Fair and balanced complaining about the coaching

Dude... the two threads before this address exactly what you are talking about.

Here's a quick summary of the past three threads, in case anyone cares to save themselves time and breath:

Yes, the problems from this team stem from not having enough bodies on defense.  However, RR and GERG should probaby have the team performing better than they are.  At some time someone has to take the blame for this.  If we continue to lose (and god forbid lose the remainder of our games), someone will likely have to fall on the sword.

End of story.

Moderator...

Bueller...Bueller...Bueller...

Please save us from ourselves until Tuesday.

I agree that the coaching has left some things to be desired, but you go too far.  I still think that overall RR is a good decision maker.  Don't tell me that you make 100% correct decision bc nobody does.  The key is to make more good decisions than bad decisions and I think RR is far on the good decision side of things.

One thing I will say is that the special teams is atrocious and that is on RR.  It might be time to get a coach for that part of the game bc we wont be able to pull through in winnable upsets anytime soon when it cant make field goals and gives up 150 yards of field position.

This is year three under RR and the defense is getting worse.  I know the defense is young but this is the third year and all UM can come up with in the secondary is a bunch of receivers turned DB and a walk on.   UM could finish at the bottom of the Big Ten again if something doens't change.  I don't see much acccountability from the staff.  Why is the DB coach still with this team?   He has done nothing in three years.

I couldn't disagree more with the OP's argument(s). The coaches put players in the right position to succeed. We have young players who make mental mistakes. Do you not recognize that the team is young and thats why they continue to make mistakes? How is this putting our fingers in our ears and ignoring things? We are just realistic as to why this team is not all that great yet. Crazy fans like you who blame everything on the coaches are just expecting too much.

Why do you place the blame on the coaches? Your examples of coaching failures are really not coaching errors at all. Running Vincent Smith on a short yardage situation is an example of a coaching error in your mind? Hopkins had run several plays before that, perhaps he was tired on the third down. Vincent Smith has picked up a few first downs on short yardage plays. If you don't agree with it that's one thing but it's not an error.

Robinson had nearly 100 yards rushing in the first half, how is it that you are claiming Rich Rod tried to prove he could use him as a drop back passer? Iowa barely ever gives up 100 yards rushing in one game let alone one half. Maybe you weren't paying attention at all to what really was going on or maybe you are looking for reasons to complain about the coaches rather than look at the facts.

The man can coach, he has turned this into an offensive machine. We had 500 yards against one of the better defenses every year in the Big Ten. The reason we do well on offense is because we have more depth and experience. This is simply a fact. Why must it be on the coaches when young players commit turnovers or penalties. Young players do this consistently on any team with any coach. It just so happens we have more young players playing than most teams and errors are common when there is so few players with game experience.

I do not see teams making better second half adjustments than Rich Rod. Name some examples. Iowa did not outplay Michigan in the second half. Michigan easily won the second half of that football game and it wasn't even close really. A few missed tackles and turnovers caused the loss. I do not blame that on the coaches and no one who knows anything about football would. Coaches can teach them to make smart decisions but players have to step up and make smart decisions in the games. I see a very disciplined team on the field so I see blaming the coaches as lunacy.

If we had an undisciplined team then I could see why some people would start pointing to coaching but Rich Rod has consistently shown that the players respect his teaching and they play about as poised as you can expect for kids who have such little game experience. Did you expect Denard to just go through the entire year without turnovers? Most of the interceptions thrown were not being put in bad positions by the coaches. Robinson had two sure touchdowns against MSU that were set up by proper playcalling, he simply missed the throws. It's on the players, don't kid yourself!

I think the coaches continue to put players in position to succeed. However, I do blame RR for Tate's second INT. Late in the game, and Tate had just been sacked, and you're about to face a 3rd and 19. You have to call a timeout there and set up two plays. The 3rd down play needs to either make 4th down manageable or pick up the first down. At that point in the game, you have a true sophomore QB that is seeing action in his SECOND game. Call a timeout, stop the clock and make sure everyone is on the same page. That is my only gripe. I'd also like to say that I loved seeing Demens out there. Khoury also played a great game in a tough situation. The coaches prepared him well.

I have opinions on what should be done at Michigan; everybody does.  Right now, I think Forcier and Denard should both play in every game.  Others think RR should do this, that, etc.  But the major difference between my opinion and those who whine is that I am not under the illusion that I could walk into the Big House and coach that football team.

