BCS Win=Positive Offseason

Submitted by snakedog on

BCS Champs! Seems like an appropriate time for my first mgoblog post. Drink up and:

(EDIT: Thanks to mgouser Logan with a very true statement: "Hail>Cheers.")

Hail Cheers to using the hype and closing the class with Garnett, Wright, Arnett?, then best available from Reeves, Grant, Perkins, Diamond.

Hail Cheers for when Ondre will be named the top performer in the in the Army Game this Sat. as well as to the other UM Army All American commits, Magnuson, Kalis, Royce, and Ross being close seconds.

Hail Cheers to Joe Bolden and Terry Rich. having a a standout Under Armour All American Game tmrw.

Also, hail cheers to rival rating increases, because while ratings and stars don't really matter, nobody dislikes moar' stars.

Hail Cheers to the "process."

Hail Cheers to the defense.

Hail Cheers to freshman and others steping up when called upon.

Hail Cheers to another year for Denard Robinson in a more familar system. Cheers to all those returning next fall.

Hail Cheers to the seniors.

Hail Cheers to the seniors.

Hail Cheers to the team.

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Mr. Yost

January 4th, 2012 at 1:12 AM ^

People will forget how ugly the actual game was. If anything, it'll allow coaches to say "Yuri, did you see our pass defense? We won, but we need you."

I also think it'll be easy for this team not to get too high...let's face it, they played one of their 3 worst games of the year. However we won, so it leaves a good taste in our mouths, but still a lot of room for improvement.

My two worries are as follows...

#1 Did Va Tech just give Alabama a blueprint for the opening game of next year?

#2 This was an exHAUSTing year. I mean think about it, from the coach search, to our guys putting every last bit of themselves plus any extra they could scrape together to have this year. Are we going to be able to do it again? I mean no team, I mean NO team in the country has gone through what this team did and they always had motivation and senior with something to prove. After this win, it's like "ahhhhhh"...how does that affect us going into next year?

Joined: 07/25/2011

MGoPoints: -9898220

Mr. Yost

January 4th, 2012 at 1:43 AM ^

However, at the same time...I don't think it's out of the question to not have those 2 thoughts. We can't just roll around like our shit doesn't stink. Maybe for a week or so...but those Spartans and Buckeyes aren't gonna just roll over (just their ugly women). We have to come back with the same effort, if not more next year.

Joined: 07/25/2011

MGoPoints: -9898220

EGD

January 4th, 2012 at 1:55 AM ^

It's not like Virginia Tech's scheme was anything unexpected.  They ganged up on the run and counted on their secondary to shut down our receivers in man coverage--which they pretty much did, except for the two Hemingway jump-balls.  

For Michigan to move the ball against elite defenses next season, we are going to have to force opponents to respect our deep passing game.  I think that is less of a scheme issue and more of an execution issue.  It will require Denard to become more consistent in his reads and  throws, and for new receiving threats to emerge--but there is plenty of time for that to all happen.  

Joined: 09/16/2009

MGoPoints: 35199

Mr. Yost

January 4th, 2012 at 11:56 AM ^

Denard predetermines his reads SOOOOOO much. I mean he never checks at the line. I almost wish we went back to the slower version of the no huddle, get to the line, look to the sideline for a check...run the play.

It's like Denard never reads blitzes that all of us can see, and when he does, he plays right into them. Another thing, on the option, he's afraid to pitch, especially when going left. Even last night, it was a speed option and he didnt even LOOK to pitch the ball.

Joined: 07/25/2011

MGoPoints: -9898220

French West Indian

January 4th, 2012 at 8:49 AM ^

...the premise that a "BCS win=Positive Offseason".  Was it not just a year ago that Ohio State was celebrating a BCS win and didn't their offseason go down hill rather fast?

Likewise, we had a pretty horrific bowl game last year and the offseason turned out really good.

Bowl wins are nice, but I don't see a direct correlation to many of the factors that can influence the overall state of the program.  Even so, Hail to the Victors!

Joined: 12/28/2011

MGoPoints: 1840

snakedog

January 4th, 2012 at 9:15 AM ^

Oh ... cool.

Fact: BCS Bowl wins help the state of a program.

Sure, there have been almost hundreds of situations like the ones you have mentioned, sure you can say the bowl games don't mean squat, which they really don't, and that there should be a playoff.

But Brady Hoke does things the right way, and under the current college football structure, the goal is to win BCS Bowl games, we did that this year, in a "transition" year, and that is good for the program and will hopefully translate into a positive off season (ie: recruits, returners working harder, system familiarity etc...)

Forgive me for thinking positive. Hail.

Joined: 05/20/2011

MGoPoints: 144

jmblue

January 4th, 2012 at 12:03 PM ^

In a way this is ideal for the program going forward.  We won, which obviously is the most important thing, but we did it in a way that should not lead to complacency.  The game doesn't mask what we were.  We weren't a great team.  We were a good team, with some significant flaws, that reached its ceiling at 11-2.  To become a truly great team, we still have a lot of work to do.  There were a lot of "teachable moments"  in this game (for both the players and staff). 

Joined: 11/07/2008

MGoPoints: 102835