Nice MnB piece on the need for Michigan fans to have patience
Pretty well said, I think. I understand the hand-wringing about the offensive woes, but it does help to remember the age of these kids and the challenges they are dealing with.
As the Dad of two college kids, mistakes and growth from them are key parts of the experience. I have an unwavering confidence in this coaching staff - including the O staff.
https://www.maizenbrew.com/2017/9/18/16328516/open-letter-fans-michigan…
September 18th, 2017 at 5:43 PM ^
Perspective... thank you for posting that. Seeing it, in black and white really makes me appreciate the accomplishments we've had to date. Okay, I WILL have more patience, I WILL have more patience, I WILL have more patience.
September 18th, 2017 at 4:42 PM ^
By nature, I am a very low-key, patient person (OK, except when I am on my high horse, then I am a raving lunatic), and quite honestly, having witnessed this program go through a decade or so of disappointment, upheaval and relative instability, I am nothing but patient at the moment with Harbaugh and trying to - season-by-season - remake Michigan into the consistent winner that we know it to be. Spot criticisms? Sure, but patience? Yes.
September 18th, 2017 at 4:44 PM ^
Michigan fans aren't happy unless they're unhappy.
-John U. Bacon
September 18th, 2017 at 10:48 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 4:45 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 4:53 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 5:03 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 6:04 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 6:43 PM ^
If that middle aged gentleman running along the sideline in the shoe had weaved 6 inches to the right instead of 6 inches to the left when he was spotting the ball, it'd be Michigan seeing how many points we can lose to Clemson by. I get that it's all about results, but try to keep in perspective just how razor thin the margins are and how little control the coach/player sometimes has.
September 18th, 2017 at 9:46 PM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 2:11 AM ^
You seem to be forgetting just how bad they looked in the start of that year. Ill remind you. They lost at home to an average VT team by 14!!
September 18th, 2017 at 6:31 PM ^
Peterson at least got Washington to the playoff with a shot at a NC in 2 years. before that W was an afterthough. Hell this is MICHIGAN for petes sake. We should have the same expectations as osu!
September 18th, 2017 at 9:54 PM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 5:53 AM ^
Just making a point. Compare schedules all you want it is absouletly pointless.
September 18th, 2017 at 4:59 PM ^
"What it boils down to is your trust of the coaching staff and their ability to makes players better than they already are."
That pretty much sums it up.
I don't think there is a better staff for such a young team than this one.
Fans need to sit back and enjoy the ride...and it will be a bumpy and uneven ride at times..but man the potential for the weeks and years to come...man oh man.
September 18th, 2017 at 6:10 PM ^
We've been on the ride for a long time, hearing about "potential" and "the future is bright" for all of that time. This is just more of the same, until we actually start doing more than winning the games we're supposed to, and losing all the ones that matter.
September 18th, 2017 at 9:59 PM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 2:15 AM ^
You really should become an Ohio State or Alabama fan. You'll be much less miserable.
September 20th, 2017 at 8:57 AM ^
Hey you don't HAVE to be a fan you know. Its not that complicated...you can just GTFO.
September 18th, 2017 at 4:59 PM ^
It really is okay. We do not have to sit here with a smile on our face regardless of the outcome despite what some people are telling you. Criticism is okay.
We have one of the BEST coaches in college football, who is paid one of the highest salaries in the game. We have one of the highest paid coaching staffs as well. This is year three of the Harbaugh era. We should be seeing the big change. The best coaches do that. Urban did it, Saban did it, Jimbo did it. Its time to start seeing major results, not just beating the teams that do not stack up to Michigan.
Yes its nice to be 23-6, but last year what was the signature win? PSU turned it around after we played them, but it was thought after that game they might fire Franklin. MSU, yes we got hte monkey off our back but it was a closer game then expected from a 3 win team. Lost on the road to Iowa...lost to OSU again....and then lost the Orange Bowl.
To all the people saying "at the end of Brady Hokes last game would you have complained abuot 2-3 10 win seasons" I say to you "at the beginning of Harbaugh era what type of QB play and offensive line play would you expect by year three?" Probably wouldn't be exactly what you're seeing now.
September 18th, 2017 at 5:10 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 5:40 PM ^
What was it that Bo said: "you can count an L for every freshman you have to play" or something like that?
September 18th, 2017 at 7:27 PM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 2:21 AM ^
And how many o lineman were drafted? One walkon frm the Glasgow clan. Hoke did not do good at recuiting qbs or lineman which is what the previous pster was mentioning, which is also what you complained about.
September 18th, 2017 at 5:16 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 5:37 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 6:56 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 9:50 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 5:59 PM ^
How soon we have forgotten Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke .....
September 18th, 2017 at 6:12 PM ^
that this program should be measuring their success against. Not for a minute.
