Baumgardner article on Harbaugh's playbook
First attempt at embedding Freep video above...thought this article was an interesting read
"Michigan continues to expand packages and personnel groupings as the season moves forward, the opposite of what happened a year ago. Last season, as Michigan's quarterback play plummeted and the offensive line continued to struggle, Harbaugh was forced to remove layer after layer through October and November. This season, though, Michigan continues to add small tweaks to pre-established looks every week. The Wolverines have already done a few things off of Ambry Thomas' jet motion series. Michigan's introducing more and more with Mason. We've seen some zone-read out of a variety of different looks. Layers in Harbaugh's offense are often subtle. But they can be effective."
Source: Detroit Free Press, 10/8/18, Nick Baumgardner
October 8th, 2018 at 8:12 AM ^
Just last week Baumgartner was railing on Harbaugh for a lack of offensive flash. Fuck him, I'm tired of his drivel. He's probably the most knowledgeable writer in town, but he attacks UM from every angle in subtle, passive aggressive fashion - until its obvious he should jump on board. He could have written this column last week, with the few twists to some base plays, but he didn't. He waited until it was overtly obvious.
October 8th, 2018 at 8:39 AM ^
He mentioned what he wrote about this week during his podcast last week and I think you're being unfair..
His point has always been that the offense is likely too complicated for college and takes too much time to absorb, so when you have to restrict it, it becomes predictable and boring. This is a fair criticism, but one that will lose it's bite if we can avoid another youth apocalypse like last years.
October 8th, 2018 at 10:50 AM ^
Yeah he was saying you have to be majority upper class men like 2016 to have his offense really be effective IIRC.
Hopefully the depth is there now so it can keep rolling in the coming years.
October 8th, 2018 at 4:17 PM ^
"The more upper class-men starters you have the more effective your offense will be." That's a "no shit" if I've ever heard one.
October 8th, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^
Too complicated for college...WTF? Its not like Harbaugh hasn't successfully coached at this level. He knows what he's doing and he knows it a bazillion times more than this guy...
Taking last year as a example of his ability to effectively coach offense is absolute BS...when you are dealing with major injury and youth issues at QB, Oline AND WR you are likely to struggle no matter what offense you run.
This guy doesn't know shit...except how to bank off of Harbaugh to get clicks.
October 8th, 2018 at 1:44 PM ^
His point is that everything has to work perfectly for the offense to work and there is little to no margin for error, something that gets brought up here time and time again. This is not exactly controversial.
The offense can work, but it has to have a bunch of experienced, intelligent players to make it work. The pieces are here at Michigan, but it's a train you have to keep going and it can easily get broken down.
Also LAST YEAR HAPPENED and is a data point about the offense, you don't get to pretend it away.
October 8th, 2018 at 1:48 PM ^
The idea that spread and/or “college” offenses don’t have to execute is ludicrous.
October 9th, 2018 at 6:11 PM ^
And Harbaugh has been a successful HC for more than one bad O season..you and your buddy don't get to pretend that away.
And, no you don't need a bunch of seasoned vets to make his O work...just need a competent Oline and a non-broken QB. Which is the case for any offensive system.
October 8th, 2018 at 2:35 PM ^
I'm sure that's an argument he's making, but is it really that more complicated than other offenses? I think it asks a bit more of the QB and the linemen than, say, a rudimentary run-based spread system, but we never say "that defense looks too complicated" for college players when they're tasked with responding to what an offense is doing. To me, complaints about the difficulty of the offense come from a feeling that other people make their offenses look easier, which (a) might not be true, and (b) is sort of irrelevant. Michigan struggled last year not because they couldn't run Harbaugh's offense, but because they couldn't really block anyone in any offense, which led to their QBs getting destroyed.
October 8th, 2018 at 8:06 PM ^
So on the one hand you ask if it is really more complicated than other offenses and on the other you say it asks more of the QB and the O-Line. So which is it?
There are layers to the offense and it takes an awful lot going right for it to work and when you're not sure if everyone can make everything happen you have to strip it down to the basics which means it becomes boring, I'm not sure why this is so offensive or hard to grasp.
October 8th, 2018 at 8:53 AM ^
I'm with you, but he's a marketer and just trying to write stuff that will get clicked on.
I think he also wrote about Michigan's trouble on Defense in the 4th Quarter of the Maryland game. Lol (but I bet you Sparty and OSU fans will read the headline and send the link to their friends)!
