By Brian Heinemann
For The Herald
It’s been a rough past two years for the University of Michigan football team and Rich Rodriguez.
Last year started promising enough before ending with a 1-7 debacle in Big Ten play. But this year the Wolverines return nearly their entire starting offense – a squad that ranked near the top of the conference – and are switching schemes on defense to try to improve that unit.
“The last two years, there have been quite a lot of experiences, a lot of drama, so to speak,” Rodriguez said. “But I think our guys have stayed focus. It's fun to be around them, watching them grow up, see our young guys get some experience, take their lumps a little bit.”
Rodriguez acknowledges that the team has questions on both sides of the ball, namely at the quarterback and safety positions. Safety is one area that Rodriguez believes the team could need to rely on a true freshman, but at quarterback there are three options, two of whom played in every game last year, for the team to choose from.
Sophomores Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson are both back, although neither distanced himself from the other last season or this spring. They are being pushed by true freshman Devin Gardner, a blue-chipper who had a strong spring.
Sophomores Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson are both back, although neither distanced himself from the other last season or this spring. They are being pushed by true freshman Devin Gardner, a blue-chipper who had a strong spring.
“Offensively, we should be better up front,” Rodriguez said. “A lot more experience on the offensive line than we had the last two years. Last year playing the two freshmen quarterbacks at times we were productive, but other times we weren't. And that's to be expected. But those guys should be better.”
Rodriguez has had three years to install and tweak his system at Michigan, and his personal recruits are starting to get the experience needed to help the team gel.
“We’ve been down for a couple of years,” said senior cornerback Troy Woolfolk. “I think this is the year we finally come back to the old Michigan. I think this is that year that we come back and show our opponents that we can be good.”
They may not get all the way back to old Michigan, but expect the Wolverines, my No. 4 pick, to surprise some teams and end up just a little bit behind the conference front runners.
Michigan Wolverines
Last year: 5-7, 1-7 Big Ten (tied for 10th)
Lettermen returning/lost: 53 returning, 24 lost
Starters returning/lost: offense 9/2, defense 8/3, kickers 0/2.
Key returning starters: Tate Forcier, QB, So.; Denard Robinson, QB, So.; Roy Roundtree, WR, So.; Troy Woolfolk, CB, Sr.
Others to watch: Vincent Smith, RB, So.; Martavious Odoms, WR, Jr.; Mark Moundros, FB/LB, Sr.
By the numbers: 50 - years since Michigan has had three straight losing seasons in the Big Ten. 14 - interceptions thrown between Forcier and Robinson, only one less than the 15 touchdowns they had combined. 29.5 - points scored per game last year, third in the conference.
Schedule: Things start and end tough for Michigan. They open Sept. 4 with Connecticut and travel to Notre Dame a week later before playing three games they will be favored in. October has a three-game stretch with Michigan State and Iowa at home, followed by a road trip to Penn State Oct. 30. After Illinois Nov. 6 and Purdue Nov. 13, Michigan closes at home with Wisconsin Nov. 20 and at Ohio State Nov. 27.
Reason for optimism: Offensive experience, returning defensive coordinator. The offense returns almost everybody, including both quarterbacks and the top three receivers. Having a defensive coordinator return for the first time in five years can only help the defense, which switches to a 3-3-5 scheme.
Reason for pessimism: Quarterback quandary, turnover margin. Neither Forcier nor Robinson stood out last year, and neither stood out this spring. Without consistency at the position, the offense can never fully get going. Last year Michigan finished 115th in turnover margin, a number that won’t improve much if neither quarterback takes care of the ball.
Bottom line: There are some red flags – the tough schedule, the youth, the quarterback position – but Michigan showed flashes of brilliance last year. With so many offensive starters back and a new defensive scheme, their is plenty of cause for optimism in Ann Arbor. This team can finish anywhere from the bottom of the Big Ten to near the top, but in his third year, expect Rich Rodriguez to finally start having some of the success he enjoyed at West Virginia.
Tomorrow – No. 3: Ten returning starters power Wisconsin’s offense
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