the pressure is on the running game and Bell has what it takes to support that pressure.
Behind Bell are Nick Hill and Larry Caper. Both are listed as co-backups. Michigan fans may remember Larry Caper from such games as 2009 OT win over Michigan where he literally carried a Wolverine defender for the score. Larry is a perfect third down back, entering his senior season, Larry figures to see plenty of game time. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and turn upfield will be a big asset this year. He is definitely another power runner and has seen it all in his Spartan career. Nick Hill is the new face in the backfield. Last year Hill was on special teams. Hill racked up 999 return yards which is second most in MSU single season history. Hill is a compact speedster. He has a quick first step and will be able to hide behind lineman and pop out to gain quick yards. Hill is a sophomore and depending on what he does with his time this year, could be a prominent feature next year. I expect Hill to get a fair amount of game time where his speed will be his biggest asset. If he is able to catch the ball out of the back field screen passes and quick tosses seem like a lock for Hill. Hill is listed at 5-8 and should be about a foot shorter than most of the lineman. When running between the tackles, expect Hill to wait for the gaps to be established where he will dart out. I like the potential in Hill but am not sure he will be used all that frequently this year.
Finally we have the bruiser. True fact, his nickname is high school was meatball (the counter to him at DCC was known as Spaghetti). Niko Palazeti. Out of High school Niko lead the Shamrocks to a perfect 14-0 record. His freshman year at MSU Niko red-shirted and then last year earned his first letter. I expect there to be a lot of full back sets for this Spartan team. Imagine Niko lead blocking for Bell on a sweep. That's a lot of bruise. I don't have a lot of stat information on Niko due to his limited game time. What has been written about him though is that he is already looking to be a future leader of this team. From here, there is also Jeremy Langford who is known for his speed and has been getting reps at both wide receiver and running back.
This is a solid group that isn't going to finesse any one. You know what this team wants to do and it is up to opposing defenses to stop it. Pound Green Pound.
UM
Backing up Toussaint is Thomas Rawls. Rawls is a sophomore who got some carries as a freshman last year. Rawls is a much different runner than Toussaint and is more likely to run through a man than make him miss. He's been receiving high praise throughout the offseason and should be the clear #2 guy throughout the season and will fill in if Fitz gets nicked.
PUSH
The Spartan running backs were once a crowded group. However, with Edwin Baker leaving last year for the NFL, the main man is now Le'Veon Bell. Last year, Bell had a solid season, as mentioned in a previous post, he came on more towards the end of the year, when the bulk of the carries were now his. Bell averaged 5.2 ypc which is very solid. You are going to win a lot of games if you do that every game. Bell actually had the 5th most rushing touch downs in the B1G inspite of rushing for a team with the second to worst rushing stats. Bell is with out a doubt a punishing running back. However, he can juke and spin out of tackles. With his punishing style, he also packs a mean stiff arm. Being the feature back should allow Bell to reach 1200 yards. Up from the 948 last year. I expect Bell to average about 100 yards per game. With such a new passing attack, it seems that the pressure is on the running game and Bell has what it takes to support that pressure.
Behind Bell are Nick Hill and Larry Caper. Both are listed as co-backups. Michigan fans may remember Larry Caper from such games as 2009 OT win over Michigan where he literally carried a Wolverine defender for the score. Larry is a perfect third down back, entering his senior season, Larry figures to see plenty of game time. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and turn upfield will be a big asset this year. He is definitely another power runner and has seen it all in his Spartan career. Nick Hill is the new face in the backfield. Last year Hill was on special teams. Hill racked up 999 return yards which is second most in MSU single season history. Hill is a compact speedster. He has a quick first step and will be able to hide behind lineman and pop out to gain quick yards. Hill is a sophomore and depending on what he does with his time this year, could be a prominent feature next year. I expect Hill to get a fair amount of game time where his speed will be his biggest asset. If he is able to catch the ball out of the back field screen passes and quick tosses seem like a lock for Hill. Hill is listed at 5-8 and should be about a foot shorter than most of the lineman. When running between the tackles, expect Hill to wait for the gaps to be established where he will dart out. I like the potential in Hill but am not sure he will be used all that frequently this year.
Finally we have the bruiser. True fact, his nickname is high school was meatball (the counter to him at DCC was known as Spaghetti). Niko Palazeti. Out of High school Niko lead the Shamrocks to a perfect 14-0 record. His freshman year at MSU Niko red-shirted and then last year earned his first letter. I expect there to be a lot of full back sets for this Spartan team. Imagine Niko lead blocking for Bell on a sweep. That's a lot of bruise. I don't have a lot of stat information on Niko due to his limited game time. What has been written about him though is that he is already looking to be a future leader of this team. From here, there is also Jeremy Langford who is known for his speed and has been getting reps at both wide receiver and running back.
This is a solid group that isn't going to finesse any one. You know what this team wants to do and it is up to opposing defenses to stop it. Pound Green Pound.
UM
Fitzgerald Toussaint came into his own last season and seized the starting job while rushing for 1041 despite not playing against Notre Dame and having an inexplicable 2 carries against MSU. He averaged 5.6 ypc. He's very shifty, can make that first guy miss in a phone booth and should only improve in his junior season. Of course he also got in trouble for a DUI this offseason and his status for the opener is unknown. Fitz will be one of the best backs in the Big Ten whether he sits out the Bama game or not.
Backing up Toussaint is Thomas Rawls. Rawls is a sophomore who got some carries as a freshman last year. Rawls is a much different runner than Toussaint and is more likely to run through a man than make him miss. He's been receiving high praise throughout the offseason and should be the clear #2 guy throughout the season and will fill in if Fitz gets nicked.
Third downs bring in Vincent Smith. Now a senior, Smith is a 5'6 quick twitch guy who is a great blocker, a decent runner and very dangerous in the screen game. He played the same role last season and gives Michigan a very reliable option on third down or as a replacement if they need him.
