Fixing Michigan Football in '21 (and beyond)
I've been stewing on this the past few weeks. Honestly, this year has sucked from just a pure humanity aspect. Listen I love Michigan football, but dealing with a global pandemic and Covid ravaging our communities puts things in perspective. We all need to show some humanity to these coaches and players. Coaches are terrified they could be putting their kids and wives at an elevated risk. These players haven't seen their families in months. They have been yo-yo'd back and forth with a season canceled and then having it re-instated. They've been tested and been quarantining better than anyone in their age group. This has been mentally taxing on all of them. So please, let's keep perspective here. Michigan demands excellence. We should absolutely be in the Big 10 race every year. Be competitive and win against OSU (especially at home). These are things I absolutely think we should demand. But Michigan is not anywhere near the level of Alabama, OSU, or Clemson and I don’t see them replicating that model anytime soon. That’s why it’s so disappointing that this team this year has been a mess. They’re young, injured, they’re missing they’re 4 out of their top 5 players, and they haven’t developed a QB.
All that to say I think this is all very fixable. I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but the program is not broke like it was under Hoke. And most people I've talked to agree. This section will be an assortment of thoughts from people in and outside the program that I've heard from. This is an amalgam of a ton of people that I've talked to packaged as one voice.
What’s our program’s Vision and Identity?
Michigan has lost its vision as a program and its identity needs to be re-established. I think our culture is actually quite strong. That sounds super scary, and most fans will be like OMG fire the staff. But here's the issue-- Michigan will never give an incoming coach the time it needs to fully re-establish to rebuild all these 3 things together. If you bring in Matt Campbell, he has to win at least 10 games next year and be competitive against OSU. No small task for a coach. If he comes in and goes 7-5 and loses to OSU he immediately loses the confidence of the fan base. Harbaugh is the only coach that had fans inspired and excited. The simple truth is that there's no other program savior out there. Hell, I'd argue that they’re only two coaches that could meet that standard right away-- Nick Saban and Urban Meyer-- and we ain't getting either.
My biggest issue is that I can’t identify what our vision and identity as a program is this year. Michigan is landing top guys on their recruiting board, but they are all over the map profile wise. Defensively you are bringing in a bunch of tweeners. Guys who haven’t been playing their future position. I see a lot of DL that need to bulk up, but you have to take some guys that have that size already. There aren’t any 6’5 250 DE’s for example. Look at the guys Clemson have brought in on the DL the last few years (ignore the stars for this example) They are almost all the exact same profile. Have a vision and an identity in how you want to beat teams and the rest of this will follow. But you need a QB. Flat out, this is the biggest program difference-maker. Can not stress this enough. You need to bring in as many QB’s as you need to develop one guy. Who cares who transfers out as long as you have THE GUY. Michigan has not done that since Chad Henne.
Vision, Culture, and Identity:
Here are some examples of what I mean by vision, identity, and culture. I'll use Alabama as an example:
Vision: A pro factory. Come here to win and then go pro. Players are cogs in the machine. There is no program in America that will have more depth than us. Players meet specific physical criteria on a position basis. Each group has a profile that they meet or Alabama doesn't recruit them. Bring the best talent from the South and then cherry-pick a few studs from the east coast. Notice scheme isn’t part of Bama’s vision. They build the best scheme around the guys they have. Vision isn’t the plays you call.
Identity: Tough, big, and physical. They win the game at the LOS. Practice more intense than a game.
Culture: Constant competition. Every year a guy is coming in to take your spot. They don't care about your stars, you all arrive at the same point.
What needs to be fixed:
Harbaugh is tough to work with, he’s quirky, he’s weird, and he definitely has his favorites. Guys that remind him of himself. Guys like Ben Mason. Players love to play for him when they are winning and they see a path to the pros. But he hasn’t forgotten how to coach. He’s a true program builder. He needs to approach this next year like he’s coming back in with a fresh start like when he came back in 6 years ago.
The problem is you need dogs in your program. And I don’t see a lot of them on this roster. Ben Mason, Haskins, Charbonett, Bell, Giles, and Aidan are the only guys that I have seen that have it. These are guys who have the talent and you want in a streetfight. The 2016 roster was full of them: Peppers, Bush, Winovich, Vert, JLew, Glasgow, Taco, Mo Hurst, Gideon, Butt, etc. These are guys who brought it in practice and in games. They had swagger. They were tough. They were physical. I don’t see a roster with these types of guys on the roster right now. It’s not just about stars in that case. You need stars, hunger, the desire to be great, nastiness, and when you line up against these dudes they are going to try and embarrass you. Guys who want to make it in the NFL, and want to put elite plays and that desire on tape to get there. Devin Bush is the gold standard of this. He wasn’t a five star in the rankings but was a 5-star program changer. A true baller. Find more guys like Bush.
