Congrats, UM won the championship. They were the best team in college football and deserved the win. As for competing with other teams, would you be happy as an LSU fan in 2020, 2021…….
Claiming with no basis in fact that UM lost him to KY due to NIL is the ultimate lazy take. If UM can’t compete with KY for the #1 RB on their board due to NIL, how will they compete with the elite teams? Not having a NIL strategy for recruits wouldn’t be “staying above the fray”, it would just be killing recruiting.
Gene Smith initially encouraged boosters to donate to the athletics department rather than the foundations. It took too long, but they figured it out. What you describe as happening at UM sounds horrific.
UM money cannons not being able to compete with Kentucky, and that’s why they didn’t get a recruit, is also a take. Alford gets stuffed in a locker by Kentucky and the only thing not questioned is his recruiting because insiders got it wrong…..
From experience, the next thing he will do is go to South Florida to find a kid that pulls away to another school at signing day.
In 2020 no one he recruited developed into RB 1, so he had to get Sermon out of the portal. From 2021 to current he had Henderson, and none of his recruits were ready when Trey got hurt in any of those years. He missed on all of them. Depth matters, you have to have more than 1 RB who can play. You can call him a recruiting God if you like, but his recruiting has been the definition of mid. there’s a reason why he took a pay cut I OSU and they refused to extend his contract. It wasn’t because he wasn’t a great coach, he is. His recruiting, however, is not at a level to compete for championships, it’s mid
I refered to his recruiting body of work as mid, but you already knew that. He put 1 RB in the league in 9 years. How UM fans can see his body of work and gas him up to be a great recruiter is mind boggling. If you want to look at the specific players, they are posted above, label them as you choose. In the first post Alford year, OSU has or is favored for both Bo Jackson and Jordan Davidson, the 5th and 7th ranked RB’s in the class. Alford never sniffed signing 2 RB’s in the top 7.
He did. Alford signed 13 RB’s across 9 classes as shown below. This is the definition of being a mid recruiter at a school like OSU or UM. If this is elite to others, they are entitled to their view.
2016: McCall played RB, WR & CB; Antonio Williams transferred to UNC 2017: JK was a 3-year starter & the only one to get drafted 2018: Snead was removed from the program; Teague had a role for a few years & went undrafted 2019: Chambers moved to LB, Crowley medically retired 2020: Miyan was a 4-year contributor (consolation for missing on Bijan), solid rb. 2021: Henderson's a 4-year starter; Pryor transferred to Cincy 2022: Hayden was RB 3 and transferred 2023: Lost Mark Fletcher to Miami 2024: James Peoples & Sam Williams-Dixon
What was the NIL offer from KY, and what was UM offering? With your claim you must know those details, please share. If you don’t think this is a recruiting loss regardless, you’re simply incorrect.
Ohio is more similar to Michigan than Kentucky. Ohio/Michigan are Midwest, and KY is definitely the South. UM and Kentucky’s football programs are light years apart, which should be the driver of where kids go.
When I posted that Alford was an elite coach but a mid recruiter, the TruBlue, and Meeshigan crowd said I was trolling, despite the objective facts. Seeing is believing, and this scenario will play out year after year. Alford already had a relationship with Davis and can’t pull him to UM and loses him to KY. Again, Alford is a great coach but needs help with recruiting.
He is the 4th ranked DL in the ‘25 class, and the highest ranked uncommitted DL. He is a high 4 star with a composite of .9785, and the highest rated UM recruit since Will Johnson in 2022. I can’t imagine he was Nora take for the schools you mentioned. With that said, I don’t think it speaks to NIL as a program, good or bad.
Wasn’t it Caleb Williams that posted a photo with other recruits from inside the Oklahoma facilities during the Covid dead period? There was no investigation. If I didn’t know better I’d think the NCAA is selective in their enforcement.
Dallan Hayden is not an RB1 IMO. There is literally nothing to base that on except fan speculation.
You need 2 RB’s capable of being RB1 on your roster, depth matters.
If you don’t think OSU needed to hit the portal if Henderson didn’t return, who do you have as RB 2 and RB3 at OSU in that scenario?
I’ve never heard Michigan fans speak so highly of OSU’s RB room and staff.
