Gattis and Locksley rift. I wonder if UM will try to make a statement against Maryland to prove a point?
Although reading between the lines of this article, I get the feeling that Ed Warinner may be making more of the play calls at this point. Seems Gattis has been pushed to the back burner, not made available to speak to the press since Sep 25th.
October 31st, 2019 at 7:55 AM ^
I just want a win. After a big home game win against the fig things, this is a perfect let down situation. Coaches need to keep them focused and not into developing "coaching" rivalries.
October 31st, 2019 at 9:10 AM ^
Yep win the game is a statement enough for me.
October 31st, 2019 at 1:07 PM ^
Yeah, the "bickering" is overplayed.
More than anything, Gattis and Locksley have just learned that it's difficult to do Alabama things without Alabama players...
Here's hoping that what we learn Saturday is that Michigan can do wonderful Michigan things with excellent Michigan players.
October 31st, 2019 at 7:51 PM ^
I think it was a bad look for both of them to bicker like that. Usually a sign of frauds. I hope not in our case but seems petty both are trying to claim primary responsibility for Bamas offense.
October 31st, 2019 at 7:58 PM ^
If winning the game was enough, there would not be such a media firestorm every time Michigan doesn’t dominate an opponent—which shouldn’t happen since that has been rare for 12 years on.
October 31st, 2019 at 10:03 AM ^
Exactly! Win the game and look efficient doing so. One big win does not a juggernaut make where we can talk about who we want to beat down and by how much.
October 31st, 2019 at 11:11 AM ^
I have a feeling that this team will suffer no let downs from here on out. Not sure what will happen vs OSU; but, I expect they will come out for all games ready to play. Hope and pray I am right.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:12 PM ^
I think you're right. Our guys had a choice to make after PSU, and they chose to keep fighting. I love to see it from them, and think it'll carry through the regular season. OSU is a very tough out this year, but I think Michigan will play a great game against them.
October 31st, 2019 at 7:56 AM ^
This article struck me as terrible, and if I wrote it I would feel a sense of distaste for myself for a while after it was published. It's thin on substantive information, speculates in ways that are clearly intended to appeal to Michigan haters, ridicules Gattis's "speed in space" concept, and comes to no useful conclusions about the Gattis/Locksley "feud." I have not been awake for very long, however, so maybe I am just grouchy.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:14 AM ^
I was about to say the same thing. This is the kind of thing that pisses me off about sports media..this article is reaching so hard to try to play up the "drama" between Gattis and Locksley and its totally baseless and irresponsible.
Not taking this out on OP but I have never seen a fan base so concerned with who is technically calling the plays. No where in that article does it say anything about play calling duties changing hands, it just slides in a Warinner quote to add to the fabricated drama surrounding Gattis. Usually I would just overlook this kind of thing but this is a grade A example how the media adds to the toxic attitudes around Michigan football. Throw some open ended comments in a garbage article, and let the rabid MI fans wildly speculate and call it a day. It's the kind of thing that adds logs to the fire for the MI crowd who believes if things aren't going right immediately, heads should roll.
Now that my rant is over, I will join Marvin in getting more coffee.
October 31st, 2019 at 9:58 AM ^
The article's author is looking to work for the freep!!!
October 31st, 2019 at 12:57 PM ^
TMW you come to post something and find a comment thread dancing all around it already. I'm pretty sure Mr. Sabin doesn't have any knowledge whatsoever to indicate what Gattis and Warinner's proportional roles are in connection to playcalling, and that the OP's drawing conclusions about this from that "article" are irresponsible to throw out onto the interwebs.
October 31st, 2019 at 10:19 AM ^
I'm convinced this fanbase just craves accountability for everything so that blame can be assigned for every bad call, every missed recruit, every player substitution, everything.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:23 AM ^
The descriptor word you are looking for here is "Freep".
October 31st, 2019 at 8:28 AM ^
“It's thin on substantive information, speculates in ways that are clearly intended to appeal to Michigan haters, ridicules Gattis's "speed in space" concept, and comes to no useful conclusions.”
What is The Freep, Alex.
Correct. Choose again
October 31st, 2019 at 9:09 AM ^
Reads exactly like any Valenti radio show.
1. Throw click bait made-up sh*t about UM against the wall.
2. Get uninformed and unhappy UM fans riled up.
3. ???
4. Profit
October 31st, 2019 at 10:27 AM ^
2. Get ALL Michigan fans riled up and making 40 gillion clicks and posts about how bad it is.
FIFY
October 31st, 2019 at 9:16 AM ^
I hate to break this to you, but you just described almost all sports media, which appeals to the lowest common denominator type of reader. MGoBlog is one of the exceptions.
