Goodonya. We are damn lucky to have Coach Harbaugh running the team. This alum fondly remembers him from his playing days (I graduated UM ChE in 91) and have followed his career keenly. He is a damn fine coach. Look at his track record from San Diego to Stanford to 49ers he has a pattern of transforming losers into winners. It's not clear to me where these wild expectations come from the haters and cynics that populate this blog. Michigan has never been a football factory and never will be. We can have sustained periods of good to great and periodically contend for titles of some sort or another. I'd rather keep some semblance of academic integrity and playing by the rules. I think Harbaugh and Beilein represent 2 of the too few coaches at Power 5 programs that have integrity and run clean programs.
Harbaugh has integrity stacked like cordwood. Just listen to his podcasts with his Dad and that'll tell you everything you need to know. He loves the University and he loves coaching football. Rome wasn't built in a day. We are improving steadily. Michigan will likely never be 2018 Alabama or Clemson but what it can be is a team that competes to win Big Ten Championships and make a run at a National Title every 5 years or so. Graduating players with meaningful degrees along the way. Turning minnows into men.
Tend to agree with this post. I am an alum BSChemEng 91. Been going to games since 1980. A season ticket holder although my nephew is using them since I currently live in Australia . I like Harbaugh and it is hard to imagine Michigan finding a better coach. I would be happy with a competitive team every year that has a 50% chance of beating the Buckeyes and makes a run at a National Title every 5 years or so. All done with integrity, kids graduating with meaningful degrees. I may be a bit old fashioned but that's the way I see it.
Thank you for the analysis. I agree with much of what you had to say....maybe all of it.
I'd rather keep our integrity intact. I'll settle for 10 win teams with shots at the National Title every 10 years or so. Managing expectations is the key to being at peace with and enjoying the performance of the TEAM.
Thanks for the terrific analysis as always. Funny that I find what you write about Michigan football is better than 90% of the stuff written by beat reporters and the sports journalism crowd.
Keep on keeping on. My 2 cents regarding the game....Buckeyes O played their ceiling game and our D played its basement game. Worst of all combinations. I consider the outrageous 62 points allowed to be an anomaly. Buckeyes had their dander up and played a whale of a game.
We are a B+ team that is ascending. Not quite great yet.
Harbaugh has an excellent coaching staff and much to be proud of. Needs to get back to work and win the bowl game against a good opponent so he and the returning players can wash the terrible taste out of their collective maws.
I have a 34 month old son....so I empathize with your take on your children's adventures in building their immune systems up.
As always, good analysis of the game. Shea Patterson is the best Wolverine QB since Henne. A live, accurate arm and good feet.
I'd like to see us smash the Badgers. They put some dirty shots on our QBs last year and its payback time. In retaliation, I expect Hornibrook will take a thorough beating next Saturday night.
If I remember right, the first guy Coach Harbaugh tried to bring with him to Ann Arbor was the Stanford S&C Coach....and couldn't persuade him. I think that set us back.
Herbert appears to be the right guy. Big beautiful things appear to be on the horizon for our Wolverine football team.
Drevno is a good egg and probably a fine OL coach. Me thinks he got overstretched as OC/OL coach and things went sideways from there.
Crushing expectations likely drove Drevno out. Harbaugh is under immense pressure to win and rightfully so at $7MM per annum. Offensive Coaching needed shaking up and...it's officially shaken.
I wish him the best. My guess is he will move closer to his son, Zach, who is enrolled at Vanderbilt.
Jim Harbaugh appears to place a premium on loyalty. Drevno has been with him a long time going back to University of San Diego teams. I think Drevno is a good OL coach and may have been overstretched to be OC/OL coach. With Frey off to FSU, I expect Drevno to resume command and control of the OL with improved results.
A word or 2 about the remainder of the offensive coaching staff. 10,000 foot assessment. Jim would be wise to define roles on the O staff commensuratte with definition of the D staff.
FWIW this is how I see it shaking out on O-side:
McElwein will be O-Coordinator responsible for overall offensive game-planning.
Jim Harbaugh appears to place a premium on loyalty. Drevno has been with him a long time going back to University of San Diego teams. I think Drevno is a good OL coach and may have been overstretched to be OC/OL coach. With Frey off to FSU, I expect Drevno to resume command and control of the OL with improved results.
