- Sep 8, 2014
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Mystery date
Florida coach Jim McElwain was only half-kidding last week when he told reporters about opening-week opponent Michigan: “When you guys get their roster, let me know. Maybe I can figure out who we're playing.”
As of this writing, Michigan still listed a 2016 roster on its Web site. Not even an open records request from a New Jersey media company could produce the document because, according to notoriously closed-off Jim Harbaugh, it’s not even being “determined” until later this week.
Roster or not, the 2017 Wolverines may be the sport’s biggest mystery. Aside from quarterback Wilton Speight, nearly every name you’d remember from last year’s Orange Bowl squad — Jabrill Peppers, Jourdan Lewis, Jake Butt, Taco Charlton, Amara Darboh — is gone. Michigan returns just five starters from 2016, the fewest of any FBS team since 2012, per Phil Steele’s archive.
That being said, Michigan fans don’t have to look very far back to find a comparable example: Rival Ohio State returned just six starters a year ago and reached the College Football Playoff.
“That starters (lost) thing, you know, we had a lot of guys play last year,” defensive coordinator Don Brown told reporters during preseason camp. (Safety) Tyree Kinnel played a lot last year. (Defensive end) Rashan Gary played a ton. (Defensive tackle) Mo Hurst, okay he wasn’t a starter. He was just one of the most devastating penetrators inside in college football.
“I’m just saying.”
The Wolverines’ opponent Saturday in Arlington, Texas, is quite the enigma itself.
For one thing, McElwain has offered no hint who’s leading the Gators’ three-way quarterback derby between redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks, veteran Luke Del Rio and Notre Dame grad transfer Malik Zaire. “You're going to see a bunch of them in there playing,” he said.
Meanwhile, star receiver Antonio Calloway and six others are suspended for Saturday’s game. And Florida’s defense will be playing its first game without six defenders selected in the first three rounds of last spring’s NFL draft.
If you’re by chance the gambling type, do yourself a favor and stay far away from this game. We barely know who’ll be playing in it, much less which side wins.
Florida coach Jim McElwain was only half-kidding last week when he told reporters about opening-week opponent Michigan: “When you guys get their roster, let me know. Maybe I can figure out who we're playing.”
As of this writing, Michigan still listed a 2016 roster on its Web site. Not even an open records request from a New Jersey media company could produce the document because, according to notoriously closed-off Jim Harbaugh, it’s not even being “determined” until later this week.
Roster or not, the 2017 Wolverines may be the sport’s biggest mystery. Aside from quarterback Wilton Speight, nearly every name you’d remember from last year’s Orange Bowl squad — Jabrill Peppers, Jourdan Lewis, Jake Butt, Taco Charlton, Amara Darboh — is gone. Michigan returns just five starters from 2016, the fewest of any FBS team since 2012, per Phil Steele’s archive.
That being said, Michigan fans don’t have to look very far back to find a comparable example: Rival Ohio State returned just six starters a year ago and reached the College Football Playoff.
“That starters (lost) thing, you know, we had a lot of guys play last year,” defensive coordinator Don Brown told reporters during preseason camp. (Safety) Tyree Kinnel played a lot last year. (Defensive end) Rashan Gary played a ton. (Defensive tackle) Mo Hurst, okay he wasn’t a starter. He was just one of the most devastating penetrators inside in college football.
“I’m just saying.”
The Wolverines’ opponent Saturday in Arlington, Texas, is quite the enigma itself.
For one thing, McElwain has offered no hint who’s leading the Gators’ three-way quarterback derby between redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks, veteran Luke Del Rio and Notre Dame grad transfer Malik Zaire. “You're going to see a bunch of them in there playing,” he said.
Meanwhile, star receiver Antonio Calloway and six others are suspended for Saturday’s game. And Florida’s defense will be playing its first game without six defenders selected in the first three rounds of last spring’s NFL draft.
If you’re by chance the gambling type, do yourself a favor and stay far away from this game. We barely know who’ll be playing in it, much less which side wins.