Offensively we need a clear plan. What are they trying to do? Do you want zone lineman or pro lineman who move guys off the ball? Do you want to run the zone read with a mobile QB or are you trying to spread teams out and exploit space vertically with the passing game? Harbaugh doesn’t call the offense. He’s active in game-planning. Feels like he’s told the offense to control the clock. Tempo is what’s needed the most. What good is a no-huddle if you stand there for 25 seconds and look for a play call? The defense never has to adjust. This offense in its current form is not speed in space. They need to run the ball to set-up the pass and then kill them with deep shots.
Defensively: Simplify, simplify, simplify. You can be multiple on defense, without being complicated. Michigan looks like they know they can’t run the system they want to, but are too stubborn to make the adjustments so they’re stuck in no man’s land. You have to build through the spine of the defense. There’s no QB of this defense. Who’s the guy who’s leading out there? Aggression doesn’t work if you can’t tackle or get to the QB. Covid has destroyed their ability to work on the fundamentals.
How to fix this in ’21 and beyond:
Here’s MY opinion based on what I’ve heard. I believe Harbaugh knows he has to revamp his coaching staff. He’s had some good combos of coaches, but they always seem to leave. He needs to find the right combo again. Coaches that have cohesion together and aren’t just randomly thrown together.
Completely revamp the support and recruiting staff. Michigan needs to be run like an NFL program. They lost Tom Gamble, and haven’t replaced him. Harbaugh loves Sean McGee and Dudek and they’re both good at their jobs, but you need to put together a complete staff. Have Dudek focus on just on-campus recruiting. Let McGee run that staff if you want, but bring in the top talent across the nation to help him out. Hire a DPP that has a pro scouting background. Build this out and have this be the crown jewel of the program. Take the pressure off of the assistant coaches and let them focus on just contacting kids and building relationships. Build out a Bama scouting and recruiting program and don’t ever let yourself get outworked. Have this be a pipeline to the pros for these positions. It’s okay if you cycle through these positions, because you’ve built out a vision and these folks are following it to a T. They're not taking state secrets with them. Every college graduate that wants to work in a front office someday should be coming to Michigan.
Final Thoughts
Michigan may not be 12-0 next year, but if we see a cohesive offensive strategy and bring some guys with an edge to the defense, I think this can be turned around. Sounds easy, right? I don’t have any inside info on what’s going to happen. Michigan keeps it’s circle small, like really small. I think there’s a lot of educated guessing going on. But if you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them below.
December 6th, 2020 at 2:15 PM ^
umgoblue11 - I agree with much of what you have said. But I disagree - imo - the culture is totally broken. However, I think you are spot on in how to fix it. I really believe that where we are now is worse than what Hoke left us.
I see a team that has given up. I see a team that does not want to play. I see a team that wants to point the finger everywhere but at themselves.
You mention several former players - I agree with the assessment of Devin Bush. I don't ever remember him talking trash - he came to play and let his play do his talking for him. However, some of the others seemed talk a lot and not back it up.
To me, the 3 most important things are: (And you touch on everyone of these).
1. We need to do a comprehensive overhaul of our recruiting strategy, complete with a new recruiting team. What we have is just not getting it done. We need to hire coaches partially based on their ability to recruit certain portions of the country. We also need to tighten up the evaluation process on what we are looking for and willing to accept.
2. Our strength and condition team needs to improve drastically. We are getting manhandled at the point of attack and out-toughed.
3. Need to recruit the QB position hard.
If this is JH - fine - if it is not, I think you hire the person you think can get the job done and then tell us fans to go pound sand for 3 years.
December 6th, 2020 at 11:14 PM ^
I don't think our culture is broken. I think that's something that is still strong! Our culture is you come to Michigan to be great on and off the field. You come to play school. You come to work as hard in the classroom as on the field.
So while I agree that watching the team play has been utterly painful, I don't think the team has given up. I think they're broken down (pandemic fatigue too!) and need a confidence boost.
December 7th, 2020 at 10:32 AM ^
"I see a team that has given up. I see a team that does not want to play. I see a team that wants to point the finger everywhere but at themselves."
