With less than two weeks to go until the annual spring game, Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr has at least one thing he can count on for the upcoming season.
The schedule.
What may be the nation's toughest slate won't get any tougher for Carr. After debating whether to schedule a 12th regular-season game, Carr decided against it.
He also decided not to change any of the dates of Michigan's three non-conference games - Colorado, Baylor and Notre Dame - leaving the Wolverines with a jam-packed, 11-game schedule with no bye-weeks.
"We're well aware that we have tremendous talent as far as a non-conference schedule before we get into the Big Ten schedule," Carr said. "But there's excitement that comes from playing with caliber of opposition that you don't get when you don't play quality teams. I don't think we're going to have any trouble getting emotionally ready.
"The question is whether we'll be ready physically. I'm optimistic that we will be. But we're not ready to play Colorado yet. That's for sure."
Unfortunately for Carr, that's about the only thing he's sure about regarding the Wolverines for next season.
The starting quarterback job is still as up in the air as it was when spring practice got underway March 14.
Not only is there a heated battle between senior Brian Griese and junior Scott Dreisbach, but Carr is giving sophomore Tom Brady and redshirt freshman Jason Kapsner every effort to challenge Michigan's more experienced signal-callers.
"We've tried to be as equitable as we can be with regard to snaps," Carr said. "We know what Griese and Driesbach can do, so we've been trying to get Brady and Kapsner snaps because they have had less experience. The position is going to be strong. The competition is going to be fierce."
But regardless of who Carr decides to pencil in as his starter, Michigan should be left in a pretty good situation, considering there will be at least one experienced backup ready to go on the sidelines.
"I look back at last season," Carr said. "The key for us was when Scott got hurt, we had a guy that came off the bench and played extremely well. So anytime you have a quarterback situation where you have that kind of depth, it's a positive."
Ever since Dreisbach was injured in Michigan's Nov. 9 loss at Purdue, after which he was replaced as the starter by Griese, there have been rumors that he was sulking about having to regain his job, rumors which Carr dispelled.
"He's never had a bad attitude," Carr said. "I would never expect anybody to be happy about being in a position where they weren't happy about not being a starter.
"Certainly he wasn't happy, but he's come out this spring and thrown the ball extremely well. And he's playing as well as he did before he got hurt."
To avoid smashing egos, a proposed compromise has been for Michigan to employ the alternating-quarterback system (which Ohio State used quite effectively last year with Joe Germaine and Stanley Jackson) to get both Dreisbach and Griese in the lineup.
Carr didn't rule out that possibility, but it isn't consistent with his coaching philosophy.
The alternating-quarterback plan "is easier to do when you have two guys that have experience," Carr said. "I've always felt that it was an advantage to have to worry about someone else coming in for him if he didn't play so well.
"I would not be reluctant to play any of these guys. But you have to look from a coaching standpoint, and that can change during the course of a game."
The other major question mark coming into the spring season was the offensive line. According to Carr, the returning members of the starting quintet - senior guard Zach Adami and junior tackle Jon Jansen - are setting the pace for the pack, with the newcomers coming on a little bit slower.
"Jansen and Adami have been outstanding this spring," Carr said. "I think both of them as seniors have gotten better, and it's good to see them practice with the kind of intensity they have.
"Steve Frazier has really had a good spring and is coming along nicely," he added. "He's picked it up a notch at center. Chris Ziemann and Jeff Potts are developing as tackles, but we need to get better there, and we will with time.These kids have worked hard and will get better with time."
As for the running game, Carr has been pleased with the progress of senior Chris Howard and junior Clarence Williams, who have both seemed more comfortable after a year of seasoning as starters.
But what has Carr most excited with his backfield corps is sophomore fullback John Anes whose size and versatility seem to fit with Michigan traditional mold of bruising backs.
"Our backfield situation should be a lot stronger this fall than it was last year, because Anes is a big, powerful back," Carr said. "He's an outstanding blocker and receiver, and he's making us a better football team.
And then there's Charles Woodson.
"I'm excited," Carr said. "We got a kid named Woodson. I think he's going to be a starter for us."
The junior cornerback/receiver and Heisman Trophy candidate should see even more playing time on the offensive side of the ball, not only to enhance his chances for college football's top honor, but because he has adjusted to the offensive game quite well according to Carr.
"We've learned a lot a year ago about playing a guy two ways," Carr said. "He's had enough experience as a wide receiver. You don't have to worry about his routes, and he's catching balls a lot better than when he first came over."
But when Woodson jumps to the defensive side and looks across the field to see his cornerback partner, he sees nothing right now, a problem that is beginning to concern Carr.
"Defensively, I'm concerned about one cornerback position," Carr said. "Nobody has taken over for Woody Hankins. Andre Weathers and Trent Washington are in there but I'm not satisfied with that position."
With Griese's success last year as a pooch punter, the position has sort of come into vogue as a special teams position for specialty position players.
"Griese did a tremendous job there last year," Carr said. "We may put Woodson back there. Tom Brady also punted in high school.
"It's a great weapon, because it restricts people's ability to rush the punter. Woodson thinks he could do anything. He's not as good a punter as he is a cornerback. But who knows?"
MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
Michigan quarterback Scott Dreisbach will have to battle it out with Brian Griese, Tom Brady and Jason Kapsner for the starting spot in the fall.