IBD - [Kirby's Pregame] What some people may want more of...
Yes, we should be grateful for an amazing season,
yes it was historic, yes we are way better than we were before...
Yet, when the fanbase grumbles...
Maybe you don't, but as I listen to this, i cant help but get a sense this didn't happen in Glendale 30 mins before we ran the philly special
I get a sense that we wish we had this gear - thats all
Like I said, IBD
January 10th, 2023 at 5:53 PM ^
edited to remove the original link to said institution (can’t edit original)
January 10th, 2023 at 10:24 PM ^
That's certainly a power move... knowing the post sucks but labeling it IBD and proceeding anyway.
Well done!
January 10th, 2023 at 5:54 PM ^
Most people who have been in a high-level football/basketball/hockey/wrestling/etc. locker room know this pregame speech is no unicorn. The same exact speech/rant is made over-and-over-and-over again.
Georgia is the champion because they put in the work all year long. Everyone bought in. My guess is that they had incredible upper class leadership. Plus, their talent is elite and deep.
Anyone who thinks some profanity-laced Gipper speech is the key difference between winning and losing is living in a dream world.
P.S. Barstool? Really?
January 10th, 2023 at 6:03 PM ^
If we had this mindset. We take 3 on the first drive and kick ass - hands down.
I was at the game, the appearance was we thought we won in pre-game warmups
January 10th, 2023 at 6:26 PM ^
I am making an assumption that could be dead wrong, so my apologies in advance if this is the case. You haven't been in many pregame locker rooms in your life, correct?
These speeches are great theater. They make for compelling movies. In the internet age, the memes have become endless. (Kurt Russell in Miracle is playing in my mind as I type this)
In reality, teams vary greatly. Kirby Smart is a great and successful football coach. He is very experienced. He's seen every imaginable coaching style. He knows his teams. He knows his coaches. He knows when to pump them up, and he knows when to bring the temperature down.
Assuming that Michigan would have beaten TCU if Harbaugh, or Elston, or Mike Hart, or whoever would have just given the right Gipper speech is blithering nonsense. I agree one of the primary reasons we lost was an arrogant and complacent game plan. But this dream world where college football games are determined by who gives the most inspirational pregame speech is fiction.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:45 PM ^
I understand your perspective but his edge was obvious last night. He wanted to kill them. Even in his pregame talk on ESPN.. no antics. No dodging the questions and superlatives- just ass kicking
“aggression” “we’re going hunting”
That was NOT the Michigan narrative. Yes JH probably yelled and cussed. But no, that wasn’t his demeanor - and no I’m not new to competitive sports or locker rooms.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:59 PM ^
It's possible to fully embrace Kirby Smart's aggression, coaching style, and interviewing style without taking the unnecessary next flawed step -- criticizing Michigan and assuming Michigan would have beaten TCU but for Harbaugh's lack of an uber-aggressive, profanity-laced pregame speech.
Sometimes these types of speeches backfire resulting in stupid penalties, players playing "Hero" ball, or as was the case on Sunday night, players shoving athletic trainers.
Some of Michigan football's most passionate/effective "pregame" speeches have been delivered at either the team's Friday night dinner or the Friday walkthrough. The mindset, which can vary from team to team, is that the game often begins before the first whistle. Sometimes it's when you get on the bus. Sometimes it's when you have your final team meeting. Sometimes it's the moment the previous week's game ends.
January 10th, 2023 at 7:04 PM ^
Totally get it - I think I likely compressed my narrative with the message.
I’ll just say this, as a 9er and a tree, JH had an edge we desired, he was an outright A-hole (even in comments towards our program). Now I get the sense that he is a better adjusted human. Something changed in him around Rome and he’s wayyyy less of an a-hole. One that, admittedly I’d like my son to play for even more than the old JH
that said, as a fan…. There is something I miss about JH 1.0. And I hate to say it, he was likely a more successful coach with that mindset.
January 10th, 2023 at 7:13 PM ^
More successful than the last two years in which he has gone 25-3?
EDIT: Also, perhaps consider that the toning down of Harbaugh may have allowed space for the players to fire each other up, a la Sainristil vs. Ohio.