I'm sure it must seem that way, but without knowing what is going on behind closed doors I don't think so. Michigan has a very strong culture going through it. The surface culture may be demoralized by losing right now, and COVID (which affects every team, and every one, a bit differently), but I think at base we are okay.
This time last year alot of people thought MSU was going down the road to ruin. They thought it was worse when they struggled to get a coach. Now they are okay.
Things change really quickly in college football. Especially with young men. We have the ability to put this back with the right effort.
December 6th, 2020 at 2:35 PM ^
I’m on board.
add in work t he transfer portal aggressively and sell NIL hard and I’m totally on board. Great, reasonable post.
December 6th, 2020 at 3:54 PM ^
Interesting mention on Peppers as a baller. I'm a Giant fan so watch him every week and whatever you think of his particular strengths he constantly "brings it". I don't care how talented OBJ is...the day the Giants made that trade I thought they got the better of it and still do.
December 6th, 2020 at 11:15 PM ^
Pep elevates people. He has energy and a love for the game.
December 6th, 2020 at 6:44 PM ^
If coaches haven't figured it out by now that its all about recruiting, they never will. Recruiting is as much about your ability to sell your school and your program as anything. Personally if I was a coach I would be bringing in the absolute best sales trainer in the country that I could find. I would have them train all of the current staff and also perform an evaluation of their ability to provide a world class sales pitch. I would also include this evaluation before ever hiring an assistant unless they were just such an absolute fantastic X's and O's guy that I may need to surround them with others that could knock guys and their families socks off. U of M has the resources and is one of the best institutions in this country. There's no reason that with the proper training they shouldn't be recruiting at a much higher level than they currently are. When I was working I was regularly asked to provide tours for groups of sales trainees. It didn't take long to figure out what people were going to be successful in the sales world and which trainees were soon going to be looking for work elsewhere. More often than not people either have what it takes to sell or they don't. Having too many coaches on the don't side is a program killer.
December 7th, 2020 at 10:55 AM ^
It can't be all about recruiting. Then Hoke would be a Big10 title winner.
I wonder if they could hire Hoke as a recruiter somehow. Heck, maybe D line coach again if he'd do it.
December 6th, 2020 at 8:31 PM ^
Something has happened to Harbaugh. He no longer has the energy or drive he use to have during his first 2 seasons as our head coach. I doubt he will get this program into elite status but I think the University does not care any longer of having a major college football program. So they may as well keep a coach who can run a clean program and high graduation rate.
December 6th, 2020 at 9:21 PM ^
“The 2016 roster was full of them: Peppers, Bush, Winovich, Vert, JLew, Glasgow, Taco, Mo Hurst, Gideon, Butt, etc. These are guys who brought it in practice and in games. They had swagger. They were tough. They were physical. I don’t see a roster with these types of guys on the roster right now.”
Weren’t these guys mostly Hoke’s recruits? If I’m remembering this correctly, that could be why you don’t see guys like this on the roster right now
December 6th, 2020 at 9:21 PM ^
Double post
December 6th, 2020 at 9:50 PM ^
"They need to run the ball to set-up the pass and then kill them with deep shots."
That's what we've been trying to do for six years and it doesn't work. It's not a coincidence that no relevant teams play this way. The insistence on this being the way to play despite all the evidence to the contrary is part of why we are where we are.
December 6th, 2020 at 11:18 PM ^
Uhhh. Have you watched Bama or Clemson play at all? That's EXACTLY what they do. Why do you think Oklahoma gets exposed every time they play one of those teams?
December 7th, 2020 at 12:25 AM ^
Both of those teams throw more than they run in regular game situations, which is not run to set up the pass. If anything they do the opposite. Oklahoma has a similar profile and gets exposed because they don't have near the athletes on defense.
December 7th, 2020 at 10:46 AM ^
We're going to have to agree to disagree here. How did Clemson lose to ND this year, and what exactly did ND do to beat Clemson? Look at the stats. They completely shut down the run. ND knew that if they choked off the run and forced them to throw the ball all the time they stood a chance to win. DJ had like 400 yards and played a darn near perfect game.
December 7th, 2020 at 11:40 AM ^
"They completely shut down the run. ND knew that if they choked off the run and forced them to throw the ball all the time they stood a chance to win."
Yes, that is how everyone plays defense and that is kind of the point. No one is going to do anything differently until you've proven you can beat them throwing the ball. All running the ball to set up the pass does is put you behind the eight ball with a bunch of third and longs, which we've seen throughout JH's tenure.