At fullback Michigan returns Stephen Hopkins. Hopkins was a guy who was plunging in for touchdowns in his true freshman season and now has made the full transition to fullback. He's more of a weapon than traditional fullbacks and can carry the ball reliably.
At fullback Michigan returns Stephen Hopkins. Hopkins was a guy who was plunging in for touchdowns in his true freshman season and now has made the full transition to fullback. He's more of a weapon than traditional fullbacks and can carry the ball reliably.
This unit for Michigan is very good at the top, has very good depth and should be extremely productive throughout the season. Toussaint is probably Michigan's second best offensive playmaker.
The Edge
Both teams are well stocked in the backfield. Bell is getting hype as a possible first round draft pick while Toussaint was the more productive runner in 2011. Caper and Smith are both very good third down backs and both teams have promising backups. Expect Bell and Toussaint to battle with Rex Burkhead for the 2nd All-Big Ten spot at RB behind Montee Ball.
PUSH
Monday, August 27, 2012
Offensive Line
UM Offensive Line
(The Michigan portion is written by Pat and posted by tbone)
All-American or panic. It may sound like hyperbole but this description is perfect for Michigan's offensive line in 2012. Michigan's pair of starting tackles is likely to be the best in the conference. Taylor Lewan looks more and more like an All-American in what is now his third season starting at left tackle, one of the most important positions on the football field. Michael Schofield has received praise as the better of the two in run blocking. Schofield is big and cameo'd at both guard and tackle last season due to injury. He did quite well as a too-tall guard and is better suited for tackle. These two studs literally have no viable backups. (No offense meant to former walk-on Eric Gunderson or true freshman Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson and Ben Braden)
On the inside Michigan will turn to senior Ricky Barnum to take over for David Molk at center. Barnum was a starting guard last season but battle injury issues throughout the year. When he did play he was effective and is a very big body. He has received high praise throughout the spring and fall. His backup is Jack Miller, a young player who came in needing to put on weight. He would be more in the Molk mold of a mobile center but would be a big dropoff from Barnum.
Right guard is firm with Patrick Omameh. Patrick is one of those players who has seemed to have been around forever. He was great in the zone schemes diagrammed by Rodriguez in 2010 as a sophomore and suffered through some transition issues last season while starting every game. I expect his second season under Hoke and Borges, with some added weight, will see Omameh reach a high level of production.
Left guard is the only position on the offensive line that still has an ongoing battle. Senior Elliot Mealer, former walk-on Joey Burzinski, redshirt freshman Christian Bryant and true freshman uber recruit Kyle Kalis are doing battle there. Playing a true freshman is always scary but I expect Kalis to be the starter by the time B1G play rolls around and I am actually excited about that possibility as he's not your typical freshman OL recruit.
Mealer, Burzinski, Chris Bryant and Jack Miller will provide depth along the interior of the line (unless one of them earns the starting OG spot over Kalis, maybe Mealer or Burzinski).
So this unit is easy to forecast. They are elite and have terrible depth. If Michigan can make it through the season without an injury to an OT I think they will be in line for some serious postseason awards on the Oline and likely have the best offensive line in the B1G. If one of their tackles goes down...players will be shifted all over the place and things could end up in disaster
-----
MSU
If the UM offensive line is All-American or bust, than the MSU line is All B1G or bust. I am not sure what I am getting there other than this line should be good. As good as UM's. ESPN B1G blog has the MSU offensive line as the third ranked OL unit (UM was second), saying "this could be the best offensive line Mark Dantonio has had in East Lansing." and "Chris McDonald is one of the league's top guards."
McDonald is the most experienced returner as a 5th year senior and three year starter. He is on Outland Trophy watch list and ranked as both a preseaon all B1G team member but also one of the best guards in the country. ESPN has also ranked him as the fourth best overall lineman in the B1G. There are not a lot of juicy stats for offensive lineman, but McDonald did lead the team in knockdowns and in snaps played. That might be the most telling stat. Chris is good and is durable.
At the other guard spot, left guard, is named starter Blake Treadwell. Currently Blake has a stress fracture in his tibia. Unfortunetly the tibia is a weight bearing. I hope this is not something that lingers all season. I imagine when you weigh 300 pounds, that hurts. Last year, Blake started three games at center, before receiving a medical redshirt for a knee injury. The left guard position was going to be an on going position battle between Blake and Jack Allen. Though Blake should return within 2 months. Jack Allen is a name that almost always pops up evertime you read a Spring report on MSU football. Jack was a redshirt last year and this spring has been receivng reps at both left guard and center. Now is the time for Jack to show what he can do. Offensive Coordinator Dan Roushar believes that MSU has "something special" in Jack. Allen was ranked the 7th best center in the country out of high school. Along with that he was a successful high school wrestler, winning hte class 3a state championshio in his weight class and racking up over 140 career wins. Jack has the athleticism, we are all ready to see it. Between our guards is the steay hand of Travis Jackson. As a redshirt freshman last year, Travis started 10 games for the Spartans. Yahoo, ESPN and BTN all named Travis to their B1G all freshman team and some sources had him on their freshman All-American team. Jackson should fine himself on some first team All-B1G lists after this year, anything less than that would be a disappointment for him. Backing up our guards and centers are Ethan Ruhland at left guard. Ethan is a fifth year senior who started in the win over Minnesota last year but received action in 12 games. Ethan is more than a serviceable backup and is a great guy to have should anyone get injured. With Allen sliding over he should be hacking up Jackson at center. Backing up McDonald is John Deyo another 5th year senior with loads of game experience. Deyo saw action in all the games last year. This kind of experience is what you need in an offensive line. Especially a grind it out team like the Spartans claim to be.