Seth is entitled to his opinion/viewpoint, he clearly has a vast amount of knowledge/insight. Here are the facts. Alford signed 13 RB’s across 9 classes as shown below. Anyone who believes this is elite recruiting at OSU is entitled to think that, just as I am entitled to think that his recruiting was average.
2016: McCall played RB, WR & CB; Antonio Williams transferred to UNC
2017: JK was a 3-year starter & the only one to get drafted
2018: Snead was removed from the program; Teague had a role for a few years & went undrafted
2019: Chambers moved to LB, Crowley medically retired
2020: Miyan was a 4-year contributor (consolation for missing on Bijan), solid rb.
2021: Henderson's a 4-year starter; Pryor transferred to Cincy
2022: Hayden is RB 3 right now
2023: Lost Mark Fletcher to Miami
2024: James Peoples & Sam Williams-Dixon
Apologies, I didn’t know. I needed to spell it out, so let me try again. He has been to Ohio State for nine years where he recruited running backs. The non-running backs, he recruited were not at Ohio State, unless it was an Ohio kid like Tyreek Smith. Look at who he has recruited in the last nine years
Michigan picked up one of the best running back coaches in the country, he’s a mid recruiter.
7 of those 15 are either from Ohio or were not running backs. If Henderson went to the league as everyone expected, would a great recruiter have to hit the transfer portal to find a viable RB one? At Ohio State??
I’m not sure what source is so I can’t comment on what you read. Since I’m an OSU fan the board takes the opposite stance, regardless of the point being made. Let’s go to the map. He was a OSU nine years, sure is his all-time recruit rankings. Henderson and Dobbins are elite. You don’t get credit for recruiting in Ohio kid at Ohio State, they are coming if they get an offer. Take out the Ohio kids and show me all of the other elite running backs he has recruited in the last nine years. Calling him an elite coach and a mid recruiter isn’t trolling, it’s fact. I honestly don’t get how there is any pushback against that take from anyone who has followed Ohio State football the last nine years.
I think Dobbins and Corum are very comparable backs. JK seem to have more breakaway speed but they are very similar talents. Elliot was generational without a doubt. Alford coached Zeke but he didn’t recruit him. He is universally, regarded as a great coach, it is a nice win for Michigan.
Wow, what a 9 year run, only 2 of those backs are in the league. You can have these elite players and still be a bad recruiter when you don’t have depth. You’re also giving him credit for landing those players, you must’ve followed Ohio State recruiting close enough to know he didn’t close the deal on two of those backs.
OSU was simply lucky that Henderson came back this year and they were able to pick up a stud in the portal. Without that they would have no true RB1.
This isn’t some crazy take, his lack of recruiting is well known. There’s a reason his contract was not extended, and it wasn’t because of his coaching ability. You either have no clue or your trolling.
PS: I incorrectly stated that he participated in Ezekiel Elliotts recruitment. He did not, it was Stan Drayton and Urban Meyer.
He is a great coach, but not a great recruiter. He has been at OSU since 2015. He recruited or assisted in the recruiting of Elliot 2013, Weber 2015, Dobbins 2017, Teague 2018 and Henderson 2021.
Teague was good not great. Since 2017 the only great back he signed was Henderson.
As for his coaching ability, look the the difference in Dobbins from his Jr to Sr year, he made an elite jump.
The issue with Alford isn’t coaching, it’s his poor recruiting. The last recruit he sent to the league was Dobbins in 2020. IMO he is an elite RB coach, and if he gets recruiting help he will be a great fit at Michigan.
OSU doesn’t give him an extension and planned to keep him through 2025 and then make a decision. Strong move from a first year head coach to see the opportunity and make a deal.
The energy of the implosion would be roughly equal to a black hole collapsing. I think Day is a great coach, I’d retain him regardless if he lost The Game next year as long as he made the CFB championship game. Most don’t feel that way, and Michigan can set OSU football back a decade with a win in November by getting Day fired.
With all due respect, is that in Warde? Who is transferring to Michigan when it’s an open question on who the head coach will be next year? Uncertainty kills commitment. Michigan took 9 transfers last year as they loaded up for a run at the title, and another window opens in the spring. Coaching questions will be answered by then.
