Do you think he used his own name because he did his diligence and knew/knows this isn't actually against the rules so there's nothing to hide or because he was just sloppy? I think if you knew it was legal, but very gray area, you would definitely NOT want to hide your name because that just makes everyone think what you're doing is wrong, obviously.
Look into ESPN Player when you are overseas. You even get a free trial week before it is something like 11 euros a month. I used it while in France in September.
I will assume you are serious because I'm taking this game and all fandom seriously. Layer yourself with a bunch of long underwear, long-sleeves, and windproof stuff, buy some heat packs, wear maize and blue hat and scarf, and wear a Michigan sweatshirt. You'll be fine.
I think not selling tickets, beer, hot dogs or parking is firmly in the "awesome rivalry" camp and not going overboard. They throw batteries at Michigan fan heads. Comparing ourselves to the lowest of the low is of course stupid, because that wouldn't make all our fandom right. But again, keep your tickets, hot dogs, parking, and beer, and be as loud as you can possibly be. We all know we have the largest stadium, but I absolutely do not think we have the largest home field advantage. Let's change that this Saturday.
The guy is a beast. He is a physical specimen that also plays hard and unselfishly. I suspect his combine numbers will be off the charts when you consider he's both a blocking and pass catching TE. If he has another year of this he's going to be a first few round draft pick.
The goal of the CFP committee is to get the best 4 teams at the end of the season. That's also why OSU will be above Oregon in the first rankings. So while head to head matters, a Michigan 11-1 (which would include a win over OSU) and an MSU that gets spanked by OSU could very well mean Michigan gets in. The same thing happened in 2016 when OSU didn't make the Big10 Title game but still made the playoff.
The way the game was lost absolutely comes into play, and that has been referenced in interviews with CFP members before. The fact that it was close, on the road, and somewhat controversial definitely plays a role.
But whatever...just control what you can control. Just win out. Play angry.
The OSU passing attack is made possible by good protection and the ability for Stroud to step up and deliver with very little pressure in the face. If Michigan is going to have a chance in the Game, it'll be because Hinton/Smith & Co get pressure up the middle. I think Hutchinson will pressure the edge...we just need to make it so Stroud can't step up and deliver accurately. If he doesn't get 6 seconds to throw every play, it'll be a lot easier to defend the pass...or at the very least, they'll have to drive the length of the field with a bunch of 7-10 yard throws. In that way, it is much more like Michigan's ball control offense and then you start to like Michigan's chances more because it won't likely be a shootout. I hope.
What some have said is that DPJ had a bit of a toxic attitude (though not as toxic at Tarik Black!) and that Nico actually came back specifically because those others had moved on. I think it has been alluded to by multiple coaches and players this Fall Camp, but there are lots of statements implying last year had a bunch of "me first, I want to be a superstar" kinds of players and now we have a bunch of "team first" players. The belief of course is that if the team does well, the superstars will shine. But I suspect JH wasn't too keen on players that were acting like that, and it was speculated that was partially why DPJ fell in the draft (coaches spoke to JH).
But honestly...it goes both ways. Sometimes you need superstars and the reality is today's athlete is nothing like the 1980s...social media and a lot of other things have changed that. I'm sure T Owens was a real pain if you're a coach, but isn't it fun to just let the guy run free and win a bunch of games. Maybe you don't always have to set an example of somebody EVERY time, though it is a slippery slope. But in terms of potential failures of the staff, relating to the players could be an issue as it relates to the team, player development, winning, and program sentiment.
Easy answer. You absolutely want them to win a Super Bowl. These kids can "commit" wherever they want right now...until they actually sign Michigan will have a chance, and that chance will increase if they know they will be coached by somebody who just won a Super Bowl.
Although the roster has some holes, I'm not convinced they are as significant as our 2-4 record might suggest, because I'm not convinced the best players at every position were actually the ones playing. I'm going to go with 8-4/9-3.
You've hinted at a few things previously, but it sounds like you think the new DC will be viewed positively in an absolute sense and not just relative to Brown?
Why do people just assume these great candidates would leave good roles and come to Michigan? The Bills are a good team. If he's good enough that you're pointing him out, that means he will also be in consideration for OC jobs in the NFL before not too long. Not to mention, it is an entirely different undertaking going from the NFL where you focus on just coaching to college football, where you fly all over the country recruiting.
