11 Warriors excerpt from Brandon's Lasting Lessons
On the 11W site about The Game 2013
Got some pretty frank quotes out of Gardner. Is it me, or is he talking in maybe not the highest terms about Borges? My thoughts on the article were generally "gaaahhhhal;djfoeiBORGESjfaldjjflaev" or something along those lines. Oh well. It's in the past as they say.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:37 AM ^
Smart IT Department.
I was going to hack some Social Security #'s, but now I'll go elsewhere.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:10 AM ^
Ugh, I suddenly don't want to read BLL anylonger. Man, what a brutal exerpt.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:18 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 9:19 AM ^
Good lord, Borges. Even his own players knew they were screwed before the play.
No audible to be called after coming out of a time out? Don't have two plays available depending on the look the defense gives you?
August 26th, 2015 at 9:24 AM ^
For the last 10 minutes after reading that, just stewing over it.
The only thing that makes me feel better is thinking all of this crap resulted in Harbaugh.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:52 AM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 26th, 2015 at 10:22 AM ^
Seriously, we were fed all this about Borges' great OC pedigree and he didn't have the brains to either change the play or give Devin 2 options. And where was Brady? I know he is a DL coach at heart, but as the HC he must have some insight into this especially from a defensive perspective.
As painful as that era was, as other have pointed out, at least that has brought us Harbaugh.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
I'm pretty sure I remember that Borges didn't allow his QB's to audible. That's why when Denard would stare down 9 men in the box like the Nebraska game, he had no choice but to run right at it because he couldn't check out.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:23 AM ^
But, I fucking hate Al Borges.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:57 AM ^
I took a lot of French classes at Michigan (well, same class repeatedly). That's not French.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:07 AM ^
How 'bout now?
August 26th, 2015 at 11:50 AM ^
Nique Borges.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:11 AM ^
What, do you want to get into a chess match?
August 26th, 2015 at 9:28 AM ^
"I know, I know," he said, with a resigned grin. "They [the Buckeyes] called a time-out and we come back with the same look, the same play. When you see them set up, you knew they were ready for us. I'm pretty sure the only person who didn't know they knew was Al Borges. That's the only way they covered it so well."
*walks out into parking lot*
GOD DAMNIT, AL!
*walks back inside building*
August 26th, 2015 at 9:34 AM ^
ONce again confirming everything which has already been inferred...Borges is a great play designer, horrible at in-game strategy/adjustments. And the fact that Gardner KNEW it was doomed from the start, but couldn't even call a fucking audible (not his fault, obviously) says everything I need to know about the MIchigan offense from 2011 until the end of thet OSU game. The failure of Nussmeier was showing up and being too little too late, but with Borges it's just so much...ughhguguhguhg. Even the days he flashed brilliance there were more than a few WTF moments. While he was sitting there not letting the QB get into the chess match, OSU called check and MIchigan sat on its hands and said "Oh damn! Caught me. Well, i guess you win then."
August 26th, 2015 at 12:13 PM ^
I thought Borges was too smart for his own good. He made the offense predictable by installing dozens of distinct formations that they could only run one or two plays out of.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:33 AM ^
Urban was the anonymous coach who said Gardner was a talent who they were using wrong. I can only imagine how good Gardner would have been for Urban. I think he also would have thrived in RR's offense as he would have been a good threat for both run and pass. oh well, I guess Borges at least opened up the offense to get us to that point. sigh.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:34 AM ^
I have probably 20-30 seasons left on this earth. I don't know how those years will go with regards to Michigan football, but I will never forgive "the adults" (as I like to call them) for the last 7 years of ineptitude. They screwed things up in every conceivable way. I am really bitter and feel terrible for Gardner. I admit that I was not a huge proponent of his (as a QB) but will always admire his character. The poor kid was totally handcuffed by that pompous Al Borges. Son of a bitch.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:24 AM ^
Your Welcome!
August 26th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
My Welcome?
August 26th, 2015 at 2:08 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 26th, 2015 at 12:56 PM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 3:21 PM ^
He talked about the school while coaching another school.
August 26th, 2015 at 7:05 PM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 9:39 AM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 26th, 2015 at 9:51 AM ^
What?
EDIT: Ooooooh. "Pop pop."
August 26th, 2015 at 9:37 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 9:37 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 12:01 PM ^
I thought I remembered them saying that play worked a lot in practice. The issue was that OSU called a timeout and adjusted for it, and we did squat. That's not playcalling. That's just game strategy. They adjusted for Borges and he completely failed to realize and/or acknowledge it
August 26th, 2015 at 12:06 PM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 2:15 PM ^
saying their claims were BS on this very website. People analyzed it like the Zapruder film to prove what they said was crap.
Apparently they weren't spewing BS.
August 26th, 2015 at 12:22 PM ^
Well if you remember correctly, Brady Hoke's Michigan teams were the champions of practice. Every week they had a "great practice."
There's a big effing difference between executing in practice and executing on Saturdays. Urban noticed the play. He called timeout and made adjustments. Like what any coach worth his salt would do. Hoke and Borges decided to not change anything, and they lost the game because of it.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:37 AM ^
He was worse than I thought.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:37 AM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 26th, 2015 at 9:48 AM ^
about the play calling in the entire second half of the 2012 Game?
Borges had two great athletes, and he telegraphed every play.
We lost two games to OSU because of inept, predictable play calling.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:00 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 10:54 AM ^
Borges "Haha! Gotcha, it was a run! He was hurt the whole time!"
August 26th, 2015 at 9:39 AM ^
Why is 11W getting these excerpts and not MGoBlog?
August 26th, 2015 at 9:53 AM ^
It's savvy marketing by Bacon and/or his publishers. Get the excerpts out in front of as many fanbases and viewers as possible. It will only help to build the buzz and increase sales. And if a fanbase is obsessed with Michigan, all the better from a marketing standpoint.
As you might imagine, this is going to be a fun read for our Buckeye friends. At least until they get to the "then Schlissel engaged Hackett, who then hired Harbaugh" part. That part they probably won't like as much.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:57 AM ^
Good God, Sparty is going to get like ten of these.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^
I read one of the comments on that article and one of their users said that they actually want ot buy the book. So yeah a good marketing strategy, also JUB's is a great writer.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:41 AM ^
I'm not too confident even IF we get that two point conversion our defense could have stopped them in the waning moments later....still I guess I would have liked the chance...
August 26th, 2015 at 9:41 AM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 26th, 2015 at 9:42 AM ^
As pissed off I am at Borges for that stupidity I'm even more pissed at his boss...the guy standing on the sideline clapping his hands. No way a coach in his position should let that go down w/o stepping in and pulling a Woody Hayes on his OC.
August 26th, 2015 at 9:48 AM ^
but how can any Michigan fan read this book? That excerpt made me mad as hell (and I'm going on vacay tomorrow). Maybe in 10 years, assuming a very successful Harbaugh tenure, I'd read it and think "lol, thouse years sucked, lol" but...
August 26th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
I love Harbaugh as much as everyone, but even he will admit that we haven't won anything yet and we haven't beated OSU yet. Wait until that happens for a happy ending.