Oregon

Lloyd Carr wants a fresh start. He says the season starts now. The team has tried to come together in the past week. There was a players only meeting where the offensive and defensive sides tried to mend the rift that an intense competition between the units had created. We'll see if there is a change in intensity on the field tomorrow. The players know what is at stake.

This game tomorrow is going to be tough. I can already see Chris Graham, Johnny Thompson and whoever else they throw out there at linebacker flailing at Dixon. Dixon, of course, is a bigger and just-as-fast(if not faster) Armanti Edwards. Yards will be piled up, by both teams. Points will be as well. The over/under sits at 64.5, and weather will not be a factor. The Michigan defense is not going to magically transform into USC's defense. And Oregon's defense is probably worse than Michigan's, although they are not tasked with defending the spread this week. Both offenses will take advantage of this.

Besides all of that, I can honestly say that I have no idea what will happen tomorrow. I know that both teams will score, at times rather easily. But I can see either team taking control and winning by 3 touchdowns. So what are some things to watch for? First off, I don't see Carr and Debord coming out of the gate trying to score touchdowns in 2 minute drives. We'll take our shots, but this is going to be a similar offensive gameplan as last week. Oregon could force us to switch gears rather early by loading the box and stopping Hart. Henne will need to play much better than he did against App State. What I would like to see is more straight play action, keeping Henne in the pocket. On defense, I think that it will be interesting to see if we get more speed on the field. We could switch out some linebackers for defensive backs like Charles Stewart, who is a bigger safety. He didn't really play last week. It appears that Warren will get the start at corner and Englemon at free safety. Also, look for how much the starters play on the defensive line. We may see Graham more. As for the overall scheme, I doubt we will be as aggressive as last week. It will be a classic "keep everything in front of you" type of defense.

So let's go into tomorrow hoping for a different team. The national championship hopes have been dashed. There's still something to play for though. Enjoy watching the team play. Watch the future stars in Schilling, Brandon Graham, and Warren. Enjoy watching Hart run. You may never see another running back at Michigan with the leadership and desire that he possesses. I guess we'll see if it will be enough to will us to victory tomorrow.