Probably has less to do with Les Miles and drives home the point even more that in college football, recruiting and talent level drives the outcomes much more than anything else. Now, he probably should be better than he's doing, so maybe he's a worse coach than we thought, but he's not horrendous. I also don't think Dabo, Saban or Meyer are so much better than anyone else though either. What would be really interesting would be to take a coach somewhere in the middle (good, but not those other three) in people's eyes...maybe a Chris Pederson or something and put him at Alabama. My guess is he wins multiple national titles.
That may be what it looks like externally, but it has also been reported by reasonable posters that seem to have pretty decent sources/insight that part of the problem here has also been the administration. And I want to be clear on the word "also." These posters never give Harbaugh a free pass or claim no faults, but they do point out that there are some real problems higher up that have been roadblocks. Food for thought.
Speed in space receiver types on offense...and on defense, smaller, speedier guys that are getting mostly run over? I guess I don't appreciate why that isn't obvious or how it is so hard to fix. If we keep the current scheme on D, we need guys to get pressure up the middle and DBs with speed that can cover. Our opponents, and much of college football, are all going spread offenses with fast receivers. It seems to me that you need to be able to score a lot of points and generate a lot of pressure with your front four. If you can't do that you're dead. Isn't the fix just identifying those players that fill all of our university criteria and selling them on the ability to play immediately because we are desperately in need of big physical players on both lines? And then finally, I think we need to target guys that aren't afraid of a fight. We have been losing to OSU for about two decades...it'd be nice to recruit some players that aren't afraid to go toe to toe and change that paradigm. It certainly feels like we are mostly getting recruits that think this can be a 3 year gig to the NFL and maybe care a little less than I would have hoped about winning championships. I'm sure I'm wrong there because who likes losing? But that's how it has seemed at times.
This shows my naivety on the topic, but what's an example of how shrinking the support staff could have this much of an impact? If it isn't really coaching related, how much is going on behind the scenes that got downgraded that really made the program deteriorate this rapidly?
Doesn't that make the demise here mostly his fault? I think a lot of people speculate it was something/some people in the administration that started handicapping things. But, if he chose to shrink and let good people go...well...that's just unfortunate.
The fact that people think stocks are a barometer of the economy is part of the problem. The reality is that the value of most companies, especially in a low interest rate environment, is really driven off a long-term terminal value and has little impact from short-term events. That's why stocks freaking out from COVID or some other short-term factor is usually a buying opportunity (unless of course the business in question has too much debt and could go bankrupt). Said differently, if GOOG earns $9/share this year instead of $11/share this year, but the long-term really isn't changed much, the value of the company really hasn't changed much. But then you look and the stock was down over 30% and fast. That's kind of dumb...
Stocks are driven by all sorts of things that mainstreet doesn't see as much impact from, notably fund flows, other investment opportunities, interest rate changes and other policy. The sooner people start realizing that stocks are little pieces of businesses that you own instead of just tradeable piece of paper, the better off we will be.
Was Milton's game against MN so great? He didn't actually complete many downfield passes, which is exactly what teams made him do the following few weeks. At least with Cade we are seeing a range of throws. Even when things go poorly, he's making the right decision by throwing the ball away or throwing it in a spot where only his player can get it.
There was another poster that chimed in on this topic awhile ago and was some kind of friend of GM. GM was nice enough to talk to him post taking the job in Columbus. Essentially Mattison moving on was a tough decision for him, etc. The one thing he wouldn't talk about was Don Brown and his relationship with Don Brown, so it certainly seemed like that was more the culprit than Harbaugh.
I think anybody could craft a top 5 defense with that talent. Much like I think anybody could win 11 or 12 games a year with rosters that look like Alabama, OSU, or Clemson. For most other schools it takes a one-of-a-kind talent...even LSU without Burrow has been terrible. So as much as people complain about Harbaugh the reality is that if Harbaugh was the coach of any of those other programs (doing whatever they might do to "encourage" recruits), he'd probably have a national championship by now. For some reason we like to compare apples to oranges though. And no, I'm not saying this year has been awesome or that there doesn't seem to be something off in our coaching. But if recruiting is such a big part of the game, my opinion is you prioritize continuity to keep those recruits...wouldn't it be something if a bunch of five starts magically made our coaches geniuses?
I remember seeing the data on this once, but 5-stars out of high school have a very high hit rate to top picks in the NFL draft eventually, so they can definitely be game-changers. That's why there are so few of them. The dropoff to 4-stars is quite significant I remember.
