taistreetsmyhero

January 15th, 2024 at 10:46 AM ^

I know there are a lot of fans but most educated fans will recognize that this team is losing huge chunks of key contributors and has a way harder schedule. Expectations coming into last season were “this is the year.” Expectations coming into this season should be “this is a rebuilding year, but maybe we’ve reached reloading status.” 

I just don’t see any evidence to suggest fan expectations are at an all time high. 

Joined: 08/08/2012

MGoPoints: 39396

dcmaizeandblue

January 15th, 2024 at 10:47 AM ^

Who have you talked to with these expectations? Who's stupid enough to think there might not be a step back with the level of talent leaving plus a new head coach if that comes to pass? Obviously I want the team to be as good as possible but the idea that it's "unacceptable" that this coming season might not pan out is ridiculous. 

Joined: 04/01/2010

MGoPoints: 6892

FlexUM

January 15th, 2024 at 10:49 AM ^

This is true...but it is also true that I could see a world where I'd be ok with 10-2 and possibly 9-3 if it's a really strong finish that puts them in the playoff. 

College football is going to be different now. The good thing is, I won't necessarily expect, and get all spun around the axle when they lose a game. The bad thing is....cfb as we knew it is basically over (yes bit of hyperbole there). 

Michigan has the defense and pieces on offense to make the playoff next year. They need to make the playoff. Being in the playoffs most years should be an expectation...even as a low seed some years. That will help recruiting and the 12 teams that make it each year are always going to get a ton of fanfare and press. 

I also don't think it will be as easy as some make it out. But the goal next year has to be to get into the playoff. 

Joined: 11/05/2011

MGoPoints: 13574

Hensons Mobile…

January 15th, 2024 at 1:13 PM ^

Michigan fans felt entitled to winning 8 games as a floor with the occasional 10 win season, posing an actual threat to Ohio State (and periodically winning) with a few Big Ten titles to go with it and beating MSU 75% of the time.

Perhaps that's a spoiled fanbase but that was life for a long time. In the scheme of things RR and Hoke was a moderate sized blip. 7 years which included an 11-win season with a win over OSU and a Sugar Bowl.

From 2015-2019 Harbaugh basically restored the program immediately with the OSU Death Star being the only hurdle which kept us from our Big Ten goals. Not only did he finally clear that hurdle but he achieved the ultimate.

So yeah, we'll take a step back to 7 or 8 wins as long as it doesn't stay there in perpetuity. No one is ever satisfied with a 7 wins and under coach. Minnesota complains about Fleck.

Joined: 09/12/2019

MGoPoints: 49807

NeverPunt

January 15th, 2024 at 11:00 AM ^

Defense is going to be salty. with Edwards/Mullings in the backfield I think we can move the ball on offense. Just need to find somebody to toss it to the TE's once in a while and I think we can win several of those games. Washington is going to be a very different team by next year. Oregon and Texas will be tough but the D can keep us in those games. USC is...well we'll see but not worried about our offense in that game. 

OSU is always tough but their offense next year is going to be....not lights out.

Joined: 03/26/2019

MGoPoints: 41633

alum96

January 15th, 2024 at 9:02 PM ^

USC is soft as hell and lost a top 3 QB in the land. UCLA defense put them in a phone booth and smashed them to bits.  UCLA!!!!!! 

Washington lost entire offense and returns mediocre defense.  Oh and the coach.

Cmon now

Oregon OSU and Texas are legit.  those other 2 are not.

9 wins is reasonable for this elite defense as long as the QB is not a phantom running back.  Most of the teams on the schedule are a joke. Michigan walks in with 6-7 wins annually just by showing up without RR as coach.  So you are asking for .500 in all the other games.  Gosh darnit people this isnt fucking Purdue.

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82561

Mercury Hayes

January 15th, 2024 at 9:53 AM ^

We as a fan base must give him everything. We cannot be divisive like we were with RR, Hoke. This is a young coach with huge shoes to fill potentially. Everyone must be united behind him.

This includes: Ono, Warde, the Regents, the fans, alumni, former players.

I'm not worried about the current players/staff. The know Sherrone is a dawg.

Joined: 08/18/2010

MGoPoints: 9250

MichaelCarras

January 15th, 2024 at 10:48 AM ^

Here was a thread after Michigan went 10-3 and were one game from the playoff. https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/fire-harbaugh-1  That was still a very minority view at the point but was percolating. A lot of talk radio guys and Michael Spath had lots of mush brained takes.

Then there was the psychoanalyzing the next year because people couldn't comprehend that completely changing the offense after listening to fans isn't so  easy.  Turns out speed in space isn't a sure winner and has nothing to do with whatever is Harbaugh's brain.  https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/what-happened-jim-harbaugh

Then there was full on meltdown stage. https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/if-you-think-jim-harbaugh-should-be-our-head-coach-you-are-part-problem

And then came the Matt Campbell stage of free basing airplane glue https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/matt-campbell-fire-we-need-harbaugh-has-lost

 

The fans should never be listened to under any circumstance for any hiring and firing decision. The expectation for next year should be low for any coach after this year. This is how things work. You lose a lot of players and don't have a lot of 4 star+ recruits on the bench so it is back to building things back up. Combine that with a tough schedule and it isn't a recipe for a 10-2 season. Could it happen? Sure. Anything can happen. 7 to 8 wins is far more reasonable expectation.  

