Michigan football - predictions

[Matt]

If Peoples-Jones remains sidelined due to injury and Michigan runs 30-ish running plays, I do think more multi-fumble games would be likely.

The good news is P-J should be back when we face Wisconsin, so my above statement should be moot.

(I just had to include the word "moot" in my post. Didn't want to feel left out!)

What does DPJ's availability have to do with bad fumbles?

[Matt]

The first offensive play against MTSU and the first fumble against Atmy were both on Patterson for failing to secure the ball.the second today was a good play in Army due to Christian Turner failing in pass blocking. I think that Black, Colin's, and DPJ are all #1 receiver talents. Future games may dim my optimism, but an offensive transition with a tough team on the schedule will not.

[Matt]

In fairness, even with all of the errors, Michigan wins by two scores if the Metellus TD was called correctly.

[fuzzpower]

I’m going with 6 wins. This team is pitiful, and coaching is a major part of that.

Harbaugh needs to go. Would be nice if a local media person would actually throw him some tough questions.

[Matt]

I’m going with 6 wins. This team is pitiful, and coaching is a major part of that.

Harbaugh needs to go. Would be nice if a local media person would actually throw him some tough questions.

Take a long walk off a short pier.

[craig11152]

I've been a Michigan fan since 1969.
There is no way to put a positive spin on that game based on anything Army did last year. It was a bad game and would have been a loss against half the Big 10.
If that game doesn't raise concern about Harbaugh's ability to get a team ready to play then I say you need to put the Koolaid down.

[craig11152]

I’m going with 6 wins.

You are either a troll or a moron.

[bmw]

They play 6 currently Top 25 teams, so 6-6 is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. However I think 7 is worst-case scenario, more likely 8 or 9.

[moldyoldie]

Meanwhile, roughly an hour's drive to the northwest....

[Matt]

I've been a Michigan fan since 1969.
There is no way to put a positive spin on that game based on anything Army did last year. It was a bad game and would have been a loss against half the Big 10.
If that game doesn't raise concern about Harbaugh's ability to get a team ready to play then I say you need to put the Koolaid down.

Would "half of the Big 10" have run the same offense that Army did yesterday? Would they have gone for it on fourth down with the frequency that Army did? On the second Patterson fumble, after the called back Metellus TD, would a Big 10 defender with a free shot on the QB have thought about also stripping the QB? I do think that military academies are tougher to get up for, then say the school of rapists and criminals up the road near the state capital. That's not an excuse but a reality. There were a lot of self inflicted issues that Michigan can clean up. The offense has the ability to be explosive.

The defense actually is outperforming my expectations, relative to what they lost in the offseason. 3 out of 4 TDs against the first time defense came after bad turnovers by the offense. That gets back to cleaning things up on offense. I think you'll see a much more crisp offense in two weeks, with a healthy Patterson, DPJ, and Jon Runyan, JR.

Edit: As for Maryland, they've been a September team for a few years. If that carries into conference play, then you might have a reason to raise your concern about them. There is some extra coaching motivation to kick the shit out of Maryland too.