So what's the Board's take here? If you knew Harbaugh leaving would mean we lose Johnson and/or Jackson (but probably both as they talk about being a package deal), do you still support Harbaugh leaving?
Maybe just maybe some of these recruits are a bit more long-term and big picture than to look at one bad year? Or more importantly, maybe these are exactly the kind of confident recruits we want...guys that don't care about today because they know they are going to change things tomorrow?
Presumably you were on the Harbaugh train in 2015/2016. I'd be curious to hear when you got off and why? And do you think something changed with Harbaugh post the OSU game in 2016, like so many others speculate? I am NOT criticizing your viewpoint at all...I think a lot of people are in that camp. I'm more just curious what did it for you and if you think something changed after 2016.
His attitude and fire certainly seemed to change after that game and then there were follow-on effects after our weak 2017. It feels like he's playing politics and is fearful of being himself. I kind of think at this point we should just have a take no prisoners approach because we are losing either way. To be in Brown's system you need DTs and corners....we just aren't there on those positions. But let's be real, this is about the QB. Look at LSU this year without a stud QB. I was hoping Milton could be the answer but it doesn't look like it, so we will continue to be average or worse until we have a game changer at that position. We have not had a QB that landed on an NFL roster for meaningful snaps in the entire Harbaugh era.
What's worrisome now is what a coaching transition does to recruiting or even what happens to recruiting just if we lose 5 games this year without a coaching change. We aren't relevant and we haven't been relevant in about 20 years.
I disagree. First, this is a home game. If everyone in the stadium is a downer if OSU gets a 10 point lead early, I do think that certainly doesn't help the chance of a comeback. Second, this is college football. Much of the game is about emotion. You don't think players on both sides sense it? You don't think OSU players feel the fact that even the Michigan fan base thinks this is mission impossible? I do. And I think it is probably a lot easier to play a game when you're confident, and I think that confidence is at least partially a product of the environment and surroundings. Do fans play the game? Of course not. But, saying they have no impact is like saying the White Out at Penn State is meaningless, and I'd argue 95+% of fans think that's a huge advantage. Attitude can be a lot in college football.
Meh. Doesn't matter. Even one of Hoke's teams almost beat Meyer. This game is less about the Xs and Os and more about physically dominating the player across from you. If players and fans (because we lose faith) have this defeatist attitude, we've already lost. A big part of competing against them again is knowing the team belongs and knowing we will show up. I think the Buckeyes are going to come into the Big House and get their butts whipped. Is there downside to that statement? I don't think so. If we lose, we're in the same position we've been in for awhile. But we have gone into this game with loser mentality for many years now. Time to change. I'm going to keep saying it and believing it until it happens. And if they get up a score or two, I'm not going to lose faith. They aren't that much better. We should've/could've won in both 2016 and 2017. Even 2018 was a five point game at the half. They are a good team, no doubt. That much sweeter when we beat them. Go Blue!
It would be more meaningful if he voluntarily agreed to take a lower salary on a new contract if that's what HE feels is appropriate, and probably better for the program and external appearance than if he were given less. But, why does this matter? Is he overpaid? Maybe. Depends on opinion and what you think matters (on field vs. what he brings to the university.) Personally, I care about winning on the field, as that is the primary job of the football coach, in addition to developing young student athletes and and then helping the overall athletic department. In terms of the financial benefit of what he brings to the university, I believe the numbers would say he's a great investment at his current salary. But, let's just say he makes $4mm a year next contract. Does that actually change anything? The university is not hurting for cash. Unless you think we can hire somebody better for his current compensation, in my view this is just sort of a fan point that will make people feel better - "Yeah! Stick is to Harbaugh! He isn't winning like we want so he should get less!" Who cares? Steph Curry says to never count another man's money. Life isn't fair. If you are concerned there are people in society that are "overpaid" I suggest you go duke it out on Wall Street where there are numerous individuals that essentially take no risk and are paid even multiples of what Harbaugh makes. If I'm missing something and there is a more direct benefit to the program if Harbaugh's compensation is somehow modified, I'd love to hear it and I say that genuinely.
This post is incorrect. He actually said "we're not NOT trying to be explosive." He says "not" twice...as in, it isn't like they are trying to have no explosive plays. That's very different than what your post's incorrect quote would imply. But, probably like you, I'm still sad we don't have many explosive plays.