January 10th, 2023 at 8:53 PM ^
i hear you, it can be fun to have a passionate coach. and its beneficial at times, provided you have the talent and culture.
but georgia won that title in june when smart tried to land the nations top players and when his already talented roster hit the squat racks to get better
January 10th, 2023 at 7:52 PM ^
Just like the best results and motivation are cultivated throughout the year, so is complacency. One speech wouldn’t make the difference
January 10th, 2023 at 8:37 PM ^
It’s pretty funny how wrong you are. This isn’t a once in a generation speech. This speech happens 1000’s of times across all sports every year.
If you ever played a sport at a high lvl you’d get it.
January 10th, 2023 at 9:11 PM ^
I caught that all week leading up to the game and was never comfortable from the outset. “Bring that big 12 defense”? Dude, really?
ok, I know he’s like 19 or so, but there’s a point where you shut your mouth and go perform. Also, judging from the circus act play called on the goal line, I can only think the coaching staff felt the game was theirs for the taking too. That sort of mindset trickles down to the lowest level.
The boys had a tremendous season and I was happy to get to see it all (45-23!!), but they were not ready for the big stage.
January 10th, 2023 at 9:20 PM ^
Yup. My point exactly.
January 11th, 2023 at 8:04 AM ^
The idea that Michigan was going to be able to ground and pound TCU was almost certainly the mind set of the coaches, which McCarthy was conveying. After seeing how pedestrian the ground game actual was from down to down after Corum went out, it was certainly on odd perspective to have.
Michigan needed to be hitting the edges all day long. Stetson Bennett could have ran the ball for 200 yards if they needed him to on Monday. No team that I have ever seen needs more so to bring back the old school “pitch” than Michigan. All Edwards needs is a running start. His acceleration almost guarantees 4-6 yards, minimum, if he gets a step or two to hit his stride.
It is becoming quite clear, in my opinion, that Michigan game plans for OSU all year, paying only token attention to other matchups.
Which, fine. That’s kind of what we have been asking for for 20 years.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:51 PM ^
The best coach speech I ever got was during my senior year of soccer, we were playing an away game at the team that (stupidly) won state the year before. We huddled up, coach paused, saw a grasshopper in the grass, snatched it up and ate it. Then he said "go win the damn game." Memory strains but it was a shutout and either 2-0 or 3-0 to the good guys.
January 11th, 2023 at 7:02 AM ^
Nice example of being transformative instead of transactional?
January 10th, 2023 at 7:35 PM ^
It aint cool being no jive turkey this close to Thanksgiving
January 10th, 2023 at 7:51 PM ^
YEAH.
January 10th, 2023 at 7:47 PM ^
They had the talent and coaching. They took every game one at a time and played at the highest level. They are the best team in college football
January 10th, 2023 at 8:49 PM ^
Yes, they put in the work and yes they had good leadership. We had that too, in spades. Yes, they had elite talent. We had much better talent than TCU as well.
But what separated the coaching wasn't some rah-rah speech, it was the fact they had a great game plan, and we had our damn heads buried in the sand.
Stetson Bennett had two rushing TDs in the first half. Two! Stetson Bennett!
Because UGA coaches weren't dumbshits and knew that TCU would sell out on the RB (it's not like we were the first ones they did this against, they did it against Texas and Dykes said that's what they were going to do) and there would be easy ways to gash them on the edges, especially with the QB.
Absolutely horrible, horrible offensive gameplan from Michigan. So JJ had zero designed runs and we scored six first half points against a terrible defense (one that gave up 39 second half points to us and 65!! to UGA). And that was the game. Six first half points.
Our coaches didn't lack the fire, they lacked the brains.
January 10th, 2023 at 10:44 PM ^
I'm not sure why you're saying Two! Stetson Bennett!
Before the guy could read a defense or make a throw, he could get on the edge and run. That's how he got on the field there in the first place. Back in 2009 I think it was.
January 11th, 2023 at 6:35 AM ^
Back in 2009 I think it was.