A word or 2 about the remainder of the offensive coaching staff. 10,000 foot assessment. Jim would be wise to define roles on the O staff commensuratte with definition of the D staff.
FWIW this is how I see it shaking out on O-side:
McElwein will be O-Coordinator responsible for overall offensive game-planning.
When you have a dominant Defense year-after-year there will be natural coaching migrations cashing in on their good work. Key is for Harbaugh and Brown to remain in place because they are the source code. I suspect Zordich will be gone before long. Too good to remain just a CB coach.
Not sure which game it was...maybe the SEC championship a few years back. Alec Olgetree hit an Alabama running back....could have been Lacy or Fowler at the goal line...stuffed him. It sounded like two Rams colliding on a Rocky Mountain snow line.
I predicted great things from Ogletree and it has largely come to pass. He is a monster in the NFL for the.....Rams.
Jim Harbaugh has built a foundation. The coming years are going to be wildly fun once we beef up our OL and get a steady, capable QB. Peters will do just fine with McCaffery and Milton waiting in the wings. I expect Alex Malzone to join Wilton Speight and transfer to another team. We are damn lucky to have Harbaugh: head philosopher, teacher and coach.
Not for nothing, I would not be averse to the team skipping the overseas trip next year. Maybe every other year would be good or use it as a reward for winning the B1G or making CFB play-off. I loved the Rome trip and I'm sure many of the kids and coaches loved it too.
Maybe a skosh less theatre and little more focus on strength and conditioning and team building right in Ann Arbor.
Keep up the terrific work: You are, aside from Brian and Ace, likely the most insightful writer on this blog.
Age of the grad transfer is in full go mode. More and more solid players with a 5th year of eligibility are transferring. I half-heartedly predicted a week ago that Wilton would do this noting the emergence of Peters and the Don Brown effervescent comments on Dylan McCaffery's scout team play.
Wilton wants to play and compete.
I will follow his career with great interest....just as I followed Shane Morris' move to CMU.
He will graduate with his Michigan degree which is no small feat.
All the best to a truly class act, Wilton Speight.
No doubt, with even average QB play we would have won this game.
Future is bright. Don't be fooled by the middling record.
Peters and McCaffery will lead future Wolverine teams to glory.
As far as the OSU streak -- big believer in regression to the mean. Tide will turn. When it does Urban Meyer will go back to "spending more time with his family".
Nick has been critical of Wolverine coaching...especially offensive coaching. He has made good, fair criticisms over the course of the season.
The fatal defect in this Wolverine team is the less-than-stellar OL...particularly pass protection. RBs bear some responsibility but it largely falls on the sub-par OL play. Cole is a bandaid at LT...should be playing C. Michigan's dearth of good-to-great OTs is hurting.
Buckeyes strength is its front 7. Bosa and Hubbard and the gang are going to feast on this Michigan exterior OL. Only way to beat this Buckeye d is with a passing game that can hit deep seam routes exploiting the holes in the Buckeye secondary. We have neither the QB or OL or WR corps to make this happen.
My heart says Michigan will keep it close because of its D. But I think the D eventually gives way in 2nd half. OSU will win going away.
Doug Skene provides some of the best analysis on UM OL play publically available. Our OL lacks the athleticism, toughness and precision to be great.
Doug mentioned after Wisconsin game that he was looking for some sign that OL would retaliate after Peters (between whistles) was injured and it never materialized--speaks to a lack of edge and toughness and, even pride. Notwithstanding: Cole is out of position. Should be at Center. We lack a LT. Newsome injury coupled with bad recruiting classes really have hurt us there. Harbaugh may have whiffed on Swenson too. So we need better players, playing in the right positions.
I believe we will get there eventually. However it may also require some coaching changes. I think we may have one to many cooks in the kitchen on OL: Drevno, Frey maybe 1 too many. Also RB pass pro leaves a lot to be desired: Jay Harbaugh deserves some criticism for that.
It all starts upfront with OL play. If we want to compete and beat our rivals, it begins and ends with the OL.
We are a far cry from a balanced offense. We do not have one serious deep threat. Best hope for this offense is to leverage the several good TEs we have and figure smart ways to get Evans involved in passing game. We likely won't have a serious downfield passing attack until late 2018 or early 2019 once Niko, Donovan, Tariq and Oliver mature.
