We all thought about it: What did this game make you think about our team?
I usually hate-watch national title games because they're important to a sport I love but they wind up just reminding me how disappointed I am that Michigan is not good enough to be there. And they're harder to skip now that the coaches film room is must-watch viewing every year.
But if you're like me you watch these games with one eye on the teams we all jealously wish weren't there and one eye on the strengths and particularly the weaknesses of our own team.
So let's just get right out and admit stuff that the title game highlighted for us about Michigan in the past and going forward.
What sort of things about our team came to mind when you watched the national title game?
January 9th, 2018 at 2:42 AM ^
that SC player talk after the game about them knowing the routes we were running after the first couple drives. Not sure if he was just saying that or what but it did surprise me that the narrative was that the offense was too simple that game.
Oddly, we had guys running wide open all game against OSU. Was that a complex gameplan that got guys open but was so complex JOK couldn't get through all the progressions? Did we have no open guys against SC because the gameplans was too simple?
Maybe if we had UFRs for those games....
But you're absolutely correct that from previous UFRs, it sounded like we had some pretty dumbed down route trees for JOK/Peters, but the narrative persisted that our offense was too complex. shrug emoji.
January 9th, 2018 at 7:13 AM ^
Something was really 'off' this year and I don't just mean QB injuries and youth at skill positions. Harbaugh was different (demeanor), play calling process and duties were muddled and vacillated between stubborn (running off-tackle with no room), uncreative (no deep passing game after Black went down), and signs of life (OSU game plan appeared uniquely different from every other game this season). Too many OC cooks in the kitchen. Defense was great but wore down and never fixed the difficulty covering slot receivers with safeties. Special teams were actually bad if you think about it: punting basically sucked regardless of who was back there, punt return issues were constant, and Nordin went through a mid-season slump. None of this really makes sense and belies Harbaugh's track record. I obviously don't know what's going on and I don't think any of us really do either but SOMETHING isn't right. Here's hoping that next year is different...or else! As for Georgia vs. Alabama, both teams looked more skilled, more smooth (play calling and execution), better coached, and more clutch than us. It's hard being a Michigan fan.
January 9th, 2018 at 9:37 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 8:36 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
Enter Shea Patterson.
January 9th, 2018 at 10:12 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 2:07 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 2:09 AM ^
An 18 year old kid playing his first half of nongarbage time college football just threw a 40 yard bomb in which he looked off the safety in a Cover 2 in OT against Georgia in the national title game.
Can you show me any of our QBs doing that this year?
Harbaugh either lost his fastball on offense or he straight up whiffed on Peters.
Either way it makes me wish Hoke’s dumbass took Costello’s commitment in summer 2014, so Harbaugh would have at least one functional multi year QB on this damn roster.
And secondly, can we duplicate Partridge and recruit more of these types of players Bama and UGA have? What the hell do Pep and Drevno do recruiting wise?
How many players did we finish second for in this game????
Okay I’m done.
January 9th, 2018 at 2:16 AM ^
I actually posted a diary of O'Korn doing exactly what you discuss (looking off a defender) against Purdue. That performance was, sadly, nothing at all like anything else he did. Speight has been capable of this, but he had the yips this year for whatever reason. Peters is not there yet and he'd better get there if he wants to start again.
We did finish second for a lot of players in this game, but then these guys are ethically questionable at the moment and otherwise big programs do finish second a lot because they're in on a lot of guys.
But it stinks seeing Hardman and Harris and others being so prominent, no question. Worse because their impact probably means they made the right choice even setting aside any questions of why they made it.
January 9th, 2018 at 2:40 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 8:29 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 2:32 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 2:37 AM ^
Michigan’s DLine and secondary are just as talented and coached well like Bama’s.
Our LB core starting next year will be just as athletic and well coached too if Partridge stays.
Oline QB RB on the other hand... yeah there’s the problem.
January 9th, 2018 at 2:52 AM ^
we watch Wisconsin throw a freshman out there and score 3 TDs in a NY6 bowl, we watch these guys from Bama and UGA play well in a national title game.
Our WR failures are a combo of poor coaching, poor O line play and poor quarterbacking, and it's not necessarily youth. With four (five?) highly talented freshmen WRs and two fairly highly recruited sophs, they should have been able to produce more.
An absolute passing game disaster for us this year.
January 9th, 2018 at 11:23 AM ^
We had quite a few frosh/soph who were cabable starters. Bush, Hill, Long, ...
Those teams got to pick those and play them with upper classmen. We had to play them with other frosh/soph who may ultimately be starter worthy but aren't yet (WRs, RT, ...)
January 9th, 2018 at 3:03 AM ^
Harbaugh went to Mississippi and recruited Shea Patterson for a reason. Tua is a 5-star. Patterson is a 5-star. Peters...may not work out.
January 9th, 2018 at 8:00 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 3:08 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 9:46 AM ^
Come on. Harbaugh has the "QB Whisperer" title because of ALL his stops, not JUST Luck. San Diego, turned that kid into an NFL pick, I believe. the first year at Stanford had some low-end prospect walk into the Coliseum and knock off a LOADED USC team. He had Luck for a few years. Let's give him a break and see that Peters has been a 'project/developmental' QB from his high school days.