1909. He’s been around awhile.
January 10th, 2023 at 9:10 PM ^
Depends on if it is in the referees locker room.
January 11th, 2023 at 12:09 PM ^
Everyone puts in the work all year long. Georgia is the champion because they've been dropping bags for 2 decades and finally got the qb position right, which was the perfect blend with the bazillion 5 $tars they have.
oh and that speech is from the LSU/UGA game
January 10th, 2023 at 5:58 PM ^
I could tell by body language that Georgia was about to put a beating on em.
January 10th, 2023 at 5:58 PM ^
*NSFW, natch
(unless you work on a Tarantino set or something)
January 11th, 2023 at 1:58 AM ^
I like how before the game the team ran to the freshman dorm and threw those nerds out and made them sleep on cots in the gym.
“Shitty” speech in my opinion. Farmer Fran-esque. The results on the field are clear, but as others have said here, it wasn’t because of Smart’s pregame raving.
For the OP’s original assumptions that Michigan didn’t have a speech, Harbaugh once smeared opponent’s blood on his face in a halftime speech. I think he’s been around the block. Clearly they didn’t prepare/scheme effectively. But it wasn’t about a speech.
January 10th, 2023 at 5:58 PM ^
Life is a game of inches...
January 10th, 2023 at 10:25 PM ^
Around.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:00 PM ^
that was before the LSU game I think.
Also, btw, I saw a great speech from Brian Kelly before they beat Alabama.
You know, there are a lot of guys who give great speeches.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:04 PM ^
I think you’re right. That said his pregame on TV was similar.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:12 PM ^
Wonder what our speech sounded like before playing tcu?
January 10th, 2023 at 6:18 PM ^
I know I’m going to get negged to hell and Bolivia - but even at the pep rally, the sentiment was “this is just a game before the game, our business is Jan 9th” Lamar’s words specifically. No he’s not the coaches, or the players but this feeling was in the air everywhere And I also confess I felt it, even mentioned to TCU fans in the loby, the confidence is spooky..
like it or not, it’s hard to not get into the hype machine…, and maybe they didn’t… but it did sure seem that way pre-game and by a few of the play calls.
who knows… but getting to the top like UGA and Bamma is so difficult to be at the top, and also fight like it’s a cold day in Columbus when you know you’re better than your opponent. It seems that Kirby found a way, beyond scheme, and beyond players — to put 65 on that team that beat us.
January 10th, 2023 at 10:25 PM ^
When you lose 6 points in football it matters. Unlike, say, Mgopoints.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:19 PM ^
Groban lyrics
January 10th, 2023 at 6:51 PM ^
"No one knows what the future holds!"
January 10th, 2023 at 10:26 PM ^
I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023
January 10th, 2023 at 7:10 PM ^
I still 🎶wonder who wrote the book of love🎶
January 10th, 2023 at 6:20 PM ^
What is 'IBD'? I thought "in before delete" was wrong, but Investors Business Daily and irritable bowel syndrome seem even less likely.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:25 PM ^
Quite possible the OP realized this was a bad idea while posting and possibly told on himself?
January 10th, 2023 at 6:29 PM ^
You mean posting a Barstool link on a free internet blog that strictly forbids Barstool? Regardless of whether or not I agree with the Barstool ban, I follow the rule because I'm a guest here. To me, it's a respect thing.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:32 PM ^
Ironically and sincerely — as much as I’m on here. I had zero clue about the barstool ban. 100% apologies to mods et al.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:34 PM ^
Ps - Ty for the heads up, edited the 1st reply embed.
Can’t edit original - again, sincere apologies
January 10th, 2023 at 6:28 PM ^
I'm curious what speech he gave before his team's flat performance against OSU.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:34 PM ^
What a shameful amount of profanity. That’s horrendous.
January 10th, 2023 at 6:41 PM ^
Dithplicabllle!!!! Hbremdousth!!!!
January 10th, 2023 at 6:35 PM ^
Kirby and team win their 2nd Natty
Kirby and coaches out recruiting today
Currently our coach plans to be back but also interviewing for NFL gigs.
You can't be elite if you aren't 100% committed and it starts at the top.