Is it possible the staff just knows that the offensive line isn't as good as advertised? That 2015 line had Magnuson, Cole, Kalis, and Glasgow...all who got legitimate time in the NFL. Can you say the same about Runyan, Onwenu, Ruiz, JBB, and Bredeson? I think Ruiz and Bredeson probably...but seems like we are lacking on the outside and maybe that's why we don't get too creative on offense.
Agree. If you're a recruit, not sure what wiggle room you have on your LOI though. At the very least, hard to see how the program will have much momentum in the 2020 recruiting cycle now until very late. This is a major show-me story and the benefit of the doubt is very much gone, in my opinion. On the other hand, I suppose we are going to really have players that want to be at Michigan and turn it around, so that's not a bad thing.
Do people think that the best players are really playing, over maybe players that have "earned it" through loyalty? All week we hear about McGrone, Jeter, Gray and other younger players, but they get very little time. Even Woods seems like he can hang just as well as Kinnel. Is this really a meritocracy? It felt the same way against South Carolina last year where maybe seniors are favored in the bowl game more.
I said this in another post as well...but now that we've seen this game, I'll ask it again. Do we really want Patterson to return, if he's being promised the job and it isn't an honest competition with DM?
I know that everything has to be earned, but would he do this unless there was some tacit agreement he wouldn't be the backup? If not, this could be a huge risk for him - though he could also be of the mindset that if he can't beat out McCaffrey or Milton, he won't be in the NFL anyway.
Separately, although Shea played great at times, there were times where he clearly missed reads and had misses on deep balls. What are people's thoughts on if Shea returning is a good thing, at least vs. the prospect of McCaffrey being the starter. Personally, I hope McCaffrey gets a lot more playing time next year. It is tough to know if he's better unless he gets real game snaps, but in the game snaps he did have, I thought he played pretty well including that absolutely perfect ball down the sideline to Ronnie Bell and he showed good athleticism on his QB keepers. I'm not saying he's for sure better...I just think some people are "gamers" and it is hard to know unless both QBs, and maybe more, get real game reps with the 1st team.
Disagree. What incentive does UMBig11 have to post things on here that he knows to be false or made up? He is anonymous on a blog. It isn't like he's getting personal credit and everyone goes up to him and shakes his hand. If anything, you have found him credible enough that you actively pay attention to his posts. The ridicule of somebody posting tidbits that I have every reason to believe he believes/is given is absurd. He's doing us all a favor. And further, what gain does anybody here get from actually criticizing? Does it make you feel macho to say "I told you so" on a blog? I don't get it.
Even if you don't want to believe it or want to ridicule it, what does anybody here gain from calling somebody out for trying to help, assuming you all believe (like I do), that the intent is absolutely trying to help and that he is clearly connected in some way. If you don't believe it, just stop reading and go about your day. It is a lot easier to criticize than it is to add value...
I've actually seen Dr. Meyers in Philadelphia for the same injury (I think). Bosa has a sports hernia (not what you think is a normal hernia). Essentially, his core muscles ripped off the bone. It makes cutting and moving extremely painful, especially laterally. In most cases, athletes, especially well-conditioned ones, are back on the field in 6 weeks. Dr. Meyers sees most of the patients you've ever heard of with this injury (A-Rod, etc). So that's how I know...or at least, that's why I believe it is an acceptable inference based on my real-life experience.
Seems to me that the reference to "more realistic than what you think...not quite the same thing, but very similar" is likely that he has a choice to make. He can probably keep playing dinged up and he'll probably be productive, because he's Rashan Gary. BUT, eventually this is going to require surgery, so doing that now will have him back by the Draft Combine. Playing the season out and then doing the surgery would have him miss the combine and would negatively impact draft status. So...it is not quite the same thing, but similar...
Bosa could come back this year and is choosing not to (but he doesn't need any more surgery...he'll be full strength in a few weeks.) Gary won't be full strength at all this year unless he has surgery. Just my speculation of course.
Recent Comments
You are apparently not superstitious. Or funny.
This is classic media nonsense. They've been doing this for years.
Ha, ostracize? He's apparently buddies with Warde and was recently seen with him at Chop House...
Do you think he used his own name because he did his diligence and knew/knows this isn't actually against the rules so there's nothing to hide or because he was just sloppy? I think if you knew it was legal, but very gray area, you would definitely NOT want to hide your name because that just makes everyone think what you're doing is wrong, obviously.
You can see the running total of what has been raised so far at least.
