Wolverine247 Board

I just don't think we have the depth on the OL and DL to compete with bama. We can keep the game close but I just think they will wears us down.

Furthermore Denard needs to be better throwing the ball this year to compete against the better defenses. If I am Alabama I put 8 men in the box every snap and make Denard beat me deep.

That's the question. Denard took a step backward last year due to converting to an entirely new system, but he was a good passer in 2010. He doesn't need to be Peyton Manning, but he needs to get back up to the 62+% completion rate he had in 2010. FWIW, last year he was 14/17 against OSU with 3 passing TD and 0 Int. He also was very good against Illinois and Nebraska. Those were the last three games of the regular season, which suggests he was improving as the season went along. When Denard throws the ball well, he is nearly unstoppable. That is why we were so good offensively in 2010 and why we hung 45 on Nebraska and 40 on Ohio last year. If Denard throws well in the Bama game, we definitely have a chance.

I don't see any reason to downvote your post. I actually agree with what you said. I think Bama will wear us down and take control of the game late 3rd or early 4th quarter.

This guy gets it.....you're welcome here anytime bro. . I think we win by a field goal.

I respect UM as a program but Delaneys mouth is hurting your chances in this game! Again no disrespect intended but I would be pissed if the roles were reversed.

Just some random thoughts from a Bama fan:

1) JH-ATL - I'm a Bama fan but man, you are an A-Hole. Thanks for your enthusiasm but lighten up Francis. You don't win the purple heart on a message board.

2) I'm still bitter about losing to the Brady-Terrell train in the Orange bowl a few years back. Well not that bitter considering you guys had the most badass QB in the land (unbeknownst to the NFL) slinging it all over us. Michigan is obviously a top 4 college football program of all time and that will never change. You screwed up with Rich Rod but Hoke will be the man. As a Bama fan I can tell you all about screwing up on hires (Dubose, Coach Fran, Mike Price, Mike Shula...)

3) Alabama fans are absolutely spoiled with Saban right now, so there's a lot of shooting off at the mouth (and amazingly a lot of people still find a lot of issues with the football program). I will say it, all the stars aligned, Saban was ripe to come back to college football, we are a storied program and had just made a lot of facility enhancements, WE tried to hire Rich Rod (thank you Rita for saying NO), and my how things have worked out. No doubt there are no more loyal fans in the nation than Bama fans, but getting we need to bow down to something everyday and be thankful Nick Saban showed up. That man is a machine.

4) Nick Saban nearly killed Urban Meyer. Really I believe that. Meyer thought he ran not only the SEC, but the nation, and all the sudden, he got biiatchslapped 32-13 by Saban in the SEC championship and he's out of football shortly thereafter. Bottom line is this - Meyer had no control over his program, Tebow did. Now Meyer is competitive as hell and a great recruiter, but I firmly believe he will shoot himself in the foot, given time, because he lacks discipline. I really believe Hoke will have Michigan as the big 10 champion as early as this year and over time he will become a great leader of many Big 10 champions and more.

Oh this game we have. Quite honestly, Saban has become fantastic against a mobile QB, so I will be surprised if Michigan has an offensive eruption. That being said, "that's why we play the games", and that's why Vegas ads another huge a$$ casino every year, because none of us know what will happen. At this moment Michigan has the # 1 recruiting class on 24/7 sports. Hoke has things going in the right direction, it's pretty obvious. But for this year I think Bama has too much and wins by 10 or so. I can see something like the score when we played Va Tech in the Chick-Fil-A kickoff in 2009, 34-24 (although 24-14 more likely in my mind, but what do I know). Earlier when I said Bama fans were spoiled, that's because the sick amount of talent we have year after year and how Saban molds them into scary focused warriors. Quite honestly there will be no dropoff in size, speed, etc from last year's national champion, the previous team that beat MSU 49-7 in the bowl game, or the national champion the year before...but as one poster keenly observed....this is the first game of the year. We are still dealing with 18-22 year olds, and no matter that 40-yard dash time, even more important is what you have between the earpads. Coach Saban recruits well because he turns kids like Mark Barron into brilliant DBs that combine their freakish athleticism with superior understanding of the game and get picked high in the NFL draft.

College football is much better when we have a game like Michigan vs. Bama to start the year. And by the way, even though this game doesn't count in our conference divisions, you're damn right it should count when we settle who should be playing the BCS championship come December.

See you guys Sept. 1.

Bama Swisher●

And you are who to pass insults? Actually, I do have a "Purple Heart". You do not "earn it"....a soldier is awarded one for getting wounded in combat.....probably while you were on your couch watching TV and passing out 3rd grade insults.

Why do you feel the need to troll?

I divert your attention to the fact that Saban's first-game Bama teams have been in mid-season form.

Bama 38-13.

Roll Freakin' Tide.

14-6 Bama

This was a smart "kick em while their still down" move by Saban. He asked for the game thinking Hoke has M on the rebound. If I kick his but before Hoke can rebuild the recruiting pipeline I can keep them from becoming perenial national contenders and it will help me in many of these head to head recruiting battles going on today. It's a genius move. He knew there is no way Hoke and Brandon can refuse the game.

A big loss by M hurts the recruiting pipeline being built by Hoke even though our team in this game is built on mostly 3+ star recruits (thanks to RR) and Saban's had 4+ top 3 classes for a few years. A close game is a huge victory for Hoke but does little to impact recruiting. A win would be a huge upset but Saban knows he's no worse off in recruiting. The only risk to Saban that he's not counting on would be moral victory from a masterfull Hoke, Mattison, Borges game plan that overcomes the current difference in recruiting.

I like our chances in 2012. Odds aren't in our favor.

But let's play again in 2014 when recruiting talent is similar. Will Saban have the spine to take that challenge in a Midwest venue?

Ah. You must be a Tide fan. Sure, OK. Whatever you say. Lets see if Saban has any balls in 2014.