wtka roundtable
2020 indiana
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WTKA Roundtable 11/12/2020: A Gym, A Room, and Some Food Comment Count

Seth November 12th, 2020 at 11:10 AM

Things discussed:

  • Basketball recruiting: We love Frankie Collins trying to dunk on Chet Holmgren. We love 5-stars.
  • First come first served: when Houstan committed Chet gave them a call.
  • Juwan Howard has a Villanova model going: Tschetter and Barnes and Collins and Bufkin to grow and Houstans and Diabates to win now.
  • Craig discusses 1950s pro wrestling, which we don't know why this is good news, but it's not talking about football.
  • Offense vs Indiana: GO TO THE EDGES? Joe Milton: fine. Michigan doesn't know who they are anymore. Why is Honigford at tight end not tackle. Where are the reads? Why are you taking Mason off the table? RUN THE QUARTERBACK! SCREEN!
  • Ronnie Bell's breakout: repeatable?
  • Defense vs Indiana: Everything comes back to they can't cover Man. Guys are at least in position to contest but they don't play the ball well, intercept, take advantage of their positioning.
  • Wisconsin: Who's getting off the bus? Graham Mertz?
  • Wisconsin defense: Gonna bring guys and not let you run. Weakness in the secondary can be exploited but it won't be because we don't scout our opponents.

[Hit the JUMP for the player, and video and stuff]

You can catch the entire episode on Michigan Insider's podcast stream.

Segment two is here. And you can watch the recording here:

THE USUAL LINKS

The difference with Diabate is he's low-maintenance.

Comments

Don

November 12th, 2020 at 3:24 PM ^

Disappointed they didn't address the persistent message board rumor that Harbaugh is in some way interfering with—or outright usurping—Gattis's authority in play calling.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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MGlobules

November 12th, 2020 at 4:32 PM ^

To me the interior logic of that rumor just doesn't hold up: Harbaugh hires a guy to run an inspired spread offense, finds (we are told) inspired ways to merge the best of his own former play-calling with it. . . and then undermines Gattis by making him run the ball up the middle? Over-ruling him? For two years running? What am I missing? 

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 47653

blueheron

November 12th, 2020 at 7:03 PM ^

Perhaps he views Gattis as a high-priced consultant.

Harbaugh undermining Gattis sounds crazy, but I can't think of a reasonable explanation for what they're doing on offense. Harbaugh is a devotee of the Schembechler faith: You have to keep running up the middle until you've "established the run." Then, you can start passing.

Joined: 03/26/2009

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andrewgr

November 12th, 2020 at 9:24 PM ^

Why do you reject the hypothesis that this is just the way Gattis calls games at this point in his career?  He never had play-calling responsibilities at any point in his career before coming to Michigan.  He was passed over for OC when he was on staff at Penn State, when the position came open.  Then he was passed over for OC when he was on staff at Alabama, when the position came open.  So the coaches that knew him best and worked with him every day didn't think he was ready, or at least wasn't the best choice.

I love the way he says, "Speed in space" over and over again, and I love some of the plays he's installed-- but literally anyone can say the words "Speed in space", and we have no way of knowing which (if any) of the plays that look innovative are actually his, versus ones he's just picked up from OCs he's worked with in the past.

I just don't get the assumption that he's a fast-paced, pressure-the-defense, get-his-skill-players-the-ball-in-space OC.  I mean, I get thinking he's probably that way, given that he talks that way.  But as my 8th grade teacher Mr. Kotlinski used to say, "Talk is cheap, whiskey costs money".  I'm not saying Harbaugh isn't interfering; all I'm saying is, it also seems plausible to me that Gattis is just not ready to be an OC at this level.

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Mpfnfu Ford

November 13th, 2020 at 2:33 PM ^

He's coached for Joe Moorhead and for Mike Locksley. This offense looks 0% like those offenses. It does look a lot like offenses Harbaugh's had here at Michigan. This is a very simple inference. 

When you add in that Gattis would be the first OC Harbaugh has ever had that fully had the keys to drive the offense without Harbaugh having playcalling duties, it's more clear that those reports about who was going to be in charge when Josh was hired are bunk. I don't believe Gattis has done a 180 from every offense he's ever been involved in and that Harbaugh is deferring 100% to an OC for playcalling for the first time in his career. There's too much of a leap there.

Joined: 05/19/2012

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UofM Die Hard …

November 12th, 2020 at 6:12 PM ^

HAHA Brians face is so priceless when Craig is talking...he is literally biting his lip to stop from busting out in laughter 

God this was a needed rountable...nice and light (ish) 


Bball is going to be really fun

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