Oh my it really is feast or famine with you. Two days ago you thought your team sucked and you wanted to fire Harbaugh. Now you are downplaying their shortcomings and talking like they are on their way to a NC.
IMHO they weren't as bad as you thought they were on Friday and they aren't as good as you think they are today.
Never thought they sucked. Yes, I was fed up at the time they lost to MSU and thought they should move on from Harbaugh. Two reasons: (a) I believed and still believe he was screwing up the QB situation and therefore the team by playing a vastly inferior player over JJ McCarthy. And (b): he crapped down his pants and lost when he was up 16 in basically the 4th QTR vs arch-rival #2 Sparty. Can't do that. The miracle punt muff/block return for TD with 8 seconds left in the damn game and 4th QTR collapse cost him being 5-2 in that rivalry. He's 3-4. 3-4 is just not acceptable. Neither was 0-5 vs you know who. He was 0-5 in THE rivalry- but he's earned himself some good will and gratitude with that W vs Ohio State. But he's got to earn more of those. One alone doesn't mean he can lose that game forever again. Have to stay competitive in that one and make it a real rivalry- not be the annual OSU whipping boy- which let's face it- he was. Aside from 2016- and up until Haskins came in to relieve an injured JT in 2017 and started dealing- none of those games were even close.
And I've actually said all season long that I thought this M team/roster was basically 3 players away from being a legit playoff contender- and that they had basically everything else they needed except for a legit QB (which Michigan
might have with JJ), an elite #1 CB, and a true #1 WR (see: Ronnie Bell
or Xavier Worthy
or even better yet: both!).
Cade has been serviceable, and he's not turned the ball over and he's come through when he's had to for the most part- but he's still severely limited and he limits this pass game and therefore offense and run game. Will he be enough to get through Iowa? Maybe so, but if so it would probably because Iowa has a truly terrible offense and the pressure would not be on him to have to score lot of points. But in a shoot-out vs a really good offense, do I trust him to go blow for blow? Absolutely not. Michigan has gotten more out of their passing game than they were showing very early on in the season- but they still need to take that passing game and bring it a loooooong way forward if they are going to do anything at all if they even get past Iowa- which again- is by no means a lock. Iowa has a terrific defense and Cade has shown he WILL put the ball in harms way- he's been very fortunate more times than not those risks have been INCs or dropped INTs. He will have to be on his absolute A++ game manager game this week and protect that ball at all costs.
As for the CB's- turns out CB Vincent Gray has truly had one of the greatest redemption seasons I've ever seen from a player- to go from where he was last year to year to where he is now- night and day. And it also turns out that Gemon Green going down with injury paved the way for soph. CB DJ Turner- who has been a revelation and a much better player than Green. Turner hadn't really gotten on the field much at all as a froshie in COVID SEASON last year and hadn't really played much this year until SR CB Gemon Green went down with injury. Gray has played way above his head and turns out DJ Turner might be way better than the 3* ranking and all he needed was an opportunity. He certainly had the athletic profile to be a high quality CB- just didn't play the position much in HS and was a bit on the smallish size. Looks like that time in the weight room and getting more reps at the new position has been paying off for him.
As for the WR's- really surprised me. But I always felt that there is a lot more talent there than people wanted to give them credit for. They have plenty of guys that can play the position and that are plus athletes. Roman Wilson, AJ Henning, Cornelius Johnson, and Andrel Anthony all look very fluid/smooth/explosive to me. These are plus athletes. Mike Sainsitril is probably the slow guy- and he's not exactly slow. This group is pretty good- but it'd have been an embarrassment of riches and possibly even one of the elite units in the entire nation with a healthy Ronnie Bell and if Xavier Worthy had never freaking transferred to Texas right before he was set to enroll.
TLDR version:
CB Ambry Thomas comes back for his SR year instead of goes pro after sitting out all of 2020, WR's Ronnie Bell & Worthy are in the WR corps healthy & happy, and they start JJ at QB from game 1 and let him grow- this team would be too legit to quit.
