Devin Bush Jr give some thoughts about Michigan football, “Yeah, I need hope, too....."
Co-host Jason Whitlock, a former Ann Arbor News reporter, briefly recounted his time covering the Michigan football team in the early 1990s before asking Bush to “give me some hope” that Harbaugh might turn Michigan into a national-title contender.
“Yeah, I need hope, too,” Bush replied, chuckling. “I got to keep it real, but we just not winning the big games. We have to find a way to win the big games. We got to do it.”
Video is queued up:
January 27th, 2020 at 10:39 PM ^
I can’t stand Whitlock. He’s like the male version of Jemele Hill.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:20 PM ^
But at least he likes The Wire
January 27th, 2020 at 11:29 PM ^
You're right, Uncle Jethro, they all look alike.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:40 PM ^
You think he thinks they look alike? Interesting.
January 28th, 2020 at 10:58 AM ^
The mental gymnastics it took you to get that out of what he typed must have made you exhausted
January 28th, 2020 at 11:32 AM ^
I mean that was my first reaction when he compared them. They both talk about race more than most sports commentators (black or white). This is probably a big part of what makes them targets of criticism (whether consciously or unconsciously). He was a big part of that “Undefeated” site about black athletes and she has obviously said a lot about the matter. What other commonalities do they have?
January 27th, 2020 at 11:44 PM ^
In what way is he like Jemele Hill?
She spends most of her time trying to further her career by being provocative.
How is that like Jason Whitlock?
January 28th, 2020 at 8:59 AM ^
My 'If they were in front of me i would punch them in the face' media types (cannot stand!)
- Jim Rome
- Loud Mouth Stephen A Smith
- Anderson Cooper (how come he always tries to look tough, or selfie fish lip)
January 28th, 2020 at 11:38 AM ^
no, you wouldn't.
January 28th, 2020 at 2:36 PM ^
I agree with your comment on Whitlock.
As for Bush, "...we have to find a way to win...." NO KIDDING...
January 27th, 2020 at 10:54 PM ^
Regarding not being able to beat OSU:
Could it be coaching? Could it be the players?
“I think it’s a combination of the both,” Bush said. "Obviously I was there, but I just felt like we need the right mentality. We need to walk into that game and not be like, ‘OK, I hope Ohio State don’t show up today.’
“Nah, it’s like we gotta go in there and we got to take it.”
“We had a lot of guys come out and go to the NFL and be good, and still playing,” Bush said. “We had NFL talent at Michigan. It’s just the mentality at Michigan."
Bush continued: “It’s like we’ve got to win one. Sometimes I think people get stuck in that hole.”
Well that's not great.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:11 PM ^
If that's true then Harbaugh needs to hit the road. All those millions every year, and your plan is pretty much to hope OSU doesn't show up. Amazing, just truly incredible.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:20 PM ^
What’s truly incredible is you seem to think that’s the way Harbaugh approaches The Game. Bush never said anything about the coaches and how they view OSU. Nothing. Nada. Zip.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:43 PM ^
I’d say 100% of what he described is about coaching. The team’s mindset is highly dependent on the inspiration and motivation that comes from the head coach. Now that it’s not “his” offense and DB runs the defense, that’s pretty much the most important thing Harbaugh owns.
January 28th, 2020 at 5:05 AM ^
I'd say its 50/50. That's obvious by all the mental mistakes players keep making. Is it Harbaughs fault DPJ dropped 4 passes in this game? He didn't do that in any other game. Is it Harbaughs fault Black turtled and ran out of bounds short of a first down? I think the players are scared, and Ambry pretty much said the same thing. Its Harbaughs fault if he is not holding players accountable, but players have to play. I've said this for 8 years now, but we need a player to make some plays in the game.
January 28th, 2020 at 7:42 AM ^
I'd say usually when someone says "100%", they're full of crap.
There are a lot of factors in this situation, including the fact that Ohio State is really well coached, they get better players than Michigan, they've had some favorable calls, these kids are told during the recruiting process that OSU dominates Michigan, they have seen it unfold with their own eyes, the media harps on the fact that OSU dominates the series right now, etc.
