Bill Connelly Previews Michigan
Bill Connelly over at SB Nation does a offseason preview series where he does a write-up on every single D1 team and today he reached Michigan.
He does a lot of stuff with stats, including work on creating FEI and S&P+ (which Brian references with some frequency), so the preview is focused a lot on Michigan's statistical profile and the range of outcomes that suggests for next year. Nothing groundbreaking here, but it's always an enjoyable offseason read.
If you believe the allegations, he proved his unworthiness in the early to mid-90s. Plus, I'd rather have Harbaugh now than complaining about his Les Miles' QB recruits, stagnant offenses and Okie State recruiting allegations for the past seven years.
I don't believe the allegations. And even if they were true, that he slept with Mo's wife, so what? That's on her for betraying her husband, Les wasn't married to Mo. Are you really comfortable with that sort of morals test?
Sure, if we had hired Les back in 2008, Harbaugh wouldn't be here now. And why is that? Because Michigan would have been kicking ass and winning NC's over the past 7 seasons instead of getting our asses kicked all the time.
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he's only played for two NC's and won one. Clearly only an average coach.
You need more examples? Few believe in Miles' "greatness" for sound reasons
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He came in at the worst possible time, following the Rodriguez debacle. That hurt the program more than anything. He left things for Harbaugh in a pretty good place to move forward.
That includes coming up just short @TCU, the year they finished 13-0 and #2 in both polls, w/ the score being 38-34.
Not saying Brady's a great coach or UM shoulda kept him, but it's unfair and makes little sense when people knock him about a .500 record. His first two gigs were massive rebuilding jobs; both Ball St and SDSU were absolutely miserable programs when Hoke took over them.
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can you imagine the hype next offseason if Michigan gets some close-game fortune and goes 10-2 out of the gates...
And that's exactly what is going to happen. At least there will be fewer apparel threads next spring.
I think everybody starts thinking that 10-2 will be the floor for this season. Gameday will start making plans to be in A2 for the Sparty game and talking heads will look at the favorable home schedule and wonder out loud if Michigan can run the table at home and win their most difficult road B1G game (likely at PSU).
I don't know, man. We'd beat ND every year and one of our quarterbacks would win the September Heisman. Not sure Utah will give us the same juice. But its worth a shot.
[delete. double post. very sorry.]
"No they aren't Addidas would have made them better by adding Zubas Camo designs"
I lean more towards significant improvement but that might be my homer optimism creeping in.
I still think if we struggle at all it will be early, but by mid to late season we will be a lean mean Buckeye crushing machine! I bet we lose to a Utah or similar early and by a close score but end up smashing Ohio State into little a fine pie ingredient resembling either topping or crust - more like crust because there will be nothing sweet about it except winning and putting them where they belong, back on the bottom.
Not little a fine
:(
is unlikely considering OSU is the #1 team in the country to begin the season and returns just about everybody from their NC title team.
by a score of 42-28? They lost by 2 TDs and OSU offense just had their way against Michigan defense all game long.
One of OSU's later TD's was a defensive touchdown and OSU's offense did not have their way against the UM defense all game long. In fact, the score was 14-7 late in the second quarter. OSU tied it up right before the half.
might want to have a conversation with you.
I wasn't around to know how impressive they looked in those wins, but they finished the season in the Top 15. They were in the top 5 with a Rose Bowl bid on the line when they got blasted by OSU. Not quite the same as this year's team.
but if you put any stock in recruiting rankings, the potential talent for this coaching staff to mold is there. I'm not sure how Hoke did it, but each year under Hoke UM competed with OSU. Despite OSU only losing something like 3 games in Urban's tenure so far, UM's lost the 3 OSU games by 5, 1 and 14 points.
Not saying we will beat OSU next year, but it's not a foregone conclusion that we lose.
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The quote above makes this write-up invalid. Exactly what about Hoke's previous history implied he would work out? At best it implied he would be an average coach. This quote makes sense for Rich Rod though.
In all seriousness I enjoyed the read.
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He had one 9 win season at SDSU and one 4 win season.
In his eight years as a head coach prior to coming to Michigan, he had two seasons of 9+ wins. In his four years as head coach at Michigan, he had one season of 9+ wins.
I do think Michigan's special teams will be surprisingly good in 2015 because of coach Baxter and dare I say, Jabrill Peppers.
There should be a lot of "The man punted......Baxter!!!"
He would not have been the Michigan coach. But I'm glad things played out as they did since we got Harbaugh! The coach I wanted since RR was hired. I think during the '07/'08 coaching search I had 1.) Harbaugh and 2.) Miles. I think Miles would have turned the program around and we would be competing for the B1G championship game. However, Harbaugh will give us our best chance of making the playoffs and winning NC! It may take 3 or 4 years before we are at Harbaugh type greatness!