OT: SI reports that Clemson is really good at stealing signals
Sports Illustrated article on Clemson's ability to steal signals:
https://www.si.com/college/2020/11/06/clemson-signal-stealing-dabo-swinney-daily-cover
Seems like something that a school with "resources" (like ours) could get good at if it so desired, right? :)
Cue up the jokes about how other teams wouldn't bother to steal signs when playing a predictable Michigan team (you know, one that runs into stacked boxes repeatedly to "establish the run").
November 7th, 2020 at 9:07 AM ^
I'm jealous
November 7th, 2020 at 9:20 AM ^
I've long suspected that OSU and MSU have our signals figured out well in advance. MSU especially just seems to know what our offense is about to do. It's just another reason why Harbaugh and our coaching staff look so ineffective.
November 7th, 2020 at 9:23 AM ^
Maybe (they sure used to know our snap count). But when its more important to demonstrate "toughness" by repeatedly running inside zone against a double A gap blitz do they really need to?
We're just stupid and predictable when it comes to play calling. And that's 100% on the HC, not the OC.
November 7th, 2020 at 9:34 AM ^
Running into a stacked box is a long established Michigan football mantra. Don't fight it.
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November 7th, 2020 at 10:54 AM ^
Michigan is Tevye.
November 7th, 2020 at 10:13 AM ^
I would love to know how much freedom Gattis truly has in play calling and scheme. If JH has a crucial flaw, it seems to be that he won’t hire a talented OC and just let him run what he wants to run.
November 7th, 2020 at 10:35 AM ^
Obviously it’s all on Harbaugh but I’ll go out on a limb and say the play calling is also on the guy who calls the plays.
November 7th, 2020 at 9:54 AM ^
OSU doesn’t need to steal our signals. They have far better talent, better coaching, and better execution. They’re in a position where they don’t even have to cheat to gain an advantage over Michigan.
As for MSU, yeah I don’t know. They did seem to have our snap counts down for a really long time, but that’s not cheating. That’s just Michigan being Michigan. A stupidly predictable, stubborn team that refuses to adapt because hey, we’re Michigan and just by that logic we’re better than you.
November 7th, 2020 at 9:35 AM ^
It was widely rumored that Don Brown had his signals stolen by OSU.
November 7th, 2020 at 11:08 AM ^
Well, they sure as hell stole his lunch money. Why not the signals too?
November 7th, 2020 at 1:21 PM ^
After 118 points in two years I think they stole his soul too.
November 7th, 2020 at 9:39 AM ^
The notion that simply observing/noting what the opponents do is equivalent to "stealing" is absurd to me.
If they had somehow obtained the information illicitly/illegally (stealing a playbook, bribing an opposing staff member for info, etc.) - then *that* is stealing. But simply noting what is readily observable (regardless of the level of technology used) is not stealing. If a team's signs/tendencies are that easy to decipher/analyze, then that is lack of operational security.
End rant.
November 7th, 2020 at 11:44 AM ^
Completely agree
November 7th, 2020 at 9:40 AM ^
I feel that this is a major weakness for Michigan. Ryan Day, hell, Mel Tucker seem to know exactly what is coming
November 7th, 2020 at 9:51 AM ^
Amazing how Mel Tucker, first year coach at a skeleton P5 program, and his second year as a head football coach, outgenerals a guy who has coached in the NFL Superbowl.
November 7th, 2020 at 9:55 AM ^
Mel Tucker has a bigger win in his second game at MSU than Harbaugh has been able to muster up in six years.
November 7th, 2020 at 10:07 AM ^
The loss to MSU sucked, but people are blowing it out of proportion (shocking, I know).
Going into the season we knew thing were going to be a bit rough with personnel and other constraints. A loss to Minn was expected until they had so many people out for covid. Basically, Michigan was overhyped due to how bad Minn is/was and MSU was underrated from how much Rutgers has improved.
Yes, coaching mistakes played a role last week as did some bad luck and bad calls. I'm not going to dump everything for a 3pt "home" (sans crowd) loss to a rival that is 100% focused on us all season.
I want to see how the team responds from here. That will be more telling about the state of the program.
November 7th, 2020 at 11:02 AM ^
Props for you to still having optimism in Harbaugh. I was all for harbaugh up until the loss last week. I personally wasn’t sold about us being sweet from the Minn game, but definitely far more superior than MSU. This is one of the worst MSU teams to date and Harbaugh, a super bowl coach, got out coached. UM is paying a coach millions of dollars to compete for a national championship, and harbaugh can’t even win against a team that is a bottom dweller. We can get a better coach for that price tag that could destroy that MSU team we saw lost week.
November 7th, 2020 at 1:56 PM ^
The real question is how much is of it coaching versus how much of it is personnel. Look how many guys we've lost compared to who *should* have still been here had everyone stayed the full 4 years.
Not sure many programs(that aren't pay-to play football factories) can withstand that degree of attrition and still play well.
People complain about Harbaugh and Don Brown, yet their best years were at schools where they had players staying for all 4 years to develop. Between NFL and transfers that doesn't happen as much anymore.
November 7th, 2020 at 10:02 AM ^
I don't know, JH got exactly what he wanted in that game, a game in the 20s won by a FG. Now why he wanted that considering that was the only way Sparty had a chance...
November 7th, 2020 at 11:18 AM ^
Nobody is hard on this coaching staff for one game. They’re hard on this coaching staff for 5+ years of predictable failure. I think Indiana beats their ass 21-42.
ive said it a bunch: maybe Michigan responds well and wins. Who cares anymore? They’ll get broken in half in Columbus, lose the next game and lose a bowl. Harbaugh will have a unique opportunity this year compared to most. He’ll be able to lose 2 games after OSU instead of just one.
Hokebaugh - Clemson price Kentucky results.
November 7th, 2020 at 11:18 AM ^
I’ve been stealing our signs from my couch for decades. Maybe they should just ask me what the next play will be. It’s predictable within a 5% margin.
November 7th, 2020 at 11:29 AM ^
If you’re getting your signs stolen you have a problem! Sign stealing has been around for ages.
I recall Stribling when he came to Lloyd’s staff from MSU told them it’s time to change your signals.
I think if a staff knows it happens and doesn’t change it every week that’s on them!
November 7th, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
Cheating goes on all across society today. People have gotten so good at it it is hard to catch anymore, and we as a society are becoming numb to it. Sad.
November 7th, 2020 at 11:49 AM ^
Go Irish!
November 7th, 2020 at 12:02 PM ^
If you ain't rubbin you ain't racing. Clemson gets it. They just win. If you are going to go full out cheating, you might as well cheat at everything. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't count stretching in their allowable practice time.