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11 Reasons to be Optimistic in Michigan
8/31/2006
The Optimist
By Skip Anderson
Editor-in-Chief, “Commodore Nation”
I have always been an optimist looking to qualify my hope for the best before each game. It is with those words in mind that I unapologetically offer 11 reasons the ‘Dores just might exit Michigan’s Big House Sept. 2 with their biggest upset, well, since last year’s come-from-behind 28-24 win over Tennessee.
Nothing to Lose
It seems the world beyond the Vanderbilt family has already relegated the Commodores back to the cellar of the SEC now that Jay Cutler has moved his game to the NFL. But fifth-year head Coach Bobby Johnson and his team have momentum and confidence, an ingredient necessary to sustain the program’s turnaround that established considerable traction last season.
Don’t Scare Easy
No team coached by Bobby Johnson is going to be intimidated by opposing fans. They weren’t rattled by the Gator fans in The Swamp nor the fans in Neyland Stadium last year, and they won’t be intimidated by those in The Big House.
Options: Quarterback
Sometimes lack of a clear-cut starter during the preseason is a sign that no one is up to the task. But other times, it’s that there enough talent that the competition is spirited. Sophomore signal caller Chris Nickson is likely the man to beat as the heir apparent to Cutler, and he looks good. He showed good mobility and a strong arm in his limited playing time last season. But forcing the depth chart to be written in pencil is redshirt freshman Mackenzie Adams. And then there’s a junior transfer who started five games in the Pac 10 last year ?
Set to Receive
Regardless of who’s throwing the ball, he will have as a corps of talented receivers as targets led by sure-handed sophomore Earl Bennett. These guys know how to get open, they have the skills to pull the ball out of the air, and at times, they can juke with the best of them for yards after the catch.
Ground Attack
This season will be another throw-when-you-can-run-when-you-have-to type of offense that ‘Dore fans became accustomed to during the Cutler years. If Vanderbilt can establish a credible running game early, look out: fleet-footed Cassen Jackson-Garrison, a junior from Knoxville, has the potential to be the difference in the game.
Logo Gets Defensive
Under the leadership of new defensive line Coach Ricky Logo, the ‘Dores could very well put more pressure on Michigan QB Chad Henne than expected. Plus, a trio of linebackers — Jonathan Goff, Kevin Joyce, and Marcus Buggs — are chomping at the bit to lay somebody out. This is just the type of squad that could very well frustrate a quarterback struggling for confidence of his coaches and respect of his teammates.
Numbers Game
Rankings that come out before the first touchdown of the season are often abhorrently unreflective of reality — they do little other than provide kindling for the bonfires fanned by columnists and talk-show hosts anxious for the season to begin. Remember a year ago when Tennessee fans were trying to figure out who they would be battling for the BCS championship game? Michigan, currently ranked 10th by Sports Illustrated, is coming off their worst season in two decades. Someone in the top tier will lose its opener — here’s hoping it’s Michigan.
Taken for Granted
Coaches love to say that they take no one for granted, that they never look past their next opponent. However, the Wolverines are scheduled top play the country’s top two teams — Notre Dame and Ohio State — on the road this season. You don’t think that’s already causing the Wolverines heartburn?
Job Insecurity
Vanderbilt victories in Fayetteville and Knoxville helped put Arkansas’ Houston Nutt and Tennessee’s Phil Fulmer onto the hot seat last year, and a Commodore win would certainly not help Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr’s employment situation. Fate has a funny way of kicking coaches when they’re down.
Huddle Diplomacy
Michigan quarterback Chad Henne developed a Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde complex last season following a stellar freshman campaign in 2004. In the off season, Henne made an attempt to develop better leadership skills and to establish a more commanding presence in the huddle. But leadership can’t be faked, and if he forces it, it could very well unravel the season even before it starts.
Traveling Fans
Sure, if the game slips away from the ‘Dores, it will be tough for the 2,000 black-and-gold fans expected to be there to be heard. But if Vanderbilt can score early, those who made the trip will find out just how quiet those sitting in the other 105,000 seats can be. The Vol Nation had never been as quiet as they were Nov. 19, 2005.
Comments? Email Skip Anderson at skip.anderson@vanderbilt.edu
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