December 6th, 2011 at 2:56 PM ^
I agree that what Mattison did was miraculous and he should have won it, but I'm guessing the voters put too much stock in the OU game - probably the most-watched Michigan game - and assumed the defense was only mediocre. Plus they like to blow the SEC
December 6th, 2011 at 3:15 PM ^
In the two games that everybody saw, our defense wasn't very good at all. It is sort of the flip side of the phenomenon where having a great game against Notre Dame makes you a Heisman frontrunner or earns you the award, a'la Carson Palmer.
December 6th, 2011 at 5:01 PM ^
latter. boycottthenc.com
December 6th, 2011 at 2:56 PM ^
Eh that just gives Mattison and the defense more fire for the bowl game and next season to come out the best defense in the country. But even though Mattison didn't win the award, it doesn't mean he didn't deserve it. Either way congrats to Coach Mattison being a finalist.
December 6th, 2011 at 2:56 PM ^
Of course they did. That's why he was a finalist. Should he of won? Yeah. I don't think Greg is going to lose sleep over it though.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:27 PM ^
A 50 spot increase in a year is worth being a finalist, a near 100 spot increase in a year is worth winning. Unfortunately it was a year in which we might have seen the best (maybe not best, but certainly electrifying) defense ever. But agreed, he won't lose any sleep over it.
December 6th, 2011 at 2:59 PM ^
Chris Brown is always mad.... ALWAYS!
December 6th, 2011 at 2:57 PM ^
I don't think I've ever seen a coordinator do more than Mattison did this year. I still can't believe how much Michigan's defense improved. I never could have hoped for it to be as good as it's been.
December 6th, 2011 at 2:58 PM ^
So what if LSU has such a dominant defense, they have no less than 9 guys on that defense projected to be drafted into the NFl either this year or next year. Mattison took a bunch of dentists, computer scientists, and pace-maker salesmen, and 2 future NFLers and turned them into a Michigan Defense. Fucking SEC bullshit
December 6th, 2011 at 4:24 PM ^
December 6th, 2011 at 5:48 PM ^
there was 3 to 2 advantage in recruiting that enabled Chavis to pick his litter of pups to develop into NFL talent.
December 6th, 2011 at 5:54 PM ^
December 6th, 2011 at 5:12 PM ^
never made. I FORKING AGREE!!!
December 6th, 2011 at 2:58 PM ^
It makes perfect sense if you remember one simple rule: the SEC is better than everyone at everything. Naturally, that applies to the coaching staffs as well.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:00 PM ^
December 6th, 2011 at 3:03 PM ^
Of course YOU could have, but I'm guessing even GERG could have coached them to a top 10 ranking!
December 6th, 2011 at 3:12 PM ^
Don't mention that name again...I do not wish to hear it. It is in the past and it should always stay there.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
I've gone ahead and stricken that name entirely. It never happened.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:58 PM ^
Gerg would have toy beavered them to death and they would have finished 50th!
December 6th, 2011 at 3:01 PM ^
BULLSHIT!!! Also, Alabama has a better defense than LSU, if you're going to award it to the best defense.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:29 PM ^
bama's schedule was soft when it came to high scoring offenses. their only relevant non-conference opponent was penn state, who's offense was one of the worst in the conference. on the flip side, LSU played Oregon on a neutral site, at WVU, and had an extra game against UGA in the SEC Championship. Numbers don't tell the complete story here.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:03 PM ^
I don't want to be a homer, but:
I get that LSU had the most insane defense in the country. But look at the talent on that team. You could argue that any decent to good DC could take that talent - a starting 11 almost exclusively made up of 4-5* talent, with mostly upper-classmen in the 2 deap and a 3rd string better than many teams' starters - and have similar results. Obviously Chavis is a good DC - not taking anything away - but to me, the measure of a good coordinator is how well a team plays relative to their talent levels.
Now let's look at Mattison. Our defense was one of the worst in the country last year. In every metric. Scoring. Efficiency. Third down stops. Yardage. It doesn't matter how you look at it, our defense was insanely bad. Mattison took these same players - many of whom are 3* underclassmen - and turned them into a top 20 defense. To me, that is the mark of a great coordinator. Look at JT Floyd. He looked like he couldn't cover a jar with a lid last year - this year, even with the drastic scheme change, he was one of the better B10 corners. Our defense improved more than any defense has ever improved (at least within my 15 year recal of cfb.
So, while I guess awarding this to the guy with the lights out best defense in years is the obvious choice, it shows how little those who decide these types of things really drill down to the nitty gritty.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:55 PM ^
Some of the absolute best players on LSU, notably Honey Badger, were under-recruited out of high school. Yes, he was a 4-star, but everyone else in the BCS conferences regarded him as too much of a risk to recruit. Chavis brought him in and has harnessed his talents to make him the highest impact corner and returner in the country.
