Coach Nussmeier ... Offensive Perspective
Like a huge number of Michigan fans accross the world, the announcement of Doug Nussmeier gave me true confidence that our offense would never again ever wear a "27 for 27" tag. And while we haven't sunk to that level (as of today), I think we are collectively at a loss why the offense hasn't shown really any spark in 2014.
When it was announced that Coach Nuss would be on the sidelines during the games, I initially thought that was odd, but agreed with the notion that this would give him direct contact with whoever he needed to talk with to straighten out those "occasional" miscues. We are 1 game shy of the first half of the regular season, and in my mind I am seriously questioning Coach Nuss remaining on the sidelines.
Anyone ever sat in the first 10 rows at Michigan Stadium? Awesome experience, you can "feel" the game ... as long as the game is right in front of you. When the play is at either end - you typically watch the snap, then gaze up at the jumbo-tron to actually see the play - which sucks because the real advatage of being in the stadium is that you see the entire field, not just what the TV director shows America.
Again, maybe it's just me - but I believe its time for Coach Nuss to go upstairs into the booth. It's a totally different perspective. There is no way he can see how the opposing secondary is responding to our shifts, man in motion, or even passing route coverages from the sideline. How about blitz packages? There is a reason the vast majority of OC's are doing their job from the pressbox. Something needs to change ... and perhaps Coach Nussmeier's move upstairs will give him a new view of what needs to change.
Go Blue!
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:48 PM ^
Firing the offensive staff isn't up to Nuss. That's Hoke. Nuss can make recommendations but the person who does the hiring and firing of positions coaches is the head coach.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:11 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^
Well I guess this was only a matter of time. When Borges was up in the booth last year people picked on that as a reason for Devin's mistakes and complained that he needed to be on the sideline to "coach up" the players and communicate with the QBs in real-time.
Nussmeier has plenty to answer for IMO - the offensive gameplan stinks and the offensive execution is terrible. But putting Nussmeier in the booth or forcing Hoke to wear a headset and long sleeves is not going to change either of those things.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:28 PM ^
There's something seriously wrong with this team which we see primarily with the offense. Slightly improving the playcalling would barely scratch the surface of a solution. I'm afraid the problems go well beyond Nussmeier's ability to solve, at least in one season.
I don't buy the argument that Brandon and Hoke are tying his hands, either. This is unlike Frost's situation in Oregon, where he was promoted to keep a high powered offense humming. Nussmeier was a high profile OC brought in to fix a struggling unit. It's supposed to be his last stop before becoming a head coach. It's clearly a job that requires a lot of freedom. There's no way he would have agreed to come here to be micromanaged by a defensive coach. He had enough of that at his last job. Brandon's meddling might be annoying, but it makes no sense that he's capable of dictating the offensive gameplans. If Nussmeier allows that, I blame him even more than Brandon.
October 2nd, 2014 at 9:51 PM ^
The leader of the offense and by far the most important player, except in the most unusual of occasions is the QB. And our QB is best suited for a read option offense. AND, with a young, still developing O-line, it would make sense to scheme some of the defenders out of the box, since we tend to not execute a high number of blocks all at once with great regularity.
BUT NO. We have to go into full "square f-ing peg in a round hole mode" and run man-ball because coaches don't have to think so hard then. We saw Borges try and turn Denard into Tom Brady, then Devin, and now we have the Nuss doing it. And therein lies the answer to why we lose to less talented teams. Our coaches are a net subtraction from overall team talent, and all the opposition staff has to be is a neutral influence to come out ahead. Total BS
October 2nd, 2014 at 10:45 PM ^
the Nuss-O. Well Done, by Indiana Blue.
The comments toward OLC-Funk IS, where a lot of this ends-up I think, when one starts Burrowing-Down from Brandon-Hoke, to Nuss and Booth N Stuff, down into The Weeds of OL-Play.
This is where I end-up periodically. Since LY too. The problem is-- you have TWO-staff looking closely at OL-play. BOTH Hoke and Funk. And my guess is-- they are both Competent at this. All that OL-Technique Stuff, in The Weeds.
So-- if largely true, and you pull yourself out of the OL-Play Weeds, and climb your way Back-UP the ladder to OC, you are back to the Nuss-O and PlayCall-Types and PlayCall Sequencing.
Anyway-- the above is where The Environment is. Not-- Brandon This and Brandon That
October 2nd, 2014 at 11:18 PM ^
one oddity within all The Weed-Stuff of OL-Play, is the Hoke-Funk decision to start TRUE Freshman Mason Cole at LT.
This is really IN-credible. And most reports indicate, hes doing Very Well.
So-- here you have an Extra-ordinary case of Hoke-Funk Judgment . . .