ESPN has been a propaganda machine since the day they signed the SEC tv deal. They pump up the SEC schools to improve their rankings which adds value to the contract. They are unwatchable.
The B1G own the media rights, period. A member school would not be able to produce their own games, those rights were packaged and resold to the networks. I don’t know if there is a buyout clause, but if so it so it would likely be so high that it would not be feasible.
I think the way that would play out is that the conference owns the rights to Michigan’s games, that’s part of the deal and doesn’t change if Michigan left. At least that’s the argument used in conference realignment.
Stallions was standing by their coaches and there are pics of him in clear view of J. McElwain. He has a visitors pass and CMU attire.
It’s not plausible that CMU coaches see someone standing by them, wearing their coaching attire with a visitor pass, and don’t know who that person is. Both McElwain (2018) and Kostner (2015-2018) were on staff at Michigan at the same time Stallions was assisting, they know him and what he looks like.
To me, the badge, attire, and standing with their staff is proof. It’s not a notarized statement, but it shows he wasn’t some random guy who jumped the fence, they knew who he was.
Per DFP, Stalions attended the Naval Academy from 2013-16 and assisted with the Midshipmen football team. He was stationed at a military base in California from 2015-22, while at the same time serving as a voluntary assistant for Michigan”
No point in discussing it further with someone who sees a pic of Stallions on the CMU sidelines, in CMU attire, and says “if someone at CMU let him on the sideline”. There is literal proof they let him on the sideline, it isn’t about anyone’s theory.
CMU staff standing next to the person alleged to be Stallions, who appears to be wearing sunglasses that contain a recording device, wearing all CMU coaching attire = complicity. That’s the point I was trying to make.
Weird, I read “If you want to claim CMU is complicit in some way, I think you need to work on it”
Back to the original post, CMU is at risk for being complicit and allowing him on the sidelines. It’s mind boggling that some want to debate that. CMU is concerned as well, which kinda makes the point.
Again, “If you do not think Stallions being on the CMU sideline with a visitor pass wearing CMU coaching attire makes them complicit, please tell me why”.
* He is Buckeye. Fixed that for you. Pointing out the obvious fact that CMU is now complicit is not trolling. I’m sorry you can’t distinguish between uncomfortable facts and “trolling”
Trolling would be a statement like “Harbaugh has still never beaten OSU without cheating. Day broke Harbaugh, he cracked, and started the largest cheating operation in NCAA history”. That’s not what I’m saying.
Take off you fan glasses for a moment and look at it rationally. If you do not think Stallions being on the CMU sideline with a visitor pass wearing CMU coaching attire makes them complicit, please tell me why. Otherwise, what are you defending?
So you think the CMU staff simply allows coaches from other teams to dress in their clothing and stand on their sidelines just for funsies? CMU staff has ties to UM, and it’s not a leap to think Stallions would help them decode signals if they allow him on the sidelines to get more tape. That is speculation, but CMU allowing him in their sidelines is not.
Wild you’re defending CMU, but explain how allowing him to dress in their coaching attire and stand on their sidelines without being complicit. Stop shooting the messenger and think.
CMU needs to be careful, if they are found complicit in the Michigan cheating scandal they will face blowback from the NCAA. Is there an NCAA version of a RICO case?
The problem with that is that unless all of the schools agree to depart from the NCAA, they are still the governing body. Their ability to shove a program off of a cliff is vastly superior to any school’s ability to push them off of a cliff. Everyone can “want” to give them the bird, but it’s a bad idea.
Recent Comments
Congrats, UM won the championship. They were the best team in college football and deserved the win. As for competing with other teams, would you be happy as an LSU fan in 2020, 2021…….
Claiming with no basis in fact that UM lost him to KY due to NIL is the ultimate lazy take.
If UM can’t compete with KY for the #1 RB on their board due to NIL, how will they compete with the elite teams? Not having a NIL strategy for recruits wouldn’t be “staying above the fray”, it would just be killing recruiting.
Gene Smith initially encouraged boosters to donate to the athletics department rather than the foundations. It took too long, but they figured it out. What you describe as happening at UM sounds horrific.
