I got to thinking about this, and while we'll just have to wait and see what and when (or even if) the Griz get hit by the NCAA and then how hard they get hit, I looked at the outlook for the 2012 Griz and the 2013 Griz and what a post-season ban might do.
First of all to lay the groundwork, looking at a list of presumed starters on offense (making assumptions here to make this argument easier):
QB: Smithwick-Hann
RB: Nguyen/Canada
FB: Moore
WR: Carver / Haynes
WR: Saylor / Henderson
WR: Gratton / Warren
TE: Hardy / Haas
OL: Kistler / Hendrickson / Oiland / Poehls / Poole
DL: Harris / Bienemann / Takai / Wagenmann
LB: Kanongata'a / Coyle or Stuberg / Tripp
CB: Harris / Murray
S: Rominger or Tully / Hermanson
The 2012 team will start just 6 or 7 seniors (and only 1 or 2 on defense) but will be starting 11 or 12 juniors, per my quick count.
At this point, while the 2012 outlook has gotten a little murky, all signs point to a LOADED 2013 team that really only has a major issue at having a new TE step up and a new power back/FB step up. The rest of the spots are backed up pretty well.
While I don't think the UM is going to be staring down the barrell of a post-season ban (unless if new unknown evidence/information is released) a 2013 post-season ban could possibly wreck one of the more talented teams the Griz will have put forth in the last 15 years.
Food for thought...
First of all to lay the groundwork, looking at a list of presumed starters on offense (making assumptions here to make this argument easier):
QB: Smithwick-Hann
RB: Nguyen/Canada
FB: Moore
WR: Carver / Haynes
WR: Saylor / Henderson
WR: Gratton / Warren
TE: Hardy / Haas
OL: Kistler / Hendrickson / Oiland / Poehls / Poole
DL: Harris / Bienemann / Takai / Wagenmann
LB: Kanongata'a / Coyle or Stuberg / Tripp
CB: Harris / Murray
S: Rominger or Tully / Hermanson
The 2012 team will start just 6 or 7 seniors (and only 1 or 2 on defense) but will be starting 11 or 12 juniors, per my quick count.
At this point, while the 2012 outlook has gotten a little murky, all signs point to a LOADED 2013 team that really only has a major issue at having a new TE step up and a new power back/FB step up. The rest of the spots are backed up pretty well.
While I don't think the UM is going to be staring down the barrell of a post-season ban (unless if new unknown evidence/information is released) a 2013 post-season ban could possibly wreck one of the more talented teams the Griz will have put forth in the last 15 years.
Food for thought...