On the outside the Spartans have Dan France at left tackle who will be entering his second year as a starter. Last year France started 13 games at left tackle and recorded 29 knock downs. With a right handed quarterback having a player who is receiving All-B1G team praise is what you need to protect your quarterback. Dan is listed at 6-6 and creates headaches for opposing ends with his size. At the other tackle spot is Fou Fonoti. Last year Fou seemed to get better as the year went on. He really had great games against Wisconsin and the offense seems to like to run behind him. This will be Fou's second season as a starter and has received pre-season All-B1G accolades. Fou finished last year starting 11 games and playing 659 snaps. What is more impressive about that is that he did not allow a sack. Fou is exceptionally athletic for a guy his size and has no problem getting to the next level to help stretch run plays. Fou should be on a few All-B1G lists as the season ends. No sacks allowed? Come on. Backing these guys up are Skyler Burkland at left tackle. Skyler was a starter last year before an ankle injury sindlined him for the rest of the season. Skyler should push for a starting spot or at least a lot of playing time. He is a talented kid with massive frame at 6-7 317 pounds. I would have full faith is Skyler were starting right now, even with his limited playing time. Henry Conway is the backup at right tackle. Conway is least experienced of the entire offensive line having appeared in only three games last year, Conway red shirted his freshman year and missed the next season due to an injury.
Other players worth mentioning would be Nate Klatt who plays both center and right right guard. He will be backing up both positions and could be the #2 guard behind McDonald. There is also Donavan Clark who is a true freshman and a big recruit out of high school. There is also Connor Kruse who has been limited so far with a knee injury.
Overall this is a deep unit, about as deep as an offensive line can be. There are four starters returning and six players that have started at some point in their career. That is solid. It may be a cliche but is is true, football is won in the trenches and this is as talented and game tested of a unit as Mark Dantonio has ever had.
EDGE: Interesting one here. While UM might have the best single overall player, I think MSU has the better overall unit. These are two talented offensive lines. I will add that I would not want the UM line for the MSU offense and I do not think Pat would want the MSU line for the UM offense. Along with that, the MSU line is intact from last year while UM will have a new face up front. Based on that, I will say PUSH.
(The Michigan portion is written by Pat and posted by tbone)
All-American or panic. It may sound like hyperbole but this description is perfect for Michigan's offensive line in 2012. Michigan's pair of starting tackles is likely to be the best in the conference. Taylor Lewan looks more and more like an All-American in what is now his third season starting at left tackle, one of the most important positions on the football field. Michael Schofield has received praise as the better of the two in run blocking. Schofield is big and cameo'd at both guard and tackle last season due to injury. He did quite well as a too-tall guard and is better suited for tackle. These two studs literally have no viable backups. (No offense meant to former walk-on Eric Gunderson or true freshman Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson and Ben Braden)
On the inside Michigan will turn to senior Ricky Barnum to take over for David Molk at center. Barnum was a starting guard last season but battle injury issues throughout the year. When he did play he was effective and is a very big body. He has received high praise throughout the spring and fall. His backup is Jack Miller, a young player who came in needing to put on weight. He would be more in the Molk mold of a mobile center but would be a big dropoff from Barnum.
Right guard is firm with Patrick Omameh. Patrick is one of those players who has seemed to have been around forever. He was great in the zone schemes diagrammed by Rodriguez in 2010 as a sophomore and suffered through some transition issues last season while starting every game. I expect his second season under Hoke and Borges, with some added weight, will see Omameh reach a high level of production.
Left guard is the only position on the offensive line that still has an ongoing battle. Senior Elliot Mealer, former walk-on Joey Burzinski, redshirt freshman Christian Bryant and true freshman uber recruit Kyle Kalis are doing battle there. Playing a true freshman is always scary but I expect Kalis to be the starter by the time B1G play rolls around and I am actually excited about that possibility as he's not your typical freshman OL recruit.
Mealer, Burzinski, Chris Bryant and Jack Miller will provide depth along the interior of the line (unless one of them earns the starting OG spot over Kalis, maybe Mealer or Burzinski).
So this unit is easy to forecast. They are elite and have terrible depth. If Michigan can make it through the season without an injury to an OT I think they will be in line for some serious postseason awards on the Oline and likely have the best offensive line in the B1G. If one of their tackles goes down...players will be shifted all over the place and things could end up in disaster
-----
MSU
If the UM offensive line is All-American or bust, than the MSU line is All B1G or bust. I am not sure what I am getting there other than this line should be good. As good as UM's. ESPN B1G blog has the MSU offensive line as the third ranked OL unit (UM was second), saying "this could be the best offensive line Mark Dantonio has had in East Lansing." and "Chris McDonald is one of the league's top guards."
McDonald is the most experienced returner as a 5th year senior and three year starter. He is on Outland Trophy watch list and ranked as both a preseaon all B1G team member but also one of the best guards in the country. ESPN has also ranked him as the fourth best overall lineman in the B1G. There are not a lot of juicy stats for offensive lineman, but McDonald did lead the team in knockdowns and in snaps played. That might be the most telling stat. Chris is good and is durable.
At the other guard spot, left guard, is named starter Blake Treadwell. Currently Blake has a stress fracture in his tibia. Unfortunetly the tibia is a weight bearing. I hope this is not something that lingers all season. I imagine when you weigh 300 pounds, that hurts. Last year, Blake started three games at center, before receiving a medical redshirt for a knee injury. The left guard position was going to be an on going position battle between Blake and Jack Allen. Though Blake should return within 2 months. Jack Allen is a name that almost always pops up evertime you read a Spring report on MSU football. Jack was a redshirt last year and this spring has been receivng reps at both left guard and center. Now is the time for Jack to show what he can do. Offensive Coordinator Dan Roushar believes that MSU has "something special" in Jack. Allen was ranked the 7th best center in the country out of high school. Along with that he was a successful high school wrestler, winning hte class 3a state championshio in his weight class and racking up over 140 career wins. Jack has the athleticism, we are all ready to see it. Between our guards is the steay hand of Travis Jackson. As a redshirt freshman last year, Travis started 10 games for the Spartans. Yahoo, ESPN and BTN all named Travis to their B1G all freshman team and some sources had him on their freshman All-American team. Jackson should fine himself on some first team All-B1G lists after this year, anything less than that would be a disappointment for him. Backing up our guards and centers are Ethan Ruhland at left guard. Ethan is a fifth year senior who started in the win over Minnesota last year but received action in 12 games. Ethan is more than a serviceable backup and is a great guy to have should anyone get injured. With Allen sliding over he should be hacking up Jackson at center. Backing up McDonald is John Deyo another 5th year senior with loads of game experience. Deyo saw action in all the games last year. This kind of experience is what you need in an offensive line. Especially a grind it out team like the Spartans claim to be.