We don't have to agree to disagree, you can watch these teams play and count the number of passes and runs while the game is in doubt and you will see they throw more than run.
December 7th, 2020 at 12:40 PM ^
I'm not guessing on Bama and Clemson's strategy. I know people who have worked and work with them right now. Of course every team wants to stop the run, ND just schemed to set the edge. Their OLB JOK had a monster game preventing a lot of the runs Clemson wants to do. Hell they rolled down Hamilton more than they have all year. Against UNC they ran a different strategy and had Hamilton read the QB and fly around like a 3rd safety much deeper in the field. They sat back and dared UNC to run (which they aren't good at) and weren't gonna let Howell beat them.
Every coach wants to establish the run, but not every coach makes that their identity. There's a very specific reason why Clemson and Alabama have had a ton of RB's go to the pros and the Oklahomas and Texas of the world haven't.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:10 PM ^
I don't care what they say their strategy is when the game isn't in garbage time both teams throw more than they run. I don't know how you equate that to running to set up the pass.
December 11th, 2020 at 10:11 PM ^
This may be the strategy, but I don't think it's the strategy that makes it successful. It's the fact they have guys like Etienne and Najee back there behind an elite OL that demand a D commit extra resources to defending the run. Add elite QBs and WRs and you get buckets of points. Look at the 2000 Michigan O with that OL, Henson, Terrell, etc, etc, etc
Strategy is one thing, ball players make it all go.
And OU is not a good example: their O has done well in the playoffs. Their D has been their failure, but that happens to them on almost a weekly basis in the Big 12.
December 7th, 2020 at 11:20 AM ^
I'm shocked anyone thinks that UM has had any thematic consistency for six years.
I get it. Some people hate running the ball. They think it's equivalent to being the team from the 70's. That doesn't mean it's bad. We did it fairly effectively the first couple years.
Then we tweaked it under Pep trying to get more pro like, I guess.
Then finally we went for 'speed in space' that doesn't give up entirely on the run but hits a ton of passes. THe playcalling has just been questionable.
My biggest complaint with Gattis is the playcalling, and the fact that it seems like our system needs exemplary QB play.
I go back to when Navarre started at QB as a freshman. The offense didn't stop.
December 7th, 2020 at 11:42 AM ^
I don't hate it, I just watch playoffs and championship games and there are never run first teams involved competitively in those games anymore.
December 6th, 2020 at 10:36 PM ^
If the fanbase agrees to be less toxic toward the players can we then ask the program to resume recruiting defensive tackles? Would that be a fair trade? We could also rotate weeks for supplying Capri Sun and orange wedges after home games in return for competent clock management? Willing to do our part!!
December 6th, 2020 at 10:54 PM ^
Let's throw some names around that would realistically come to Michigan as assistant coaches and DPP? I'll throw Jim Leavitt out there as somebody who could be a Co-defensive coordinator or defensive analyst/advisor. I agree this program should be run like an NFL operation with NFL minds at the top teaching and developing young energetic recruiters and coaches who can relate to young kids on the field.
I really would like to see Michigan go back to the 2015-16 brand of the Harbaugh Michigan offense with one caveat. Harbaugh needs to build into his offense the ability to be spread the field with some speed to get playmakers the ball quickly. We should be able to wear down defenses and dominate lesser opponents. We need a dominate offensive line with 300-325 nasty ballers at each 3 to 4 deep at each position. We need big athletic and power TE that can block like a lineman and run with linebackers. We need big 6ft 3in ball control WR along with 6ft WR that can fly and run reverses and jet sweeps. How about big powerful RB that can power through the line of scrimmage and break tackles. We need RB that can catch screen passes and break away from defensive backs. Follow the fullback should be a part of Michigan football. Make defenders question if they want to make that tackle and get punished.
In trying to beat OSU we made too many wholesale changes and lost our identity. We are a soft football team. In trying to beat OSU we've taken 5 steps backwards. If Michigan wins 9 - 11 games every year going into the OSU game the fanbase will be happy. I think most Michigan fans will realize we won't beat Ohio more than once or twice (maybe three if we are lucky) every ten years and we need to be ok with it. We aren't OSU and never have been that type of program. If we have a deep and solid roster it will also help us win more bowl games. We should be able to compete (win 50% of the time) with Florida, FSU, ND, LSU, USC, Washington, Auburn, Texas, Oklahoma, etc... in bowl and non-conference games. We need to be happy and content with 10-3 or 11-2 every year. If we never win another national championship but have that type of record over the next 10-15 years will you be proud to be a Michigan fan?
