ijohnb

January 9th, 2019 at 1:12 PM ^

[Out of office reply.  The intended recipient is out of the office at the current time and will be unavailable by electronic mail.  The recipient is scheduled to return on Friday, August 30, 2019 at 9:00 AM].

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 69986

4th and Go For It

January 9th, 2019 at 1:13 PM ^

I once exchanged semi-anonymous emails with the owner of this little bookstore in NYC. I really liked our correspondence but it turned out my business competed with hers directly and was slowly putting her out of business. When I found out it was her, I wasn't sure what to do, but it all worked out in the end and we fell in love. She reminded me a lot of this woman I met on top of the emprire state building this one time. Also a volcano.

Joined: 08/04/2017

MGoPoints: 455

michgoblue

January 9th, 2019 at 1:17 PM ^

A few things:

1.  I almost never criticize posters for their posts, but if you are going to post this, at least also post the response or summarize it.  The mere fact that Jim responded doesn't mean anything.  Was it simply "Thanks.  Go Blue" (which could be written by an intern who has, as his/her only function, the job of responding to the millions off emails coach must receive), or was it a detailed response.

2. No offense to your friend, but does he really think that sending coach an article from yahoo about how Saban evolved his offense is going to get JH to suddenly think, "damn, why didn't I think of that.  Go figure."  

3.  Side note:  Despite fielding an entire team of high4* and 5* talent, Saban's evolved offense got completely shut down by Clemson.  Just saying. 

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: 32198

stephenrjking

January 9th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^

They were outgaining Clemson into the fourth quarter. They basically lost a drive when the D could no longer stop Clemson's ground attack in that 10-minute closing drive. 

Bama was stopped by: 2 picks, great DL pressure (especially in the red zone), otherwise poor red zone playcalling, and that bananas fake FG that had no hope of working. 

When they were inside the 10 looking to go up 20 or 21-14 I thought they were going to run away with the game. Clemson had sandwiched one good drive (that was basically two good plays) between some real bad drives, while Bama was moving up and down the field with impunity. Instead they kicked a FG and couldn't get in the end zone again. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20144031

MGlobules

January 9th, 2019 at 1:51 PM ^

Curious how you see this adding or detracting from Magnus's comment, which--to me--lends valuable perspective. I too thought that Bama might go on to curb stomp Clemson after the various initial contretemps. Clemson was well-prepared, inspired, and possibly better-juiced.

Seems to me that there is near-irrefutable evidence that Michigan evolved this season. The outstanding questions involve taking the training wheels off the offense and being able to also do zone D. (And WTH is up with these losses in bowls, when even if you lose you might want to go down with some alacrity?)

This is the most solid evidence yet that Jimmy gets it, and I welcome it as news.  

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 48026

stephenrjking

January 9th, 2019 at 1:59 PM ^

I was attempting to agree with Magnus. Alabama moved the football well all game long, but they were chasing points in the second half and doing it badly. Where they were slowed down was in the two interceptions and in the red zone stalls, which were largely the product of Clemson's incredible DL. 

Michigan's offense this year looks considerably different from past years of Harbaugh, and people who don't think that is so simply don't remember what they watched in the last three years. Simply in Michigan's willingness to run from the gun and pistol alone it has been a huge transition, not to mention the incorporation of legit zone reads. And the running game is basically the Ed Warinner package now, vastly different from what we saw both early (with bad zone running) and late (with conventional gap scheme running) last season. 

Where it is most similar is ironically where most people envision a coaching change: The passing concepts. Though nobody really knows how much, since we lack consistent all-22 footage to get a good handle on what the passing game looks like on every down. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20144031

MGlobules

January 9th, 2019 at 2:09 PM ^

Agree with most all of this. And we have rumblings--affirmed?--that Pep was frustrated with Harbaugh for not utilizing the potential in the passing attack, which (if true) makes a joke of the cries for his head. . .

My new theory is that Jimmy's been going through some midlife stuff, mellowing in many ways, recognizing that coaches who don't modulate die of heart attacks--probably even enjoying life a little more--but suffering a little bit of Hamlet syndrome, getting paralyzed sometimes on offense, even when the O is (in fact) full of future promise.

One thing he is maybe NOT so good at is showing a steadying public hand. 

Onward and upward. 

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 48026

stephenrjking

January 9th, 2019 at 2:19 PM ^

I haven't seen those rumblings, at least not with Pep as the rumbler (I did see that one bit where there was some internal dissension about getting away from the gameplan). I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that Harbaugh was leaning toward Warinner a great deal this year. Warinner is smart and good at what he does and his philosophy can be attractive. 

Harbaugh is the one that has to make the decisions to change or to hold fast. He has to decide what philosophy to use and stick to it. 

I'm not sure what midlife changes might do to Harbaugh's playcalling in specific, but I could easily see him motivated to delegate more (but not all) and to allow that to have a corresponding effect on the "committee" that calls plays. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20144031

michgoblue

January 9th, 2019 at 1:35 PM ^

They scored 16 points.  Yes, they moved the ball well, but at the end of the day, it's about points on the board, and scoring 16 points when you run out literally the best OL in CFB, with 4-5* players at every single position (backed up by other 4-5* players) and a Heisman contending QB is getting shut down.  Even going by yards, a #31 offense, with that talent, would be a disappointment.  Caveat, of course, that they were playing an insane defense, so I do get your point - maybe "shut down" is a bit of an overstatement.  But, they were certainly slowed and stopped. 

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: 32198