On the outside the Spartans have Dan France at left tackle who will be entering his second year as a starter. Last year France started 13 games at left tackle and recorded 29 knock downs. With a right handed quarterback having a player who is receiving All-B1G team praise is what you need to protect your quarterback. Dan is listed at 6-6 and creates headaches for opposing ends with his size. At the other tackle spot is Fou Fonoti. Last year Fou seemed to get better as the year went on. He really had great games against Wisconsin and the offense seems to like to run behind him. This will be Fou's second season as a starter and has received pre-season All-B1G accolades. Fou finished last year starting 11 games and playing 659 snaps. What is more impressive about that is that he did not allow a sack. Fou is exceptionally athletic for a guy his size and has no problem getting to the next level to help stretch run plays. Fou should be on a few All-B1G lists as the season ends. No sacks allowed? Come on. Backing these guys up are Skyler Burkland at left tackle. Skyler was a starter last year before an ankle injury sindlined him for the rest of the season. Skyler should push for a starting spot or at least a lot of playing time. He is a talented kid with massive frame at 6-7 317 pounds. I would have full faith is Skyler were starting right now, even with his limited playing time. Henry Conway is the backup at right tackle. Conway is least experienced of the entire offensive line having appeared in only three games last year, Conway red shirted his freshman year and missed the next season due to an injury.
Other players worth mentioning would be Nate Klatt who plays both center and right right guard. He will be backing up both positions and could be the #2 guard behind McDonald. There is also Donavan Clark who is a true freshman and a big recruit out of high school. There is also Connor Kruse who has been limited so far with a knee injury.
Overall this is a deep unit, about as deep as an offensive line can be. There are four starters returning and six players that have started at some point in their career. That is solid. It may be a cliche but is is true, football is won in the trenches and this is as talented and game tested of a unit as Mark Dantonio has ever had.
EDGE: Interesting one here. While UM might have the best single overall player, I think MSU has the better overall unit. These are two talented offensive lines. I will add that I would not want the UM line for the MSU offense and I do not think Pat would want the MSU line for the UM offense. Along with that, the MSU line is intact from last year while UM will have a new face up front. Based on that, I will say PUSH.
(AMAZING SHOTS)
Sunday, August 26, 2012
A Wolverine Predicts Michigan State's Season
Tbone is off on vacation but we will be sure to finish up our position comparison before the season kicks off next week. In the meantime, I'm going to take a stab at looking at the schedule and giving Spartan fans a rundown of how I think the season will play out for MSU. While I'm sure this won't be very informative it may be a little bit of fun.
Michigan State Schedule 2012
Boise State
One of the marquee matchups kicking off college football should be a thrilling atmosphere under the lights in East Lansing. I don't generally like college football to played on Friday nights (because fans should go out and watch high school games) but this is a very exciting matchup.
Boise loses so much that it's difficult to predict an upset victory in this game. It will be interesting to see if MSU is capable of downfield passing against a Boise St defense that is replacing a ton. I expect MSU to win this game with defense and their running game. Maxwell has limited attempts but is efficient.
24-14
At Central Michigan
While I find it humurous and cute that MSU is going to play @CMU this year, no matter how fired up the Chips are they aren't winning this game. These contests have sometimes gone Central's way in the past but MSU is just too tough this season.
41-10
Vs Notre Dame
The first of two revenge games for MSU in 2012. Who knows what to make of Notre Dame, they have a difficult schedule, some talent on their roster and a coach who loves to scream at everyone. I actually think they may be pretty good this season as Kelly finally will be developing his guys and his team. Still, with this game being in East Lansing the edge here has to go to MSU. I expect a close and hard fought game with Michigan State pulling the game out in the last 4 minutes with a key defensive play (sack, interception or fumble recovery).
24 - 23
Vs Eastern Michigan
Move along, nothing to see here.
50-6
Vs Ohio State
It doesn't get much uglier than Spartan vs Buckeye, ever, but especially last season when the two played in one of the worst offensive games I've ever witnessed. I think Urban Meyer treats this as a big statement game and Ohio State comes in for a little revenge against the Spartans. This will be another low scoring, defensive battle.
10 - 17
At Indiana
Playing in Bloomington still doesn't give the Hoosiers a prayer in this game. They may keep it interesting for a quarter.
38-12
Vs Iowa
I expect the Hawkeyes to have a good offense and a bad defense this season. Michigan State will gash Iowa's poor defensive line for over 5 yards per carry and roll to a comfortable victory by playing ball control.
28-20
At Michigan
You had to expect this pick from me, but the four year streak ends this season in Ann Arbor. A senior Denard and the Wolverines hosting in the Big House are the difference in a game in which Gholston and Lewan have an epic, clean battle. Michigan kicks a couple field goals in the 4th to clinch the victory.
21-27
At Wisconsin
This is as hard a stretch of games as anyone has in the conference this season. The hangover from the loss to Michigan and playing a rowdy atmosphere in Camp Randall results in the only lopsided defeat the Spartans suffer all season.
