The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/402034
now. We're still in this transition to try to become what we used to be, under the new ways this game is played. That's where we are." Skene recently spent some time with former U-M center Steve Ever- itt. They played together as fifth-year seniors on Michigan's 1992 offensive line, one that earned a Big Ten cham- pionship, a 38-31 win over Wash- ington in the Rose Bowl, and quite literally the tears of some opponents on the field, who were mercilessly beaten into submission. It wasn't always that way, Skene cautioned. And it was a good thing they didn't have to play young. "We were in the building, discuss- ing when we were redshirt freshmen and redshirt sophomores," Skene re- called. "We stunk. We were not very good. "But we were behind fourth- and fifth-year players that were good, and we were watching. We were learning, and we were scrimmag- ing on Mondays against the other second- and third-stringers. That's when the developmental time was taking place. "By the time you're a senior or a fifth-year senior, or a redshirt junior, you can get on the field and be ef- fective. But these guys, specifically in the offensive line, have been ex- pected to be All-Big Ten, All-Ameri- can, in their second, and in one case first — we've got a freshman out there playing — year. It's not real- istic." SO WHAT NOW? Ray and Skene realize, like Hoke does, the on-field results aren't meet- ing the expectations Michigan carries with it in football. The question be- comes where the Wolverines go from here, with high-decibel frustrations getting expressed all around. "You had to remake the football program, all the while winning," Ray said. "It's like trying to shovel snow MICHIGAN'S PLAYERS OVER THE LAST SEVEN SEASONS All-Big Ten Season (1st or 2nd)* 2007 8 2008 2 2009 2 2010 2 2011 3 2012 4 2013 5 * Coaches selections NFL Season Draft Picks 2008 6 2009 2 2010 3 2011 2 2012 3 2013 2 2014 3 Rivals.com Recruiting Season Class Ranking 2008 10 2009 8 2010 20 2011 21 2012 7 2013 5 2014 31