On defense we need to be big, fast and nasty. Michigan probably won't be able to recruit as many 5 star and top level 4 star DT/DL as OSU, Clemson and Bama. We need to go after as many as we can but not leave the cupboard empty if we miss out on them. Taking two or three low 4 star and 3 star 300lb DT each year should be a priority. We should do the same with every position on the field. Building depth is the key to winning the line of scrimmage. I repeat those type of kids should be our depth. We will win enough recruiting battles to have a very talented starting lineup. It's the depth and development that has killed Michigan football. If a few starters or potential starters transfer we will have the depth to plug and play. A 3 star kid who is in the program for four or five years might out smart and out play a young 4/5 star opponent. We have little depth at crucial positions. I'd argue Cincinnati has more depth and talent along both offensive and defensive lines than Michigan. I look at some of the players we've had that were 5 star or high 4 star that were talented enough to play but didn't have enough experience, knowledge or development to play as freshmen or sophomores. I'll mention DPJ as one of the most recent. He was a 5 star kid that wasn't ready to play as early as he was forced to play. If we get to the point where these kids have to sit a year or so before they can play they'll be more likely to develop better skills and stay on campus longer before leaving.
On the recruiting front I think we need to be in Ohio, PA more. We are missing on to many Michigan kids. We don't Ohio like we should. Ohio is the lifeblood of our program. Look at how successful Cincinnati and Kentucky are with recruiting Ohio. I'll take a low 4 star or high 3 star kids from Ohio than a low 4 star or 3 star kid from CT, MA or NJ. The level of play is far superior. Continue to recruit the southeastern part of the US, especially Florida and Georgia. What's missing on our roster is the bulk of Ohio and PA kids that have been our bread and butter.
That's my take on Michigan football. I'd love to hear your comments and discussions.
December 6th, 2020 at 11:31 PM ^
Here's a few names. Some of these are tough gets, but these are all people you have to vet and see if they're interested.
Defensively: You're going to hear a lot of Derrick Mason. If you want outside Jay Bateman.
Position coaches: Steve Clinkscale. Donte Williams. Tim Banks. Sean Spencer. Roy Manning. Coleman Hutzler.
Offensively:
Herb Hand. Stan Drayton. Zach Azzani. Deland McCullough. Nick Sheridan.
December 6th, 2020 at 11:53 PM ^
Would love to see Clinkscale or Donte Williams. Probably the tough pulls you mentioned.
December 8th, 2020 at 9:02 PM ^
Reading all your posts has been a refreshing change of pace. I LOVE the rational point of view, that you take! Excellent work!
I would say that one of the differences between Michigan and some of the "powerhouses" is at the QB position. Clemson took that leap when Tajh Boyd came in....followed immediately by DeShaun Watson. They currently have the best Quarterback in the country. Ohio State same. Heisman hopeful after Heisman hopeful since Troy Smith (which is when the rilvary flipped). Same for Alabama and Oklahoma. Awesome QBs = success. Michigan just hasn't had that "game changer" at QB, since Chad Henne (yes, I realize he was 0-4 vs OSU, but he was our last QB that was in the national spotlight, for good reasons). *I loved Denard, but he wasn't the answer*. Retreads and "broken" QBs have been running our program since Henne graduated. Hopefully.....Cade, Joe, or JJ can be that guy.
One thing that Saban did, at Alabama, was that he was RUTHLESS, regarding the roster. His MSU experience made him understand that the Jimmy and Joes were more important than X and Os (he happens to be good at that, as well). He would go out and purposely "over sign", and would flat out cut the players that weren't "making it" (by forcing them to medically leave). He had no loyalty. Just kept recruiting and cutting until everyone on the roster was awesome. One of Harbaugh's weaknesses is he's too loyal. *To be clear, I didn't like how Saban did it....just pointing out what he did, to get his team to where it currently is*
Another thing....EVERYTHING needs to be focused around how to beat OSU. Including the schedule....why are we scheduling triple option teams, so then we HAVE to focus a lot of off-season time preparing to go against it, instead of scheduling teams that help us prepare for OSU? We need to hire coaches that specialize in the weaknesses of OSU (Offensive and Defensive coaches). We need to recruit players that take advantage of those weaknesses. We need to focus the entire off-season working on beating OSU. That's EXACTLY what MSU did to surpass us, during the Dantonio era (it didn't hurt that we also happened to be on the decline, at the same time, but that mentality is what has helped them during the Harbaugh era). We can out talent most teams, but would be a major thorn in the OSU Death Star. Might lose some games to teams that we aren't prepared for, but the OSU preparation will pay off more often than not.