January 9th, 2018 at 9:47 AM ^
Tag looked like a kid that will run head first to get the first down, spend downtime in the gym.
Watching his performance last night, he's definitely different. I'm glad his debuted worked out for him on the grand stage. It's pretty damn cool if you think about it.
January 9th, 2018 at 8:22 AM ^
Can someone remind me of Costello trying to commit? Why did Hoke say no (besides him being an idiot)?
January 9th, 2018 at 8:57 AM ^
Our OL is a big part of the problem.
Tua had time to look off the safety on the game winning TD. He would have gotten killed behind our OL.
January 9th, 2018 at 2:10 AM ^
I️ thought Saban was out of his mind.
January 9th, 2018 at 2:25 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 2:30 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^
Alabama didn't lose last year because of their OC replacement. If anything, I thought their offense looked pretty remarkable all things considered.
They lost because they ran into a generational talent by the name of Deshaun Watson. His performance against Bama was Vince Young-esque, and - without him - Clemson doesn't stand a chance.
January 9th, 2018 at 4:51 PM ^
and I don't think they win last night w/o another generational talent. So your point?
January 9th, 2018 at 3:01 AM ^
for two drives in the first half against Florida but put him back in. Said it was a planned thing. Was a little weird. Seemed more to settle him down than anything?
He pulled JOK just before halftime of the Rutgers game.
I was actually hoping he'd keep O'Korn in when Peters went out in the bowl game. He couldn't have been worse than Peters who was clearly shaken, JOK made a nice pass in his one play and then I wanted him to get (just a tiny bit of) redemption for that OSU game. Alas...
January 9th, 2018 at 5:21 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 8:47 AM ^
I do seem to remember one Brandon Peters being inserted into the game in the 2nd quarter to replace an ineffective JOK.
January 9th, 2018 at 2:14 PM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 10:11 AM ^
to say "next man up!" when you have 5 star talent all the way through the roster.
January 9th, 2018 at 2:12 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 8:18 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 2:16 AM ^
we suck
January 9th, 2018 at 2:18 AM ^
I am proud of myself for not watching the game at all.
January 9th, 2018 at 2:22 AM ^
i wish i didnt
January 9th, 2018 at 2:23 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 2:31 AM ^
that takes talent
January 9th, 2018 at 2:33 AM ^
but I checked the score often enough to still pull for Georgia to win it. As far as what it means for Michigan, probably just the same as we already know: we don't have the talent to compete with teams like this. Maybe someday soon.
January 9th, 2018 at 10:13 AM ^
I couldn't stay awake for all of it. In my defense, up very early yesterday shoveling snow.
January 9th, 2018 at 2:28 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 6:06 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 8:16 AM ^
January 9th, 2018 at 8:31 AM ^
You're calling this a meltdown? I see you're not new here. This barely qualifies as complaining, man. And no /s.
January 9th, 2018 at 2:46 AM ^
1. Our QBs aren't developing. A true freshman with virtually zero game time came in and looked good against a very stout Georgia D. When was the last time you saw our QB look off a defense for that long then throw a laser 30 yards down the field?
2. We are getting badly outrecruited.
3. Our offensive line is a damp paper towel compared to Alabama (who was playing two backups, if memory serves). See #2 above.
January 9th, 2018 at 3:07 AM ^
Although our 2016 and 2017 classes were right there with UGA. Talent won't be an excuse the next two years. If we aren't really good the next two years (like top 6ish), it'd be a coaching failure.
January 9th, 2018 at 4:31 AM ^
Georgia just signed 9 out of the top 50 players in the 2018, including 6 five-star players. We signed none. Some of those top 50 players will play well as true freshmen.
(Also of note: Alabama is trying to poach our one true elite recruiter (Patridge).)
If I had to weigh the two, coaching/scheme on the offensive side is limiting us far, far more than recruiting. According to 247Sports, we had the seventh highest team talent in the country this year. Yes, Alabama, OSU, Georgia, and USC beat us out, but we were still well within the top 10, and ahead of teams like Stanford or Oklahoma..
That said, given the in-state talent disparity between Michigan and states like Georgia, Florida, Texas, and California, the fact that we do not cheat in recruiting the way SEC/certain ACC teams do (we thankfully hung on to Gary despite the inducements that our AD publicly mentioned were offered by another program, but we have clearly lost others), and that we have somewhat higher academic standards (e.g., we basically do not take JUCOs), we will likely be unable to consistently beat out Alabama, USC, Georgia, Texas, and LSU recruiting-wise (when those programs are not cratering).
I think the better model for us is Oklahoma. Not a ton of in-state talent, not known for shady recruiting practices. They were ranked #16 in the country in team talent this year. They have a good amount of talent, but they are not going to out-Alabama Alabama. Rather, they utilize an explosive offense with Air Raid principles, and that offense gives the chance against even the best defenses (as in their game against Georgia this year).
January 9th, 2018 at 11:15 AM ^
Oklahoma gets to recruit Texas. They also are willing to take guys Michigan would not take. Some have worked out fine. Some have blown up in their face.
January 9th, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^
Oklahoma gets to recruit Texas. They also are willing to take guys Michigan would not take. Some have worked out fine. Some have blown up in their face.