Michigan Thursday: Will This Year Be Different?

With the regular game day preview scheduled for Friday, I thought today would be a good time to discuss why things will be different this year.

I'm sure we all can agree that Michigan should have been much better then it really was last year.  Think about a 5 star QB, Higdon and Evans at RB, talented WR's and a experienced offensive line.  Then you add Gary, Bush, Winovich, Hill and Long on defense and you wonder if this Michigan team had any weaknesses.  Still  the Wolverines lost the first game of the year and had another terrible finish to the season.

So now what?  Why does this season have a chance for a Big Ten Championship?

1. #Speed in Space, I know Jimmy, Lloyd, and Bo all believed in power football and that you will wear down your opponent and win the game.   The game has changed and you can't be that predictable on offense.  It's too easy to cover for any defense with talented players.   Maybe since RR, Michigan will run an offense that schemes people open and takes advantage of mismatches.  How many times have we watched Michigan have a two WR route in a passing play?  It's time for a Michigan offense to scheme plays that can get WR's buck naked open.   If Gattis can do this, he will be a head coach somewhere next year and Shea will make a run at the Heisman.
2.  An experienced talented offensive line.  Michigan finally has a good offensive line with a good offensive line coach.  It seems Michigan has struggled on the offensive line for the last 10 years. 
3. Don Brown head scratcher - Every season Don Brown has a head scratching defensive performance where his unit gets blown out.   Don does a great job in 90% of the games, he has to work on the other 10%.   Can he run a zone?  Can he be un-predictable and turn the tables on some of the good offenses Michigan will see this year?  He better. 
4. Year 2 healthy QB - Shea Patterson has an offense that fits him and a year under his belt with Harbaugh which could pay huge dividends.  
5. QB Depth - OSU had a 3 string QB take their team to the NC game a few years ago.  Michigan's back-ups where guys like John O'Korn and that one dude that couldn't play at Miami of Ohio (where he transferred to and then transferred again). 
6. Urban is gone.  There where two great head coaches in college football Nick and Urban.  Dabo is on his way, but I can still remember the Clemson fans wanting to run him out of town and hire RR of all people.   No matter who you put in Columbus, it's going to be a downgrade from Urban.   OSU will be worse and Michigan has a chance to wrestle back this series. 

One of the best things about Jimmy as a head coach is he isn't too stubborn to change and brought in Josh Gattis to fix the offense.  Which really wasn't broken last year.   Michigan scored enough points on offense to beat Ohio State, the Michigan defense just let us down.   Let's hope the Wolverines now have an offense to win a shoot out in those type of games.  

• Oliver Martin, Aubrey Solomon, and Myles Sims all got waivers from the NCAA for immediate eligibility this week.   Michigan will get to see Oliver in about a month.  

• Michigan Basketball Season Tickets are sold out for the first time in 19 years.  That must be the love for Coach Howard as this team doesn't have a ton of talent. 

• Keep sending your game day predictions in!