It gets shared amongst returning players. It isn't clear if that means it gets shared amongst these four, or the entire team.
https://www.onemoreyearfund.com/
Look into ESPN Player when you are overseas. You even get a free trial week before it is something like 11 euros a month. I used it while in France in September.
But you have control on if you use StubHub or other anonymous websites...
I will assume you are serious because I'm taking this game and all fandom seriously. Layer yourself with a bunch of long underwear, long-sleeves, and windproof stuff, buy some heat packs, wear maize and blue hat and scarf, and wear a Michigan sweatshirt. You'll be fine.
I think not selling tickets, beer, hot dogs or parking is firmly in the "awesome rivalry" camp and not going overboard. They throw batteries at Michigan fan heads. Comparing ourselves to the lowest of the low is of course stupid, because that wouldn't make all our fandom right. But again, keep your tickets, hot dogs, parking, and beer, and be as loud as you can possibly be. We all know we have the largest stadium, but I absolutely do not think we have the largest home field advantage. Let's change that this Saturday.
The guy is a beast. He is a physical specimen that also plays hard and unselfishly. I suspect his combine numbers will be off the charts when you consider he's both a blocking and pass catching TE. If he has another year of this he's going to be a first few round draft pick.
The goal of the CFP committee is to get the best 4 teams at the end of the season. That's also why OSU will be above Oregon in the first rankings. So while head to head matters, a Michigan 11-1 (which would include a win over OSU) and an MSU that gets spanked by OSU could very well mean Michigan gets in. The same thing happened in 2016 when OSU didn't make the Big10 Title game but still made the playoff.
The way the game was lost absolutely comes into play, and that has been referenced in interviews with CFP members before. The fact that it was close, on the road, and somewhat controversial definitely plays a role.
But whatever...just control what you can control. Just win out. Play angry.
The OSU passing attack is made possible by good protection and the ability for Stroud to step up and deliver with very little pressure in the face. If Michigan is going to have a chance in the Game, it'll be because Hinton/Smith & Co get pressure up the middle. I think Hutchinson will pressure the edge...we just need to make it so Stroud can't step up and deliver accurately. If he doesn't get 6 seconds to throw every play, it'll be a lot easier to defend the pass...or at the very least, they'll have to drive the length of the field with a bunch of 7-10 yard throws. In that way, it is much more like Michigan's ball control offense and then you start to like Michigan's chances more because it won't likely be a shootout. I hope.
What some have said is that DPJ had a bit of a toxic attitude (though not as toxic at Tarik Black!) and that Nico actually came back specifically because those others had moved on. I think it has been alluded to by multiple coaches and players this Fall Camp, but there are lots of statements implying last year had a bunch of "me first, I want to be a superstar" kinds of players and now we have a bunch of "team first" players. The belief of course is that if the team does well, the superstars will shine. But I suspect JH wasn't too keen on players that were acting like that, and it was speculated that was partially why DPJ fell in the draft (coaches spoke to JH).
But honestly...it goes both ways. Sometimes you need superstars and the reality is today's athlete is nothing like the 1980s...social media and a lot of other things have changed that. I'm sure T Owens was a real pain if you're a coach, but isn't it fun to just let the guy run free and win a bunch of games. Maybe you don't always have to set an example of somebody EVERY time, though it is a slippery slope. But in terms of potential failures of the staff, relating to the players could be an issue as it relates to the team, player development, winning, and program sentiment.
Calling Stephen Ross and Equinox gyms....
Easy answer. You absolutely want them to win a Super Bowl. These kids can "commit" wherever they want right now...until they actually sign Michigan will have a chance, and that chance will increase if they know they will be coached by somebody who just won a Super Bowl.
Although the roster has some holes, I'm not convinced they are as significant as our 2-4 record might suggest, because I'm not convinced the best players at every position were actually the ones playing. I'm going to go with 8-4/9-3.
You've hinted at a few things previously, but it sounds like you think the new DC will be viewed positively in an absolute sense and not just relative to Brown?
I hope you are a player on the team and will channel your rage not only on IU but on every other opponent all next season.
Believe it was mentioned somewhere that while he was contemplating transferring, he's happy now and intends to stay.
Why do people just assume these great candidates would leave good roles and come to Michigan? The Bills are a good team. If he's good enough that you're pointing him out, that means he will also be in consideration for OC jobs in the NFL before not too long. Not to mention, it is an entirely different undertaking going from the NFL where you focus on just coaching to college football, where you fly all over the country recruiting.