And....yes, I agree with you. Our fans need to be more vocal in support than in their disproval. I think that will help the program in a major way.
December 13th, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
I disagree with your call to go back to the 2016 offense. There is a reason that teams are scoring far more in the 2000 to 2020 era than they did from 1980 to 2000. Spread concepts are just superior. The numbers do not lie.
I total agree that Michigan is suffering because it has abandoned recruiting in Ohio and replaced it with recruiting in New England. Which is just an AWFUL trade.
I wonder if Harbaugh hates recruiting in Ohio because he is mocked on those trips. Can you imagine visiting a player at an Ohio high school? Or watching his games? What people must say to Harbaugh?
December 7th, 2020 at 12:19 AM ^
If feels like the answer is already in front of us. The biggest thing that set OSU apart from Mich was skill position talent. If the '21 recruiting class pans out (no guarantees), they'll get a top 50-ish QB, RB and WR, to go with the emphasis on speed from the last couple of classes.
The future could be bright. I can understand the confluence of events that led to the problems on this year's team. What I don't understand is why they haven't looked like an enthusiastic young team that gets better every week; why they take an inexperienced QB like Milton and constantly do run, run, get blitzed on 3rd&9 sequences with the brand new o-line; why Brown can't adjust to talent deficiencies.
In the bigger picture, I've always been confused by our negative fan base. Don't get it at all, but I do know when I moved away from Michigan, it was a relief to get away from all the annoying MSU banter. Maybe that has something to do with it. It's still annoying how national media overreacts to everything Michigan does, good or bad.
Also not sure why Harbaugh is constantly trying to get his staff right. Miss the days when there was Michigan buzz nearly every week. Harbaugh has done a great job of sending guys to the NFL, which should play well in recruiting. And I certainly remember what happened when people decided Carr wasn't good enough and needed to retire. I lean heavily toward let's give Harbaugh credit for bringing Michigan back from the dark days and give him a chance to come back strong.
December 9th, 2020 at 10:53 AM ^
Things I noticed when I moved, as far as the football program is concerned:
1. Funnily enough the antipathy the football program seems to generate is almost a mirror image of the respect the basketball program seems to generate. In other words, Michigan Basketball is talked about positively, whereas football is talked about negatively:
2. While I noticed that the MSU bullshit went WAY down and not hearing it all the time was a relief, I have noticed that losing to Michigan St. is more of an indicator to me as to my opinion of the team. The moment I checked the MSU score at halftime and saw Michigan was losing I checked out mentally of the football season and just now came back and honestly even this is just a check-in. I think just having to deal with that bullshit for as long and intensely as I did has removed my tolerance for losing that game and the years I had the strongest negative reactions to the teams season and future were the years when Michigan lost to MSU. This seems to be the reaction from the other Michigan fans in the area. Losing to Ohio St. is annoying, losing to Michigan St. is INFURIATING.
3. Fans of the big-time teams HATE Michigan and let you hear about it all the time. I've also noticed that my general respect and good feeling towards other Big Ten programs is not returned(I root for Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, and Indiana when they don't play Michigan and that same general good feeling is NOT returned by the fans of those programs who I know). I live in Nashville and am surrounded by Alabama and, sigh, Ohio St., fans and to a person they despise Michigan, I can't quite figure out why but I am constantly subjected to negative analysis of the team and anytime they don't look perfect, I know I am going to hear about it and I am going to hear about it from at least twenty people. I had to basically tell everyone over and over again this year that I was simply not interested in talking about Michigan football and luckily I have strong enough relationships with these people that they respected my wishes, but I do NOT wear ANYTHING Michigan in public as I am just done hearing the gloating.
4. National coverage of the Michigan program feels overwhelmingly negative and a lot of pundits seem to over-emphasize stories about how bad the program is and how it will never be good again.
What this does at least from a fan standpoint is it makes me over-react to the team not playing as well as I think they should and prone to "Here we go again." when things don't go well and it's mostly because I immediately start feeling defensive about my fandom and already start preparing to hear the bullshit from other people about how Michigan just doesn't look that good. It's made it so that even before I completely disconnected from it this year that I could hardly stand to watch Michigan games live. It's NOT healthy and its not fun and this is supposed to be fun. This is not what I am like when I watch Michigan Basketball or Air Force Football or the Dodgers, and I find following those teams to be enjoyable and I don't immediately assume the worst if things don't go well for a little bit. Almost all of this is on me and I do my best to criticize the coaches and not the players(and I almost started fights at Michigan Stadium telling people yelling at Devin Gardner to shut up and be supportive), but I think alot of the fan base's negativity comes from the negative coverage around the team and constantly having to deal with people just WAITING for the program to look bad so they can gloat about it. It's an ugly cycle and while it still comes down to Michigan fans having to wake up and realize that our being assholes is part of the problem and we need to fix it, there is a lot of external pressure adding to it.
