One Caution on the Starting Lineup

I'm probably more worried about who the starters are for ND and then the starters for the B1G season.

It would be interesting to put the starting lineup next Sayerday up against the Lineup we start against Minnesota on September 27.

That's most likely the real "Starting Lineup".

yep, I've said before that Minny could easily be a game UM loses. Utah too.

Good point on the starting lineup thoughts. That is unless it just doesn't work and needs adjusting. No sense trying to fit a square peg into a round hole (Borges)

One difference will certainly be Glasgow...he's suspended for the first game. May see a couple other changes on the OL.

The only other changes I think we could potentially see would be in the defensive backfield and maybe linebacker.

Admin wrote:

One difference will certainly be Glasgow...he's suspended for the first game. May see a couple other changes on the OL.

The only other changes I think we could potentially see would be in the defensive backfield and maybe linebacker.

so why do you think our backfield and LBs might be debatable? I assume you mean at OLB between Ross and Jenkins-Stone because I don't see any other starter controversy than there. Now if you're talking packages and formations then yes there will definitely be some shifts in personnel.

The backfield is debatable because of where Peppers ends up. The coaches originally said they were solely using him at the nickel. But, as people saw at the scrimmage, he's been getting some time at CB as well. And according to all the pundits in attendance, Peppers is a starting CB "right now", as in, they felt he was 100% one of the top two on the team already. So you have a serious position battle between Peppers, Taylor, Countess and Lewis (***Hoke did say yesterday that if the game was yesterday, Countess and Taylor would be the starters***). We are in very good shape with our CB's...probably the most talented depth at any position on the roster.

Strong safety is still a little undecided as well with Hill's broken jaw.

At linebacker, it's been a very tight race between Desmond Morgan and Joe Bolden for the Will. I think Morgan will get the nod due to experience, but don't be surprised to see Bolden supplant him at some point in the year if Morgan has very many bad plays.

Slot WR is another to keep an eye on. Norfleet is your starter as of today, but Freddy Canteen could take that over at any time too.

So, as I was sayin'.............

ha, yes...

Admin wrote:

One difference will certainly be Glasgow...he's suspended for the first game. May see a couple other changes on the OL.

The only other changes I think we could potentially see would be in the defensive backfield and maybe linebacker.

Everything I've read said the Miller and Kalis are ahead of Glasgow. He only ran with the ones at LG because Kalis had a back issue.

Oh ok. Thanks for the info.

And I have read it's Kalis if his back is healthy.

Baumgardner on MLive today:

• Erik Magnuson will start at left tackle by the Notre Dame game -- I know, I know. Mason Cole has repped at left tackle. Brady Hoke keeps talking about him at left tackle. He's said, basically, that he'll be the left tackle in the season opener. That's fine.

But when Graham Glasgow returns for week two, my bet is that Erik Magnuson -- who is a natural left tackle, not a guard -- will slide outside to tackle. Glasgow will either go to one of the guard spots and play opposite Kyle Kalis or Kyle Bosch with Jack Miller at center and Ben Braden at right tackle. Or, Glasgow goes to center, Miller sits and both Bosch and Kalis are the guards.

Cole may be talented, but he's 18. He's never seen a college snap. He may be the first man off the bench, which means he has to be ready to play, but he won't be a starter in week two. Michigan's also pulled this type of switch before -- see Elliott Mealer-Ricky Barnum, 2012."

Go Blue!!