September 18th, 2017 at 6:31 PM ^
...and not just us. Look at how many other storied programs have been stuck in a rut. Texas, ND, USC. Even if our offensive struggles are frustrating, it's important to take a long view. We are moving in the right direction and have been since the first day Harhaugh got to Ann Arbor. But not all programs can recover immediately. Our rebuild still needs a year before we are in that kind of automatic mode.
We have a really young roster because of our small 2014 class and the transitional 2015 class. And that's made worse by washouts from the 2013 OL class. This year was always going to be a step back from last year, and a step forward toward next year.
September 18th, 2017 at 6:42 PM ^
Fielding Yost's teams? I think the problem with our fanbase more than anything is that the past of this program looks much rosier in people's heads than it does on paper.
10-3 is in line with what has counted over the last 35 ish years of Michigan football as a 'good year'. Harbaugh already has brought Michigan back to its normal standards. Sure, we always want and hope for more, but people who would think 9-3 is a 'bad season' this year need to go watch Kentucky basketball or something.
September 18th, 2017 at 7:26 PM ^
We already competed last year, and it's possible we will thus year as well (depending on how things go). But I doubt we will this year.
But from next year on, we will be in the thick of things every year.
September 18th, 2017 at 10:59 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 7:31 PM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 6:18 PM ^
Go Beavers.
September 18th, 2017 at 6:23 PM ^
In his first 3 years, Swinney went: 4-3 (midseason takeover), 9-5 and 6-7.
A lot of Clemson fans got fussy when he went 6-6 and lost a bowl game in his third year--and worse, lost to South Carolina again. Here's evidence: http://cuuncut.blogspot.com/2010/
Now let's think about what happened next. Since then, he's won 10+ games for six years in a row, won 4 bowl non-CPF games and then made it to the CFP final twice--winning a national championship the second time.
September 18th, 2017 at 7:09 PM ^
won a conference championship, went 12-2, and took Washington to the playoff in his third year. With mainly 3 star talent and a true sophomore at QB.
Which standard should Michigan be shooting for?
September 18th, 2017 at 9:43 PM ^
...then welcome to a lifetime of unhappiness as a sports fan.
Also, it's not clear that Petersen will match Swinney's accomplishments--reaching the CFP final twice and winning at least once. He may, but he also may not. He's a great coach, but so far he's had one good year at Washington. Only time will tell.
What Swinney's story tells us is that sometimes it takes longer than it does with other programs. But our goal should be to get where Clemson is now--a perrenial contender for their conference and the CFP. It may take time, as it did with Clemson. It will probably not take as much time, since we are already way ahead of where Clemson was at this point in his tenure.
September 19th, 2017 at 5:48 AM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^
September 18th, 2017 at 6:23 PM ^
https://www.maizenbrew.com/2017/6/30/15864612/roundtable-predictions-dr…
Create unreasonable expectations then complain when fans are vocal about the team failing to meet those expectations.#MediaSpecialty.
September 18th, 2017 at 6:32 PM ^
I think you mean washouts from 2014 Class...2013 Class was stellar.
September 18th, 2017 at 6:37 PM ^
We are 3-0. Season is going swimmingly so far. Big one was Florida, we got by that, and need to win and grow until Pedo St., which is a big one if we are both undefeated.
September 18th, 2017 at 8:17 PM ^
Like Speight, I believe Harbaugh knows what he's doing.
September 18th, 2017 at 9:26 PM ^
if you think we go and win a conference title or more . It's easy to believe then. If we do that, then everyone here will be thrilled regardless of where they stand now.
It's the same with patience. It's easy to be patient if to you patience just means waiting until they are awesome in a month from now.
But what if they aren't, what if we win 9, 8 or dare I say it 7 games? Are you still patient then? Do you still believe in Harbaugh? Some here don't sound like it.
My concern here is that - and this isn't without irony - Harbaugh's personality, track record and quick turnaround has created such lofty, unrealistic expectations that when reality hits the same people who have been drawn in by Harbaugh will turn on him. You can read it between the lines in a number of posts on here. People wanted it a savior who delivers all that they felt Michigan was owed. The prince that was promised. But what if he's just a pretty damn good football coach with some flaws?
It goes without saying that driving away a guy like Harbaugh because we aren't winning 11-13 games every year would be an absolute disaster for the program and may be the final setback that would actually make us a 'has-been' program for a long time.
September 18th, 2017 at 10:05 PM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 10:34 AM ^
September 19th, 2017 at 2:24 AM ^
This is exactly the situation. The amount of brain-dead Harbaugh idolatry has been off the charts since the day he was hired, and expectations immediately went through the roof. You know what happens to saviors who fail to satisfy the believers.
September 19th, 2017 at 4:24 AM ^