For myself, the fix is to just step away for a long time and remind myself this is supposed to be a fun distraction and adjust my expectations accordingly. I'm not sure how the fanbase gets fixed, but maybe the players explicitly holding up a mirror about the shit they have to deal with would be a good start.
As far as the original topic of this diary, I appreciate UmGoBlue11's educated and reasonable perspective and find him to be one of the BEST posters on the board for providing perspective when it's needed. All that said Harbaugh needs to go, I get the need to find an upgrade argument as well as the argument that any new coach will likely have a short leash. I just don't see how this ends well if he is still here. The program has lost it's identity, the 2016 OSU game and the NCAA consistently ruling against him at the behest of the SEC seems to have fundamentally broken his spirit and it just feels like the program needs a fresh start/breath of fresh air. It's been six years, we know what the program is under him and what we're seeing is a long and slow decline. Time to try to arrest it.
December 9th, 2020 at 10:56 PM ^
Thank you and well said, On the fans' negatively, I posted earlier on how my daughter and her fiance went to the 2019 season opener vs. MTSU courtesy dad and had no expectations other than enjoying the night game and flyover. They commented how the fans bitched at JH and/or the players every time a pass was dropped, tackle missed, etc. but weren't cheering the nice plays unless it was a TD.
I love the gameday experience the pizza the cigars etc. and will for at least one more year.
JH had such great potential but has become such a drag on the program that HE is the reason people in Nashville and SEC country root against UM.
Getting a fine coach, aged 40-50, more low key off the field, and focused on the little things like not having 6 men on the line on offense weeks into the season. That will be enough for me knowing it will take at least 3+ years to match OSU in talent.
I hope Warde does offer him a lowball extension offer and let JH leave on his own.
December 7th, 2020 at 12:07 PM ^
I've posted a ton on this thread. Once again, thank you. The good conversation was cathartic.
December 7th, 2020 at 3:21 PM ^
I appreciate the view and post. Thank you!
December 8th, 2020 at 4:06 AM ^
You lose me when you start talking about toughness and swagger. Far, far too often, those are code for "this [armchair] fan looks at the team and doesn't like the results; clearly the team just needs to be tougher and have more confidence". There's also a certain type of fan (not pointing fingers here; I don't know you from Eve) that subscribes to the belief that believes they can discern character flaws in players from what they see on TV and read in box scores. (I suspect these are the same people that thought Funchess was weak and lazy when he was in fact playing on a broken foot.)
"Faith can move mountains, Milt. But it can't beat a faster draw."
Toughness and (justified) self-confidence are necessary for elite play; it takes a lot of effort to get the most out of what you've got. But they are not sufficient, and I don't believe that most fans can discern its lack in the usual pore-o-vision TV broadcast.
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Quibbles aside, I agree that matching the scheme to the talent is a key element of successful coaches, and I cannot agree more with the point that success on offense or defense is built from the lines out. Yes, a QB is the most important single piece. But the OL and DL, more than the so-called skill positions, will determine how good you can be. Harbaugh and Brown had their best success when we had NFL talent rushing the passer and blocking for our QB. (I believe that most of our disfunction on offense can be traced to losing our entire line from last year plus 3 more starters to various injuries and ailments, btw, and suspect that Milton is also injured to complete the AMHG's wrath.)
Assuming that Warriner hasn't forgotten how to coach, and that we don't lose our entire starting line again, I have a small amount of faith in the offense regaining some luster in 2021. A good line makes most schemes look good, particular if they are tailored to what the line can do best.
The defensive line is in worse shape. Assuming that we lose both Hutchinson and Paye, we're looking at near total rebuilds. The best hire we can make is someone who really knows how to recruit elite DL, and someone who really knows how to coach up the talent we have. (Astonishing as it might seem, hiring Brady Hoke as our DL coach - if he'd take the job - might help us a lot. He demonstrated both an eye for talent and the ability to identify/coach up underrated talent.)
