How Does Michigan Football Scout Opponents?

Submitted by Victor Valiant on October 31st, 2018 at 8:46 PM

Michigan has had 2 weeks to prepare for Penn State but most weeks they obviously only have a handful of days to implement a gameplan before the game itself is upon them.

With that in mind, how do Michigan’s (any D1 coaching staff, really) coaches scout the opposition’s tendencies, formations, players, etc with so little time between opponents? Between recruiting, practice, administrative matters, gladhanding, etc...who is breaking down the film?

Is there a constantly updated scouting report for each opponent throughout the season, so to speak, where they build on past info about opponents and coaches? 

Is there a service that provides stats/reports to any teams who want them or pay for them? Do the “analysts” on staff do the majority of this stuff the way Harbaugh instructs and then simply hand him the finished product?

Coaches and players constantly talk about watching tape to get better, learn weaknesses, etc...but what’s the actual formal process for breaking this stuff down and ensuring the proper data is being digested and utilized?

umbig11

October 31st, 2018 at 9:12 PM ^

This will give you an idea, but on a much larger scale at Michigan. The analysts and GA’s do a lot of the heavy lifting in the off-season. The analytics and process can be overwhelming. Too much data, too little? That depends on the Head Coach. JH has gone back several years researching a coach or team looking for an advantage.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2017/08/17/plan-of-attack-how-a-college-football-coach-game-plans/104676406/

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ckersh74

October 31st, 2018 at 9:19 PM ^

They sit on their asses and eat Cheetos. 

Seriously, they put in a shitload of hours every week, probably doing everything you mentioned. The hours they put in dwarf what I did during my busy times during tax seasons (90+/week).

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outsidethebox

October 31st, 2018 at 10:52 PM ^

I have no direct  knowledge. I know in HS we had live scouting on our opposition...I cannot imagine that there is not live advanced scouting here. Film is so narrow...there are a ton of things you see live that are not on film...things that matter.   

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stephenrjking

November 1st, 2018 at 12:19 AM ^

Like what, exactly? Not that you're wrong, but modern film shows every player that's on the field for the entirety of the play. It's not a tv angle they're watching; it's the all-22 stuff taken from that bird's nest under the end zone scoreboard and from on top of the press box. GAs break down stuff like which personnel are in on which plays and how often, break down plays by down and distance, all that stuff. 

There is nothing that happens on the field that's not on film. 

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Carcajou

November 1st, 2018 at 2:18 AM ^

A lot of work is done in the offseason. Checking the games from last year, but also looking at any new offensive or defensive coordinators, etc. 

During the course of the season, some of the GAs and analysts will update the "files". By the time coaches and then players see it, films and stats are broken down in a detailed fashion.

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Carcajou

November 1st, 2018 at 2:23 AM ^

Coaches will do some scouting and planning for the next opponent during the bye week, but very little mention is made to the players of the future opponent. Harbaugh calls the bye week "Improvement Week" for a reason: they focus on this team and players, sharpening up skills that may have gotten sloppy, addressing issues that need to be addressed, etc. as well as getting caught up on schoolwork, and possibly a little time off.

Then they return to normal schedule the week of the game and focus on that week's opponent as usual.

Joined: 02/26/2009

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Carcajou

November 1st, 2018 at 2:23 AM ^

Coaches will do some scouting and planning for the next opponent during the bye week, but very little mention is made to the players of the future opponent. Harbaugh calls the bye week "Improvement Week" for a reason: they focus on this team and players, sharpening up skills that may have gotten sloppy, addressing issues that need to be addressed, etc. as well as getting caught up on schoolwork, and possibly a little time off.

Then they return to normal schedule the week of the game and focus on that week's opponent as usual.

Joined: 02/26/2009

MGoPoints: 5794