Good Mlive Piece: Regardless of the head coach, Michigan's quarterback issues will be biggest area of concern in 2015
Mlive has a good read about several areas of concern for the 2015 football team, including QB, WR's, OL, DE's and culture.
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2014/12/regardless_of_the_hea…
If we're being honest, the quarterback position was the ultimate undoing of Brady Hoke's tenure at Michigan. This is still a quarterback's game, and Michigan suffered from the inability to develop anything at the position, and also the head-scratching confusion over the failure to really make the most of Denard Robinson's talents.
And now the biggie, something some might not want to hear, but also a pretty big reality.
This program needs a culture change. If it didn't, Hoke probably still would be the head coach and we wouldn't be talking about this.
Michigan hasn't been a "tough" football team since a scrappy group of fifth-year seniors demanded as such in 2011. The team looked entitled through portions of 2012 and 2013, and just confused in 2014. But never along the way was anything confused with "toughness."
December 15th, 2014 at 1:49 PM ^
comments section makes me really appreciate this blog.
Good article though.
December 15th, 2014 at 1:54 PM ^
Regardless of what happens, the problems we think will be the problems will probably not be the problems. Remember prior to this season when we thought a seasoned DG would be the least of our worries? If there's one current truth, it's that we dont know future truths until they are past truths.
December 15th, 2014 at 1:56 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:04 PM ^
I think Gardner's steep regression is one of the greatest mysteries in the storied history of Michigan football.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:11 PM ^
I don't think it is that mysterious at all. Hoke's staff couldn't develop players on offense.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:39 PM ^
People on here thinking DG was Heisman caliber caused his regression? Ok.
December 15th, 2014 at 5:56 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:40 PM ^
"Develop" is the key word. There is a difference between failing to develop and causing steep regression.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:34 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 4:07 PM ^
The same thing has happened to Hackenberg. It also happens a lot in the NFL where a college stud becomes quivering jelly because he does not have an O-Line that can keep the wolves at bay until he has time to develop. It's no real mystery.
The only mystery is why the coaching staff did not use the natural gift that Gardner had - his legs - to help mitigate the issue until it was too late.
Neither Devin Gardner nor Denard Robinson should have been forced to be under-center pocket QBs. The O-Line could not protect them back there, and it wasted their biggest strength.
December 15th, 2014 at 3:19 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 4:08 PM ^
Does this mean that whoever hires Borges will play for the Pac 12 Championship in a couple of years?
December 15th, 2014 at 6:03 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:18 PM ^
He had the physical tools for sure. His issues were mental for the most part, which falls on the coaching staff.
December 15th, 2014 at 3:54 PM ^
The coaching staff is responsible for all players' mental issues?
December 15th, 2014 at 6:24 PM ^
December 16th, 2014 at 2:35 PM ^
That's the dumbest thing I've read today.
Apparently, new technology has now granted football coaches the power of mind control.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:15 PM ^
So, what if Nussmeier's offense, filtered through David Brandon's micromanaging, was such a POS that it made the QB's look much worse than they really were? I would be willing to bet that Harbaugh or an air raid coach could make Morris or Speight look much better than anyone looked this year.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:39 PM ^
It does depend on which head coach we end up getting. But, certainly with Harbaugh (The QB Whisperer) he would be able to develop an offense around the skills of either Morris or Speight that would be effective. I just don't believe we can tell anything about Morris's potential (for example) based on anything he did under the previous staff. My level of confidence in their ability to develop or manage QB's is pretty low.
December 15th, 2014 at 1:56 PM ^
by stripping out complex hot reads on the part of both the QB & WR. Instead, he simplified by having one of his WRs run a hot read route on every play. It lowered what he was asking his QB & WRs to do, and they became more successful.
In the same vein, I think Harbaugh will study what Morris, Speight, and maybe even Malzone do well and then put them in a position to succeed.
He won't get All B1G out of the eventual starter, but I strongly suspect he'll get "good enough" if Jim comes.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:00 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:38 PM ^
explain Kaepernick
December 15th, 2014 at 2:53 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^
chose him over Smith
December 15th, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
And it worked out for Jim Harbaugh until Kaep got a huge contract and the 49ers front office told Jim Harbaugh to stop putting Kaep at risk.
December 15th, 2014 at 5:47 PM ^
The success that Kaepernick had at Nevada or the success that RGIII had at Baylor would be just fine.
December 15th, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
with someone giving JH credit for half Luck's success. Perspective.
December 15th, 2014 at 6:35 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^
I don't know if I'd say half, but at least a significant percentage. He was a highly rated recruit, but we know all too well that that's only part of the equation. He still has to develop and pan out. If Luck had spent his four years under Hoke, I can pretty much guarentee he wouldn't be entering the draft proclaimed as a once in a generation type player...
