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Buckeye Beach Bum
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By Pete Fiutak
95 wins in ten years. One national title. Three Rose Bowl appearances including trips to Pasadena over the last two years. Not even a whiff of a scandal.
99% of all college programs would kill for this résumé, so why is there a sense that Michigan should be so much more under head coach Lloyd Carr? With his ability to maintain one of the nation's most successful programs at such a high level for a decade, aren't the expectations a bit too high? Maybe, but they're not that far off.
Maybe it's hard to get too jacked up over the Wolverines when they lose games like they did last year to a mediocre Notre Dame team. Maybe it's the way 2004 ended by getting their doors blown off by the mobile Ohio State and Texas quarterbacks. Maybe it's that they've been knocked out of the national title hunt by mid-September in each of the last five years.
No matter what the issues have been, there's a general sense that this is a slightly underachieving program considering all the talent it hoards year in and year out. While the 2005 team isn't perfect, it's one of the ten best in America and more than talented enough to win the Big Ten title again meaning the expectations, as always, will be as big as Michigan Stadium.
The schedule isn't all that bad (more on that in a moment) and only Ohio State is the only team Michigan plays with the same athleticism. Chad Henne and Mike Hart should go from being great true freshmen to superstar sophomores, the lines are loaded with All-Big Ten stars, and the questionable defensive back seven won't be that bad. Now it's up to Carr to get this group to do something it hasn't done under his watch since the national title year: overachieve. If the Wolverines can come out with an angry, hungry attitude and can gear the machine up week in and week out, it might be a third straight trip to Pasadena.
The Schedule: All things considered, it's not bad with the first three games at home followed up by two tough, but winnable, road battles at Wisconsin and Michigan State. If the Wolverines can hold serve against Minnesota and Penn State, they could be 7-0 going into Iowa for one of the year's biggest showdowns. Ohio State comes to Ann Arbor for yet another battle for the Big Ten title.
Best Offensive Player: Sophomore RB Mike Hart. While he isn't going to tear off many big runs, there are few better workhorses and few better at consistently getting five yards a pop. There are more talented Wolverines on offense (WR Steve Breaston and tackles Adam Stenavich and Jake Long), but Hart is the one all the defensive coordinators will game plan for.
Best Defensive Player: Senior NT Gabe Watson. End/linebacker LaMarr Woodley will make the most big plays and tackle Pat Massey will get his name called often, but Watson does the dirty work occupying two and three blockers allowing the rest of the defense to shine.
Key player to a successful season: Senior CBs Grant Mason and Darnell Hood. Leon Hall will be a good number one corner on one side, so it'll be up to the seniors, along with sophomore Charles Stewart, to make up for the loss of Marlin Jackson.
The season will be a success if ... Michigan wins another Big Ten title and finishes the regular season 10-1. Unless you're USC, no one can reasonably demand a spot in the national title game. A one-loss season would be more than acceptable to most Wolverine fans.
Key game: October 22nd at Iowa. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Ohio State game at the end of the year is always the biggest game of the bunch, but the Big Ten title fate will likely be out of Michigan's hands if it can't survive the date at Iowa.
2004 Fun Stats:
- Fumbles: Opponents 26 (lost 11) - Michigan 16 (lost 9)
- Rushing touchdowns: Opponents 19 - Michigan 15
- Sacks: Opponents 29 for 193 yards - Michigan 21 for 146 yards
Offense Breakdown and Analysis | Defense Breakdown and Analysis | Depth Chart
By Pete Fiutak
95 wins in ten years. One national title. Three Rose Bowl appearances including trips to Pasadena over the last two years. Not even a whiff of a scandal.
99% of all college programs would kill for this résumé, so why is there a sense that Michigan should be so much more under head coach Lloyd Carr? With his ability to maintain one of the nation's most successful programs at such a high level for a decade, aren't the expectations a bit too high? Maybe, but they're not that far off.
Maybe it's hard to get too jacked up over the Wolverines when they lose games like they did last year to a mediocre Notre Dame team. Maybe it's the way 2004 ended by getting their doors blown off by the mobile Ohio State and Texas quarterbacks. Maybe it's that they've been knocked out of the national title hunt by mid-September in each of the last five years.
No matter what the issues have been, there's a general sense that this is a slightly underachieving program considering all the talent it hoards year in and year out. While the 2005 team isn't perfect, it's one of the ten best in America and more than talented enough to win the Big Ten title again meaning the expectations, as always, will be as big as Michigan Stadium.
The schedule isn't all that bad (more on that in a moment) and only Ohio State is the only team Michigan plays with the same athleticism. Chad Henne and Mike Hart should go from being great true freshmen to superstar sophomores, the lines are loaded with All-Big Ten stars, and the questionable defensive back seven won't be that bad. Now it's up to Carr to get this group to do something it hasn't done under his watch since the national title year: overachieve. If the Wolverines can come out with an angry, hungry attitude and can gear the machine up week in and week out, it might be a third straight trip to Pasadena.
The Schedule: All things considered, it's not bad with the first three games at home followed up by two tough, but winnable, road battles at Wisconsin and Michigan State. If the Wolverines can hold serve against Minnesota and Penn State, they could be 7-0 going into Iowa for one of the year's biggest showdowns. Ohio State comes to Ann Arbor for yet another battle for the Big Ten title.
Best Offensive Player: Sophomore RB Mike Hart. While he isn't going to tear off many big runs, there are few better workhorses and few better at consistently getting five yards a pop. There are more talented Wolverines on offense (WR Steve Breaston and tackles Adam Stenavich and Jake Long), but Hart is the one all the defensive coordinators will game plan for.
Best Defensive Player: Senior NT Gabe Watson. End/linebacker LaMarr Woodley will make the most big plays and tackle Pat Massey will get his name called often, but Watson does the dirty work occupying two and three blockers allowing the rest of the defense to shine.
Key player to a successful season: Senior CBs Grant Mason and Darnell Hood. Leon Hall will be a good number one corner on one side, so it'll be up to the seniors, along with sophomore Charles Stewart, to make up for the loss of Marlin Jackson.
The season will be a success if ... Michigan wins another Big Ten title and finishes the regular season 10-1. Unless you're USC, no one can reasonably demand a spot in the national title game. A one-loss season would be more than acceptable to most Wolverine fans.
Key game: October 22nd at Iowa. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Ohio State game at the end of the year is always the biggest game of the bunch, but the Big Ten title fate will likely be out of Michigan's hands if it can't survive the date at Iowa.
2004 Fun Stats:
- Fumbles: Opponents 26 (lost 11) - Michigan 16 (lost 9)
- Rushing touchdowns: Opponents 19 - Michigan 15
- Sacks: Opponents 29 for 193 yards - Michigan 21 for 146 yards
Offense Breakdown and Analysis | Defense Breakdown and Analysis | Depth Chart
