Maizenbrew's inside the numbers: halftime adjustments

the game before charted was Nebraska when Michigan did get a TD in the 3rd. ff

The game before that was MSU when we put up a 3rd quarter goose-egg but only had 6 for the whole miserable game. Before that were almost competent games against IU, PSU and Minnesota. 

I would wager he saw that Northwestern game as the one where things completely fell apart. 

First, the discussion here isn't in-game adjustments, it's half-time adjustments. While that is where most of the in-game adjustments happen, it isn't where all of them happen. You can't simply throw out the 2nd quarter data or the 4th quarter data.

Second, over the course of Hoke's tenure, the 3rd quarter hasn't been as strong as the 2nd or 4th quarter. But it's the 1st quarter (initial game plan) that suffers the worst. A lot of this, honestly, is a big ole -21 against Bama.

Third, in 2011 thru the first half of 2013, Michigan was very strong with third quarter adjustments. It wasn't until their weaknesses were exposed that they struggled to "adjust". What this indicates to me isn't that this staff isn't capable of half-time adjustments, but more that the team simply wasn't that good, particularly on offense. You saw a similar trend during portions of the Rich Rod era, where he would have success with his knew wrinkle, the opponent would adjust, and then the 3rd quarter numbers would be bad (remember Minor Rage). A team that isn't very good will have fewer things to adjust to and won't be as good at those adjustments.

Fourth, you cannot deny Michigan's ability to finish games. This year is a bit of an anomoly because teams have been mostly coasting to a victory, but before this year Michigan was +87 in the 4th quarter. They were +91 in the 2nd quarter. That means they are likely making the appropriate changes once they see what the opponent is doing. The issue likely stems from anticipating what the opponent is going to try to do, but in-game they can make changes.

Lastly, the defense has clearly made half-time adjustments. Most of the "no half-time changes" comes in the 2nd half of 2013 and 2014, when the offense was really bad. A lot of this is the OL. When your OL isn't very good you can't make the small adjustments to get better, because hell, your just trying to do the first things decently.

So, in conclusion, what I believe this shows isn't that the coaches can't make in-game adjustments or changes. Rather, it shows that the team in the 2nd half of 2013 and now in 2014 simply isn't that good. Obviously that still falls on the coaches, but it's a different look at it.