December 15th, 2014 at 3:53 PM ^
That guy was heading to a perennial top ten draft bust member when Harbaugh showed he could be a credible QB given the right system, coach and team.
BUT note that Harbaugh quickly moved on because Kaepernick was developing rapidly (at least back then).
December 15th, 2014 at 4:14 PM ^
The QB's surrounding cast will also be much better in Harbaugh's first year. The O-Line will have actual experience blocking together, Ty Isaac will be eligible, Johnson and Green will be healthy, Butt will be healthy, the recievers will be solid if not spectacular.
Harbaugh does have to try to make his QB a world beater just to stay above .500
December 15th, 2014 at 1:58 PM ^
I avoid reading comments on Mlive. I share your sentiments about the high quality of the posters on Mgoblog.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:06 PM ^
Relative to MLive, just about anything is good. Personally I think people here are wound a little too tight.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:14 PM ^
DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?!?!?!?!
December 15th, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^
heheh
December 15th, 2014 at 4:11 PM ^
That's a sensible thing to do with just about any public forum.
The really frightening thing is that most of those people on MLive can vote.
December 15th, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:02 PM ^
Not good.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:02 PM ^
IMO we really do not know if there is a QB issue. It's apparent that the prior regime was unable to coach up any position and develop the talent that was recruited. Hopefully Harbaugh can step right in and get these men ready to compete in the Spring Game.
Regardless we need these guys to step up and fill the position that has haunted us for several years.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:05 PM ^
It is sad, at one point we were QB-U! Whether it is JH or someone else as the next coach, this has to be a priority and not to rub salt in the wounds, the Buckeyes crushed Wiscy with their 3rd string QB.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:37 PM ^
The QB-U distinction is more so related to the success in the pros. It shed light on the fact that these guys weren't system quarterbacks (see osu) and had the intelligence, drive, and arm strength to make it on the professional level.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:13 PM ^
The comments about 2012 (both in this article and on this blog) never make sense to me. That was a pretty good team. They lost 5 games to teams with a combined 58-8 record. Three were by a TD or less (Notre Dame, Ohio State and South Carolina) and the Nebraska game was there for the taking until Denard went out injured. The only time they looked outclassed was against Alabama. The defensive numbers look similar to 2011 and the offense would have been fine had we had the right coordinator in place (Looking back, one can say that Borges probably cost us Notre Dame and Ohio State. On top of that, Bellomy at Nebraska can probably be put on his head as well). As it was, we were Denard being hurt from winning the division.
But yeah, QB. Looking at Borges' track record as a recruiter at the position, its no surprise that it led to Hoke's downfall.
December 15th, 2014 at 4:29 PM ^
I hate seeing 2012 lumped in with 2013 and 2014, for exactly that reason. The bowl game that season was pretty damn entertaining that was a coinflip at the end (despite the loss), and the silver lining of Denard getting injured was the emergence of Devin Gardner in the second half of the season, leading many of us to believe 2013 and/or 2014 could be good years with dark-horse Big Ten Championship possibilities.
Instead it all came crashing down. I am still dumbfounded that they went 0-2 against Rutgers and Maryland.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:13 PM ^
It is a huge problem. We assume Shane will get the nod, but that is definitely in doubt.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^
I would even go so far as to say that Shane will be Speight's backup next season. Shane has not had one good outing and his interception to completion ratio is preposterous. Intangibles need to be thrown out the window because the only one that matters at QB is mental fortitude. Speight is an unknown commodity whereas we've seen what Shane can do.
December 15th, 2014 at 6:59 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:17 PM ^
After the initial high of the hire (hopefully - depending on it not being a Schiano type) the reality is 2015's offense is again going to have major questions. The obvious being the lack of stability at the most important position in the sport.
Nick pretty much outlined the same concerns I have - I'd add the 2nd safety to the list and less about attitude. Attitude reflects the coach; the right coach changes the attitude overnight - see Charlie Strong at Texas. DE + S on D, and QB, WR and figuring out if this OL is full of average players who will just be older and thus improve to "adequate" or actually has guys with high upside who struggles with youth (outside of Cole who looks like he will be the real deal). If Drake was healthy I'd actually be quite tickled about the RB situation and that is without any contribution from Isaac - a Johnson/Green platoon looks pretty good.
Again the schedule next year is rough to open - @Utah and hosting BYU in games 1 and 4 would be a challenge even for a pretty darn good Michigan team with a solid QB returning.
December 15th, 2014 at 2:35 PM ^
Really, really pisses me off. I don't see the need to call out the players and tell them how bad the season was or rehash what is done. The new coach (Harbaugh) will bring new life to the team. He will bring the competition and the sense of urgency that is lacking.
The season is over. New Coach, New Year, New Season, New Life to the team.