Phil Steele's 2019-2020 Preseason Top 25

[SignalBama]

Considering they had a LB, 2 DE's and a CB drafted, no they don't. Also they don't return their RB or TE. So no they don't.

It's called depth and sharing starts.

Michael Dwumfor started 3 games a year ago
Carlo Kemp full time starter
Kwity Paye
Josh Ross started several games and played a ton of snaps
Khaleke Hudson
Devin Gil started most games but was the guy splitting snaps with Ross
Lavert Hill
Josh Metellus

Michigan returns 8 guys on defense who started games and played a ton of snaps as I said.

 

[Boise4Life]

Michigan isn’t close to reliable. They haven’t proven it and on top of that they lost quite a few key players to the league. I would be stunned if they made the playoffs.

 

[SignalBama]

Michigan isn’t close to reliable. They haven’t proven it and on top of that they lost quite a few key players to the league. I would be stunned if they made the playoffs.

They are consistently a 10 win team with a lot of talent and starts returning.

 

[ericd7633]

It's called depth and sharing starts.

Michael Dwumfor started 3 games a year ago
Carlo Kemp full time starter
Kwity Paye
Josh Ross started several games and played a ton of snaps
Khaleke Hudson
Devin Gil started most games but was the guy splitting snaps with Ross
Lavert Hill
Josh Metellus

Michigan returns 8 guys on defense who started games and played a ton of snaps as I said.

It's called starting when the starter is injured. Plus a shit load of guys skipped the bowl game.

 

[SignalBama]

It's called starting when the starter is injured. Plus a shit load of guys skipped the bowl game.

Use whatever excuse you need now that you were proven wrong I guess.

 

[7Samurai13]

Yes they do. Mason at Fullback has a few starts and was swapped in a lot. He wasn't the full time starter sure. But he did have starts at the position and played a ton.

Tarik Black at receiver was the starter before a foot injury sidelined him a year ago.

Let’s see Devin Bush, Chase Winovich, Rashan Gary, David Long all defensive starters, all drafted.

Gentry drafted, Karan Higdon left for the NFL, Chris Evans was going to be the starter but he was kicked out of the school.

 

[7Samurai13]

They are consistently a 10 win team with a lot of talent and starts returning.

Except most of the talent has left to the NFL, injured, or transferred.

 

[SignalBama]

Let’s see Devin Bush, Chase Winovich, Rashan Gary, David Long all defensive starters, all drafted.

Gentry drafted, Karan Higdon left for the NFL, Chris Evans was going to be the starter but he was kicked out of the school.

No they split starts with other players. Alabama does this as well. They were definitely great talents you mentioned for sure. But Michigan like most big time programs competing don't just have 22 starters. They have starters depending on the formations they are in.

They did lose the production above you mentioned and they were great players no doubt.

 

[SignalBama]

Except most of the talent has left to the NFL, injured, or transferred.

Not true at all. Michigan returns the most production in their division. Which is what you base preseason rankings on.

 

[Boise4Life]

They are consistently a 10 win team with a lot of talent and starts returning.

I don’t know man. They lost five games two years ago
and their loses last year weren’t particularly close. They closed out by giving up 60 something to their rival and then lost by almost 30 to an offensively challenged Florida in the bowl game. I’ll believe it when I finally see it.

 

[ericd7633]

Use whatever excuse you need now that you were proven wrong I guess.

Holy shit you have no clue what you're talking about. You're literally the only person on this planet that thinks Michigan returns 10 starters on offense and 8 on defense.

 

[SignalBama]

I don’t know man. They lost five games two years ago
and their loses last year weren’t particularly close. They closed out by giving up 60 something to their rival and then lost by almost 30 to an offensively challenged Florida in the bowl game. I’ll believe it when I finally see it.

I feel you on the end of the season. Michigan was sitting at 10-1 with everything on the line versus tOSU. I think after that game they really mailed in the bowl season. You see those types of things all the time. Lose a big game that matters and then fall off a cliff in bowl season.