October 8th, 2018 at 9:33 AM ^
I dont get everyone that says our offense was bad last year because Harbaugh wants to run some crazy type of offense. Harbaugh just runs a pro style multiple formation offense, its not complicated, but it takes some experience and ability to run it. We had true freshmen receivers and backup quarterbacks for most of last year of course well be able to do more this year.
October 8th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
I'm with you, but he's a marketer and just trying to write stuff that will get clicked on.
That's what all writers have to do nowadays.
October 8th, 2018 at 10:58 AM ^
That's what all writers have had to do since time immemorial.
October 8th, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^
There's an article over at Maizenbrew complaining about the lack of cohesiveness to the offense, that it's just a grab bag of crap that thankfully some of is working.
I don't really agree. This is a run first team with primarily man blocking working in some wrinkles. Whether it's out of shotgun, pistol, or under center, most of the play selection is similar in basic concept. I would not have said this offense looks disjointed and lacks identity.
October 8th, 2018 at 12:47 PM ^
Was going to say the same exact thing. It's lazy writing by a guy who should be better than that, though really for a year plus now it feels like he's been infected by the "traditional" media narrative machine that is barely attached to reality.
Hell, the title for this grading column was "Michigan's fourth-quarter defensive struggles mar otherwise solid day", then spends the entire time saying they were largely irrelevant drives.
October 8th, 2018 at 1:04 PM ^
The authors of articles don't pick the titles. That's directly done by editors.
October 8th, 2018 at 2:38 PM ^
I hear this all the time, and yet rarely is the title too effusive for the article's content. And I'd be surprised if the title isn't run by the author of the piece just to be sure; it's not like "hey, can you look at this title for a second" would be some insurmountable task for a team.
October 8th, 2018 at 4:02 PM ^
You know this article was a compliment right? And last weeks was way more nuanced than you say--way more
October 8th, 2018 at 5:50 PM ^
You can have both a lack of flash and continue to add layers to already established looks. Calm your tits there, Francis.
October 8th, 2018 at 8:15 AM ^
Hilarious. You quoted the whole FREEP article. You obviously haven’t been here long. You are one brave obtuse individual.
October 8th, 2018 at 8:27 AM ^
Feel free to neg away my friend...I, for one, thought this was a good read
October 8th, 2018 at 8:43 AM ^
Lol. No disrespect meant at all. Like I said around these parts I assumed that we actually were navigating around posting that publication. It actually means nothing to me. I was actually joking. And around here sometimes you must actually use the /s button because with all of the mental heavyweights in here who doesn’t know what obtuse is? I was just pulling your chain. Furthermore, you’re way more talented than I am. Due to the simple task of posting any video in the new format is something I haven’t been brave enough to try. Nice post and Go Blue!
October 8th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^
Lol. Actually.
October 8th, 2018 at 4:34 PM ^
BoCan
It's very, very hard to tell if you're joking, or are a redneck. Make clarifications, like adding a wink eye after your jokes. It helps for your image.
October 8th, 2018 at 9:42 AM ^
Good read, or not, a better point to make than what BoCan attempted is to not post the entire article. Journalists (business', whatever) have a right to their copyrighted material. It's better to quote some specific lines out of the story, and let readers follow the link if they want to read the whole thing.
Most (all?) of the assholes involved with the stretchgate hit piece are now gone. Hate the Freep for employing idiots and espousing the virtues of horrible 'journalism', but give them the clicks their money paid for (if someone thinks it's worthy).
October 8th, 2018 at 10:01 AM ^
You think the paragraph I posted was the whole article?
I see a credited source, a link and a sample....
October 8th, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^
Lol. A better point. Says who? I love this blog. There’s nothing wrong with believing your point is better than anyone else’s in the world because it’s a normal human response to believe,”you’re” right and everyone else is wrong. There’s no judge to justify nor quantify that. However, I’m happy your point is the very best one out there.
October 8th, 2018 at 11:48 AM ^
"There’s nothing wrong with believing your point is better than anyone else’s in the world"
He said nothing of the sort. He simply pointed out that your assertion that he posted the entire Freep article was obviously wrong.
And your response is a bizarre word salad attempting a weird appeal to factual relativism.
October 8th, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^
Hitler agrees.