From the tone of so many of the anti-RR whiners over the last few years, it's as if many of them seem to think they could do a better job than RR, just by fixing some "obvious" problems.  Sadly, it doesn't work that way.  When you get a coach, you get his entire philosophy.  In other words, you have to be "all in,"

It's easy to say, "well, Saban does this," or "Urban Meyer does that," or " why can't they run trick plays like Chris Peterson," or "why can't they coach defense like [fill in the blank], but nobody does all of those things.  Everyone has their own system, and all systems have their flaws. 

I think it's great that we all have our opinions.  I also think that we, and I am not excluding myself from the word, can take our own opinions a little too seriously sometimes. 

There is a lot of season left.  I am guessing that my distaste for Sparty caused me to underrate MSU a bit.  Iowa was projected to be a top ten team by many, also.  I see no shame in losing to either team, and think that PSU, Illinois, and Purdue are a definite level below those teams.  I still think beating all three is possible.   

So, I'm not giving up on this season yet.  And don't expect me to visit any "fire RR" websites anytime in the next two years.

OP, you state: the last two weeks he has asked Robinson to prove to everyone he can drop back and pass.  

This analysis is beyond ridiculous. Perhaps the nature of the defensive fronts/coverages of the Little Brother and Iowa have had something to do with Denard's reads. But no, apparently RichRod has asked him to prove to everyone he can drop back and pass?

OP: I have to admit that although I often disagree with you, most of this post is pretty accurate.  Rodriguez has made several questionable coaching decisions/errors just in the past couple weeks.

I actually think he's done a pretty good job in the media, though.  I mean, he's made a couple poor statements, but what coach is perfect in that area?  Even stodgy, classy Lloyd Carr had his slip-ups (for example, "Why would you ask such a stupid question?").

First off, I have been a pretty avid Rich Rod supporter from the beginning.  I'm also high on Denard.  But the Iowa game revealed coaching weaknesses that deserve criticism. 

First off, Denard standing in the pocket is not the best way to use him.  Roll him out because that's where his passing is best.  Denard does not have enough in his passing game to become a pocket passer  yet.  He may well improve in the off season, as this is only his first year starting.  But for now, the roll outs are the best option because even if nothing's there Denard can run.  The fact that Denard is in the pocket is because Rich Rod feels the offense has to be perfect for us to win games.  It's time to temper expectations and just accept what you can do on offense, which is a lot, and just see what happens on defense and special teams.  No one expects an undefeated season. 

Second, running Vincent Smith, who is 5'6", 180 lbs. up the middle against 300 pounders should never happen.  Against smaller lines, you might get those running lanes, but against a line like Iowa's you have to use Hopkins, especially with Molk out.  I give the coaching staff credit for seeing how Hopkins can help them, but I fault them for running Smith up the middle.  Of all the plays on offense, that was the least effective and it stalled drives.  Now that Hopkins has shown us he can play, perhaps he should be used more as a power back like Minor and Smith can run to the outside or even be a slot receiver (he was effective with that yesterday). 

Third, sticking with Ezeh for so long when Demens was at least somewhat competant against the run, though not against the pass, is a coaching error.  If Rich Rod lets Robinson run the defense, he should have intervened sooner.  Demens was pretty solid against the run.  Iowa had 137 yards rushing, but that was on 36 attempts, for a 3.8 yards per attempt average.  Not exactly dominant, but fairly respectable against a good rushing team.  If Demens continues to be solid against the run, he would be a huge upgrade over Ezeh. 

Fourth, the penalties are the coach's responsibility.  Fundamentally sound teams like Iowa do not commit many penalties.  The offense is solid, but they have not been clean in their execution the last two games, and that needs to be resolved during the off week. 

Fifth, the kicking game is an absolute disaster and puts even more pressure on the offense.  I can't imagine how Gibbons is any worse than Broekhuizen, but blocked kicks and kicking the ball out of bounds on the kickoff twice is just disconcerting.  If low level non-BCS teams can manage decent kicking stats, I cannot see why we can't do the same.  Again, the coaches failed because the players committed unforced, fundamental errors. 

There is a lot that needs to be cleaned up.  Most of these errors, however, can be corrected in a short amount of time.  The next three games are critical.  Rich Rod must prove his ability to field a fundamentally sound team.  I am confident that he will because he has the track record to prove it.  And maybe with the way OSU played we might have a chance against them.  But I don't think any of us can withstand another meltdown. 

You lost me at "fair and balanced" which are code words for abscence of fairness and balance.