Let's get some WAY TOO EARLY 2012 predictions...

I'd like to hear what everyone is thinking about next year's team.

Doesn't have to be record-related. Thoughts on who our opening day DL starters are? How about the LB's?

Which freshmen will make the biggest impact?

Let's hear your thoughts....

Roh - Pipkens - Will - Black
Ryan - Demens - Morgan
Countess - TGordon - Kovacs - Floyd

I think I agree with just about every single position. My only difference is that ***perhaps*** one of the frosh LB's come in and steal a spot, particularly Morgan's.

Will be very interesting to see it all play out.

Overly optimistic. I guess I'm still feeling snake bitten after the last three years.

The Bama game will be a huge indicator, win or even compete for 4 quarters, I'll really get excited.

the RR years kind of put me in place, I guess you could say.

Before that, as dumb as it was, I expected to compete for NC's every single year, regardless of what we had coming back.

Next year's schedule is simply brutal.

I don't know why Brandon thought scheduling Bama would be a good thing for us. I mean, hey, I like playing top-tier talent....but we have always struggled in early season, non-conference, big-time matchups.

Oregon. The loss out at Washington. Syracuse. We've been fortunate with ND the last few years. Etc, etc.

I think that Bama game will be a good measuring stick, that's for sure. A win could propel us into something big. On the flip side...if we go down to Dallas and get our butts handed to us, what will that do for our confidence for the rest of the year?

Idk......ay ay ay.

And the problem is, we could definitely end up just like MSU this year: an even better team, but with a worse record. That will just suck, no other way to put it.

Run through the B1G schedule, I really don't fear anyone in conference.

I think Bama and ND are great to set UM up for the conference run.

at the B1G title and with the incoming recruit classes we have over the next couple of years I think we will only be a stronger player in the Title chase as each year goes by.

Love the optimism.

And fish, you're probably right. That non-conf slate should set us up for big things come B1G

and be a stud next year.

That may be going pretty far out on the limb, but based on everything we heard about that kid from the UA/AA week, I think he can come in and make an immediate impact.

And we're going to need our LB's to play especially good next year, considering our holes at the DL.

And Kovacs, who returns for his 12th season (thank god because I love the kid) will be playing up near the LOS perhaps more than we've ever seen.

During the last off season, I was one of the guys saying he wasn't that good, now I think he has a shot at playing in the NFL.

Figured he was thrusted into the lineup because of injuries, lack of players at the position, etc.

He's grown to be my absolute favorite player on the team.

Perhaps the best overall tackler Michigan has ever seen? That may be reaching, but I truly can't think of anyone who's done it any better....not to mention the guy is forced to do it in some SERIOUS space most of the time.

He's just smart, physical and fundamentally sound.

Just typing this post reminds me of that awesome tackle he made on 4th down up at Northwestern this year. Another great one was that tackle in the Sugar Bowl to keep the fb or te from reaching the 1st down.

He's one of those 'gym rats' that has blossomed into a leader on this team.

And you're right....he could get some serious looks from the NFL, at least for special teams.

September 1 vs. Alabama (in Arlington, TX)
September 8 Air Force
September 15 Massachusetts
September 22 @ Notre Dame 3:30 p.m. NBC
October 6 @ Purdue
October 13 Illinois
October 20 Michigan State
October 27 @ Nebraska
November 3 @ Minnesota
November 10 Northwestern
November 17 Iowa
November 24 @ Ohio State

____________

Call me crazy, but that Air Force game scares me a bit. A week removed from playing the defending National Champs. Say we pull out a win against Alabama. Without a doubt it would be a very emotional, hard-fought victory. Do we fall asleep against AF's option?

Or, say we lose to Bama in the worst way, and get crushed. Does that deflate the hell out of our boys, causing an 0-2 start like 1998?

Either way, that game stands out to me big time for some reason.

If we can come out of the non-conf schedule 3-1 or better, I think that will set us up very nicely entering league play.

But boy, look at those road games in the B1G.

This schedule is absolutely freaking BRUTAL.

the only team that worries me is 'Bama.

We can beat all teams, we've seen that.

I never would have thought 11-2 this year. Not in my wildest.

Until RR I went into every single game thinking we could win. He screwed me outta that one pleasure!!! (Bastard!)

I'm back to feeling that way.

I don't predict 14-0 but I am confident in every game.

I felt the same way. I really did. Didn't matter what the other team was ranked, etc. I went into every game EXPECTING us to win.

It was the Lloyd era that gave me that feeling. Obviously he didn't win all his games, but outside of the two games in '98 to open the season, were we ever really blown out by anybody??

We had a chance to win every game we were in. And sometimes, we won games we had NO BUSINESS winning.

Those instances just fed the monster, I guess.

But, like you said, I feel better about our team each week. And pulling out an ugly win like we did in the Sugar Bowl gave me a lot of confidence going forward.

Doesn't have to be pretty....JUST WIN BABY!

After watching App St come in and knock us off in our own house then following it up with a complete cluster-f*ck of a performance against Oregon the following week, the magic had run it's course and ever since then I've never felt as invincible.

Just my opinion though.

Lloyd Carr fan.

It was after that Oregon game that I felt he was absolutely done. It was the first time I broke rank and said it was time.

nm

1umgoblue85 wrote:

nm

Not that I don't already love the guy. But if he takes to Sugar then Rose back-to-back.....

Nm

Hoke has said from day one, a conference championship is what the goal is and the rest will work itself out. That said, I have us beating MSU next year but losing at Nebraska. Depending on how Nebraska plays (I have yet to sit down and seriously look at their schedule) we could finish runner-up in our division again. Gonna be hard to get to the RB if we don't win the conference.

I can't wait to see what the future has in store and like a lot of the UM fan base I am happy to have Hoke on-board.

sandyeggo_blue wrote:

Hoke has said from day one, a conference championship is what the goal is and the rest will work itself out. That said, I have us beating MSU next year but losing at Nebraska. Depending on how Nebraska plays (I have yet to sit down and seriously look at their schedule) we could finish runner-up in our division again. Gonna be hard to get to the RB if we don't win the conference.

I can't wait to see what the future has in store and like a lot of the UM fan base I am happy to have Hoke on-board.

I think we beat OSU at their place too.

September 1 vs. Alabama (in Arlington, TX) - L
September 8 Air Force - W
September 15 Massachusetts - W
September 22 @ Notre Dame 3:30 p.m. NBC - W
October 6 @ Purdue - W
October 13 Illinois - W
October 20 Michigan State - W
October 27 @ Nebraska - L
November 3 @ Minnesota - W
November 10 Northwestern - W
November 17 Iowa - W
November 24 @ Ohio State - W


10-2 but we don't win the division.

due to the tougher schedule and the fact that we caught a lot of breaks this year. My #1 prediction is that this is the year we put lil bro back in his place for good.