I think the Maryland game had significant contributions from offense, defense and special teams. Peters had 2 TD passes, took some tough licks and didn't turn the ball over. Backs ran hard. OL seemed to block reasonably well (3Q exception).
Punting was solid. Blocked a punt. Only knock was missed FG.
Defense had 2 interceptions and multiple TFLs. Only gave up 10 points.
Only negative were the injuries: Higdon, L. Hill, Long, McCray and Gary.
Coach Harbaugh's mood has dramatically improved after these last 2 wins. Early part of the season he seemed perpetually pissed off....and probably had good reasons for the sour mood. Me thinks he sees real improvement in the team overall and is getting more excited about the teams prospects on the homestretch.
Very wise and gracious of him to never call out players publically for a bad play. And, he is right about the need to have players with self-motivation. If you need to be motivated by a coach to get enthused about playing the game...then you are in the wrong sport to begin with.
Very fortunate to have Jim Harbaugh coach the Wolverines. It suits him straight down to the ground: khakis and cleats and all.
Excited to see how the remainder of the season unfolds.
However, he has no business doing radio broadcast play-by-play. He and Dierdorf could form a decent duo as color analysts. Surely there's gotta be a radio guy out there somewhere available to do the play-by-play.
I am more and more impressed with McKeon. He is, by far, our best all-around TE blocking and catching.
In Harbaugh parlance he is an ascending player.
Bunting, on the other hand, what has happened there. Too much rapping and not enough reppin' iron. He has regressed and I figured he would be the guy to fill Butt's shoes.
Is it just me or does the reporting gaggle charged with covering Michigan football suck? These lousy, passive aggressive, questions are the stuff of middle school journalism.
Just for kicks tune into other schools press conferences: I checked out the Rutgers presser with Jerry Kill and the quality of questions and interaction was demonstrably better than what passes for sports journalism here.
I don't see the agility, strength and toughness from any of the o- lineman other than Cole. I was concerned when I learned that a true freshman, Ben Mason, is the 2nd strongest man on the team after Mo Hurst Jr. Against good Front 7s (Penn State and MSU) they seem to get their asses beat more often than not. Bo would have never put up with Owenu and JBB's lack of agility and toughness and stamina.
Hopefully the underclassman: Runyan, Ruiz, Filaga coupled with Newsome coming back will help straighten things around. I think Frey and Drevno know what they are doing...just need better athletes to work with.
I've said from the jump that this team will only go as far as the OL takes them. OL has miles to go.
Young players and new coaches. Fisch Gone. Wheatley Gone. I think you are underestimating the deleterious effect of the coaching discontinuity on offense as opposed to the defensive side of the ball.
It's gunna take some time.
Comparing Harbaugh and Co. to Hoke and Co. is a joke. Borges had Devin Gardner trying to be a pro-style QB when he was a RO QB. DG's regression was squarely on the coaching staff.
Only receiver with experience is Perry.
Green Tight Ends.
Green RS OL.
Now, back up QB...to add injury to insult.
All that said, I'd like to see better play out of the O and I think there are one 2 many cooks in the kitchen with regard to offensive play calling: Drevno, Hamilton and Harbaugh seem to be an unwieldly combination.
Reading your analysis of the awful MSU loss is therapeutic. Keep doing what you are doing..even keeled empirical analysis. Engineering and Law put together tells me you have a formidable intellect and your writing bears it out.
the sky is not falling.
Harbaugh and staff are good at what they do.
We will bounce back against Indiana.
I suspect either Hamilton or Drevno will be gone next year for one reason or another...maybe one too many cooks in the offensive kitchen IMHO.
Just an observation. Lockeroom video footage post Purdue game. When Coach Harbaugh was congratulating each player, Peters body language was limp and he stared at his feet.
Signal that there is trouble in river city.
If I was a betting man, I would say the probability of Peters transfering next year is >0.5.
Coach Harbaugh is the epitome of a head football coach and we are damn lucky to have him in Ann Arbor.
He coaches his men up and rarely disparages them publicly.
He has a deep reservoir of football knowledge and psychology to draw upon. Can relate to young men and is a great teacher and motivator. Great ambassador of the game and lover of life. Coach can get salty from time to time...that's OK....he's just thinking about the next opponent and how the TEAM can get better.
