How can the missed assignments by the OL be fixed?

Maybe Sean Kugler, Patrick's dad, can be of help to the O-Line.  IIRC he is out of work now at UTEP and with NFL and college experience could hopefully bring something to the table.  Just a thought.

The O-line play has been tremendously frustrating.  No doubt.   After being told to be patient year after year, patience is running thin.   Having said that, this line IS young and they have 4 games worth of data and film to sift through and will have had 2 weeks of practices to make some improvements.   Keep in mind, the mental stuff should be easier to fix than physical deficiencies.   Watching an O-lineman run right by a DE to try and hit a LB only to have the DB blow up the play untouched is maddening.   It's also something that I fully expect to see less and less of if this coaching staff is truly as good as it's purported to be.  

Get to class earlier? Make sure to ask their professors if they can make up assignments?

They're going to fix mistakes by watching film and practicing.  Goddamn these posts are so stupid.  Yes, college football players get better over time with more practice and more instruction.  We have a bad offensive line, everyone knows this.  We have some of the finest coaches in the country working to fix it, let them work on it.

The playbook has already been simplified compared to last year. If you want a very simplified playbook, then you hire a different coach. That's not Harbaugh. That's not how he's established his success, that's not how he's gameplanned, that's not how he's made adjustments. He's going to run a relatively complex scheme (not as complex as his NFL playbook). If you want a 30 page playbook, then you hire Rich Rod or Mike Leach (both fine offenses coaches who have found success with that method, but not Harbaugh). But then don't complain when you simply can't out-execute the opponent because your playbook is too shallow and you have relatively few options to turn to.

But to expect Harbaugh to run a very simple scheme and find success is foolish. Harbaugh will install a complex scheme, he will limit the number of looks that he expects his team to be able to run some of those complex schemes against, and ask the QB to "KILL" those play calls when they go up against a look they aren't comfortable running against. Inside zone is struggling (by the way, it's very different than Iowa's stretch scheme, so that comparison is kinda wonk), but it's the easiest scheme for these guys to adjust to post-snap. It needs work, the communication needs work, the technique needs work, but that's where Michigan is. It's not an identity issue, it's been a major part of the playbook since year 1 of Harbaugh. No, Michigan isn't their version of RPO ("Run Power Often"), but their identity is as close as consistent as it can be over the course of three years and a major gap in talent.

As far as the busts, much of it is communication. Communication can be improved upon, and it was a good time for a bye week. It doesn't mean it will improve, as the guys on the OL just might not have the mental maturity to see those things, particularly post-snap. The pass pro schemes are relatively simple already, mostly half-line slides. Remember when Borges simplified further and did full line slides and this blog killed him for matching up RBs on the best defenders? Yeah, that's how you simplify further. So pick your poison. These guys have to learn their protections or they're going to be in for it. That's on coaching, that's on relative youth (acting like true SO are experienced OL is completely missing the point, this is a huge mental leap for many of these guys, many of which won't take that leap until they are upper-classmen).

There are technique problems. Those are going to be harder to fix during a bye week because it's not just "getting back to basics". Those take time. Those take spring ball and things like that to typically improve upon greatly. Each of these players are physically capable of playing the positions they are and executing the assignments they are being asked to execute, but they need to be better in their communication, in their eye discipline, and in their technique, it's going to take time.

And yes, some of it is likely on the coaching. But I remember specifically people using USC as an example of what can be done with a young OL in 2014 when they were coached by... Tim Drevno. So yes, some of it falls on players too (who were mostly recruited by these coaches at this point), they do bare some responsibility. They have to focus, they have to pay attention to the details, and they have to make sure they understand the mental aspect. It's the coaches job to instill that, but it's not always as simple as "Coach X is the problem". Obviously part of this means the problem is the way OL recruiting fell off under Hoke (the lack of "tackles" recruited in the last class isn't the problem, Michigan has bodies that will likely be good tackles given time, that doesn't fix this year). Drevno needs to improve the unit or he'll have reduced responsibilities or somewhere else next year, agree, but it isn't as simple as "he's a bad coach".

My biggest concern (without being at practice to understand) is how Frey and Drevno are working together, or not working together. The communication seems to be the biggest issue. You can get by with poor technique, because at least that doesn't give free runs at the QB. You can't get away with kill assignments. That could explain why LT/LG and RG/RT aren't always on the same page. Think they really need to look into how they are working as a unit and if techniques/assignments are translating.

At the end of the day though, regardless of your move (fire a coach, don't fire a coach), it's going to take time, it's going to take reps, it's going to take film study. That's just the facts.

When I complain about the offensive line during the game, my 5 yr old son says they "just need to push the other guys harder". I have to agree with him.

I will give the O line credit for the one thing they clearly do better than last season's team.  They get rushing first downs in the 4th quarter, and they've done that consistently in the first 4 games.  As many have observed, that was a factor in all three of last year's losses, and caused us all considerable frustration.  If this O line can simply protect the QB enough so that we are not down to our 4th string guy (McCaffrey?) by the end of the season, and run the clock out with a 4th quarter lead, I will take it.

You know, the problems are complicated.  I think the play calling needs to get better, the players hopefully put in good work in the bye week, and O'Korn maintains his Purdue level of play.  Most likely things won't be ideal, but if O'Korn continues to play well and the coaches adapt in their play calling, then things will feel a lot better even if this is still a relatively weak O-line.  While expectations have and should be reset, I think we always underestimate the coaches' ability to adjust, especially in rivalry games.  The one advantage of huddling pro style offenses is that there is a bit more unpredictability in game planning.  Spread teams don't necessarily surprise you before the snap, or even after, but if you misalign or have a weakness you will be pummeled until you adjust.  As of yet Michigan hasn't shown one thing they can pummel you with, which is on everyone.

The Oline obviously has work to do, but the rest of the offense has issues as well. The recievers are inexperienced the RBs are missing blocks, and the QB play has also been less than stellar. There doesn't seem to be a single position group on offense that is functioning at a high level.

1. Get better offensive linemen

2. Get better offensive line coach

3. ???

4. Profit