Team Chemistry

So Hoke says it is better. That's good. I hope everything is better for this team.

Now, let's take a look at the captains last year.

Taylor Lewan: Great player. Possible top 10 NFL pick. But is he a leader? I have no proof, but he doesn't come across as a leader to me. He seemed to always be right on the line of a personal foul penelty. Is that what you want younger players to emulate? Was he a bully in the locker room?

Courtney Avery: Team guy. Back up most of his career. It's hard to lead when not on the field. You can talk the talk, but if your play doesn't get you on the field enough, younger players will tune you out. They want to hear from a guy that plays.

Cam Gordon: Same as Avery.

Jake Ryan: Great player. Possibly a great leader. But when you are away from the team rehabbing, you are not leading. I look for him to take more of an active leadership role this season. He already has.

There are a lot of flaws in the appointed leaders from last season's team. Hopefully it is fixed.

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2014/04/michigans_brady_hoke_this_team.html

Hoke said last year that he really liked the team. Meaning he liked what he saw out of them. We all know how that ended. It's put up or shut up time.

I do think leadership and the lack thereof, while difficult to quantify is pretty big and I agree that we had issues last year. Also agree that this year is critical to Mich football more so than any of the last few. If you reverse our last 3 year's records so that we had gone 7-6, 8-5 and 11-2, I think we'd all feel a whole lot better.


shoes