Recent Comments
You may be too sensible for this blog.
Goodonya. We are damn lucky to have Coach Harbaugh running the team. This alum fondly remembers him from his playing days (I graduated UM ChE in 91) and have followed his career keenly. He is a damn fine coach. Look at his track record from San Diego to Stanford to 49ers he has a pattern of transforming losers into winners. It's not clear to me where these wild expectations come from the haters and cynics that populate this blog. Michigan has never been a football factory and never will be. We can have sustained periods of good to great and periodically contend for titles of some sort or another. I'd rather keep some semblance of academic integrity and playing by the rules. I think Harbaugh and Beilein represent 2 of the too few coaches at Power 5 programs that have integrity and run clean programs.
Happy New Year from Sydney!
Harbaugh has…
Amen, brother.
Harbaugh has integrity stacked like cordwood. Just listen to his podcasts with his Dad and that'll tell you everything you need to know. He loves the University and he loves coaching football. Rome wasn't built in a day. We are improving steadily. Michigan will likely never be 2018 Alabama or Clemson but what it can be is a team that competes to win Big Ten Championships and make a run at a National Title every 5 years or so. Graduating players with meaningful degrees along the way. Turning minnows into men.
Tend to agree with this post. I am an alum BSChemEng 91. Been going to games since 1980. A season ticket holder although my nephew is using them since I currently live in Australia . I like Harbaugh and it is hard to imagine Michigan finding a better coach. I would be happy with a competitive team every year that has a 50% chance of beating the Buckeyes and makes a run at a National Title every 5 years or so. All done with integrity, kids graduating with meaningful degrees. I may be a bit old fashioned but that's the way I see it.
From the outside looking in I thought Chase should have been a captain from the Jump.
Seemed like a missed opportunity for the team.
Happy for Chase and Grant to receive this well-deserved honor: even if it's only for the Peach Bowl.
…
High class problem to have.
One of my best friend's has a son facing a similar choice. I'd say pray about it and let the Good Lord shine a path forward.
Can't make a bad decision. I am a graduate from UM College of Engineering (BSChemEng91) fwiw.
Congrats to you and your wife and your impressive daughter.
God Bless and Merry Christmas! Go Blue!
Thank you for the analysis. I agree with much of what you had to say....maybe all of it.
I'd rather keep our integrity intact. I'll settle for 10 win teams with shots at the National Title every 10 years or so. Managing expectations is the key to being at peace with and enjoying the performance of the TEAM.
Go blue!
Thanks for the terrific analysis as always. Funny that I find what you write about Michigan football is better than 90% of the stuff written by beat reporters and the sports journalism crowd.
Keep on keeping on. My 2 cents regarding the game....Buckeyes O played their ceiling game and our D played its basement game. Worst of all combinations. I consider the outrageous 62 points allowed to be an anomaly. Buckeyes had their dander up and played a whale of a game.
We are a B+ team that is ascending. Not quite great yet.
Harbaugh has an excellent coaching staff and much to be proud of. Needs to get back to work and win the bowl game against a good opponent so he and the returning players can wash the terrible taste out of their collective maws.
Get well. Don't want your moniker to morph into Bronx Black and Blue.
Your game summaries are my favorite thing on MGOBLOG.
Keep up the terrific work!
This is such great analysis. Thanks for doing this.
Chase Winovich will be a Consensus All-American. He made the right decision to come back.
Zordich is one of my favorite interviews on the team. Always candid. Seems to enjoy and appreciate coaching at Michigan. Expresses loads of gratitude.
Somewhat puzzled that he is not a DC or even a HC somewhere. Happy as a clam that he is on Harbaugh's staff.
Mark Messner is or was the beta version of nobody.
I have a 34 month old son....so I empathize with your take on your children's adventures in building their immune systems up.
As always, good analysis of the game. Shea Patterson is the best Wolverine QB since Henne. A live, accurate arm and good feet.
I'd like to see us smash the Badgers. They put some dirty shots on our QBs last year and its payback time. In retaliation, I expect Hornibrook will take a thorough beating next Saturday night.
Well written. Informative and humorous.
Best thing on MGOBLOG in my not-so humble opinion.
There are lies, damn lies and statistics.
Stacked data due to common application form usage boosting sum total of applications and thereby reducing the acceptance rate.