UM money cannons not being able to compete with Kentucky, and that’s why they didn’t get a recruit, is also a take. Alford gets stuffed in a locker by Kentucky and the only thing not questioned is his recruiting because insiders got it wrong…..
From experience, the next thing he will do is go to South Florida to find a kid that pulls away to another school at signing day.
In 2020 no one he recruited developed into RB 1, so he had to get Sermon out of the portal. From 2021 to current he had Henderson, and none of his recruits were ready when Trey got hurt in any of those years. He missed on all of them. Depth matters, you have to have more than 1 RB who can play. You can call him a recruiting God if you like, but his recruiting has been the definition of mid. there’s a reason why he took a pay cut I OSU and they refused to extend his contract. It wasn’t because he wasn’t a great coach, he is. His recruiting, however, is not at a level to compete for championships, it’s mid
So someone can be a great coach even if they are average at recruiting? It’s literally the point I made about Alford.
I refered to his recruiting body of work as mid, but you already knew that. He put 1 RB in the league in 9 years. How UM fans can see his body of work and gas him up to be a great recruiter is mind boggling. If you want to look at the specific players, they are posted above, label them as you choose.
In the first post Alford year, OSU has or is favored for both Bo Jackson and Jordan Davidson, the 5th and 7th ranked RB’s in the class. Alford never sniffed signing 2 RB’s in the top 7.
He did. Alford signed 13 RB’s across 9 classes as shown below. This is the definition of being a mid recruiter at a school like OSU or UM. If this is elite to others, they are entitled to their view.
2016: McCall played RB, WR & CB; Antonio Williams transferred to UNC
2017: JK was a 3-year starter & the only one to get drafted
2018: Snead was removed from the program; Teague had a role for a few years & went undrafted
2019: Chambers moved to LB, Crowley medically retired
2020: Miyan was a 4-year contributor (consolation for missing on Bijan), solid rb.
2021: Henderson's a 4-year starter; Pryor transferred to Cincy
2022: Hayden was RB 3 and transferred
2023: Lost Mark Fletcher to Miami
2024: James Peoples & Sam Williams-Dixon
What was the NIL offer from KY, and what was UM offering? With your claim you must know those details, please share. If you don’t think this is a recruiting loss regardless, you’re simply incorrect.
Ohio is more similar to Michigan than Kentucky. Ohio/Michigan are Midwest, and KY is definitely the South. UM and Kentucky’s football programs are light years apart, which should be the driver of where kids go.
When I posted that Alford was an elite coach but a mid recruiter, the TruBlue, and Meeshigan crowd said I was trolling, despite the objective facts. Seeing is believing, and this scenario will play out year after year. Alford already had a relationship with Davis and can’t pull him to UM and loses him to KY.
Again, Alford is a great coach but needs help with recruiting.
Exactly. An undrafted free agent is arguably in a better position than someone drafted in rounds 6-7.
He is the 4th ranked DL in the ‘25 class, and the highest ranked uncommitted DL. He is a high 4 star with a composite of .9785, and the highest rated UM recruit since Will Johnson in 2022. I can’t imagine he was Nora take for the schools you mentioned. With that said, I don’t think it speaks to NIL as a program, good or bad.
Wasn’t it Caleb Williams that posted a photo with other recruits from inside the Oklahoma facilities during the Covid dead period? There was no investigation. If I didn’t know better I’d think the NCAA is selective in their enforcement.
I believe he has worked for Baalke multiple times (4?)
They are different roles, but I am not sure what responsibilities each role has at UM.
I could not agree more, give him a lifetime contract.
Exactly, you don’t get your first HC position at a place like Michigan or Ohio State. OSU is making a mistake with Deibler.
Dallan Hayden is not an RB1 IMO. There is literally nothing to base that on except fan speculation.
You need 2 RB’s capable of being RB1 on your roster, depth matters.
If you don’t think OSU needed to hit the portal if Henderson didn’t return, who do you have as RB 2 and RB3 at OSU in that scenario?
I’ve never heard Michigan fans speak so highly of OSU’s RB room and staff.
Seth is entitled to his opinion/viewpoint, he clearly has a vast amount of knowledge/insight. Here are the facts. Alford signed 13 RB’s across 9 classes as shown below. Anyone who believes this is elite recruiting at OSU is entitled to think that, just as I am entitled to think that his recruiting was average.
