December 29th, 2018 at 3:34 PM ^
We can say all we want that "we're not the coaches and we don't know what happens at practice so we need to trust the coaching staff"; however, I have eyeballs and I've been watching football religiously since I was 7.
My conclusion:
Jim Harbaugh runs an offense the same way a wrestler tried to only master wrestling 10 years ago in the UFC. The sport has evolved beyond the thing that dominated, but our coach is sticking to what worked years ago. We get shredded by passing, watch the best teams in the country air it out, and yet we stick to "body blows". We have a top 5 QB and possibly the best receiving core in the nation (when including Eubanks and Gentry) and yet we run the ball with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. If we don't hire an OC to institute a new philosophy and give him full reign, we're going to be living deja vu every year. We have a legitimately good (yet not flawless) defense and we waste its potential on an offense that worked 30 years ago. Imagine a wrestler in MMA down 4 rounds in the 5th and then going for takedowns for meaningless points, completely unaware of how far down they are. That's a Harbaugh offense.
Another analogy is imagining Shaquille O'Neal becoming an NBA coach and trying to run the same style offense he ran during the 90s. Even mediocre teams in today's game would torch a team with a center and power forward that couldn't be effective outside 10 foot from the rim. That's a Jim Harbaugh offense.
If you're going to run, you have to be army or Nebraska where your QB is just as involved as the RB, or a truly dominant offensive line. On our offense, we coddle our QB and run with him "on occasion" to save him for what, 35 handoffs?
Lastly, our clock management is Les Miles bad. We are down 20+ and running long pre snap movement and not snapping until 8 seconds left. To not get a play off in time after the first play after a safety is enough for people to lose their job in high school, let alone a staff making 15+ million a year.
Here's hoping 2019 is a year of change in offensive philosophy.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:37 PM ^
By "top 5 QB" I assume you mean in the B1G East?
December 29th, 2018 at 3:43 PM ^
"College Football Offense" has completely passed Harbaugh. His philosophy and game plan only work when you are a better team than you're playing.
It seems so simple. Offensively, what position are you most loaded at? Ummmm...WR's and TE's. They are the only game breaking talent on the offensive side of the ball
Offensively, what is our weakest spot (other than Karan) by far our RB's (Evans, Wilson, Turner...clearly their ceiling looks to be an average to perhaps slightly above average B10 RB) and our OL.
So if that is what all of us can see, why would you choose to run 60% of your plays utilizing the weakest part of your team offensively. I mean that just makes zero sense. And its not like you don't have ample evidence that it just doesn't work.
December 29th, 2018 at 4:16 PM ^
I agree. For gosh sakes, does every play have to take so long call and get out to Shea? I don't know if Shea has the savvy to digest the play call in time to execute. Yes, please speed something up somewhere. The delay of game penalty near the end was as embarassing as it gets.
December 29th, 2018 at 4:57 PM ^
Jim calls in 2 plays at once, and yes, terminology can take awhile depending on the offense. Sometimes, Shea will say "kill kill" before the snap, that lets players know to run the 2nd play called.
There is no urgency, no tempo when it matters, almost like we hardly practice a two minute drill. It's sad
December 29th, 2018 at 4:24 PM ^
Because Jim Harbaugh is Blockbuster video. When you only know how to do one thing and you're too afraid to pivot to another thing, you wither away and are passed by the innovative.
December 29th, 2018 at 5:20 PM ^
An offense that only a GrandPa or Mummy could love. 1 1/2quarters of 2-3 TE’s that were plagued by mistakes.
December 29th, 2018 at 6:20 PM ^
Umbig11...I think you hit on the biggest indictments. The mistakes and time management. That last delay of game call was just pathetic and the announcers basically said so.
December 29th, 2018 at 10:32 PM ^
GrandPa and JoePa too.
December 30th, 2018 at 12:14 PM ^
Or a daddy could love. It's like he is trying to impress Jack with running shit his dad was used to doing in the 70's and 80's.
December 29th, 2018 at 4:03 PM ^
Shea isn’t a top 5 QB. Maybe in B1G.
December 29th, 2018 at 5:29 PM ^
Not one player on this team should have gone to the NFL early other than Bush. Sure, Gary can get paid, but he could have come back too and benefitted.
December 29th, 2018 at 5:41 PM ^
I agree, I gotta say that I was surprised at some of the guys leaving.
December 29th, 2018 at 11:35 PM ^
It makes you wonder why they can’t wait to get out. That’s on the coaches.
December 30th, 2018 at 12:21 AM ^
Its the coaches fault that players cant wait to go and make millions of dollars in the NFL?
December 29th, 2018 at 7:18 PM ^
I would agree with you except I would add that Karan to the list of "should go to the NFL".
Karan would help our team immensely next year, but I don't think he would benefit personally / as a player much at all from coming back to Michigan. He should go.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:40 PM ^
Karan played 4 years .
December 29th, 2018 at 7:22 PM ^
Gary was extremely underwhelming his entire career.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:36 PM ^
I think Gary was very good, but not great. I expected him to be able to take over a game defensively. To disrupt like the Bosa's did. He was very good, but not even close to an all time Michigan great
December 30th, 2018 at 5:12 AM ^
Gary never disrupted like Bosa did, not even close.