The Gattis/Locksley rivalry seems overblown to me, like the media is trying to craft a WWE-style storyline out of a normal college football coaching situation.
October 31st, 2019 at 9:36 AM ^
I hate to break this to you, but you just described almost all media, which appeals to the lowest common denominator type of reader
Fixed it for you.
October 31st, 2019 at 1:20 PM ^
Ha, yes you're generally correct. But I think you could argue that sports media never had the prestige outlets or writing that traditional media had. NYT, WSJ, etc. I don't think that even Sports Illustrated at its height met that standard. It seems to me that sports has almost always been around Drew Sharp at the Freep level drivel, until recently, with Grantland, the Athletic, certain blogs, and others, which elevated sports journalism. I'm likely missing something and you could argue the opposite side, but this is just my impression of the landscape.
October 31st, 2019 at 9:52 AM ^
You could have just said "It's a Freep article" and saved yourself a lot of time, but I largely agree.
Also, the insinuation that Warriner is calling the plays is laughable, but if there's one thing I've picked up around here is that a subset of fans desperately want to believe incompetence was the cause of the offense's issues and not, you know, people learning new things and it taking some time to click.
October 31st, 2019 at 7:59 AM ^
No offense, but your title has little to nothing to do with your actual post. With regards to your post, to suggest this article implies Gattis taking a backseat to Warinner simply because he gives a quote about the offense and Gattis doesn't is a big stretch.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:24 AM ^
Dude I was thinking the exact same thing. What lines are you reading between? Coke lines?
October 31st, 2019 at 9:50 AM ^
I am totally stealing this from you and using it soon. Probably in one of those stupid drunk conversations I'll be getting in this weekend. Thanks and +1 to you sir.
October 31st, 2019 at 9:52 AM ^
Agreed. The article puts the quote in a place where one seems guided to infer some sort of change, but there is no evidence to or mention of a change in duties/influence. Most OCs refine their ways based on personnel and what works in previous weeks from what worked in camp. The others get fired or keep their job in East Lansing.
October 31st, 2019 at 10:08 AM ^
Did you really mean no offense, or were you just putting in the classic "I don't mean this negative thing, but here's this negative thing" disclaimer?
By the way, I agree with your perspective in whole.
October 31st, 2019 at 10:41 AM ^
Honestly, I was trying to err on the side of assuming this guy posting wasn't trying to troll the board, because this post sure reads like it.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:00 AM ^
This is oddly a big game. The season already has so many ebbs and flows this very strange season...even more so.
A weird game at psu where the team loses but feels something click to come home to a monster game with a crazy crowd and plays there best game. It would be so easy to look like shit this weekend against Maryland. It would be the easiest thing to try to mail in a win and look like poop and win (possibly lose) 28-21.
I will be highly impressed if the coaches get this team to come ready to rock. There are only three games before osu and this team needs to get better each one.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:05 AM ^
Maryland has QB issues, can’t protect the QB, and is terrible on defense.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:09 AM ^
It's big only from the perspective of fans wanting reassurance that Michigan's recent resurgence is a real trend and not a fluke. We avoid shooting ourselves in the foot and this game will not be much of a problem. Hold onto the goddamn ball.
The day may come when Mike Locksley builds this team into a contender, but it's not this season. Michigan wins by 21.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:01 AM ^
The danger is that this could also go the other way...Fortunately, we have the talent advantage and Harbaugh/Warriner at his side. If Michigan gets up big, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a let-up in aggressive playcalling.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:06 AM ^
I am of the opinion we do not need to attempt any more "statements" this year.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:13 AM ^
Gattis is calling the plays. You can see him holding cards and talking on the headset on the sideline.
I think Harbaugh wants him to focus more on the offense than worrying about dealing with the media. Remember Brown skipped the media after Wisconsin.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:26 AM ^
What is the media gonna ask him? The same stupid shit...... Are comfortable with Shea? Where do you think the turnaround came from? How did you fix the turnovers? Are you still calling the plays?
October 31st, 2019 at 8:31 AM ^
Harbaugh has cards and talks into his headset every down too. I don’t remember that early in the season.
October 31st, 2019 at 9:14 AM ^
Agreed, I am a big believer in not burdening someone with pointless media and PR distraction when they have a more important task to consume all their energy. Distraction is a leading enemy of focus. i'm glad Brown skipped media appearances and it's good for Gattis if he did the same.
As for the article like so much of sports reporting, it's basically a nonstory. I wish people paid half as much attention to what's going on in their local, state and national governments, at what is happening in the world etc.