October 8th, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^
An even better point to make would be to actually read the article before assuming he copied and pasted the entire thing vs. a selection.
October 8th, 2018 at 8:15 AM ^
Nick’s singing a different tune already
October 8th, 2018 at 11:19 AM ^
He's getting ready to write the a new "offensive line improvement has been impressive" every week for the next month...
October 8th, 2018 at 8:16 AM ^
I'll bet it drives the Freep nuts having to run positive stories about Michigan.
October 8th, 2018 at 8:30 AM ^
So they never really run positives about us because of course they’re biased but for some reason we have or had a sort of undisclosed rule to absolutely not post the FREEP at one point and time. I myself refuse to patronize them because most things that had read in the past was skewed towards love for Sparty! I refuse to read that pile of steamy you know what!
October 8th, 2018 at 8:29 AM ^
This might be a hard time for Nick. Michigan is trumping Michigan State in absolutely everything again.
October 8th, 2018 at 9:12 AM ^
I don't think we can definitively say that until after we've beaten them on the field this year.
October 8th, 2018 at 9:28 AM ^
Yeah, every game that Michigan State loses or is otherwise unremarkable only makes me more uncomfortable. It is not just a meaningless joke when people say the "chip on their shoulders" thing about Michigan State. When it comes to Michigan, MSU runs on #disrespekt like a car runs on gasoline. One more loss to PSU and Mack Dontanzia will have that team right where he wants them going into Michigan week.
October 8th, 2018 at 9:32 AM ^
In the weeds...angry and waiting
October 8th, 2018 at 8:33 AM ^
Screw this guy! Last week he was criticizing Harbaugh's offense and now Harbaugh is a genius. What is it going to be next week?
Shit is all clickbait based on the score of the game
October 8th, 2018 at 10:33 AM ^
Lol. He changes weekly but he’s the best best writer we have. Wow! Opinions you know how those come and go! Journalists have to at least try.
October 8th, 2018 at 10:53 AM ^
This was the closest thing to what a Michigan football beat writer should be writing in a long time. However, he remains a POS Spartan homer who should not be in the position he is. The only reason he could bring himself to writing this piece is because his beloved and otherwise pathological Spartans got rolled at home by the team Michigan beat at their place the week before. I was still surprised that he managed to be complimentary...and I will continue to, pretty much, boycott his disgusting tenor.
October 8th, 2018 at 11:08 AM ^
Calm down
October 8th, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
He's come a long way from his days at MLive when he would use MGoBlog for inspiration, source material, and analysis.
October 8th, 2018 at 8:47 AM ^
Yes, but what do Marcus Ray and Braylon Edwards think?
I’m assuming we have regressed to Pioneer HS levels according to those bafoons.
Lers win the big games going forward boys and shut up the media including our own turn coats once and for all!
October 8th, 2018 at 9:15 AM ^
Not that coaches read this shit but At times they must shake their heads at how they are “analyzed” by our media. And by how the general public insults their intelligence on a regular basis.
Guys like Jim Harbaugh forget more about football in a day than we will ever know. I hope this team continues to improve because I always love watching people hop back on the wagon.
Glass half full until proven otherwise!
October 8th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
I know this is true but there are times when I have to remind myself of it. Like when Bench Mason is offset in the backfield, denying him the momentum to run through the defender.
October 8th, 2018 at 9:20 AM ^
Idk why people in this thread are so upset by this. Baumgardner is right and seems to be echoing what a lot of fans and people on this blog have been saying. People were upset by his playcalling and now Harbaugh is expanding his plays with some more creativity and Baumgartner is complimenting him on that
October 8th, 2018 at 9:33 AM ^
I think most people, if they were watching carefully, saw last week that the offense was evolving, fairly rapidly. We got into a situation against Northwestern where we had absolutely no margin for error in terms of turnovers or unforeseen variables, so Harbaugh rightfully turtled in the second half and made sure we came away with some kind of points whenever we got the ball into the redzone. It turned out to be mastercraft coaching because we had no turnovers, snuck out of there with a win, and didn't have to show much (aside from the diamond package) to do it. But the pieces of the offense were coming into focus and it was evident. I think most people just thought last weeks article was an obvious overreaction to what was a pretty obvious circumstance.
October 8th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
I agree, it looked like we had Patterson throwing alot more on first downs also. Were relying less on run run run and are looking more balanced on offense.