2016: McCall played RB, WR & CB; Antonio Williams transferred to UNC
2017: JK was a 3-year starter & the only one to get drafted
2018: Snead was removed from the program; Teague had a role for a few years & went undrafted
2019: Chambers moved to LB, Crowley medically retired
2020: Miyan was a 4-year contributor (consolation for missing on Bijan), solid rb.
2021: Henderson's a 4-year starter; Pryor transferred to Cincy
2022: Hayden is RB 3 right now
2023: Lost Mark Fletcher to Miami
2024: James Peoples & Sam Williams-Dixon
Apologies, I didn’t know. I needed to spell it out, so let me try again. He has been to Ohio State for nine years where he recruited running backs. The non-running backs, he recruited were not at Ohio State, unless it was an Ohio kid like Tyreek Smith. Look at who he has recruited in the last nine years
Michigan picked up one of the best running back coaches in the country, he’s a mid recruiter.
Finding the silver lining in any situation is an underrated life skill. Well done my friend.
7 of those 15 are either from Ohio or were not running backs. If Henderson went to the league as everyone expected, would a great recruiter have to hit the transfer portal to find a viable RB one? At Ohio State??
I’m not sure what source is so I can’t comment on what you read. Since I’m an OSU fan the board takes the opposite stance, regardless of the point being made. Let’s go to the map. He was a OSU nine years, sure is his all-time recruit rankings. Henderson and Dobbins are elite. You don’t get credit for recruiting in Ohio kid at Ohio State, they are coming if they get an offer. Take out the Ohio kids and show me all of the other elite running backs he has recruited in the last nine years. Calling him an elite coach and a mid recruiter isn’t trolling, it’s fact. I honestly don’t get how there is any pushback against that take from anyone who has followed Ohio State football the last nine years.
https://247sports.com/coach/tony-alford-210/alltimerecruits/
I think Dobbins and Corum are very comparable backs. JK seem to have more breakaway speed but they are very similar talents. Elliot was generational without a doubt. Alford coached Zeke but he didn’t recruit him. He is universally, regarded as a great coach, it is a nice win for Michigan.
Wow, what a 9 year run, only 2 of those backs are in the league. You can have these elite players and still be a bad recruiter when you don’t have depth. You’re also giving him credit for landing those players, you must’ve followed Ohio State recruiting close enough to know he didn’t close the deal on two of those backs.
OSU was simply lucky that Henderson came back this year and they were able to pick up a stud in the portal. Without that they would have no true RB1.
This isn’t some crazy take, his lack of recruiting is well known. There’s a reason his contract was not extended, and it wasn’t because of his coaching ability. You either have no clue or your trolling.
PS: I incorrectly stated that he participated in Ezekiel Elliotts recruitment. He did not, it was Stan Drayton and Urban Meyer.
He is a great coach, but not a great recruiter. He has been at OSU since 2015. He recruited or assisted in the recruiting of Elliot 2013, Weber 2015, Dobbins 2017, Teague 2018 and Henderson 2021.
Teague was good not great. Since 2017 the only great back he signed was Henderson.
As for his coaching ability, look the the difference in Dobbins from his Jr to Sr year, he made an elite jump.
The issue with Alford isn’t coaching, it’s his poor recruiting. The last recruit he sent to the league was Dobbins in 2020. IMO he is an elite RB coach, and if he gets recruiting help he will be a great fit at Michigan.
OSU doesn’t give him an extension and planned to keep him through 2025 and then make a decision. Strong move from a first year head coach to see the opportunity and make a deal.
The energy of the implosion would be roughly equal to a black hole collapsing. I think Day is a great coach, I’d retain him regardless if he lost The Game next year as long as he made the CFB championship game. Most don’t feel that way, and Michigan can set OSU football back a decade with a win in November by getting Day fired.
With all due respect, is that in Warde? Who is transferring to Michigan when it’s an open question on who the head coach will be next year? Uncertainty kills commitment. Michigan took 9 transfers last year as they loaded up for a run at the title, and another window opens in the spring. Coaching questions will be answered by then.