10-31
Vs Nebraska
Another revenge game for the Spartans. Nebraska will have a good shot at the Legends race and Michigan State will absolutely need this victory to keep their hopes of making it to Indy alive. This game will come down to late in the 4th and MSU will have just enough left in the tank to pull out the victory with a little help from the home crowd.
24-20
Vs Northwestern
This is a dangerous game because it comes on the heels of such a difficult three game stretch and that in itself will give the Wildcats some life in this game. Still, Michigan State is more talented across the board than Northwestern. Another comfortable win for the Spartans.
35-17
At Minnesota
Minnesota isn't going to go from awful to great overnight, but they will be an improved squad. Bowl eligibility could be on the line here for the Gophers and playing their final game of the season at home could make for an interesting atmosphere. Minnesota gave MSU some problems in East Lansing last season and the Spartans will be prepared and give a better effort in this one.
38-14
The Season
I have the Spartans at 9-3 with losses to OSU, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The schedule breaks pretty evenly into a few categories:
Sure Wins: 3 (@CMU, EMU, @IU)
Probable Wins: 3 (Iowa, Northwestern, @Minnesota)
Toss Ups: (Boise St, Notre Dame, OSU, @Michigan, @Wisconsin, Nebraska)
MSU will sweep those first 6 games so I think their floor this season is 6-6 if everything goes wrong or there are major injury issues (for example Maxwell goes out for the year)
It helps a ton to have only 2/6 toss up games on the road though I believe those are the two toughest teams MSU will face this season. (Those two finished highest in last season's rankings as well) Still, I have these as toss ups and project MSU to go 3-3 in this stretch of games. I wouldn't be surprised by 4-2 and I would be slightly more surprised by 2-4, which means IMO 10-2 is more likely than 8-4.
OK Spartan fans, let me know where I'm wrong.
Michigan State Schedule 2012
Boise State
One of the marquee matchups kicking off college football should be a thrilling atmosphere under the lights in East Lansing. I don't generally like college football to played on Friday nights (because fans should go out and watch high school games) but this is a very exciting matchup.
Boise loses so much that it's difficult to predict an upset victory in this game. It will be interesting to see if MSU is capable of downfield passing against a Boise St defense that is replacing a ton. I expect MSU to win this game with defense and their running game. Maxwell has limited attempts but is efficient.
24-14
At Central Michigan
While I find it humurous and cute that MSU is going to play @CMU this year, no matter how fired up the Chips are they aren't winning this game. These contests have sometimes gone Central's way in the past but MSU is just too tough this season.
41-10
Vs Notre Dame
The first of two revenge games for MSU in 2012. Who knows what to make of Notre Dame, they have a difficult schedule, some talent on their roster and a coach who loves to scream at everyone. I actually think they may be pretty good this season as Kelly finally will be developing his guys and his team. Still, with this game being in East Lansing the edge here has to go to MSU. I expect a close and hard fought game with Michigan State pulling the game out in the last 4 minutes with a key defensive play (sack, interception or fumble recovery).
24 - 23
Vs Eastern Michigan
Move along, nothing to see here.
50-6
Vs Ohio State
It doesn't get much uglier than Spartan vs Buckeye, ever, but especially last season when the two played in one of the worst offensive games I've ever witnessed. I think Urban Meyer treats this as a big statement game and Ohio State comes in for a little revenge against the Spartans. This will be another low scoring, defensive battle.
10 - 17
At Indiana
Playing in Bloomington still doesn't give the Hoosiers a prayer in this game. They may keep it interesting for a quarter.
38-12
Vs Iowa
I expect the Hawkeyes to have a good offense and a bad defense this season. Michigan State will gash Iowa's poor defensive line for over 5 yards per carry and roll to a comfortable victory by playing ball control.
28-20
At Michigan
You had to expect this pick from me, but the four year streak ends this season in Ann Arbor. A senior Denard and the Wolverines hosting in the Big House are the difference in a game in which Gholston and Lewan have an epic, clean battle. Michigan kicks a couple field goals in the 4th to clinch the victory.
21-27
At Wisconsin
This is as hard a stretch of games as anyone has in the conference this season. The hangover from the loss to Michigan and playing a rowdy atmosphere in Camp Randall results in the only lopsided defeat the Spartans suffer all season.
10-31
Vs Nebraska
Another revenge game for the Spartans. Nebraska will have a good shot at the Legends race and Michigan State will absolutely need this victory to keep their hopes of making it to Indy alive. This game will come down to late in the 4th and MSU will have just enough left in the tank to pull out the victory with a little help from the home crowd.
24-20
Vs Northwestern
This is a dangerous game because it comes on the heels of such a difficult three game stretch and that in itself will give the Wildcats some life in this game. Still, Michigan State is more talented across the board than Northwestern. Another comfortable win for the Spartans.
35-17
At Minnesota
Minnesota isn't going to go from awful to great overnight, but they will be an improved squad. Bowl eligibility could be on the line here for the Gophers and playing their final game of the season at home could make for an interesting atmosphere. Minnesota gave MSU some problems in East Lansing last season and the Spartans will be prepared and give a better effort in this one.
38-14
The Season
I have the Spartans at 9-3 with losses to OSU, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The schedule breaks pretty evenly into a few categories:
Sure Wins: 3 (@CMU, EMU, @IU)
Probable Wins: 3 (Iowa, Northwestern, @Minnesota)
Toss Ups: (Boise St, Notre Dame, OSU, @Michigan, @Wisconsin, Nebraska)
MSU will sweep those first 6 games so I think their floor this season is 6-6 if everything goes wrong or there are major injury issues (for example Maxwell goes out for the year)
It helps a ton to have only 2/6 toss up games on the road though I believe those are the two toughest teams MSU will face this season. (Those two finished highest in last season's rankings as well) Still, I have these as toss ups and project MSU to go 3-3 in this stretch of games. I wouldn't be surprised by 4-2 and I would be slightly more surprised by 2-4, which means IMO 10-2 is more likely than 8-4.