December 8th, 2020 at 6:54 AM ^
"Astonishing as it might seem, hiring Brady Hoke as our DL coach - if he'd take the job - might help us a lot. He demonstrated both an eye for talent and the ability to identify/coach up underrated talent."
It's gotten so bad that, as much as I didn't want Hoke to come back in any form after he got fired, I'll agree with this statement.
December 8th, 2020 at 10:03 PM ^
Hey man, that isn't my analysis that's from former players and people in the industry. The exact quote was they look like they're young and scared out there. So not armchair QB here, just what I'm hearing from sources.
December 9th, 2020 at 6:28 PM ^
Thanks for the reply and clarification. I just hate the feelingsball-take that lack of character is at the root of all failures and the superior human can discern its lack in a glance, and I might be overreacting :<)
I can get behind "young and scared" == "inexperienced and confused". That's a big problem although one with an easy fix (at least, in a non-pandemic world).
December 13th, 2020 at 11:39 AM ^
Considering that we have 4 new players on the O Line and that they suffered lots of injuries, I would say that the O Line actually did very well this year.
The pass protection was good. The run game was bad, but it was bad because we keep on inserting man ball concepts (pin and pull) into the spread. These "innovations" did not work.
The offense doesn't work because we cannot develop QBs to save our life. We just can't. Rewatch the games. Milton had time to throw. He just can't hit anything. Many of the sacks that he took were because he ran through all of his progressions and just ran out of time.
December 9th, 2020 at 8:16 AM ^
You lost me at kids were at an elevated risk.
December 11th, 2020 at 9:48 AM ^
Right there with you... “Elevated Risk”. Absolute BS!
December 9th, 2020 at 2:25 PM ^
There's some good stuff here, but I wonder what happened that you are basing this on:
Michigan will never give an incoming coach the time it needs to fully re-establish to rebuild all these 3 things together. If you bring in Matt Campbell, he has to win at least 10 games next year and be competitive against OSU.
When has that expectation happened in the past? Year three maybe.
But starting from where we are now, who could possibly demand that in year one from Matt Campbell? Is there really a single person out there with that expectation right now?
December 9th, 2020 at 5:08 PM ^
Wow. I just made it through the whole dialogue. Best read on this Blog in 10 years.
umgoblue11 is poster of the year. I 'll check back as it's still going. Well done sir.
December 10th, 2020 at 9:35 AM ^
its almost as if ND, Clemson, AL, osu, Northwestern, A&M, Iowa State, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, etc
didn't have to deal with Covid, players aren't homesick, seasons weren't disrupted.......
December 11th, 2020 at 9:44 AM ^
You lost me in your first two paragraphs—
First of all, stop the Covid BS— at least in how it affects College Football programs... all of them are dealing with it—and Michigan is no different.
Secondly, Michigan has been VERY patient with Harbaugh... Six years is more than enough time for a coach to establish himself... He has had plenty of time to move Hoke’s players through the roster. He’s had plenty of time to recruit his players. He’s had plenty of time to at least show upward progress. But he hasn’t improved the program—in fact, we are seeing more losses, and once more, more UGLY losses... The gap between OSU has gotten bigger—MSU beat us and OSU just pounded MSU by 40 with 1/3 of their starters out! And don’t mention that Rutgers took us to three overtimes...
I am sure the rest of your post merited reading— but sorry, Harbaugh has to go! And six years was more than enough time to prove himself. Good bye JH.
December 13th, 2020 at 11:25 AM ^
Harbaugh has lost the players. There is no recovering from this. Look at all the transfers. Look at the lack of fire and drive on the field. I noticed that most of the guys didn't even bother to jump up and touch the banner at the start of games this year.
Harbaugh's playing favorites is biting him in the butt. I am sure that the players hate this. There is no meritocracy when you play favorites. He also recruits guys that he thinks are "cool." Milton was cool because he is a physical freak. Ben Mason is a 1950s era football player. Julian Welschof was a gamble that didn't pay off.
Harbaugh isn't calling the offense? Perhaps. But we are running man ball concepts from the spread. Pin and pull. Mason the fullback playing fullback from the slot Stupid assignment football where slot receivers are expected to block outside linebackers. He may not be calling the plays, but his fingerprints are EVERYWHERE.
Simplify the defense? Man to man is the simpliest defense that there is. But with zero pass rush, you cannot expect your DBs to cover receivers for 10 seconds. Michigan needs to simplify the offense. Mark Dantonio made fun of us for fielding 30 FORMATIONS in one half. Our QBs are just confused.
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