Nick Saban led teams have even put up some stinkers. Just look at the thrashing Clemson put on Alabama in the title game. So the final game I can kinda forgive them for. The one team to me again that can stop them before post season is Ohio State. We will see how good their coaching hires at tOSU were as the season progresses.

 

[SignalBama]

Holy shit you have no clue what you're talking about. You're literally the only person on this planet that thinks Michigan returns 10 starters on offense and 8 on defense.

They do return 18 players on those 2 sides of the ball who have started games for them. Do you think only 22 players start in every scheme on a team or do you actually understand football and different formations ?

 

[Cowboyinexile]

I think Matt Campbell has done a great job in Ames but Iowa St lost basically their entire skill position roster ( save QB ) and they went 7-6 last year .

I'm not saying they won't be decent but a .500 team with poor historical recruiting that needs to replace so much being top 20ish is a real stretch .

They have arguably the best QB and defense in the conference, and they hit a home run with their HC. I wouldn't sleep on that.

 

[SignalBama]

Let's put this in perspective a bit. Michigan's 4 key conference games on their schedule.

Wisconsin- Beat them 38-13 a year ago at home
Penn State- Beat them 42-7 a year ago at home
Michigan State- beat them 21-7 a year ago on the road
Ohio State- lost 62-39 a year ago on the road

Non-Conference

Notre Dame- lost 24-17 a season ago on the road

Those are the games the season will come down to for Michigan. I think they are clearly better in terms of talent and returning depth than Wisconsin, Penn State and MSU. Ohio State again has a nice talent edge but is in transition with their coaching staff. Notre Dame is replacing a lot on their team from a year ago. If Michigan goes 4-1 in those games and wins the rest of their games they are going to be sitting at 11-1. IF they lose 2 of the 5 they are sitting at 10-2 again. Still a Top 10 team. I just don't see how them being #3 on someone's preseason list is that bad. I got them in the Top 5 right now.

 

[ericd7633]

They do return 18 players on those 2 sides of the ball who have started games for them. Do you think only 22 players start in every scheme on a team or do you actually understand football and different formations ?

Do you understand that those guys only started because the actual starters sat out the bowl game? I'm guessing you watched zero Michigan games last year. Lmao at you trying to drum up some bull shit about scheme. That just proves you didn't watch them last year.

 

[SignalBama]

Do you understand that those guys only started because the actual starters sat out the bowl game? I'm guessing you watched zero Michigan games last year. Lmao at you trying to drum up some bull shit about scheme. That just proves you didn't watch them last year.

That isn't true at all. The Bowl Game is 1 game dude. Those players have multiple starts. You really should research a topic before posting. I watched Michigan all year. Ask Sloopy. He was worried tOSU was going to lose to them a year ago. I told him don't worry the game won't be that close on Rivals where we came from. Michigan against Meyer could never put it together.

 

[nddulac]

Holy shit you have no clue what you're talking about. You're literally the only person on this planet that thinks Michigan returns 10 starters on offense and 8 on defense.

I'm sure some of them started in High School . . .

 

[Boise4Life]

With Michigan, they just seem deficient on offense. Kind of vanilla and boring. Then that defense which seems stout at times breaks down all the sudden. They play real teams on big stages and then the floodgates seem to open up. I don’t know. There’s too many unknowns. It’s a prove it thing for me.

 

[ericd7633]

That isn't true at all. The Bowl Game is 1 game dude. Those players have multiple starts. You really should research a topic before posting. I watched Michigan all year. Ask Sloopy. He was worried tOSU was going to lose to them a year ago. I told him don't worry the game won't be that close on Rivals where we came from. Michigan against Meyer could never put it together.

Higdon started 11 games(skipped bowl game)
Juwann Bushell started 11 games(skipped bowl game)
Zach Gentry started 13 games

But they return 10 starters on offense. Lmao.

Also. I'm amazed that a non starter from their defense got drafted(all in the top 3 rounds). Harbaugh is a dumbass for not starting them. Wonder if it was Gary, Bush, Winovich or Long who didn't start? Be curious to know.