December 6th, 2011 at 5:30 PM ^
Not to challenge your point, but are you giving them credit for taking a chance on Tyrann Mathieu? I guess it was surprising that more teams in the SEC didn't take a chance on him since they didn't have a cap (yes, I know they have a "cap" now), but I won't give them credit for taking a chance when their bad chances have their scholarships pulled.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:04 PM ^
Which DC has done more with less? The winner is Mattison.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:05 PM ^
I am a huge Mattison fan, but you realize that at least PART of the reason that LSU has so many guys headed to the NFL is due to coaching, right? Sure they have a talent advantage, but LSU has one of the all-time great CFB defenses. #OFALLTIME
December 6th, 2011 at 3:10 PM ^
However, LSU has been running that same system for years. Our players were starting over.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
The coaching is not the most significant part at all. Those guys are going to be studs in any competent defense.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:10 PM ^
Yeah, finishing second to Chavis, especially this year, is like finishing second to Usain Bolt in the 100m sprint. There's no shame in it whatsoever. That LSU defense is truly special. I'm glad to see the award to go to someone who is VERY deserving.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^
That blows. Still, it doesn't discount the incredible turnaround of this defense orchestrated by Greg Mattison, and at least we recognize it even if the nation as a whole did not. I compliment Chavis, but he had a much better situation facing him at the beginning of the year.
Mattison blew everyone's expectations out of the water - I dare say most of us were thinking "average" in Division I total defense. We were in the top 20.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:44 PM ^
This sucks. Another reason to have less things in CFB determined by votes.
But I would not say ". . . at least we recognize it even if the nation as a whole did not." He got nominated and finished 2nd in the vote. Clearly it's recognized by the nation.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:51 PM ^
Apologies for the misspeak. I let the injustice of it get the better of me.
It's OK, Greg Mattison - you're our winner.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:19 PM ^
Fuck GERG, that is all.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:27 PM ^
Look at where we are, last year we had GERG, we had one of the worst statistical defenses in Michigan history, we barely made a bowl, and we lost to Ohio.
Fast forward to today, we have a BCS bowl-bound team, we have a top 20 defense, the B10 coach of the year, and have beaten Ohio. Relish that our complaint today is that our DC didn't get the Broyles Award, I relish that we have a DC worth the salt and that Michigan is back on the path to greatness. I hope that we will continue our progression and that Coach Hoke will win the B10.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:30 PM ^
to a previously morbid ohio offense probably didn't help. It doesn't matter, We all know what Mattison did. He'll just have to go and win it outright next year by ranking in the top ten in all defensive categories.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
All post-season awards for players and coaches should be awarded to SEC people at the beginning of each season. We can do away with all the rigamarole over voting and analysis and rational thinking and just make it easy on folks.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:48 PM ^
Mattison probably deserved it, but I guarantee we care a hell of a lot more than he does.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:49 PM ^
I'd love to see Mattison take LSU's players, and Chavis take Michigan's players, and have them both play Oregon, Ok State, Stanford, Wisconsin, USC, and Bosie State.
Then we'll see who the DC of the year is. Hint: it won't be Chavis.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^
This thread reminds me of people who don't want their country to merely be the best country for THEM, but demand that their country is recognized as the best in the world dammit. Bizarre.
The Broyles Award is just ceremonial shit. It's not what coaches coach for. Why get upset about it?
December 6th, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^
...people look at game highlights and don't actually compare the numbers (which are more important) from 2010 to 2011.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:01 PM ^
Yeah, I'm guessing that Mattison has about 750,000 reasons not to be too worried about not winning this award.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:20 PM ^
So, why is it great defense, when SEC offenses are down, but lousy offense when big ten defenses look good statistically?
December 6th, 2011 at 4:23 PM ^
Mattison should have one in a landslide based on what he did with this year's D. I guess the Broyles is similar to the Heisman and most other awards. The most deserving doesn't always win as the person(s) from the best team are given preference.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:28 PM ^
ESPN and the media talking heads have to pump up the SEC as much as possible before the BCS NC game. Trent Richardson is pretty much a lock to win the Heisman after his big game vs shitty Auburn. Thanks, M. Ball for almost breaking Barry Sanders record but 38 TDs is worth shit. How many yards did Richardson put up vs Kent St? I know, I know, the Heisman is not about stats but about the player Herbstreit is blowing.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:42 PM ^
How much would you care to wager on Trent Richardson winning the Heisman? For your sake, I hope it's not a lot. The big bronze lug is RG3's to lose, friend.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:53 PM ^
doesn't win the award, its not an award.
what a joke
December 6th, 2011 at 5:18 PM ^
Of shit!!!
December 6th, 2011 at 5:42 PM ^
but I'm not surprised that the coach of the best defense of the best team in the country wins the award.
Mattison will get this award in due time.