OK Spartan fans, let me know where I'm wrong.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
WR/TE
(the michigan portion was written by pat, posted by tbone)
Yikes. Wide receivers and tight ends are probably the least proven of all offensive position groups for the Wolverines heading into 2012.
First the TE's.
Michigan loses Kevin Koger to graduation. Koger played seemingly all the offensive snaps at TE last season and with his departure Michigan their one proven player at the position. When Michigan went to two TE sets last year they turned to Steve Watson, who also departs. Watson didn't do much to draw praise or ire, so it's safe to say he was average.
Taking over for Koger and Watson is senior Brandon Moore. Moore has physical ability but his lack of snaps indicate he has yet to put things together. He's likely to be the main TE in running situations. If he can play at an average level that will be a win for the Wolverines.
Backing up Moore is a bunch of bodies with no proven commodities. Walk-on Mike Kwiatkowski is likely the next guy in line. Walk-ons in the lineup always give you pause but TE is a position where walk-ons have had success at many programs. Beyond these two there are two freshman; Devin Funchess is a tweener and may well be a WR this season but he is well regarded. He could potentially earn snaps in passing situations. AJ Williams is another tweener but he is more of an offensive tackle than a TE. If he sees the field it will certainly be as a road grading run blocker.
Other bodies here are sophomores Ricardo Miller and Jordan Paskorz. Both will have opportunity to prove themselves and earn playing time.
Success of this unit depends largely on Moore and whether or not he can be a Michigan caliber starter in his senior year. This will not be the strength of the team but TE is a position that can be schemed for or around, depending on your talent.
Wide receiver on the other hand is important in any offense in college football. Michigan loses it's best playmaker on the outside in Junior Hemingway. He was Denard's safety valve all season and continually went up and won jump balls. Martavious Odoms was also lost to graduation. Odoms made some big plays (especially in the OSU game) and will be missed as a leader and a guy with tons of experience.
Michigan was dealt another blow when Daryl Stonum was dismissed from the team in the offseason after serving a one year suspension last season. Stonum would have been a clear #1 guy for Michigan.
Yet another setback occurred when Roy Roundtree had arthroscopic knee surgery last week. Roy is expected back within a couple of weeks and should be ready to play for Alabama but may not be effective the first few weeks of the season.
Michigan will look for Roundtree or Jeremy Gallon to step up and become a #1 receiver this season. Gallon is a mighty mite but has great leaping ability and is exceptionally quick. I'm higher on Gallon than most and believe he will be Michigan's top target this season and a playmaker as well. Drew Dileo is another returning player who has seen action and made big catches. Dileo is a less experienced and less explosive version of Gallon. He will be a productive slot receiver this season.
Devin Gardner is an unknown but has been taking snaps at WR. He's tall and fast and has been impressive by all accounts. It will be interesting to see how much he actually plays at WR. He's probably Michigan's 2nd best athlete after Denard on the entire team. He could be a redzone demon or barely see the field as a WR, it's really anyone's guess at this point.
Beyond those two things get dicey. Jeremy Jackson is now an upperclassmen and has playing experience but he is justifiably put into the dreaded "possession receiver" category. He is steady but does not have the athleticism to get open consistently. Jerald Robinson has the athleticism and size and now is his time to show what he can do. Robinson will have plenty of opportunity to shine on the outside for Michigan. Both incoming freshman could also contribute. They are big (something Michigan's upperclassman can't boast) and they are also fast. Amara Darboh is my choice between the two if you are looking for one to earn early playing time.
While Michigan has some issues at WR for 2012 I'm not sure I would trade their starting unit for any others in the Big Ten. This year is not the year of the WR in the conference. I expect one of Michigan's receivers to be on the All-B1G team at the end of the season and think this unit will solid but lacking a true #1 deep threat throughout the season.
If you look at TE and WR as one unit together, I would say Michigan has a blend of talent, experience and giant question marks. This is a high variance group that could be a disaster if they can't work out something at TE or could be a very big advantage if things take shape. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out for the Wolverines.
-----------------------------------------
The Spartan Tight End group is about as thin as they come. MSU lost Garet Celek and Brian Linthicim to graduation. Starting is well known player Dion Sims. Sims is a fourth year Junior who red shirted 2010 due to legal issues. Sims showed a lot of promise as a freshman and played most of last year with a broken hand, thus limiting his production. He has been named to the Mackey award watch list and is appearing on severeal pre-season All B1G lists. In Sims, new QB Maxwell should find a security blanket. Here is a big target with proven hands. In the redzone Sims will feast, an all B1G selection figures to be a lock. Outside of Sims, there is not a lot of proven talent. MSU has a converted defensive end in Denzel Drone, though lately he was been practicing on defense thanks to the emergence of Andrew Gleichert and Derek Hoebing.
Wide receiver is pretty much the opposite problem as tight end, where there is limited experience across the board but also a lot of potential starters. For me the starters will be Bennie Fowler and DeAnthony Arnett, at least once the season gets going. But for now, that Arnett spot is held by Tony Lippett. Tony played last year as a corner back and was more than serviceable. His athleticism is his largest attribute. If Tony gained some muscle in the off season, he could be a huge surprise for the offense. Fowler is a name that has been around the Spartan team for a while. As a redshirt freshman, Fowler made an impact both in receiveing and returning. Since then, Fowler has been trying to heal a foot injury. His health will decide how this receving crew will end up. Talented, great hands, good size, MSU needs Fowler.