October 31st, 2019 at 10:15 AM ^
Also let's say for arguments sake that Harbaugh and Warinner are more involved when they were at the beginning of the season, which we don't know for sure, but let's start with that assumption for a thought experiment.
Isn't that what you want a "CEO" coach to do? And his assistants? You have a guy who is brand new to the OC role, brand new to this team and it's players, and with a background more oriented around WRs and the passing game from his coaching experience. Don't you want them to step in and help? Don't you want them to help him adapt his system to these players and this team? What else were they gonna do? Just stand there and laugh and point while he struggled through the season?
They hired an unproven guy, gave him the leeway to do his thing, and since things didnt click effortlessly, they're helping him and its now getting good results. Not sure why it has to be them "taking control back" or any of the stories people concoct in their head. Simplest explanation is usually the right one. What's more likely? Harbaugh hates Gattis and is handcuffing him so he can run his Harbaugh offense and Gattis is the dog house? Or that the head coach is coaching up his assistant coach to make him and the team better? No one said when Gattis was hired that he wouldn't be speaking to the other coaches and not taking their input. Come on, people.
October 31st, 2019 at 10:16 AM ^
Gattis coming down to the sidelines has helped. More direct communication between him, the offense, and the coaching staff. It's also pretty clear that some discussion occurred between Harbaugh, Warriner, and Gattis with the outcome being "let's build on what we know how to do, because we aren't built to just out-talent people " which seemed to be the plan for the Army game. We've never been the world's greatest zone blocking team. Greg Frey took a hike after one year of trying to zone block our way into greatness.
I doubt Harbaugh is micro-managing his offensive coordinator.
As for talking to the press, I assume that's his choice. Why face the same questions over and over?
October 31st, 2019 at 8:15 AM ^
So I don't know anything about Rainer Sabin, but he's probably the guy that pushed Harbaugh for yet another comment in the weekly Monday presser on the overblown "feud" between these two. He probably had 90% of the article written then just inserted the Harbaugh quote section and hit publish.
I don't think there are any lines to read between on any Freep article. I also find it funny that everyone on here is constantly trying to pinpoint who called every single play and trying to make a big deal about it. Last week the obvious call in the first half was to run the ball - look at how much ND struggled to run more or less their regular offense. Suddenly everything is "Harbaugh/Warriner took over the offense!" All of the offensive coaches are going to contribute to the game plan every week. Gattis was a first time playcaller and the offense definitely struggled with cohesion early in the season. He's 8 games in, he's probably gotten better at his job and is more comfortable, and there has obviously been some feedback and ideas from other coaches.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:16 AM ^
Just win the damn game!
October 31st, 2019 at 8:21 AM ^
I don’t see Harbaugh as the kind of guy who’d try to “make a statement” against a team of kids who’s head coach has had a falling out with one of his coaches. Seems classless.
I hope we trounce Maryland and save our statement making game for MSU!
October 31st, 2019 at 8:30 AM ^
Did you watch the rutgers game after the paramus satellite camp deal? Not backing off of the gas pedal is not beyond harbaugh, i think its his mantra.
It will probably be similar to last week in that the backups will be in but they will run the full offense. If thats embarassing someone or running up the score, so be it. Get better.
October 31st, 2019 at 9:16 AM ^
Dude, multiple coaches have wanted to or even tried to fight Jim Harbaugh after football games. He is definitely the kind of guy who will run up the score on somebody. He literally just did it this past weekend.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:23 AM ^
Michigan shouldn't really have to try to make it seem like they are proving a point.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:24 AM ^
They need to keep their foot on the pedal regardless of the opponent or context because they need to go into the OSU game firing on all cylinders. UM hasn't looked well in November the last few seasons.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:26 AM ^
Gattis and Lockley rift.
I wonder if marshmallows, in one huge pile, could stop a speeding race car?
October 31st, 2019 at 9:01 AM ^
Are we talking a pile of loose dry marshmallows or can they be sort of stuck together and gooey after they have been sitting in the hot sun for a while?
This would make for a fun mythbusters episode. Maybe one of the spinoff shows could conquer this for us...
October 31st, 2019 at 8:28 AM ^
Whoever is calling plays is doing a better job.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:32 AM ^
On the flipside, I wonder if ever since Maryland's season went down the tube, Locksley has had this game circled and has been game planning for UM for weeks. This game is probably the only one he really cares about.
October 31st, 2019 at 8:54 AM ^
It is a crappy team. They need to win games. He isn’t saving people for thus game costing themselves games in the process.