Probably has less to do with Les Miles and drives home the point even more that in college football, recruiting and talent level drives the outcomes much more than anything else. Now, he probably should be better than he's doing, so maybe he's a worse coach than we thought, but he's not horrendous. I also don't think Dabo, Saban or Meyer are so much better than anyone else though either. What would be really interesting would be to take a coach somewhere in the middle (good, but not those other three) in people's eyes...maybe a Chris Pederson or something and put him at Alabama. My guess is he wins multiple national titles.
That may be what it looks like externally, but it has also been reported by reasonable posters that seem to have pretty decent sources/insight that part of the problem here has also been the administration. And I want to be clear on the word "also." These posters never give Harbaugh a free pass or claim no faults, but they do point out that there are some real problems higher up that have been roadblocks. Food for thought.
Or maybe a more productive question...
"What can I do for you to help you better succeed here?"
Speed in space receiver types on offense...and on defense, smaller, speedier guys that are getting mostly run over? I guess I don't appreciate why that isn't obvious or how it is so hard to fix. If we keep the current scheme on D, we need guys to get pressure up the middle and DBs with speed that can cover. Our opponents, and much of college football, are all going spread offenses with fast receivers. It seems to me that you need to be able to score a lot of points and generate a lot of pressure with your front four. If you can't do that you're dead. Isn't the fix just identifying those players that fill all of our university criteria and selling them on the ability to play immediately because we are desperately in need of big physical players on both lines? And then finally, I think we need to target guys that aren't afraid of a fight. We have been losing to OSU for about two decades...it'd be nice to recruit some players that aren't afraid to go toe to toe and change that paradigm. It certainly feels like we are mostly getting recruits that think this can be a 3 year gig to the NFL and maybe care a little less than I would have hoped about winning championships. I'm sure I'm wrong there because who likes losing? But that's how it has seemed at times.
This shows my naivety on the topic, but what's an example of how shrinking the support staff could have this much of an impact? If it isn't really coaching related, how much is going on behind the scenes that got downgraded that really made the program deteriorate this rapidly?
Doesn't that make the demise here mostly his fault? I think a lot of people speculate it was something/some people in the administration that started handicapping things. But, if he chose to shrink and let good people go...well...that's just unfortunate.
The fact that people think stocks are a barometer of the economy is part of the problem. The reality is that the value of most companies, especially in a low interest rate environment, is really driven off a long-term terminal value and has little impact from short-term events. That's why stocks freaking out from COVID or some other short-term factor is usually a buying opportunity (unless of course the business in question has too much debt and could go bankrupt). Said differently, if GOOG earns $9/share this year instead of $11/share this year, but the long-term really isn't changed much, the value of the company really hasn't changed much. But then you look and the stock was down over 30% and fast. That's kind of dumb...
Stocks are driven by all sorts of things that mainstreet doesn't see as much impact from, notably fund flows, other investment opportunities, interest rate changes and other policy. The sooner people start realizing that stocks are little pieces of businesses that you own instead of just tradeable piece of paper, the better off we will be.
Was Milton's game against MN so great? He didn't actually complete many downfield passes, which is exactly what teams made him do the following few weeks. At least with Cade we are seeing a range of throws. Even when things go poorly, he's making the right decision by throwing the ball away or throwing it in a spot where only his player can get it.
There was another poster that chimed in on this topic awhile ago and was some kind of friend of GM. GM was nice enough to talk to him post taking the job in Columbus. Essentially Mattison moving on was a tough decision for him, etc. The one thing he wouldn't talk about was Don Brown and his relationship with Don Brown, so it certainly seemed like that was more the culprit than Harbaugh.
I think anybody could craft a top 5 defense with that talent. Much like I think anybody could win 11 or 12 games a year with rosters that look like Alabama, OSU, or Clemson. For most other schools it takes a one-of-a-kind talent...even LSU without Burrow has been terrible. So as much as people complain about Harbaugh the reality is that if Harbaugh was the coach of any of those other programs (doing whatever they might do to "encourage" recruits), he'd probably have a national championship by now. For some reason we like to compare apples to oranges though. And no, I'm not saying this year has been awesome or that there doesn't seem to be something off in our coaching. But if recruiting is such a big part of the game, my opinion is you prioritize continuity to keep those recruits...wouldn't it be something if a bunch of five starts magically made our coaches geniuses?