That said, I'd guess UM remains among the most selective public universities in the USA.
Insightful commentary as always.
If I remember right, the first guy Coach Harbaugh tried to bring with him to Ann Arbor was the Stanford S&C Coach....and couldn't persuade him. I think that set us back.
Herbert appears to be the right guy. Big beautiful things appear to be on the horizon for our Wolverine football team.
Go Blue!
Drevno is a good egg and probably a fine OL coach. Me thinks he got overstretched as OC/OL coach and things went sideways from there.
Crushing expectations likely drove Drevno out. Harbaugh is under immense pressure to win and rightfully so at $7MM per annum. Offensive Coaching needed shaking up and...it's officially shaken.
I wish him the best. My guess is he will move closer to his son, Zach, who is enrolled at Vanderbilt.
Jim Harbaugh appears to place a premium on loyalty. Drevno has been with him a long time going back to University of San Diego teams. I think Drevno is a good OL coach and may have been overstretched to be OC/OL coach. With Frey off to FSU, I expect Drevno to resume command and control of the OL with improved results.
A word or 2 about the remainder of the offensive coaching staff. 10,000 foot assessment. Jim would be wise to define roles on the O staff commensuratte with definition of the D staff.
FWIW this is how I see it shaking out on O-side:
McElwein will be O-Coordinator responsible for overall offensive game-planning.
Pep--QB coach/passing game coordinator.
Drevno--OL/running game coordinator.
Jay Harbaugh--RBs
Sherone--TEs
2 areas of concern remain:
1) who will coach up WR play?
2) who will coach up RB pass-pro?
Jim Harbaugh appears to place a premium on loyalty. Drevno has been with him a long time going back to University of San Diego teams. I think Drevno is a good OL coach and may have been overstretched to be OC/OL coach. With Frey off to FSU, I expect Drevno to resume command and control of the OL with improved results.
A word or 2 about the remainder of the offensive coaching staff. 10,000 foot assessment. Jim would be wise to define roles on the O staff commensuratte with definition of the D staff.
FWIW this is how I see it shaking out on O-side:
McElwein will be O-Coordinator responsible for overall offensive game-planning.
Pep--QB coach/passing game coordinator.
Drevno--OL/running game coordinator.
Jay Harbaugh--RBs
Sherone--TEs
2 areas of concern remain:
1) who will coach up WR play?
2) who will coach up RB pass-pro?
I concur.
Thanks for all your sane, reasoned commentary and analysis on the TEAM all year. Can always count on you to bring clarity.
Harbaugh will figure this out. Gotta build that OL and secure that starting QB and brighter days lie ahead.
Thanks again and Go Blue!
When you have a dominant Defense year-after-year there will be natural coaching migrations cashing in on their good work. Key is for Harbaugh and Brown to remain in place because they are the source code. I suspect Zordich will be gone before long. Too good to remain just a CB coach.
I like the comparison to Alec Ogletree.
Not sure which game it was...maybe the SEC championship a few years back. Alec Olgetree hit an Alabama running back....could have been Lacy or Fowler at the goal line...stuffed him. It sounded like two Rams colliding on a Rocky Mountain snow line.
I predicted great things from Ogletree and it has largely come to pass. He is a monster in the NFL for the.....Rams.
Jim Harbaugh has built a foundation. The coming years are going to be wildly fun once we beef up our OL and get a steady, capable QB. Peters will do just fine with McCaffery and Milton waiting in the wings. I expect Alex Malzone to join Wilton Speight and transfer to another team. We are damn lucky to have Harbaugh: head philosopher, teacher and coach.
Not for nothing, I would not be averse to the team skipping the overseas trip next year. Maybe every other year would be good or use it as a reward for winning the B1G or making CFB play-off. I loved the Rome trip and I'm sure many of the kids and coaches loved it too.
Maybe a skosh less theatre and little more focus on strength and conditioning and team building right in Ann Arbor.
Keep up the terrific work: You are, aside from Brian and Ace, likely the most insightful writer on this blog.
G'day, God Bless and Go Blue!
Age of the grad transfer is in full go mode. More and more solid players with a 5th year of eligibility are transferring. I half-heartedly predicted a week ago that Wilton would do this noting the emergence of Peters and the Don Brown effervescent comments on Dylan McCaffery's scout team play.