From there MSU has a lot of unproven talent. All of these guys are athletes, Keith Mumphrey, Andre Sims Jr, the tallest one, Juwan Caesar. However, the name that keeps coming up is Tres Barksdale. Tres is a walk on to the team and has been impressive. In the first scrimmage, Tres hauled in a 37 yard TD against our backup defense. You can look at that either way, but I will take the positive in Tres. MSU has had some success with walk on wide receivers, think Blaire White. Finally, Aaron Burbridge will miss 6 weeks with a knee injury. Having recently had arthroscopic surgery, you return pretty quickly, just don't push it. Thankfully he will be under the watchful eye of the MSU medical staff. This is pretty sad after everything Aaron did to get his grades in line. With all that time missed during practice I would be shocked if he did not redshirt. That would actually be a blessing for MSU. Move some of that talent back a year, let him practice all this season, keep his grades up, could be a real positive for MSU. (I have left off DeAnthony Arnett because so much has been written on him already.)
It will be interesting to see how the offense lines up. Do they want some of our burners our there in Mumphery and Sims Jr? Will they use a taller receiver with one of the speedsters? What about lots of 3 and 4 wide? I expect a lot of three wide with Sims acting as a 4th receiver while lined up on the line. If Sims is out, you can probably expect a run the majority of the time.
With that, MSU has a good problem at wide receiver with all the talent. The problem is that they are unproven. The most seasoned player, Arnett, was a freshman last year at Tennessee, and is currently behind other players with knowledge and reps in the system.
So how do these groups stack up against eachother?
In my opinion, I think MSU has more talent as a wide receiving core and is better at tight end with Dion Sims (as a pass catcher). However, the lack of game time experience for the MSU wide receivers makes this position group too close.
EDGE: Push.
Yikes. Wide receivers and tight ends are probably the least proven of all offensive position groups for the Wolverines heading into 2012.
First the TE's.
Michigan loses Kevin Koger to graduation. Koger played seemingly all the offensive snaps at TE last season and with his departure Michigan their one proven player at the position. When Michigan went to two TE sets last year they turned to Steve Watson, who also departs. Watson didn't do much to draw praise or ire, so it's safe to say he was average.
Taking over for Koger and Watson is senior Brandon Moore. Moore has physical ability but his lack of snaps indicate he has yet to put things together. He's likely to be the main TE in running situations. If he can play at an average level that will be a win for the Wolverines.
Backing up Moore is a bunch of bodies with no proven commodities. Walk-on Mike Kwiatkowski is likely the next guy in line. Walk-ons in the lineup always give you pause but TE is a position where walk-ons have had success at many programs. Beyond these two there are two freshman; Devin Funchess is a tweener and may well be a WR this season but he is well regarded. He could potentially earn snaps in passing situations. AJ Williams is another tweener but he is more of an offensive tackle than a TE. If he sees the field it will certainly be as a road grading run blocker.
Other bodies here are sophomores Ricardo Miller and Jordan Paskorz. Both will have opportunity to prove themselves and earn playing time.
Success of this unit depends largely on Moore and whether or not he can be a Michigan caliber starter in his senior year. This will not be the strength of the team but TE is a position that can be schemed for or around, depending on your talent.
Wide receiver on the other hand is important in any offense in college football. Michigan loses it's best playmaker on the outside in Junior Hemingway. He was Denard's safety valve all season and continually went up and won jump balls. Martavious Odoms was also lost to graduation. Odoms made some big plays (especially in the OSU game) and will be missed as a leader and a guy with tons of experience.
Michigan was dealt another blow when Daryl Stonum was dismissed from the team in the offseason after serving a one year suspension last season. Stonum would have been a clear #1 guy for Michigan.
Yet another setback occurred when Roy Roundtree had arthroscopic knee surgery last week. Roy is expected back within a couple of weeks and should be ready to play for Alabama but may not be effective the first few weeks of the season.
Michigan will look for Roundtree or Jeremy Gallon to step up and become a #1 receiver this season. Gallon is a mighty mite but has great leaping ability and is exceptionally quick. I'm higher on Gallon than most and believe he will be Michigan's top target this season and a playmaker as well. Drew Dileo is another returning player who has seen action and made big catches. Dileo is a less experienced and less explosive version of Gallon. He will be a productive slot receiver this season.
Devin Gardner is an unknown but has been taking snaps at WR. He's tall and fast and has been impressive by all accounts. It will be interesting to see how much he actually plays at WR. He's probably Michigan's 2nd best athlete after Denard on the entire team. He could be a redzone demon or barely see the field as a WR, it's really anyone's guess at this point.
Beyond those two things get dicey. Jeremy Jackson is now an upperclassmen and has playing experience but he is justifiably put into the dreaded "possession receiver" category. He is steady but does not have the athleticism to get open consistently. Jerald Robinson has the athleticism and size and now is his time to show what he can do. Robinson will have plenty of opportunity to shine on the outside for Michigan. Both incoming freshman could also contribute. They are big (something Michigan's upperclassman can't boast) and they are also fast. Amara Darboh is my choice between the two if you are looking for one to earn early playing time.
While Michigan has some issues at WR for 2012 I'm not sure I would trade their starting unit for any others in the Big Ten. This year is not the year of the WR in the conference. I expect one of Michigan's receivers to be on the All-B1G team at the end of the season and think this unit will solid but lacking a true #1 deep threat throughout the season.
If you look at TE and WR as one unit together, I would say Michigan has a blend of talent, experience and giant question marks. This is a high variance group that could be a disaster if they can't work out something at TE or could be a very big advantage if things take shape. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out for the Wolverines.
-----------------------------------------
The Spartan Tight End group is about as thin as they come. MSU lost Garet Celek and Brian Linthicim to graduation. Starting is well known player Dion Sims. Sims is a fourth year Junior who red shirted 2010 due to legal issues. Sims showed a lot of promise as a freshman and played most of last year with a broken hand, thus limiting his production. He has been named to the Mackey award watch list and is appearing on severeal pre-season All B1G lists. In Sims, new QB Maxwell should find a security blanket. Here is a big target with proven hands. In the redzone Sims will feast, an all B1G selection figures to be a lock. Outside of Sims, there is not a lot of proven talent. MSU has a converted defensive end in Denzel Drone, though lately he was been practicing on defense thanks to the emergence of Andrew Gleichert and Derek Hoebing.
