Why I'm not panicking about last night
Turnovers, 4-0.
That was the story of the game, along with some other concerning mistakes, such as the kicking game. Toss in some depletion in the secondary, big pass plays, pass interference calls that we didn't get the best of, and it was a game that got away.
We actually outgained the Irish, 289-280. The o-line, while a work in progress, looked more serviceable than it had at times. We were in the stadium of a team that may prove to be top ten and we didn't really get blown out in the helmet-to-helmet sense.
Turnovers, mental mistakes, bad judgement, and a few calls we didn't get. They are maddening, and they have to be fixed. But fundamentally, this game was far closer than the score would tell us.
If things go our way in some upcoming games, this could still be a good season. There isn't a game that's not winnable.
I'm not ready to toss aside the things we've seen built over the past few years over one loss. Let's let it play out before we raise the white flag.
September 7th, 2014 at 11:25 PM ^
we only crossed the 50 yard line four times. This team was dominated for 60 minutes. They were outcoached and out played at every position.
The kids played hard and we do have talent on this team, the problem is the guys on the sidelines have no fucking idea what to do with it.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:15 AM ^
I'm not saying that i'm with you. I agree that the second game of the season is a tad early to bring out the "fire the coach" talk. I'm not saying that I'm with you. I agree that there will always be game's where nothing goes right, and where the other team just dominates you no matter what you do. I'm not saying that I'm with you.
However the problems showcased on the field last night were the same problems showcased in 2012, and 2013. The same problems that were supposed to be fixed by firing Borges, and bringing in Nuss. I can understand growing pains with a new OC, but when i was watching the game last night I honestly thought Borges was still up in the box calling plays. It was the same old shit.
With that I can't say that Hoke, and crew are ready to be booted out of the door... but the burner under his chair is definitely switched on.
September 8th, 2014 at 1:50 AM ^
In a nutshell, firing Hoke means losing our coordinators - you know, our home-run OC hire and DC who only left the best DC job in the NFL because he wanted to coach for his old friend? I doubt we get anyone with those resumes, especially when we've demonstrated that we'll dump the HC midseason. I doubt we'd get any real HC candidates, because anyone worth having usually has a job right now, and anyone who'd dump their team midseason is likely not someone we want.
Next up, how many players leave when we fire their coach after two games? If Peppers' stated reasons for coming here and staying after last year are any indication, he would leave - the staff he bonded with would be gone and the administration that assured him of stability would have just fired that staff. That young man can get a quality education at places which suit him considerably better. You think Ty Issac stays? How about Weber and Cole? If we confirm that the program is imploding midseason, we lose the only bright spot we've got.
Yes, yesterday was a disaster, and I'm probably not feeling it as deeply as many of you - but that's all it was. It's not the death knell of the program - unless we make it so by eviscerating our talent present and future.
I hate that the program is where it is. I hate that every game seems to produce evidence that we're not good and not getting better faster, if at all. I also hate that if the blog is any indication, we're once again on the verge of cutting off our nose to spite our face.
September 8th, 2014 at 2:01 AM ^
"To build a better world sometimes means having to tear the old one down, and that makes enemies"
September 8th, 2014 at 4:27 AM ^
I'm not suggesting change for change sake, but the conciseiveness and correctness of the above comment merits at least my applause if nobody else's.
As to the OP, well, he/she is either young and entitled to make mistakes (I have made many myself), or he/she has reality problems, or he/she just does not understand much about sports.
This was an ass-whipping of an embarassing quality, and while the team, and the coach, will have an opportunity to redeem themselves, I really cannot say I have been more humilitated to even wear my game T-shirt in public other than MAYBE the loss to App St.
I'm not sure that Hoke is up to running this program, but I guess we are going to find out soon, cause I suspect unless his team shows more than it has in the past 3+ seasons, he is halfway out the door. This was not a good start to more, but a rather large step backwards.
September 8th, 2014 at 8:32 AM ^
Considering Hoke's record, that point can't be argued. It's unacceptable.
September 8th, 2014 at 8:47 AM ^
While it might be fair to say that Saturday night perhaps underlined some of the ongoing frustrations that many of us have with the direction of the team as a whole, I don't know that this game by itself says to me that I should be panicking. I know others might, and maybe I have a loner road to this state than most. Now, I would say "concerned" is fair for me - I am starting to wonder if there is a performance wall and if it is now a perceptible wall, if you will, but I don't really want to draw any hugely definitive conclusions until we've seen this team in a few games of conference play. If we're still limping through the conference schedule, I might slide into the "rife with anxiety" area.
September 8th, 2014 at 9:25 AM ^
That is your performance bar?????.....Not limping through the Big Ten????? The conference is a laughing stock. Trying to win the MAC would be a truer test of the strength of our team.
It is time to beat MSU and OSU. If you cannot do that as a player, it is time for you to sit down or transfer to Purdue. If you cannot do that as a coach, it is time for you to head back to San Diego.
September 8th, 2014 at 11:05 AM ^
we got the shit kicked out of us for 4 qtrs...we never looked like a threat and we got bullied. I was not happy with some of Dougs calling, didnt make sense to me, to not take some shots down the field just blows my mind. Corners got abused, linebackers didnt even look like they were there...just amazing.
I got so hammered after the game to numb myself...ended up having a fun night actually. Went to bed around 1, woke up with a lil hangover and said to my self..."wait, did we really lose 38-0...Oh we did...eff this" one of the worst Sundays I can remember...just replaying that shit game in my head.
September 8th, 2014 at 10:20 PM ^
I am personally a tad concerned now, but I wouldn't go so far as to say "paniced" or declaring the season over. While the team certainly underperformed Saturday, I think a big part of the fact was that Notre Dame did play an exceptionally well game. This wasn't a case where one team just didn't show up. I know we like to pretend Notre Dame ain't all that, but they did look that way, so I think we need to give credit where credit is due.
Furthermore it's only the second game of the season. Based on the strength of schedule and the sorry state of the Big Ten, I'd be willing to look at what happened as an abberation. Now I know you can say "oh we're 3-7 in the last 10 games" well 8 of those games were played by a different team than the one currently on the field, so I don't think it's fair to make that comparison.
As far as Hoke's job goes? I'm not on the bandwagon yet, but I will admit the clock is officially ticking. I said at the start of the year that if Michigan doesn't win at least 8 games, then there will be a new coach next year in Ann Arbor.
Part of the frustration seems to stem from the fact that this fanbase constantly has the expectation that we're ready to compete on a national level once again. Sadly that's still not the case. We need to at least get to a point where we can compete at a conference level. Michigan certainly has the talent to do that, but it ain't gonna matter if we don't have the right coach.
Is Hoke right for the job? I'm no longer as sure as I was even last year. But if he can give us an 8 or 9 win season or at least a winning record in this conference (which is not that remote of a possibility) then I think he'll at least buy some more time to try and get it right.