The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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The 2014 Wolverines return four tailbacks that combined for 402 yards a year ago. That doesn't tell the whole story, but it's an indication that the opening for someone remains substantial. The first opening head coach Brady Hoke seeks involves the one pro- vided by a revamped offensive line. Following a season of far too many negative plays and reversed results, Hoke stands anxious to see what new offensive coordinator Doug Nuss- meier and the Wolverines can pro- vide. Big Ten Network analyst and former Wolverine Marcus Ray has seen a few great ones come and go at Michigan Stadium. He's studied those vying for the high-profile job of starting tailback at The Big House, and offered up blunt assessments of what he sees. IT STARTS UP FRONT Former Michigan offensive line coach Jerry Hanlon always insists, "Give me a good line, and I'll give you good running backs." There's more than a little to that way of thinking, Ray concurred. "Coach Hanlon is right," the for- mer stalwart safety noted. "That's Football 101. You're only as good as your offensive line. "Every position, offensively, is only as good as the offensive line. That's where everything starts. That is the centerpiece of your offense. A receiver is only as good as the quar- terback, and the quarterback is only as good as the time he has to throw the ball, and that starts up front." Ray noted everyone wants Michi- gan to get back to the days of the 1,000-yard tailback, the dominant, crushing run game. To do so, he in- sisted, the Wolverines need more than one NFL-quality player on any given line. It's been awhile since the days of seeing four-time All-Big Ten mauler Steve Hutchinson teamed with long- time pros Jeff Backus and Jon Jansen in a punishing ballet. He's hoping the Wolverines return to that sort of lineup. "Years ago, we had five guys up front who could possibly play at the next level, or who were just flat-out better than everyone else in the coun- try," Ray insisted. "They were able to dominate as a group. They domi- nated defensive lines. Fullbacks Must Be Flexible Michigan won't be the same offensively under new coordinator Doug Nuss- meier. Precisely what that means for the running game hasn't been revealed, although there are obvious hints when observing his most recent stop. The former Alabama offensive coordinator acknowledged at the start of spring football that the old-time fullback, lining up in the I formation and blast- ing away, won't be at the forefront of his plans. "Fullback is an intriguing position," Nussmeier said. "A lot of people don't use a true fullback anymore. Most teams have gone away from it. You see the