A coach can't undo ALL of that with, I dunno, hypnosis or a great "Go get 'em" speech. Players have carry their weight, too. I'm not removing all blame from Harbaugh and the coaches, but 100% is on the coaches? That's ridiculous.
January 28th, 2020 at 3:54 PM ^
Tressel seemed to do just that.
January 28th, 2020 at 10:39 PM ^
Well said. I think Bush hits BPONE on the head:
“It’s like we’ve got to win one. Sometimes I think people get stuck in that hole.”
We all know because we've been there. I'm sure players feel it too - it feels like the inevitable creeping in. 'Here we go again.' Once Michigan wins one the mentality there can start to change.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:43 PM ^
So, Harbaugh is super focused, confident, and dialed in and...none of his players follow him or share his attitude? Not even one of his team leaders who's a future top draft pick? That's either bullshit, or he's a terrible motivator, either way he's ineffective, overpaid, and needs to be somewhere else.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:47 PM ^
Bush absolutely is speaking about the coaches mental preparation of the team. Seems quite alarming that a stud LB is saying Michigan hasn't been prepared to play OSU. Not really a surprise. JH may be a great Coach, but we have seen enough that last 3 years that he is not stellar at getting his teams prepared mentally. From attitude, discipline, stupid mistakes, etc.
January 28th, 2020 at 5:16 AM ^
Wash, rinse, repeat. “Hey Shane, don’t go out there and do your best!” Make sure you fumble on purpose all year. I don’t know how else to motivate you Mr. Senior five-star QB. I just can’t figure these young men out. It’s so hard to reach them.
Sincerely,
JH
January 28th, 2020 at 2:35 PM ^
Shane? You've been watching too many Alan Ladd movies.
January 28th, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
Yep. Just watch All or Nothing documentary. Harbaugh was flat.
January 28th, 2020 at 9:38 AM ^
In college, that mentality 100% comes from the coaches. That’s why these guys can turn programs around immediately. Unfortunately we’ve heard several stories about this sort of malaise over the program and that’s 100% coaching. And I like Harbaugh! Just be objective and it’ll all make sense.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:30 PM ^
Bro if this is true Harbaugh needs to gtfoh
January 27th, 2020 at 11:49 PM ^
January 28th, 2020 at 12:06 AM ^
I still think Jedd Fisch leaving Michigan is why the team stopped ascending, and started to flounder, after 2016.
January 28th, 2020 at 12:45 AM ^
I don't think Jedd could've prevented our defense turning to crap against OSU.
January 28th, 2020 at 12:54 AM ^
I don't know, has any team stopped Ohio St from scoring the last 2 years. Michigan would have put up much more of a fight on offense with Jedd Fisch.
January 28th, 2020 at 8:04 AM ^
Our offense did as well against them as anyone else did the last two years - 39 and 27 points (and we left a lot of points on the board). Defense has been 99% of the problem.
January 28th, 2020 at 12:12 AM ^
OSU consistently beats UM because they have better players (which they obtain partially thru illicit means) that have zero responsibilities once they arrive on campus other than "get awesomer at football."
That's it. That's the reason. Mentality doesn't do/mean shit compared to talent.
January 28th, 2020 at 1:07 AM ^
Mentality matters until you realise that the other guys are all bigger, faster and stronger...in other words a roster of 5 and 4 star talent is almost always going to beat a roster of 4 and 3 star talent no matter the mentality.
But I do think that being cheated out of that game a few years back was huge for Harbaugh's program. Needed that one win bad...really bad. Think that would have changed everything including closing the recruiting and mentality gap.
January 28th, 2020 at 10:35 AM ^
Don't buy that excuse about the 2016 game. That game could have gone either way and unfortunately, they got the very close call at home that mattered. End of story. Tough to take but time to move on
IMHO, the 2018 game was the one that UM fans should really be upset with. We were ranked higher and FAVORED by 5 or 6 points (or whatever it was) going into the game. The Revenge Tour BS and basically our attitude in general all played a part in the game. Urban Meyer recently stated that just before the game some of his players were upset that UM players were on the field with their "Revenge Tour" shirts whooping it up which proceeded to piss off him, his coaching staff and their players. He's constantly preaching "respect" for the rivalry while our act turns into a clown show. The 62-39 ass whipping that day says it all and can be traced right back to the HC. 2019 - rinse and repeat 2018. Harbaugh is a top 10 to 15 CF coach but with his salary should be able to win a big game once in awhile. I'm still waiting.