Wide receiver is pretty much the opposite problem as tight end, where there is limited experience across the board but also a lot of potential starters. For me the starters will be Bennie Fowler and DeAnthony Arnett, at least once the season gets going. But for now, that Arnett spot is held by Tony Lippett. Tony played last year as a corner back and was more than serviceable. His athleticism is his largest attribute. If Tony gained some muscle in the off season, he could be a huge surprise for the offense. Fowler is a name that has been around the Spartan team for a while. As a redshirt freshman, Fowler made an impact both in receiveing and returning. Since then, Fowler has been trying to heal a foot injury. His health will decide how this receving crew will end up. Talented, great hands, good size, MSU needs Fowler.
From there MSU has a lot of unproven talent. All of these guys are athletes, Keith Mumphrey, Andre Sims Jr, the tallest one, Juwan Caesar. However, the name that keeps coming up is Tres Barksdale. Tres is a walk on to the team and has been impressive. In the first scrimmage, Tres hauled in a 37 yard TD against our backup defense. You can look at that either way, but I will take the positive in Tres. MSU has had some success with walk on wide receivers, think Blaire White. Finally, Aaron Burbridge will miss 6 weeks with a knee injury. Having recently had arthroscopic surgery, you return pretty quickly, just don't push it. Thankfully he will be under the watchful eye of the MSU medical staff. This is pretty sad after everything Aaron did to get his grades in line. With all that time missed during practice I would be shocked if he did not redshirt. That would actually be a blessing for MSU. Move some of that talent back a year, let him practice all this season, keep his grades up, could be a real positive for MSU. (I have left off DeAnthony Arnett because so much has been written on him already.)
It will be interesting to see how the offense lines up. Do they want some of our burners our there in Mumphery and Sims Jr? Will they use a taller receiver with one of the speedsters? What about lots of 3 and 4 wide? I expect a lot of three wide with Sims acting as a 4th receiver while lined up on the line. If Sims is out, you can probably expect a run the majority of the time.
With that, MSU has a good problem at wide receiver with all the talent. The problem is that they are unproven. The most seasoned player, Arnett, was a freshman last year at Tennessee, and is currently behind other players with knowledge and reps in the system.
So how do these groups stack up against eachother?
In my opinion, I think MSU has more talent as a wide receiving core and is better at tight end with Dion Sims (as a pass catcher). However, the lack of game time experience for the MSU wide receivers makes this position group too close.
EDGE: Push.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Wojo Reads this Blog
Power Struggle
"We can say this without reservation now: Michigan State is Michigan's most important opponent this season, finally completing the equation in which Michigam is always Michigan Sate's most important opponent."
"We can say this without reservation now: Michigan State is Michigan's most important opponent this season, finally completing the equation in which Michigam is always Michigan Sate's most important opponent."
Good write up. It's crazy to think this year is the most significant this rivalry has been nationally in half a century! Can't wait for week 1.
Some other pertinent rivalry news...
For MSU: Aaron Burbridge suffered a knee injury and is out 5 weeks and may redshirt. Blake Treadwell also is nicked up and out for a few weeks which could be significant for the MSU oline.
For UM: Roy Roundtree had arthroscopic knee surgery but should be ready for the opener and Ondre Pipkins suffered an unspecified neck or spinal injury.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The Comparison: Defense
Summary:
A quick recap of our defensive position group comparisons.
DT: PUSH (both teams have unknowns here)
DE: MSU
LB: MSU
S: Split, Tbone gives it to his Spartans, Pat to the Wolverines
CB: MSU (with the caveat that the nickel and the depth favor the Wolverines)
2011 Statistics:
Total Defense:
MSU: 6th, 277 yards per game
Michigan: 17th, 322 yards per game
Scoring Defense:
MSU: 10th, 18 ppg
Michigan: 6th, 17 ppg
Returning Starters:
MSU: 8
Michigan: 8
The Better D in 2012?
Two very good defenses from 2011 return the majority of their talent for 2012. Both squads also lose their best interior lineman (Worthy, Martin) and will need to replace these disruptive forces in the trenches. Another interesting comparison here is in the coordinators. Both schools have outstanding defensive coordinators with Greg Mattison and his NFL pedigree at Michigan and Pat Narduzzi at MSU. It was a huge coup this offseason for MSU to keep Narduzzi as his success with MSU's defense will have him entertaining head coaching job offers soon.
To me, Michigan State looks like a top 10-20 defense for 2012. I'm nearly as bullish on Michigan as they are likely to be a top 15-25 defense as long as they find production at defensive tackle.
MSU gets the nod in the head to head comparison on defense, but it's a close battle between two very good units.
A quick recap of our defensive position group comparisons.
DT: PUSH (both teams have unknowns here)
DE: MSU
LB: MSU
S: Split, Tbone gives it to his Spartans, Pat to the Wolverines
CB: MSU (with the caveat that the nickel and the depth favor the Wolverines)
2011 Statistics:
Total Defense:
MSU: 6th, 277 yards per game
Michigan: 17th, 322 yards per game
Scoring Defense:
MSU: 10th, 18 ppg
Michigan: 6th, 17 ppg
Returning Starters:
MSU: 8
Michigan: 8
The Better D in 2012?
 |
| "Your eyes are crazy coach Narduzzi." |
 |
| "Hi." |
To me, Michigan State looks like a top 10-20 defense for 2012. I'm nearly as bullish on Michigan as they are likely to be a top 15-25 defense as long as they find production at defensive tackle.
MSU gets the nod in the head to head comparison on defense, but it's a close battle between two very good units.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)