December 30th, 2018 at 1:31 AM ^
I’m trying to think of a more overrated player in UM history than Gary based on actual production. Sorry to pick on the guy that wasnt even there. Just free thinking here. Waiting for a non-“double teamed” explanation because ive re-watched most games looking for the constant dts and havent seen them
December 30th, 2018 at 9:06 AM ^
This is 100% accurate - also quite a few games he was given a half-sack/half-tackle when he was the 3rd player who landed on the QB/player who was already on the ground. He was a solid player but he's no Steele, Branch, Woodley, Graham...those dudes were beasts.
December 29th, 2018 at 10:02 PM ^
+1
You summarized my thoughts almost entirely. Specifically, the “body blows” do not work because the new way of running defense is frequent rotation, which is what Florida was doing all game. You can body blow someone who is on the sidelines for half the snaps. This is also why Wisconsin will not win a championship. It just doesn’t work any more and especially not outside the Big 10.
December 30th, 2018 at 7:12 AM ^
Good point. And because Michigan huddles and takes 20-25 seconds to get the play in and called before breaking the huddle, the defense has plenty of time to sub and recover.
December 30th, 2018 at 5:23 AM ^
Even Saban was as stubborn as Harbaugh when it comes to running a FB and TE formation that’s been around since football was invented. Saban finally adjusted the offense to run EVERYTHING and look, his offense is unstoppable
December 29th, 2018 at 3:35 PM ^
Bunch of losers, offense and defense. All talk and fold like a house of cards at the slightest whiff of adversity
December 29th, 2018 at 4:41 PM ^
Absolutely agree. I was at the game and totally embarrassed. With the exception of one random asshole fan wearing a Gators shirt but yelling O-H-I-O at me (weird), the Florida fans were great and said they wanted it more because it meant more. Can't argue with that.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:29 PM ^
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving and New Year’s without a Harbaugh collapse.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:38 PM ^
It is becoming a yearly tradition.
December 30th, 2018 at 6:27 AM ^
Is Pep cleaning out his office yet, fake insider?
December 29th, 2018 at 3:35 PM ^
Hot take: The offense sucks.
December 29th, 2018 at 6:41 PM ^
#facts
December 29th, 2018 at 3:36 PM ^
Our offense is a pile of shit, and if Pep isn't gone in the next week and someone hired where Harbaugh gives all control, then Harbaugh should go. This is ridiculous.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:36 PM ^
Tempo.
Run it.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:36 PM ^
What offense? I didn't see one.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:36 PM ^
Pep Hamilton is a bad coach. Shea is not a good enough QB
December 30th, 2018 at 7:04 AM ^
Mccaffrey, from his limited tape looks legit and should win the job easily next year. Then again who knows what Shea would be capable of with an O coord who allowed him to play. The last 2 games, the other team said they knew what was coming and we did exactly that. I don’t know who could be better than Harbaugh, so we all need to let that sink in... we know what can happen. This team isn’t far off but it’s predicability is destroying its talent.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:37 PM ^
Top 25 S&P offense you guys. Everyone told me it wasn't the problem in the thread yesterday.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:38 PM ^
The offense yielded ten points and two turnovers, one for a defensive touchdown. You couldn't draw up a worse game plan if you tried.
We need to face the facts. We'll NEVER beat Ohio State with Harbaugh at the helm. Either fire him or stop scheduling Ohio State; I don't care which.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:38 PM ^
For the love of God, please get rid of Pep Hamilton. This offense has gone from just inventive enough to work in Harbaugh's style to completely unwatchable in two years. Fire him pleeeeease!
December 29th, 2018 at 3:39 PM ^
The play calling is putrid. Clock management is terrible - a 15 year-old playing Madden could do it better. They have to huddle after every play.
But I think the worst thing is their substitution patterns. I simply can't believe that Peoples-Jones, Collins, Black and Gentry aren't all on the field at the same time all the time. Why are Perry, Bell, Eubanks and McKeon ever out there? DPJ, Black, Nico and Gentry are your best players. PLAY THEM! They are on the sideline half of the time. Are they so tired they can only go 35 plays per game? I don't care if Perry or Bell are "Slot" WRs. They are not half as talented as the other guys. It should not be that difficult. The players know this too.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:43 PM ^
I have said this all season. Seems like the O can never get into a rhythm, after each play there are mass subs. Guys can't be tired, they use the whole play clock between every play.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:50 PM ^
Yep, the constant substitutions drive me up the wall. They slow us down and don't appear to serve any real purpose. Find your best players and keep them on the field for the entire series.
December 29th, 2018 at 4:19 PM ^
I agree with the above but I wonder if Perry isn't much better than we know but Harbaugh has some problem calling plays his way. Where are all the slants? We don't seem to have that in the arsenal. (or did I miss something?)
December 29th, 2018 at 4:58 PM ^
I do think Perry is better than he has shown, but I would also guess DPJ in the slot with Nico and Tarik out wide would be very hard to defend.
December 29th, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
I guess you missed it. They ran 4 or 5 slants today
December 29th, 2018 at 5:06 PM ^
Perry used to catch just about everything thrown his way, he disappeared from the playbook these last two seasons...
December 30th, 2018 at 2:07 AM ^
This guys a genius. Tonight I saw bama fake a weak side tunnel screen only to rpo Tua who dumped it to a rb for 9 yards. It was basically a broken play that was an easier first down then ive seen michigan get all year. Why do we make it so hard? If we dont have 11 guys getting the best case scenario on each play the play goes for a loss.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:39 PM ^
Lol well at least that other poster didn’t have to worry about Pep being too good ???