ESPN has been a propaganda machine since the day they signed the SEC tv deal. They pump up the SEC schools to improve their rankings which adds value to the contract. They are unwatchable.
Put it out there. Any/every school who is cheating should face the consequences.
The B1G own the media rights, period. A member school would not be able to produce their own games, those rights were packaged and resold to the networks. I don’t know if there is a buyout clause, but if so it so it would likely be so high that it would not be feasible.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34417911/big-ten-completes-7-year-7-billion-media-rights-agreement-fox-cbs-nbc?platform=amp
I think the way that would play out is that the conference owns the rights to Michigan’s games, that’s part of the deal and doesn’t change if Michigan left. At least that’s the argument used in conference realignment.
Stallions was standing by their coaches and there are pics of him in clear view of J. McElwain. He has a visitors pass and CMU attire.
It’s not plausible that CMU coaches see someone standing by them, wearing their coaching attire with a visitor pass, and don’t know who that person is. Both McElwain (2018) and Kostner (2015-2018) were on staff at Michigan at the same time Stallions was assisting, they know him and what he looks like.
To me, the badge, attire, and standing with their staff is proof. It’s not a notarized statement, but it shows he wasn’t some random guy who jumped the fence, they knew who he was.
Per DFP, Stalions attended the Naval Academy from 2013-16 and assisted with the Midshipmen football team. He was stationed at a military base in California from 2015-22, while at the same time serving as a voluntary assistant for Michigan”
So you agree that CMU is complicit?
No point in discussing it further with someone who sees a pic of Stallions on the CMU sidelines, in CMU attire, and says “if someone at CMU let him on the sideline”. There is literal proof they let him on the sideline, it isn’t about anyone’s theory.
CMU staff standing next to the person alleged to be Stallions, who appears to be wearing sunglasses that contain a recording device, wearing all CMU coaching attire = complicity. That’s the point I was trying to make.
Weird, I read “If you want to claim CMU is complicit in some way, I think you need to work on it”
Back to the original post, CMU is at risk for being complicit and allowing him on the sidelines. It’s mind boggling that some want to debate that. CMU is concerned as well, which kinda makes the point.
Early candidate for post of the year, thx for putting in the work to detail all of that data.
The post realignment P12 and B12 view is wild; Go Beavers.
Again, “If you do not think Stallions being on the CMU sideline with a visitor pass wearing CMU coaching attire makes them complicit, please tell me why”.
* He is Buckeye. Fixed that for you. Pointing out the obvious fact that CMU is now complicit is not trolling. I’m sorry you can’t distinguish between uncomfortable facts and “trolling”
Trolling would be a statement like “Harbaugh has still never beaten OSU without cheating. Day broke Harbaugh, he cracked, and started the largest cheating operation in NCAA history”. That’s not what I’m saying.
Take off you fan glasses for a moment and look at it rationally. If you do not think Stallions being on the CMU sideline with a visitor pass wearing CMU coaching attire makes them complicit, please tell me why. Otherwise, what are you defending?
*edit in bold
So you think the CMU staff simply allows coaches from other teams to dress in their clothing and stand on their sidelines just for funsies? CMU staff has ties to UM, and it’s not a leap to think Stallions would help them decode signals if they allow him on the sidelines to get more tape. That is speculation, but CMU allowing him in their sidelines is not.
Wild you’re defending CMU, but explain how allowing him to dress in their coaching attire and stand on their sidelines without being complicit. Stop shooting the messenger and think.
CMU needs to be careful, if they are found complicit in the Michigan cheating scandal they will face blowback from the NCAA. Is there an NCAA version of a RICO case?
Sorry, it took a minute.
Wow, so it’s ok if he says it…
Now you’re just being rude, we are on the same side. Goodness.
Something Michigan and Ohio State can agree on! Make it a lifetime deal please.
The problem with that is that unless all of the schools agree to depart from the NCAA, they are still the governing body. Their ability to shove a program off of a cliff is vastly superior to any school’s ability to push them off of a cliff. Everyone can “want” to give them the bird, but it’s a bad idea.
It is cheating regardless of who does it, stop trying to make something very simple difficult. Breaking rules = Bad.
You are confusing who gives a F with panic. Seek help