Has your general feeling/optimism about 2014 changed?
Have your feelings changed for the upcoming season?
I was glad the season ended but as soon as Borges was let go, it felt like a weight was off the shoulders but there was still an uneasy feeling with the vacant position.
I, for one, am very excited now and there is a fresh and new feeling of hope.
86 days until the spring game.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:13 AM ^
Yes - I thought for sure Hoke was going to be fired after next season. I think The Nuss has probably saved his job. At least I view Hoke more positively now because he is able to let his 'friends' go for the better of the team.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:14 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:17 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:17 AM ^
I have tempered optimism. I still see giant question marks on the offensive line. I still wonder which receiver not named Funchess will fill the void left by Gallon. Will he be able to significantly reduce the amount of times Gardner doesn't see a linebacker/safety breaking on a slant route?
I am excited that we've brought in a legitimate name with a solid resumè, I just don't want to tell myself that we're winning the Big Ten when there are still so many personnel questions.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:19 AM ^
Hoke's bland assurance that he didn't expect any changes in the staff depressed me. If the program's reaction to 2013 was "oh well, let's try again next year, more Absopure please" then my interest level in showing up for a bunch of ho-hum home games was going to be minimal. I hoped for a Beilein-esque staff turnover but Hoke's statement made me think it wouldn't happen. So I'm intrigued and more optimistic.
BTW I don't think it has been mentioned but Nussmeier is left-handed, one of only 32 lefties to play QB in the NFL (per wikipedia). That could mean nothing or it could be very helpful to our presumptive 2015 & 2016 starter.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:22 AM ^
I went from dreading September and looking forward to the next few months and having fun in the offseason to begging for September to come now!
January 9th, 2014 at 9:22 AM ^
I know that UM's biggest rivals are worried, too, which makes me happy. This news was actually broken to me by an osu fan and friend of mine who realizes how big of a deal this is. I bet him lunch at the end of the season that Borges would be fired and he didn't think so...I win.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:27 AM ^
we just started a new call rotation that has each of us taking call for the ICU for a week straight and yesterday was my last day (and it was crazy, though we didn't have subs). That, coupled with my attempt to quit smoking (which has been ongoing since Monday), meant it was best for me to just keep from the computer for the day.
I got into the office today and as always, checked out mgoblog and BAM! I really had given up hope that we would make any changes, but when I saw this I couldn't be happier. First time in ages I am feeling good about the potential of this team.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:28 AM ^
Yes. I'm hoping this is the Beilein-after-the-third-year move that we've been waiting for...
January 9th, 2014 at 9:32 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:32 AM ^
Despite the outcome of this coming year, Hoke bought himself a chance at 2015. Unless obviously everything implodes and we have a 3 win season. I don't necessarily think this changes things drastically. I feel an 8 win season is possible instead of just a 7, but it gives me a faint hope that something miraculous happens and we have 11 wins. With Borges here, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to waste my time with the season. So the quick answer is I feel optimistic about the future and it makes me have a little confidence in Hoke.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:59 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 10:40 AM ^
Another 7-6 season and I think the Hoke era ends unless there are some extreme cirumstances like Gardner and Morris being hurt most of the season or 6 losses by a total of 9 points or something.
I think he is on the seat at 8-5 honestly. Three mediocre seasons in a row sound pretty bad. Consider our history starting with Bo. Over the last 45 years, Michigan has lost 5 or more games 7 seasons. Once by Bo in 1984. Once by Carr in 2005. Three by RR (2008-2010) and now two by Hoke (2012-2013).
I think Hoke needs to go 9-4. It's his fourth season at the helm, the team is mainly his guys. The season sets up well in that while your 3 rivalry games are all on the road, you are probably favored to win your other 9.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:36 AM ^
Yes. We needed this change to give us a better chance against Appy State.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:42 AM ^
New girlfriends are always fun. That is, until they turn into old girlfriends.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:52 AM ^
a pipe burst in my rental house this morning and I was all, "Don't care. We got Alabama's OC". In my memory, that burst pipe will have happened in 2013.
Enduring an entire offseason of trying to convince myself that things could be better/changed/invigorated on offense even though there were mountains of evidence pointing to the cretacian midset of Borges never changing a thing and being content with banging our collective heads into the same spot on the same wall, week after week was already starting to wear me down. So, that's not a thing anymore, and I am so happy I forgot to put on pants.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:53 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 10:17 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:54 AM ^
I feel much better about Hoke after this move, if not the outlook of next season specifically. I thought how he handled the offensive coaching staff this off season was his first real test of leadership. Would he cling to "his guys" despite the obvious need to let some of them go? Or would he step up to let some people go in an attempt to upgrade the staff?
I feel like it'll be a net positive next season, maybe not a huge immediate benefit, but I feel much better about the program overall than I did when it looked like Borges was coming back.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:31 AM ^
But, hopefully this move was made by Hoke recognizing it isn't working rather than being forced by Brandon to make change just for appearance.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:01 AM ^
I will feel much more optimistic when a coaching change in the trenches comes. That was the biggest problem this last year, not Al.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:07 AM ^
If the offensive line can't block it doesn't matter who the OC is next year. With that being said I fully believe that the line will be better next year and absolutely deadly two years from now. But as far as expectations or general outlook doesn't really change much.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:32 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^
That one doesn't work backwards.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:08 AM ^
Based on what I saw from Morris I was optimistic, now with Nuss I cannot wait to see how he flourishes. I was one of the people calling for Morris the last half of the season, but I also want to see if he can help improve on Devin too.