January 29th, 2020 at 2:21 PM ^
When are people going to get it through their heads that the spot wasn't the only issue with the officiating that day. There were numerous missed obvious calls on OSU that day including a couple crucial PI and holding calls that could not have been more clear. That was one of the most slanted officiated games you will ever see, and the worse of it took place before the spot which you're right was not a cut and dry call.
January 28th, 2020 at 6:34 AM ^
Best point yet. You can look at all the years MSU was curb stomped by Michigan. They always wanted it badly, their success rate compared to talent showed that. Indiana would love to beat Michigan., etc. Those teams want it but it is tough when you are short handed. Hoke and RR years are just, I don’t know man....
January 28th, 2020 at 9:17 AM ^
But but but everybody cheats but us
January 28th, 2020 at 9:36 AM ^
Get back to your online classroom.
January 28th, 2020 at 9:10 AM ^
Sounds like wolverines and lions are crossbreeing.
January 28th, 2020 at 9:52 AM ^
Can't it be possible to take it more seriously and still lose? Or does one just get to equate wanting it more to automatically meaning if so then you will win?
How do we know that Rutgers or Michigan State doesn't take the Michigan game way more serious than the Wolverines the last few years yet it still doesn't matter and they get blasted.
No way to even begin to measure "what taking it more serious even means" either especially from a mental perceptive.
Can't it also be possible that Harbaugh is more obsessed about beating Ohio State than any previous head coach in the rivalry yet despite that his team could still lose to them 5 straight times?
I can remember watching a NFL game years ago with a buddy of mine who was upset about how his team was playing and I asked him what do you think they need to do and his answer was.......they need to want it more.
That answer feels to me like the way a Disney film would write how one team was able to overcome the other by just wanting it more. I hope that isn't what the Michigan coaching staff feels is the main reason with what is holding them back from beating the buckeyes and they dig deeper than that to try and solve this. That just feels way too simplistic imho.
January 28th, 2020 at 12:34 AM ^
Not the first time we’ve heard this kind of stuff. Where there’s smoke...
January 28th, 2020 at 10:29 AM ^
Then why didn’t Bush Jr. change his mentality? Weird quote
January 27th, 2020 at 11:00 PM ^
he's not wrong
January 27th, 2020 at 11:01 PM ^
Attitude is everything.
January 28th, 2020 at 1:09 AM ^
Yeah it matters, but I'll take the more talented roster and a few refs on our side over attitude...
January 27th, 2020 at 11:04 PM ^
Not sure he said anything Earth shattering. In fact, I wouldn't even call it newsworthy. He said nothing that any of us haven't said...
January 28th, 2020 at 6:36 AM ^
Well, except he was on the team, was coached in it and played in it. Other than that, you two have identical perspectives.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:29 PM ^
I’m more concerned that his willingness to respond did not result in an answer that has a readily apparent solution. Not enough talent? Ok, get better recruits. Poor game planning? Ok, get new coaches. Fix an entire team mentality.....uhhhhhhhhh.....I’m sure someone will get right on that.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:35 PM ^
It really comes down to winning one game. You win once and suddenly OSU isn’t this unbeatable force anymore and the team can build on that momentum moving forward. It’s not going to be a streak of winning games against OSU, but more of a back and forth affair. That’s why the 2016 game was even a bigger deal. We know that we had it and we let it slip away. That game should never have gone to overtime.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:49 PM ^
Hoke’s one win didn’t change the tide. Winning in 2016 would not have made O’Korn a better QB or helped Mettelus make that catch. One win would not have changed the way Don Brown has called his defense the past two games.
The systemic problem is not figuring out how to get that one win. The systemic problem is the NCAA thinking it’s ok for teams to play by different rules creating an uneven playing field for a handful of teams year after year after year.
January 28th, 2020 at 12:05 AM ^
nO iTs aTTituDe anD cOAcHinG