I remember seeing the data on this once, but 5-stars out of high school have a very high hit rate to top picks in the NFL draft eventually, so they can definitely be game-changers. That's why there are so few of them. The dropoff to 4-stars is quite significant I remember.
Johnson's dad saying there is a lot of truth to the package deal idea...
So what's the Board's take here? If you knew Harbaugh leaving would mean we lose Johnson and/or Jackson (but probably both as they talk about being a package deal), do you still support Harbaugh leaving?
Maybe just maybe some of these recruits are a bit more long-term and big picture than to look at one bad year? Or more importantly, maybe these are exactly the kind of confident recruits we want...guys that don't care about today because they know they are going to change things tomorrow?
Presumably you were…
Umbig,
Presumably you were on the Harbaugh train in 2015/2016. I'd be curious to hear when you got off and why? And do you think something changed with Harbaugh post the OSU game in 2016, like so many others speculate? I am NOT criticizing your viewpoint at all...I think a lot of people are in that camp. I'm more just curious what did it for you and if you think something changed after 2016.
His attitude and fire certainly seemed to change after that game and then there were follow-on effects after our weak 2017. It feels like he's playing politics and is fearful of being himself. I kind of think at this point we should just have a take no prisoners approach because we are losing either way. To be in Brown's system you need DTs and corners....we just aren't there on those positions. But let's be real, this is about the QB. Look at LSU this year without a stud QB. I was hoping Milton could be the answer but it doesn't look like it, so we will continue to be average or worse until we have a game changer at that position. We have not had a QB that landed on an NFL roster for meaningful snaps in the entire Harbaugh era.
What's worrisome now is what a coaching transition does to recruiting or even what happens to recruiting just if we lose 5 games this year without a coaching change. We aren't relevant and we haven't been relevant in about 20 years.
Was Tressel really great...or did he just start cheating?
I disagree. First, this is a home game. If everyone in the stadium is a downer if OSU gets a 10 point lead early, I do think that certainly doesn't help the chance of a comeback. Second, this is college football. Much of the game is about emotion. You don't think players on both sides sense it? You don't think OSU players feel the fact that even the Michigan fan base thinks this is mission impossible? I do. And I think it is probably a lot easier to play a game when you're confident, and I think that confidence is at least partially a product of the environment and surroundings. Do fans play the game? Of course not. But, saying they have no impact is like saying the White Out at Penn State is meaningless, and I'd argue 95+% of fans think that's a huge advantage. Attitude can be a lot in college football.
Meh. Doesn't matter. Even one of Hoke's teams almost beat Meyer. This game is less about the Xs and Os and more about physically dominating the player across from you. If players and fans (because we lose faith) have this defeatist attitude, we've already lost. A big part of competing against them again is knowing the team belongs and knowing we will show up. I think the Buckeyes are going to come into the Big House and get their butts whipped. Is there downside to that statement? I don't think so. If we lose, we're in the same position we've been in for awhile. But we have gone into this game with loser mentality for many years now. Time to change. I'm going to keep saying it and believing it until it happens. And if they get up a score or two, I'm not going to lose faith. They aren't that much better. We should've/could've won in both 2016 and 2017. Even 2018 was a five point game at the half. They are a good team, no doubt. That much sweeter when we beat them. Go Blue!
It would be more meaningful if he voluntarily agreed to take a lower salary on a new contract if that's what HE feels is appropriate, and probably better for the program and external appearance than if he were given less. But, why does this matter? Is he overpaid? Maybe. Depends on opinion and what you think matters (on field vs. what he brings to the university.) Personally, I care about winning on the field, as that is the primary job of the football coach, in addition to developing young student athletes and and then helping the overall athletic department. In terms of the financial benefit of what he brings to the university, I believe the numbers would say he's a great investment at his current salary. But, let's just say he makes $4mm a year next contract. Does that actually change anything? The university is not hurting for cash. Unless you think we can hire somebody better for his current compensation, in my view this is just sort of a fan point that will make people feel better - "Yeah! Stick is to Harbaugh! He isn't winning like we want so he should get less!" Who cares? Steph Curry says to never count another man's money. Life isn't fair. If you are concerned there are people in society that are "overpaid" I suggest you go duke it out on Wall Street where there are numerous individuals that essentially take no risk and are paid even multiples of what Harbaugh makes. If I'm missing something and there is a more direct benefit to the program if Harbaugh's compensation is somehow modified, I'd love to hear it and I say that genuinely.