Going to be a long off season......
January 9th, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 10:25 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^
This is my opinion as well. There needed to be some kind of change. The program was losing alot of momentum and the bowl disaster/no show only emphasized this. I think this should ramp things back up and what I'm really hoping for is that his hiring pays dividends in the recruiting dept.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:28 AM ^
He acknowledged it wasn't working and went outside the box and replaced most of his staff. This move is only the start, not the finish. It worked for basketball.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:35 AM ^
OP, the question isn't "have your feelings changed," it's "how" have they changed. We just fired the Worst Coach in the History of Michigan (TM) and upgraded with a successful guy who just tutored under the most successful college football system of the last 20 years under Saban. Anyone who isn't ecstatic and excited to see how we'll look next year, especially given the offensive line cannot possibly be any worse than it was this year, is not a Michigan fan.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:41 AM ^
Al Borges was no way as bad as Greg Robinson.
January 9th, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 11:20 AM ^
I thought it was a great hire. It energizes the fan base, There was a lot of doom and gloom. Now we have positive momentum heading into next season and Michigan is back in the news in a positive light. It has to be a positive for recruiting too. It will be nice to see some cohesion in the game plan along with an identity.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^
Schedule and roster-wise, 2015 had seemed to me to be much much brighter than 2014 (losing Gardner, Ryan, Funchess, and Clark wii be tough, but the one positive on-field takeaway from the Copper Fiasco, for me, was Shane's play (plus Speight's all-star week reports were pretty nice)).
What's changed for me is a modest upgrade in expectations for next season, and, for 2015, a fervent hope that Nuss can stick around that long. the good news/bad news is that if he wows the cfb world next year, the head coach offers will come in droves.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^
Style of play is similar. I think all current plays stick around. Once relationships are mended I think that most recruits probably stay interested, or even have an uptick in interest (definitely think Campbell is a serious play again).
It's really all good news except that it's a 1-3 year stint assuming it goes well. He inherits a good ball of clay. I hope he turns it around quick, and we're able to keep the ball rolling with the next guy whenever that may be.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 10:57 AM ^
Not so much, the proof is the play on the field. I'll only believe it when I see it.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:59 AM ^
At the first/next 5* he pulls out of SEC territory.
January 9th, 2014 at 11:00 AM ^
When I emailed my dad about this last night, his reply was classic... "Can we hire some of their players too"?
January 9th, 2014 at 11:05 AM ^
fire the OC!!!1!!1 a few optimistic posts posbang post posbang post with 200+ responses posbang post with 200+ responses and multiple bouncing Uptons (we are here) and several other threads focused on hope for the future muppets.
January 9th, 2014 at 11:12 AM ^
Happy for a number of reasons:
1. Hoke proved himself to be the guy he was at his initial press conference. He saw a problem, didn't sort it out before the media ("I anticipate all the staff will return") or the fans, found a good solution and pulled the trigger. "This is Michigan" means that we cannot and could not accept the 2013 offensive, and that we act like fucking professionals.
2. The Borges offense had no identity. I tried to support the guy, but my biggest complaint is that his offense was never the punishing offense we were promised under Hoke. Sometimes it was finesse, sometimes it was bland/stagnant and sometimes it was WTF. This isn't about spread/pro/power/option/etc...it's about installing a powerful and dominant offense. Borges didn't get it done and now we can try again to be a Michigan offense.
3. I haven't yet touched my PSD envelope, but now I can pay my ransom without guilt.
4. Nuss is a recruiter. I can't comprehend how an OC could avoid recruiting responsibilities as Borges did. It made absolutely no sense. With this hire, we now have an OC and another recruiter. Two birds; one stone.
January 9th, 2014 at 11:27 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 11:44 AM ^
Nussmeier did alright with average talent and did fantastic with superior talent.
Does Michigan have superior, or even "above average" talent on offense right now?
I'm thinking yes, but it may take time.
Meanwhile, there's this on the wins, so I'm confused as to why people think this is a home run hit.
MSU 2003: 8-5
MSU 2004: 5-7
MSU 2005: 5-7 (infamous 44-41 loss to ND)
Wash 2009: 5-6
Wash 2010: 6-6
Wash 2011: 7-6
Alabama 2012: 11-2
January 9th, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 12:42 PM ^
Also, the JLS MSU teams were actually pretty good offensively, but terrible defensively. Similar to the RichRod teams here.
January 10th, 2014 at 11:33 PM ^
He should be ashamed for allowing ND to beat Sparty like that. What kind of QB coach allows an opponent to score 44?
/s
January 9th, 2014 at 11:53 AM ^
I am a little more optimistic for the 2014 season, but it's a brutal schedule. 2015 on the other hand...yes, much more optimistic (assuming no one transfers and the team is healthy of course).
January 9th, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^
Merely getting rid of Al Borges was reason for hope. Hiring a guy who won a NC with Alabama is nice too.