The winning-est team in college football history recorded their worst season ever (3-9) while their record could have been 6-6 if they won some close games it is no excuse to lose in Michigan, the nations longest streak for bowl appearances was also broke when they didn't make one this year.
So after landing a top 10 recruiting class how do you think Rich Rodriguez and the Wolverine's of Ann Arbor will do next year? I say 9-4 but i want to see what you think
2008-12-08T14:37:42Z
Recruiting info is found on Rivals.com
Anonymous2008-12-11T12:34:10Z
Favorite Answer
I think 2009 will be a "better" season in the sense that we will win more games then we did this season. But thats where the good news ends.
First of all, its NOT a good thnig that we return all 11 starters on offense. Most of those starters have been GARBAGE, (Odoms, Stonum, the entire o-line), and the plays we run are terrible, hence why our offense is 100th in the nation or whatev in total yards and scoring. I've been saying all along that the spread option offense will not work at Michigan, even with a mobile QB. i think next season will vindicate me (not that I WANT to be vindicated, but i'm gonig with what I think will happen and not what I want to happen). I guarantee you we will see some new starters on offense next season. I'm thinking Feagin takes over for odoms, Hemingway takes over Stonum, and the o-line is reshuffled ala Notre Dame. I also think there;s a good chance Threet will lose his job to one of the incomnig freshmen, and I ahve no clue who will start at tailback (although granted, whoever starts, be it Minor, c. Brown, or McGuffie, will be a good one). despite returnnig all 11 starters, our offense is in shambles gonig into next season, and just ask Notre Dame: thats not an easy thing to receover from. The Fighting Irish are much improved from last season offensively, but the fact is they remain 54th in the nation in total yardage, 51st in scoring, and their rushing offense is practically nonexistent (97th nationally). AND NOTRE DAME KNEW WHO THEIR QB WAS GONIG TO BE!!!! Michigan still has a QB controversy gonig into enxt season! Don't expect Michigans offense to be much better then 60th nationally next season.
2nd of all, Michigans offense is gonig to ahve to be explosive to make up for their abominable defense, and given our offense is not gonig to be explosive, our defense is gonig to suck even worse then it has this season. Why? Cause Shafer will remain the defensive coordinator (Dickrod is too stubborn to fire him), and cause we only return 5 of 11 starters (one of them is Stevie "pointshaving" Brown) from a unti that was already horrible. Our 2009 defense COULD be as bad as Minnesota's 2007 defense or Eastern Michigans 2002 defense. Now PERHAPS Shafers schemes are complciated and the players needed a season to pick them up, and PERHAPS its good that we lose 6 seniors and replace them with a nice array of substitutes (like Mike Martin and Boubacar Cissoko), but even in 2007, when we had a GREAT defnesive coordinator in Ron English, our defense still suffered a setback in 2007 after returning only 4 of 11 starters (Crable, Adams, Trent, Taylor). Shafer is a TERRIBLE defensive coordinator, so us returning a minimal amount if starters will be magnified MUCH more so then it was in 2007. I expect the 2009 defense to be okay against weaker teams, but to get TORN APART by the likes of Ohio State and Penn State
3rd of all, our schedule is not easy at all. Lets break it down:
NON CONFERENCE GAMES
-Notre Dame: loss (possibly a blowout loss) -Western Michigan: tossup. -Eastern Michigan: this will be a win for Michigan, but it'll be much more like the 33-22 win in 2007 as opposed to the 55-0 win in 2005. -a team that has yet to be scheduled: I hope we shcedule a cupcake, but knwoing Billy Martin, we will schedule a team like Utah or Oregon, so this game will definitely be a loss
Best case scenerio: 3-1 (I can't rule out the possibility of us upsetting Notre Dame)
worst case: 1-3
split the difference: 2-2
BIG TEN HOME GAMES
-Ohio State: blowout loss -Penn State: blowout loss -Indiana: this will be a clsoe game sicne Kellen lewis and marcus Thigpen are seniors and as we all know, Michigan is horrible at defending spread offenses run by mobile QBs, but the Hooseirs haven't beaten Michigan since 1987, and I look for the Wolverines to continue that streak -Purdue: we will win this game simply because the Boilmakers are so horrible at the Big House (haven't won there sicne 1966, haven't made it a close game sicne the 1980's). But hey, look out for Justin Siller!!!!
best case: 3-1 ( i can see us upsetting either the Nittney Lions or Buckeyes for some strange reason)
worst case: 1-3
split the difference: 2-2
BIG TEN ROAD GAMES
-Wisconsin: toss up -Michigan State: toss up -Iowa: loss (possibly blowout loss) -Illinois: loss
best case: 2-2
worstc ase: 0-4
split the difference: 1-3
CONCLUSION
2-2 (non conferecne)+ 2-2 (Big Ten home games)+ 1-3 (Big Ten road games)=
a 5-7 record
So yeah, thats an improvment in the literal sense of the word, but its not enough for Dickrod (or Billy martin) to keep their jobs
Poole Dan you are a complete idiot. So we get rid off Stonum and Odoms,. who do we have left to play wideout and slot. Next year michigan will be better. We'll still have growing pains with a freshman qb most likely starting ( it doesnt make any sense for Threet to start since he doesnt fit the offense). I think 2 years from now we'll be when we make some noise in the Big Ten and possibly nationally. Most of the peices will be in place by then. After that year Michgan could turn into a crazy team looking at the way the 2010 could possibly shapeup. Possibly 5 stars in one class. Unheard of for michigan.
the wolverines will do better than last year, but that's given. their offense will be filled with freshmen though, since they don't have much talent on offense. their defense is also good enough that a good offense would immediately lower the amount of points given up; they just wear out because they're out on the field so much. however, because they will need a lot of freshmen playing to have a good offense, they will lose close games, and they will not be good enough to blowout the teams they play, although they will blowout some teams. i would say they'd have a winning season though; i would guess 7-6 or 8-5. in two years, however, they will start consistently going 8-3 and better.
funny that every single team in the state of Michigan (even W. Michigan) is going to a bowl.. but the mighty Wolverines are not lol.. just thought I'd twist that knife a little ;)
I could see 8-5/7-6 depending on the bowl. Where are you getting the information about the recruits, if you could please post a link that would be interesting. Even though its not nearly as important, atleast their basketball team is doing something this year. No, anyways as much as I liked Carr, (yeah i said it) He left that program dismantled for Rich Rod, it was a bunch of walk ons and 3 star recruits. Give rich Rod a couple years to develope his guys and he will be fine.