Wilton wants to play and compete.
I will follow his career with great interest....just as I followed Shane Morris' move to CMU.
He will graduate with his Michigan degree which is no small feat.
All the best to a truly class act, Wilton Speight.
Losses can be numbing.
No doubt, with even average QB play we would have won this game.
Future is bright. Don't be fooled by the middling record.
Peters and McCaffery will lead future Wolverine teams to glory.
As far as the OSU streak -- big believer in regression to the mean. Tide will turn. When it does Urban Meyer will go back to "spending more time with his family".
Forever Go Blue
Nick has been critical of Wolverine coaching...especially offensive coaching. He has made good, fair criticisms over the course of the season.
The fatal defect in this Wolverine team is the less-than-stellar OL...particularly pass protection. RBs bear some responsibility but it largely falls on the sub-par OL play. Cole is a bandaid at LT...should be playing C. Michigan's dearth of good-to-great OTs is hurting.
Buckeyes strength is its front 7. Bosa and Hubbard and the gang are going to feast on this Michigan exterior OL. Only way to beat this Buckeye d is with a passing game that can hit deep seam routes exploiting the holes in the Buckeye secondary. We have neither the QB or OL or WR corps to make this happen.
My heart says Michigan will keep it close because of its D. But I think the D eventually gives way in 2nd half. OSU will win going away.
Doug Skene provides some of the best analysis on UM OL play publically available. Our OL lacks the athleticism, toughness and precision to be great.
Doug mentioned after Wisconsin game that he was looking for some sign that OL would retaliate after Peters (between whistles) was injured and it never materialized--speaks to a lack of edge and toughness and, even pride. Notwithstanding: Cole is out of position. Should be at Center. We lack a LT. Newsome injury coupled with bad recruiting classes really have hurt us there. Harbaugh may have whiffed on Swenson too. So we need better players, playing in the right positions.
I believe we will get there eventually. However it may also require some coaching changes. I think we may have one to many cooks in the kitchen on OL: Drevno, Frey maybe 1 too many. Also RB pass pro leaves a lot to be desired: Jay Harbaugh deserves some criticism for that.
It all starts upfront with OL play. If we want to compete and beat our rivals, it begins and ends with the OL.
Go Blue
We are a far cry from a balanced offense. We do not have one serious deep threat. Best hope for this offense is to leverage the several good TEs we have and figure smart ways to get Evans involved in passing game. We likely won't have a serious downfield passing attack until late 2018 or early 2019 once Niko, Donovan, Tariq and Oliver mature.
Well done, Ace.
I thought the Durkin FG attempt and make were chickenshit too.
I think the Maryland game had significant contributions from offense, defense and special teams. Peters had 2 TD passes, took some tough licks and didn't turn the ball over. Backs ran hard. OL seemed to block reasonably well (3Q exception).
Punting was solid. Blocked a punt. Only knock was missed FG.
Defense had 2 interceptions and multiple TFLs. Only gave up 10 points.
Only negative were the injuries: Higdon, L. Hill, Long, McCray and Gary.
best I've seen. Hurst could surpass lets see how he finishes.
Coach Harbaugh's mood has dramatically improved after these last 2 wins. Early part of the season he seemed perpetually pissed off....and probably had good reasons for the sour mood. Me thinks he sees real improvement in the team overall and is getting more excited about the teams prospects on the homestretch.
Very wise and gracious of him to never call out players publically for a bad play. And, he is right about the need to have players with self-motivation. If you need to be motivated by a coach to get enthused about playing the game...then you are in the wrong sport to begin with.
Very fortunate to have Jim Harbaugh coach the Wolverines. It suits him straight down to the ground: khakis and cleats and all.
Excited to see how the remainder of the season unfolds.
Love the Michigan Man, Brandyman.
However, he has no business doing radio broadcast play-by-play. He and Dierdorf could form a decent duo as color analysts. Surely there's gotta be a radio guy out there somewhere available to do the play-by-play.
Goodonya for sharply working Occam's razor into a post.
Well done and accurate.
I am more and more impressed with McKeon. He is, by far, our best all-around TE blocking and catching.
In Harbaugh parlance he is an ascending player.
Bunting, on the other hand, what has happened there. Too much rapping and not enough reppin' iron. He has regressed and I figured he would be the guy to fill Butt's shoes.