This post is incorrect. He actually said "we're not NOT trying to be explosive." He says "not" twice...as in, it isn't like they are trying to have no explosive plays. That's very different than what your post's incorrect quote would imply. But, probably like you, I'm still sad we don't have many explosive plays.
Is it possible the staff just knows that the offensive line isn't as good as advertised? That 2015 line had Magnuson, Cole, Kalis, and Glasgow...all who got legitimate time in the NFL. Can you say the same about Runyan, Onwenu, Ruiz, JBB, and Bredeson? I think Ruiz and Bredeson probably...but seems like we are lacking on the outside and maybe that's why we don't get too creative on offense.
Agree. If you're a recruit, not sure what wiggle room you have on your LOI though. At the very least, hard to see how the program will have much momentum in the 2020 recruiting cycle now until very late. This is a major show-me story and the benefit of the doubt is very much gone, in my opinion. On the other hand, I suppose we are going to really have players that want to be at Michigan and turn it around, so that's not a bad thing.
Do people think that the best players are really playing, over maybe players that have "earned it" through loyalty? All week we hear about McGrone, Jeter, Gray and other younger players, but they get very little time. Even Woods seems like he can hang just as well as Kinnel. Is this really a meritocracy? It felt the same way against South Carolina last year where maybe seniors are favored in the bowl game more.
I said this in another post as well...but now that we've seen this game, I'll ask it again. Do we really want Patterson to return, if he's being promised the job and it isn't an honest competition with DM?
I know that everything has to be earned, but would he do this unless there was some tacit agreement he wouldn't be the backup? If not, this could be a huge risk for him - though he could also be of the mindset that if he can't beat out McCaffrey or Milton, he won't be in the NFL anyway.
Separately, although Shea played great at times, there were times where he clearly missed reads and had misses on deep balls. What are people's thoughts on if Shea returning is a good thing, at least vs. the prospect of McCaffrey being the starter. Personally, I hope McCaffrey gets a lot more playing time next year. It is tough to know if he's better unless he gets real game snaps, but in the game snaps he did have, I thought he played pretty well including that absolutely perfect ball down the sideline to Ronnie Bell and he showed good athleticism on his QB keepers. I'm not saying he's for sure better...I just think some people are "gamers" and it is hard to know unless both QBs, and maybe more, get real game reps with the 1st team.
Thoughts?
Disagree. What incentive does UMBig11 have to post things on here that he knows to be false or made up? He is anonymous on a blog. It isn't like he's getting personal credit and everyone goes up to him and shakes his hand. If anything, you have found him credible enough that you actively pay attention to his posts. The ridicule of somebody posting tidbits that I have every reason to believe he believes/is given is absurd. He's doing us all a favor. And further, what gain does anybody here get from actually criticizing? Does it make you feel macho to say "I told you so" on a blog? I don't get it.
Even if you don't want to believe it or want to ridicule it, what does anybody here gain from calling somebody out for trying to help, assuming you all believe (like I do), that the intent is absolutely trying to help and that he is clearly connected in some way. If you don't believe it, just stop reading and go about your day. It is a lot easier to criticize than it is to add value...
I've actually seen Dr. Meyers in Philadelphia for the same injury (I think). Bosa has a sports hernia (not what you think is a normal hernia). Essentially, his core muscles ripped off the bone. It makes cutting and moving extremely painful, especially laterally. In most cases, athletes, especially well-conditioned ones, are back on the field in 6 weeks. Dr. Meyers sees most of the patients you've ever heard of with this injury (A-Rod, etc). So that's how I know...or at least, that's why I believe it is an acceptable inference based on my real-life experience.
Seems to me that the reference to "more realistic than what you think...not quite the same thing, but very similar" is likely that he has a choice to make. He can probably keep playing dinged up and he'll probably be productive, because he's Rashan Gary. BUT, eventually this is going to require surgery, so doing that now will have him back by the Draft Combine. Playing the season out and then doing the surgery would have him miss the combine and would negatively impact draft status. So...it is not quite the same thing, but similar...
Bosa could come back this year and is choosing not to (but he doesn't need any more surgery...he'll be full strength in a few weeks.) Gary won't be full strength at all this year unless he has surgery. Just my speculation of course.
Solomon would be surprising given his mom tweeted "Love me some Don Brown..." on 8/21/18