So, what DO you think the issue is?

The issue is the posters on this board and Michigan fans in general are overreacting.  The first two games are arrows down on playoff expectations, but this team will be in the thick of it for a B1G title. 

Our coaching staff hates scoring points so much that they opted to kill the clock rather than try to score in a tie game against Army at home.  That's a problem when the team that scores the most points is awarded with the win.

God hates us and wants to see us suffer. That would account for the last 4 paragraphs of your post.

I think you make some solid points. 

I think part of it is protecting Shea. I think part of it is that we have a brand new offense. With the old offense I bet we beat army more handily because the players knew it and would be growing into it further. The ceiling was much lower but the floor was higher. 

Very few people expected any transition costs, which baffles me. Now we are seeing them. 

arguably the offensive scheme could be amazing but we don’t know how good of a play caller Gattis is on game day. We are learning and the jury imho is still out. 

So for me: 1) Shea is hurt, and they are protecting him. Dylan isn’t ready for prime time or they don’t want to risk his more run oriented game either. 

2) we are experiencing transition costs as these kids learn yet another new offense.

3) Gattis May be experiencing some painful OTJ. 

It sucks to watch. But people who thought that spread football is a magic wand that makes everyone instantly better now see it isn’t. 

It does have a higher ceiling. It is worth doing. But it’s not magic and will take a few games to get just to the point where it’s idling smoothly let alone ready to race.

#1. Our QB isn’t healthy. If Shea is 100% the zone runs are keeps half the time and the fives are much more open. A healthy Shea we will look like we did vs PSU and Wisconsin last year.

#2. We are missing our best offensive player in DPJ and our All-B1G LT. DPJ is a WR who we can line up on the inside and is far superior to Bell, but also can go downfield. Runyan will be a big upgrade from Hayes.

#3. Harbaugh is too conservative in close games. It has cost us 3 games in his tenure (2015 MSU, 2016 Iowa & OSU) and almost became a 4th yesterday. 

#4. DT is going to be a problem at some point this year. Kemp is a good football player but he’s not a Hurst, Glasgow, or Henry type interior DL who can be in there as the only tackle. Need Dwumfour to get healthy or just take your lumps and put in Mazi or Hinton and have them improve by November. If they decide not to do that, then maybe Paye at 3 tech and Danna might be the way to go. Also, Uche needs to be on the field. He is too damn good to be only a specialty player.

I do think we come out and win vs Wisconsin, and then head into conference season with some confidence. 

This week in B10:

1) OSU 42 points, 500+ yards

2) Wisc, 61 points, 600 yards

3) MSU, 51 points, 500+ yards

4) Maryland, 63 points, 600* yards

5) Iowa, 30-0 shutout

6) Indiana 52-0 shutout

7) PSU played terrible still scored 45 points

Michigan ran 6 plays 90% of the time vs Army that were neither creative, explosive of exploited the tendencies of the defense  

We play all 7 of the teams listed above this season.  if we win move than 4 of these games, my adjusted expectations after watching the team vs Army will be exceeded  

My fear, Mike Locksley >>> Gattis  

Constricted formations = get it shoved up our butts. That’s the problem. 

I'm sorry but the issue is clear as day and has been so for some time...Jim Harbaugh (and to an extent the AD/Administration for allowing us to be stuck in mediocrity)

Gattis has been the OC for all of 2 games and he is also the 3rd OC in 5 seasons. The offense still does the same dumb shit year after year...What hasn't changed...Jim Harbaugh.  We should have dropped 50+ on Army yesterday.

Shea hurt and playing?  That's on Jim and no one else.  Dylan not ready to play after 2 straight seasons of practice hype...That's on Jim.   5 seasons into his tenure and we still don't have a starting QB that Jim recruited, they were either inherited (Speight) or transfers (Jake, OKorn, Shea).

Jim is and has been the problem.  I love him to death but time to face facts, he isn't getting it done.  Whether we like it or not, this is a business and it is about WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS.  

So, WHAT do you say

So, what do YOU say

So, what do you SAY

So many possibilities

Harbaugh is good not great. He coaches scared and his players play scared. Simple as that. All else is window dressing.

Pitbull

turnovers, injuries, new offense is still a little wobbly. I think it's fair to say this offense is not what it is going to be yet. This will be a good litmus test coming off the bye against a live defense like Wisconsin. 

1. secure the football

2. get healthy

3. get comfortable with in-game execution

I think this offense can still be very, very good.

I'm not sure what it is, but it's fixable.  This is exactly what's needed to get everyone focused.

Less fumbles and QB runs...

IMO Shea is injured and the staff is nervous about putting in the backup. Yesterday they thought they could play a boring caveman game and win. They were mostly right, but the team kept making crippling errors (like fumbles) and gifted Army two short field touchdowns.

Aliens

Aliens

COACHING !!!

 This team is not well coached. 

 Two minute offense is offensive.

 Punt return is unacceptable.

 OL has improved. Good OL coach.

 Year 5 and what does Jim have to hang his hat on?

Ten wins at Michigan can be had with half the coaches in the BIG TEN. 

I think both our QBs are hurt, and I think that Jim, like Beilein, is getting worn down trying to compete in a terribly unfair environment. 

I don't think Michigan is a very good football team right now and we're making a lot of mistakes is the short answer. We have talent I don't think we're super good at quarterback we've had a lot of injuries. We have talent and some nice individual pieces on this football team but we are very disorganized undisciplined and making a lot of terrible mistakes and it's killing us ...we don't have a rhythm we can't get into a rhythm we're struggling to block and we're losing what little confidence that we have. Again we have talent we have individual pieces that are really nice on their own I think the defense played extremely well given the circumstances and for the most part especially up front we've still got to get better there though..but it was a strong performance. But right now we are not a strong TEAM.  You can't make a lot of mistakes when you're a great team and we're not a great team right now. Jim Harbaugh from what I could see seemed to take over the play-calling I don't know that for sure but it's as if he was asking for something very conservative because he knew that what was most important in that game is winning against Army and didn't want to take risks. It ended up paying off and sort of in a Jim Tressel Style we didn't lose this game. Play that way in Madison Wisconsin we will lose. Also we've got to make some big plays on offense. Again in summation not playing like a very good football team not being a very good football team and making tons of mistakes and mental errors that's what it's costing us.

Shea Patterson has already played his best game at Michigan. He is regressing just like Wilton and Devin. 

 Did I mention it's the coaching?

 Put Dylan in and give yourself a run option with the QB. It will open up the offense. Shea does nothing to make a defense account for him. And he doesn't throw the ball well enough to make up for that. Also he turns the ball over. He doesn't want contact. And his pocket awareness is terrible.

Another hot take thread.

Jimmies and Joes beat Xs and Os. Recruiting is hard, and it’s tough to recruit  in Michigan for a variety of reasons. 

#1 - Michigan doesn’t produce a high amount of NFL caliber players as it used to decades ago. 

#2 - The NFL caliber players that the state does produce don’t automatically grow up rooting for UM like kids in Ohio and Pennsylvania do for OSU and PSU, respectfully. 

#3 - It’s harder for northern states to recruit nationally due to weather. For many elite southern players, playing in cold, rainy/snowy conditions isn’t something they want to do. 

People can rip on Harbaugh for his lack of recruiting prowess as compared to OSU/Bama/Clemson, but those are distinct disadvantages that have nothing to do with bag men, and play the largest role in preventing us from making bigger waves on the nationally. 

Spoiled rotten millennial fans