The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/201975
Then you're told the crew in question stands 6-1, No. 21 in the nation, and fully in control of its own destiny heading into a showdown with a prime Legends Division contender. After denials of the plausibility thereof, your mind runs toward the possibility of huge growth within a season. Now, some will peruse these words after Michigan either takes advantage of or falls victim to "60 minutes of unnecessary roughness" in East Lansing. At that point, they'll know whether the Wolverines enjoy a legitimate chance to fight their way to Indianapolis for the Big Ten championship game, or endure fistfights with Nebraska, Northwestern, Iowa and Ohio State to try and avoid a November nosedive. The harshest figures, listed above, have some observers holding their breath over the final handful of games in the 2013 season. They don't, of course, tell the whole story. Head coach Brady Hoke recently tabbed this team as "inconsistent," and it has certainly been that. It also knocked off Notre Dame, and features a quarterback who stands 16th in the nation in total offense (328.4 yards per game), in charge of a crew that, for all its issues, enters the MSU showdown tied for eighth in the nation in scoring (42.4 points per game average). There's no question, Michigan is still building its program under Hoke. How much offseason ham- mering remains necessary will become much clearer over the next several weeks. Michigan offensive line coach Darrell Funk knows how Hoke builds — both sides of the line of scrimmage first. They both know the talent recruited, but understand it's very young, much of it still not on the field. "We've recruited physical kids in this program," Funk pointed out. "And there are a lot of kids that haven't seen the field yet, but will in time. They're just not sure what we're doing or need to put on better weight, or whatever. When these kids develop and we get older — sometimes another game, not years — and a little more seasoned, then the light comes on and they play faster. "You win up front on both sides of the ball. There are some systems that aren't about the up-front guys. They're more about pace or formations and tricks, but Brady knows that you win up front on both sides of the ball. As we keep working here, we'll be more physical. Our kids are working their tails off to get to that point." Some of the data from 2013 just leaves you shaking your head. Despite the issues, it's still a season that could go either way. The light could go on in November, and the Wolverines light some people up. Or, the incomplete dossier on 2013 might prove painfully predictive. ❏ Editor John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter @JB_Wolverine.