Has your general feeling/optimism about 2014 changed?

Yes - I thought for sure Hoke was going to be fired after next season.  I think The Nuss has probably saved his job.  At least I view Hoke more positively now because he is able to let his 'friends' go for the better of the team.  

The move definitely helps and at least is a great signal. He seems to have had success and should also really help with QB which is the most important position. I was thinking last night how this reminds me even more of 2010 to 2011. This is the fourth year which is kind of equivalent to when Hoke took the reigns to our program as that would have been RR's year also. We brought in a new coordinator that year to help out with the defense and the unit has largely become a fringe top 25 outfit. If we can pair roughly half that kind of turnaround with what many consider a potentially elite defense next year we may have something. Yes I am more optimistic but there's a lot of questions to be answered. Personally, I'd now give Hoke two maybe three more years especially if we get some top notch offensive positional coaches.

I have tempered optimism. I still see giant question marks on the offensive line. I still wonder which receiver not named Funchess will fill the void left by Gallon. Will he be able to significantly reduce the amount of times Gardner doesn't see a linebacker/safety breaking on a slant route?

I am excited that we've brought in a legitimate name with a solid resumè, I just don't want to tell myself that we're winning the Big Ten when there are still so many personnel questions.

Hoke's bland assurance that he didn't expect any changes in the staff depressed me.  If the program's reaction to 2013 was "oh well, let's try again next year, more Absopure please" then my interest level in showing up for a bunch of ho-hum home games was going to be minimal.  I hoped for a Beilein-esque staff turnover but Hoke's statement made me think it wouldn't happen.  So I'm intrigued and more optimistic.

BTW I don't think it has been mentioned but Nussmeier is left-handed, one of only 32 lefties to play QB in the NFL (per wikipedia).  That could mean nothing or it could be very helpful to our presumptive 2015 & 2016 starter.

I went from dreading September and looking forward to the next few months and having fun in the offseason to begging for September to come now!

I know that UM's biggest rivals are worried, too, which makes me happy.  This news was actually broken to me by an osu fan and friend of mine who realizes how big of a deal this is.  I bet him lunch at the end of the season that Borges would be fired and he didn't think so...I win.  

we just started a new call rotation that has each of us taking call for the ICU for a week straight and yesterday was my last day (and it was crazy, though we didn't have subs). That, coupled with my attempt to quit smoking (which has been ongoing since Monday), meant it was best for me to just keep from the computer for the day.

I got into the office today and as always, checked out mgoblog and BAM! I really had given up hope that we would make any changes, but when I saw this I couldn't be happier. First time in ages I am feeling good about the potential of this team. 

Yes. I'm hoping this is the Beilein-after-the-third-year move that we've been waiting for...

Yes, without a doubt. Proven track record, rebuilt wash, QB guru, no system change, SEC ties (few but still) and Borges is gone.

Despite the outcome of this coming year, Hoke bought himself a chance at 2015.  Unless obviously everything implodes and we have a 3 win season.  I don't necessarily think this changes things drastically.  I feel an 8 win season is possible instead of just a 7, but it gives me a faint hope that something miraculous happens and we have 11 wins.  With Borges here, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to waste my time with the season.  So the quick answer is I feel optimistic about the future and it makes me have a little confidence in Hoke.

Yes. We needed this change to give us a better chance against Appy State.

New girlfriends are always fun.  That is, until they turn into old girlfriends.

a pipe burst in my rental house this morning and I was all, "Don't care. We got Alabama's OC".  In my memory, that burst pipe will have happened in 2013.  

Enduring an entire offseason of trying to convince myself that things could be better/changed/invigorated on offense even though there were mountains of evidence pointing to the cretacian midset of Borges never changing a thing and being content with banging our collective heads into the same spot on the same wall, week after week was already starting to wear me down. So, that's not a thing anymore, and I am so happy I forgot to put on pants.

I am not an offensive guru, but I watched several Alabama games the past 2 years and my impression of the offense was that it was neither dynamic or exciting. What it was is efficient. That may have been the Saban influence. I only hope that will work with our players.

I feel much better about Hoke after this move, if not the outlook of next season specifically. I thought how he handled the offensive coaching staff this off season was his first real test of leadership. Would he cling to "his guys" despite the obvious need to let some of them go? Or would he step up to let some people go in an attempt to upgrade the staff?

