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2009, and Looking Ahead to 2010
I’m cool. Real cool. It’s all good. Seriously.
A fury of circumstances has turned me against writing anything for about an entire week. Most of all, I just needed a mental break from thinking about this football program and how this once promising season turned to dog poo. It sucks to be on the bottom of the Big 11. It sucks even worse to lose to rivals again. But it’s cool, really. This is something many elite programs have experienced, because they all go through transitions and most take time. Faster would be nicer, but it will happen.
Thoughts on the Ohio State game
I watched this game at a bar near Dayton, OH and I can tell you that I was one of two Michigan fans out of at least 100 people, and they were worried as Michigan found ways to move the ball. Unfortunately, Forcier found ways to make me drink more beer and not really threaten the OSU lead as the game was winding down. Also, most OSU fans were on my side relative to the hideousness of those throwback uniforms.
Tate had several nice plays throughout this game. The offense played relatively well throughout, and Vincent Smith showed signs of what a starter next year should look like. Roy Roundtree again showed that he deserves to be a starter next year along with Tay Odoms and Darryl Stonum. It was disappointing to see Brandon Minor unable to play in his final home game. Carlos Brown, or not Carlos Brown, na – still can’t break a damn tackle. Brandon Graham = freak, unreal dude. I hope BG is a top draft pick and becomes the next Lamarr Woodley.
About the whole fire Rich Rod thing.
At this point, we can all say that Rich Rodriguez has underachieved after two years as Michigan’s head coach. You cannot be pleased with the alleged NCAA allegations either. You can also scrape the news off of the Detroit Free Press, national media, Michael Wilbon, you name it; and think that Michigan needs to cut their losses with RR and bring in the next Michigan Man.
Or, you could take emotion out of it, spend the time to understand the dynamics of this roster in it’s current state, remember how bad you wanted a change after 2007, continue to remember how bad you wanted a change after 2007, and realize that year 2 was an improvement over year 1. Not a huge improvement, but 5 > 3. The offense improved by leaps and bounds, and somehow was the #1 scoring offense in the Big 11. Any team should be able to win a ball game scoring 36, see Purdue.
I see a coach that is resilient and not beaten down. As RR tells the media, they don’t know what goes on in that locker room, film room, weight room, etc. RR and his staff have created an environment where the players are very close to one another and believe in the system put in place. I’ve been pleased with RR’s demeanor in post-game press conferences, he sticks to his guns and doesn’t let ill-placed questions get the best of him. He often speaks of the bigger picture, the process, that he and his staff put their heart and soul in to – and it’s happening, just not as fast as an irrational fan wants it to.
Will Michigan be a better team in 2010?
Yes. Thank you for asking.
Why will Michigan be better offensively?
A starting quarterback is coming back, yay! And it’s a guy that is actually competent at times, yay! Tate should improve with an entire offseason to pick up where he left off after the Ohio State game. In general, Tate finished the season strong starting with the Purdue game. He will improve as he spends time adding some padding to that frame and slowing the game down in his head. Let’s just hope he’s got the work ethic to make all of that happen.
QB’s aside, the majority of the offense is back – and the unit should once again improve with another year under its belt. The year 1 to year 2 jump is always big, but so is the year 2 to 3 jump.
5 offensive players with 2010 expectations.
- Vincent Smith
Played lights out against Wisconsin and Ohio State, and shows the ability to break tackles and make something out of nothing. Oh yea, he can catch too. - Roy Roundtree
Played lights out since the Purdue game. He’s got sure hands and great acceleration – although his breakaway speed could be improved, see Illinois game. - Denard Robinson / Tate Forcier
Tate will start. Denard will play QB and find his way into other formations as a back or receiver, a la Percy Harvin. I know RR is keeping him at QB, but he’ll see time on field in other ways. Tate is a natural, it seems as though he needs to mature a bit and stay more focused during games. A lot will be expected from Tate. - Darryl Stonum
Stonum really created a name for himself returning kicks this year, so that will naturally be the talk on his behalf leading into the season. Michigan needs a deep threat, and Stonum needs to be that guy. Would like to see him get a little more established as a key part of the offense. - David Molk
Many believe this was Michigan’s most impactful injury of 2009, and it may have been. Once Molk was out, Michigan was out. Regardless, his rehab will be a major story and Michigan will need him back in the starting line up.
Why will Michigan be better defensively?
Greg Robinson will be here. That means this defense doesn’t have to start over with a new defensive coordinator, first time this has happened in four years. This defense was not good, and simply having some consistency from a coaching standpoint gives the case for improvement credibility. Brandon Graham is gone, and was nothing short of amazing in his senior season. He was a game-changing beast, it’s too bad that he wasn’t complimented by a couple more playmakers in the back seven. The general feel is that Donovan Warren will stick his foot in the NFL pool and decide that it’s a little too cold to jump in. Losing only Stevie Brown and BG puts nine guys back in 2010, so the simple default of improvement from experience sets in here. Woolfolk and Warren should lock down the corners if GROB finds two safeties that can play at an average to above average level of play.
5 defensive players with 2010 expectations.
- Justin Turner
The 5 star from Ohio redshirted last year after much speculation that he would get his shot to prove himself on gameday - Craig Roh
Roh has a hell of a motor and only stands to get a lot better. He’s played relatively well and was very undersized as a true freshman. Combine his experience with an entire offseason of bulking up and Roh should have a huge impact in 2010. - Brandon Smith
All Brandon’s that play at Michigan are good right? Let’s hope some of Brandon Graham’s dominance rubbed off on Brandon Smith. He’s always played well on special teams and saw some time in the final two games in the defensive backfield. He’ll get his opportunity to be a starter and make an impact, whether it’s at safety or the quick position Stevie Brown was playing. - Will Campbell
Will got some decent experience as a true freshman, while he didn’t always play well, he should anchor that D-line in 2010 along with Mike Martin, Ryan Van Bergen, and Roh. - Donovan Warren
I hesitated to include DW in this list, but he could stand to have an absolute breakthrough season if he comes back. His play was solid at best as the season progressed. If he comes back, he’ll be the spokesperson for the defense.
What do I do now?
Watch Michigan basketball have a decent season, hopefully better than last year. Watch Michigan’s hockey team recover from a rough start. Assume that the Michigan football program can stay out of the negative headline category this offseason. Let time do its thing. Then as next fall approaches, get psyched about a team that should give Michigan a winning season and a bowl game. It’s fun being optimistic, because that means we’re talking 8 or 9 wins for this team next season.
Offense should be better next year, although I do believe we will miss the "power running" of Minor those few times he was healthy enough to really contribute. Don't know who will pick up that slack next year. Hopefully, Tate has used the past year to mature, and better manage his skills on the field (like . . . Don't drop the ball . . . Throw it out of bounds when nothing there . . .). And, the O-line should be more consistent – it MUST give him a bit more time back there.
Defense is a major concern. Losing the best defensive player on the team does not help. And, while the rest will have an additional year experience, not sure that makes a lot of difference as this group seemed to regress as the year went on. There are some potential play makers coming up on defense, but they will still need a couple years before they can really shine, if any of them do.
Bottom line, I think we will see a team next year not a whole lot different from the team this year, perhaps with a bit more consistency on offense, but probably a bit worse on defense. Predict a 6-6 season next year, and I'm not at all certain where 3 B10 wins comes from to get that record.