Penn State Snowflakes: The Coaching

I’m not a fan of Gattis. This offense has been anemic since he got here.

I was set to call for Harbaugh head at 3min left if they couldn't at least tie it. He pulled it out though. That was a keep your job scenario imo. 

Don't understand the too conservative comments. Michigan has the 7th best rushing attack in the country. PSU has a strong secondary and DEs and a weak DT after Mustafah's injury. The game plan should have been a heavy dose of inside runs. I would have like to have seen a few more misdirection plays as it seemed like they would have worked -- e.g. a waggle on that 4th and 2 felt like it would have gone for a long way. On the other hand there were a lot of great calls -- the screen, the wheel to All, the GW TD to All. 

Odd game though, I don't know whether to feel lucky we won or feel like we should have won by more. On one hand, PSU DOMINATED the 1st Quarter, made big play after big play in the 4th Quarter (3/3 on 4th down, 2 pt conversion, turnover). On the other hand, Michigan had more Yards, Yards per play, and PSU had a TON of turnover luck (Multiple fumbles recovered by PSU, lots of sacks should have resulted in at least one turnover for us -- see PSU's strip sack). 

The coaching is still not adequate. My ten year old knew they would throw slants to Dotson on 4th but that apparently escaped our coaches thinking to shade an LB or drop a DE. Just still trying to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory.

Defense makes little or poor adjustments in second half.

Overall a well called game, especially the second quarter when they took momentum back and obviously the drives at the end.   My only complaint would be the goal line formation on fourth down at mid field. You can just throw that out of the playbook. It also seems like we figured out this red zone offense thing, which is nice 

I really need to know what Molly McGrath did to piss Harbaugh off!

He's made it a sport of her not being able to track him down for an interview or making it go other than she planned. Her "not amused" face after Harbaugh had her interview Erick All instead was a work of art that only the Finer Things Club could fully appreciate.

PSU boards are stuck halfway between Franklin is going to USC (no chance) and fire Franklin (no chance). And there's a consensus that Matt Rhule is the heir apparent (unlikely). What a bunch of hillbillies.

The predictable runs are just kind numbing at times. Every game, i can predict runs up the middle just looking at my TV before the play begins. Naturally, every other fan and opposing coach can see the same thing. The coaches really need to get creative on offense. I’m not looking for exotic stuff, just some screens, misdirection, something different and slightly less predictable 

Harbaugh STILL needs to develop a Killer Instinct. Sound strategy. Shitty tactics. Let's teams back in it too often by not playing aggressive when he can put the other team away. 

Like a Don Brown defense, it works against teams with lesser talent to be not aggressive once moment swings in our favor. But against teams with comparable talent, to call off the dogs after momentum shift leaves the door open for them to comeback.

Just making sure Harbs got props once again for correcting officiating crew into correctly NOT awarding PSU touchback after we downed ball at the 1 yd line.

One of the things that I loved about Harbaugh as a player was his over the top intensity. I worried for the past couple of years, and thought again after the fumble, maybe that makes his teams too uptight in the big moments....that they are so scared they might lose that they don't just go out and win. I suspect that until there is sustained winning that will always be a question when we lose. However, the win yesterday was huge. If we get by Maryland next week, and we should, we will be 10-1 with a chance to beat Ohio State likely to win the East, the league and the playoff. As maddening as the MSU loss was, that seems like all we can ask. Unless we are embarrassed in The Game and/or a bowl game, I don't see how this season could be viewed as anything but a success. We almost certainly lose the best players on defense to the league after this year, but there is a lot coming back next year. I certainly didn't expect this record this year. Harbaugh has taken a lot of (mostly deserved) criticism the past couple of years. But this team has exceeded expectations up until now. There are big games left to play. But I for one think the coaches should be commended for what the team has accomplished up until now. We would certainly be giving them shit if they accomplished less.

Decent coaching today.

A bit conservative on offense to start but opened from the second quarter on.

Solid defense. Not sure why our zone D on pass plays has such gaping seams. Absolutely have to get that a little better against OSU.

I am just glad our coaching staff doesn’t wine in press conferences like Lincoln Riley just did.  And for Michigan fans saying that Harbaugh should be doing this, please go root for Oklahoma.  It sounds absolutely pathetic for coaches to do this.

The only issue I have with coaching is that we refuse to keep DEs honest by having Cade pull the ball once in a game. The back side DE in tougher games makes too many plays. If we kept them honest or running game will be more effective. 

Ok, not the only issue... that 4th and 2 run that we did was crazy predictable. PA there would've worked, even a bootleg with a dragging TE would've worked. 

It is  what it is and it ain't gonna change.

Am I the only one who saw Clifford bail Penn state out on 3rd downs a ton?  The defense did a great a job and McDonald called a great game.  If Clifford flees the pocket, evades one lineman and flicks a first down pass with another lineman hanging off of him, that's not on the coaching. Clifford is an awesome player who played banged up, hopped up on painkillers and got hit s lot all game.  Give him credit for that and then it's easy to see the DC did a very good job.

WE ARE IOWA!

Another boring game besides the sack party by our defense. 

The coaching is too conservative. We constantly let teams hang around. Should have been up by 21 at the half and we would have received the ball after. Thats when you can break a team and pile it on and still we keep teams in it to the point where we are a fumble, in or them having one big play from being back int or even taking the lead

Late in the game it sure looked like the typical Harbaugh blown November game, but the team prevailed. Hopefully the program is starting to turn the corner and become a championship program. It starts in 2 weeks (of course gotta beat those turtles first).

I'm tired of our running backs having to run through contact in the backfield or immediately at the LOS on so many goddamn rushing plays.  That's a coaching and scheme issue and I'll leave my pointless and inane comment here, a day later.

Hassan Haskins is a godsend.  That kid deserves to be highly compensated for saving this team, play after play, drive after drive.

Further, I don't think the UFR will be pretty.  We won, I know that's the primary notion but the offensive side of the ball leaves so much to be desired; as has been discussed frequently yet bringing it up post-victory is a bit uncouth.