How do you improve a poor offensive line when two tackles leave for the NFL?
That answer might be the best success indicator the Wolverines have this year. Of course players get better as they get more experience and work on technique, etc. We are also hoping a better offensive system will help the line with reads and responsibilities but the we need to see a huge improvement with this group.
Michigan had a scrimmage on Wednesday and another public one coming this Saturday night. The goal is to have the starting offensive line in place. It seems Hoke feels comfortable with these guys right now: Mason Cole, Erik Magnuson, Jack Miller, Graham Glasgow and Ben Braden.
Mason is a true freshman and reports out of camp are that he is "special" and ready to play. Jack Miller taking the center position allows Glasgow to move to guard, but he is suspended for the first game due to his DUI. It seems Kyle Bosch or David Dawson would be Graham's replacement for App. State.
The first thing that comes to my mind is: Where is 5 star Kyle Kalis?
angelique @chengelis
- These guys didn't participate on Wednesday: Devin Funchess, Drake Harris, and Delano Hill. We know that Drake has a "Hamy", Delano with a broken jaw and not sure about Devin. We will need Funch in two weeks, so lets hope it's something minor.
- Denard and the Jags were on ESPN last night and I really liked how he ran the ball out of the backfield. It seems they will use him as the speed back this year. Sounds like he is settling into the RB position. Funny thing: Denard will be the last athlete ever on the cover of EA's NCAA College Football game.
- Michigan vs. App. State Tickets are on Living Social today. $65 gets you a ticket, hot dog, T shirt, program, and a drink. PT Brandon is at it again! Great decision to schedule App. State PT!
2 comments:
It's an interesting question, "How can an O-line get better when their starting group had three veterans and two RS Freshman and they still struggled, and then the following year you lose your two best players to the NFL and expect to get better results?"
That's a tough call, however, I would say if there is improvement over last year it would have to be seen as coaching being the major difference. In other words, it was poor coaching/play calling that contributed to the problem, and better coaching that makes them better.
It would seem that since Hoke's internal evaluation resulted in they're opting to keep their O-Line coach and release their O-Coordinator, that they believe it was the Coordinator's fault. (I know, this in not new information) However, I think the first two games of the year will go a long way to letting us know if they've let the right coach go or not, or maybe they should have replaced both of them, albeit I wasn't a big fan of Big Al anyway, I still thought that there were some issues on the field that were a result of poor line coaching. Plus, I would have thought that Funk would have been the one voice in the coach's meetings to speak up and say, "Listen, Big Al, why don't you simplify your play calling so that the young guys on my line can get a chance to catch up?"
Putting office politics aside, I believe that a position coach has to be an advocate for what his player group needs in order to be successful on the field. I'm not sure Funk was that advocate. Maybe I'm wrong...but I don't think so. The entire staff saw that the line as a whole wasn't "getting it" and so they've tried a group of different four and five star player combinations and they couldn't get it either. To me, that pointed in the direction of a coach or coaches and the decisions and choices that they're making or not making.
I know it's difficult to make coaching changes in the middle of the season, however, how much easier it would have been for Hoke to say to Big Al, "we've got to change what we're doing, because if we don't we're going to keep getting what we're getting (a confused interior)."
Nevertheless, I want to see some signs of the Michigan teams of old when they take the field this year. IMHO!!!
Amen.... was thinking the same thing.
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