I feel like it'll be a net positive next season, maybe not a huge immediate benefit, but I feel much better about the program overall than I did when it looked like Borges was coming back.

I will feel much more optimistic when a coaching change in the trenches comes.  That was the biggest problem this last year, not Al.

If the offensive line can't block it doesn't matter who the OC is next year.  With that being said I fully believe that the line will be better next year and absolutely deadly two years from now. But as far as expectations or general outlook doesn't really change much.

I think we compete immediately and I'll go as far as to say we're the surprise team next season. I love the hire and what it changes along with all that it brings.

Absolutely. This was needed to generate hope and excitement around the program as much as it was X's and O's.

He acknowledged it wasn't working and went outside the box and replaced most of his staff.  This move is only the start, not the finish.  It worked for basketball.

I thought it was a great hire. It energizes the fan base, There was a lot of doom and gloom. Now we have positive momentum heading into next season and Michigan is back in the news in a positive light. It has to be a positive for recruiting too. It will be nice to see some cohesion in the game plan along with an identity.

Schedule and roster-wise, 2015 had seemed to me to be much much brighter than 2014 (losing Gardner, Ryan, Funchess, and Clark wii be tough, but the one positive on-field takeaway from the Copper Fiasco, for me, was Shane's play (plus Speight's all-star week reports were pretty nice)).

What's changed for me is a modest upgrade in expectations for next season, and, for 2015, a fervent hope that Nuss can stick around that long.  the good news/bad news is that if he wows the cfb world next year, the head coach offers will come in droves.

First off let me give credit to Hoke and Brandon. This was very well played. I think continuity and promise of Borges in year 4 would be a better option than 90% of what's available. They only cut ties after securing one of the 10%. Proved they're willing to make hard decisions, and proved their willing to pay up.

Style of play is similar. I think all current plays stick around. Once relationships are mended I think that most recruits probably stay interested, or even have an uptick in interest (definitely think Campbell is a serious play again).

It's really all good news except that it's a 1-3 year stint assuming it goes well. He inherits a good ball of clay. I hope he turns it around quick, and we're able to keep the ball rolling with the next guy whenever that may be.

At the first/next 5* he pulls out of SEC territory.

...but not the highest possible:

fire the OC!!!1!!1 a few optimistic posts posbang post posbang post with 200+ responses posbang post with 200+ responses and multiple bouncing Uptons (we are here) and several other threads focused on hope for the future muppets.

Happy for a number of reasons:

1.  Hoke proved himself to be the guy he was at his initial press conference.  He saw a problem, didn't sort it out before the media ("I anticipate all the staff will return") or the fans, found a good solution and pulled the trigger.  "This is Michigan" means that we cannot and could not accept the 2013 offensive, and that we act like fucking professionals.

2.  The Borges offense had no identity.  I tried to support the guy, but my biggest complaint is that his offense was never the punishing offense we were promised under Hoke.  Sometimes it was finesse, sometimes it was bland/stagnant and sometimes it was WTF.  This isn't about spread/pro/power/option/etc...it's about installing a powerful and dominant offense.  Borges didn't get it done and now we can try again to be a Michigan offense.

3.  I haven't yet touched my PSD envelope, but now I can pay my ransom without guilt.

4.  Nuss is a recruiter.  I can't comprehend how an OC could avoid recruiting responsibilities as Borges did.  It made absolutely no sense.  With this hire, we now have an OC and another recruiter.  Two birds; one stone.

Overall, I am happy and I'm hoping this leads to some much needed changes to position coaches. Most of all I'm most excited about watching our QBs develop. I think that's the biggest skill he will bring to the table.

Nussmeier did alright with average talent and did fantastic with superior talent.

Does Michigan have superior, or even "above average" talent on offense right now?

I'm thinking yes, but it may take time.

Meanwhile, there's this on the wins, so I'm confused as to why people think this is a home run hit.

MSU 2003: 8-5

MSU 2004: 5-7

MSU 2005: 5-7 (infamous 44-41 loss to ND)

Wash 2009: 5-6

Wash 2010: 6-6

Wash 2011: 7-6

Alabama 2012: 11-2

I am a little more optimistic for the 2014 season, but it's a brutal schedule. 2015 on the other hand...yes, much more optimistic (assuming no one transfers and the team is healthy of course).

Merely getting rid of Al Borges was reason for hope. Hiring a guy who won a NC with Alabama is nice too.