Wheatley has his moments, so does Gentry.
Is it just me or does the reporting gaggle charged with covering Michigan football suck? These lousy, passive aggressive, questions are the stuff of middle school journalism.
Just for kicks tune into other schools press conferences: I checked out the Rutgers presser with Jerry Kill and the quality of questions and interaction was demonstrably better than what passes for sports journalism here.
Sad.
I don't see the agility, strength and toughness from any of the o- lineman other than Cole. I was concerned when I learned that a true freshman, Ben Mason, is the 2nd strongest man on the team after Mo Hurst Jr. Against good Front 7s (Penn State and MSU) they seem to get their asses beat more often than not. Bo would have never put up with Owenu and JBB's lack of agility and toughness and stamina.
Hopefully the underclassman: Runyan, Ruiz, Filaga coupled with Newsome coming back will help straighten things around. I think Frey and Drevno know what they are doing...just need better athletes to work with.
I've said from the jump that this team will only go as far as the OL takes them. OL has miles to go.
8-9 win team Max.
Young players and new coaches. Fisch Gone. Wheatley Gone. I think you are underestimating the deleterious effect of the coaching discontinuity on offense as opposed to the defensive side of the ball.
It's gunna take some time.
Comparing Harbaugh and Co. to Hoke and Co. is a joke. Borges had Devin Gardner trying to be a pro-style QB when he was a RO QB. DG's regression was squarely on the coaching staff.
Only receiver with experience is Perry.
Green Tight Ends.
Green RS OL.
Now, back up QB...to add injury to insult.
All that said, I'd like to see better play out of the O and I think there are one 2 many cooks in the kitchen with regard to offensive play calling: Drevno, Hamilton and Harbaugh seem to be an unwieldly combination.
Go Blue
Reading your analysis of the awful MSU loss is therapeutic. Keep doing what you are doing..even keeled empirical analysis. Engineering and Law put together tells me you have a formidable intellect and your writing bears it out.
the sky is not falling.
Harbaugh and staff are good at what they do.
We will bounce back against Indiana.
I suspect either Hamilton or Drevno will be gone next year for one reason or another...maybe one too many cooks in the offensive kitchen IMHO.
Go Blue!
Excellent GIF.
EZ like Sunday morning here in ole Sydneytown.
Good to know there are other Michigan fans here in Sydney.
Go Blue!
MSU will play out of their minds and weather will make passing and FG kicking difficult.
Wolverine D will eek out an ugly, hard fought victory.
I like our chances against Penn State at Happy Valley.
I predict our D will knock McSorley out of the game and neutralize Barkely.
Offense will score just enough to win.
Just an observation. Lockeroom video footage post Purdue game. When Coach Harbaugh was congratulating each player, Peters body language was limp and he stared at his feet.
Signal that there is trouble in river city.
If I was a betting man, I would say the probability of Peters transfering next year is >0.5.
Missing Jed Fisch in first 3 games. Passing attack seems unimaginative.
Must figure a way to get tight ends more into passing game. Also, get the Hammering Panda involved in pass game near goal line.
Do this and you defeat Purdue by a comfortable margin.
Do it not and you are on upset alert.
Don Brown=Football
Coach Harbaugh has a mile-wide grin knowing Coach Brown is helming the D.
Best interview on the staff: bar none. Although Zordich gives him a run now and again.
Coach Harbaugh is the epitome of a head football coach and we are damn lucky to have him in Ann Arbor.
He coaches his men up and rarely disparages them publicly.
He has a deep reservoir of football knowledge and psychology to draw upon. Can relate to young men and is a great teacher and motivator. Great ambassador of the game and lover of life. Coach can get salty from time to time...that's OK....he's just thinking about the next opponent and how the TEAM can get better.
It is great to be a Michigan Wolverine.
Devin Bush Jr. is the fastest backer we've had since Ian Gold.
He is better than Gold. Smarter.
Michigan's ranking will mean something after Penn State game on Oct 21st.
Polls are generally just fancy conversation pieces until then.
....not that there's anything wrong with that.
Correct, Sir!
On to Purdue! Go Blue!
Michigan Football does a good job acknowledging the US Military and honoring Vets.
We should never stop showing our gratitude and admiration for the people who don the uniform of our military service branches.
Go Blue and God Bless America!