To be honest, I have never felt so uneasy going into the kickoff of a Michigan football season. While the teams have been disappointing the past few season, they were certainly well-coached and solid competitors on both sides of the ball. Change is inevitable, but my biggest concerns are that we're moving too quickly (abandon years of "things" that have worked in the past), and that we don't have the personnel to support Coach Rodriguez' vision. I certainly hope that I am wrong, and the players and Coach Rod come through in amazing fashion, but I am still very uneasy!
The good news is the team has a lot more talent than some experts believe. Yes, you can rest assured that Michigan has a lot of talent sitting on the benches. Conversely, much of this talent is unproven and their quarterback position is a huge question mark. Leadership and maturity are two qualities that will define how well, or how poorly, this years team fares. I also get the feeling we may see two or more quarterbacks being used during the first half of the season. We shall see. We are all on pins & needles!
My nephew (offensive lineman) graduated this past May. Although he had a fifth year of eligibility, he was extremly loyal to Coah Carr and decided it was time to pursue other opportunities since it was unlikely he would see much playing time under Coach Rod. The good news is that he is back in school pursuing his Masters in Chemical Engineering and actually has time for something other than football this year.
Anyway, I still have a couple weeks of vacation on the books so I should be able to fly up for a game of two this season. Is anyone up for a game at the Big House? I'll probably attend the Wisconsin game with family, but my calendar is clear for the Toledo game (11 Oct) and tickets are still available.