 

 

Joined: 01/08/2023

MGoPoints: 527

ffmpeg

January 15th, 2024 at 9:45 AM ^

No one manages to squander post-National Championship appearances / win momentum more than we do.

Three years in a row he does this. At least we got a National Championship out of it.

Part of me says that I'm ready to see him leave, and part of me knows that as soon as I say that Michigan will head to 8-4/9-3 land, and they'll stew in that for a decade.

I don't know man, all of this success is so fleeting. He definitely knows how to make the fanbase feel like shit from January - March.

Joined: 01/08/2024

MGoPoints: 620

ffmpeg

January 15th, 2024 at 9:51 AM ^

He could build 2008-2019 Alabama like momentum / dynasty if he wanted to, with multiple national championships, and he is walking away from it.

College Football is more wide open than it's been in over 10 years. We slayed all the dragons. We are the dragon. But most likely we'll squander any momentum, because that's peak Michigan.

Joined: 01/08/2024

MGoPoints: 620

SoDak Blues

January 15th, 2024 at 9:56 AM ^

I mean, that's what you and I want. I love college football as much as anyone, but for some, the real deal is the NFL. Jim played in it, coached in it and took the niners to the brink of the NFL's ultimate prize. The dude brought us out of the darkest period of my fandom and brought home a national championship to the team I love. My opinion matters for nothing, but he can do whatever he wants. 

Every year that he has looked at the pros, we have all bitched about the timing and hurting recruiting, etc.. yet we have only continued to get better every year. 

He gets a free pass from me forever. If he wants to come back, great. If he wants to leave, he's left Michigan FAR better off than he found it. Couldn't be more thankful for the last 3 years as a fan. 

 

Joined: 09/24/2015

MGoPoints: 17693

Navy Wolverine

January 15th, 2024 at 10:16 AM ^

Yes, Jim has resurrected Michigan football and brought it to the highest of highs. With virtually every player who can go pro declaring for the NFL, if Jim stays everything will be fine. If he goes, it is not beyond the realm of possibility to think we could be going back to 2008 again. It's not like we have a lot of faith in the AD to make a great hire to replace Jim.

Joined: 09/26/2016

MGoPoints: 19370

1VaBlue1

January 15th, 2024 at 10:22 AM ^

Even great hires can flame out.  There is no certainty that any new hire will do whatever might have been done in the past.  There are no promises of prosperity.  With Sherrone (or Jesse or Mike), you at least get to keep the existing culture and (probably) all the players.  So you're not starting from scratch.  If going outside the current program for someone off the street, you'll be starting over from scratch.

Either way, its a new start without any promise of either success or futility.

Joined: 01/31/2016

MGoPoints: 127621

Bluesince89

January 15th, 2024 at 11:12 AM ^

Two things:

  1. I don't fault any of the players leaving for doing so, but I did think it was a little odd that almost no one with remaining eligibility came back at all. I wonder how much not knowing about JH played into that?
     
  2. Who could we realistically hire at this point that's not an internal hire? Lanning and Sark are staying at their schools, DeBoer and Fisch are off the market. I think Norvell just got a new contract also. If the criteria is "someone with prior head coaching experience," who is out there that would actually take the job and is someone that we want? Is that Warde's fault? I don't think so. Oregon is a pretty attractive job with the Nike money pouring in and there doesn't really seem to be admin roadblocks/headaches to deal with. Are people still high on that BC guy?

Joined: 09/14/2008

MGoPoints: 14778

1VaBlue1

January 15th, 2024 at 10:03 AM ^

In the era of NIL and the Portal, the Alabama of 2008-2019 is a relic of history.  Texas is handing out Lamborghini's, tampering is so prevalent that you have to bitch non-stop about playoff selections and actually sue your conference to get 'investigated' over it, Ath Dir's are testifying in Congress that it costs $X to get a campus visit...

And you think one school will be able to stockpile players like Bama did then?  JFC...

Joined: 01/31/2016

MGoPoints: 127621

Blinkin

January 15th, 2024 at 10:38 AM ^

THIS!  There is a reason Saban got out when he did.  No one, not Michigan, not Texas, not OSU, not anyone, is going to easily re-create peak Bama without some major rule changes.  Bama of that era was 100% built on their ability to stockpile talent, both for themselves and to keep that talent off their competitors' rosters.  That era is over.  Talent is more dispersed than it's been in a long time.  That rate of dispersion is accelerating, if anything.  And players have more agency than they ever have to look for greener pastures for playing time and financial rewards.

Joined: 08/17/2022

MGoPoints: 28701

MichaelCarras

January 15th, 2024 at 10:59 AM ^

He could build 2008-2019 Alabama like momentum / dynasty if he wanted to, with multiple national championships, and he is walking away from it.

Yeah because apparently  building an Alabama level dynasty which has been done exactly once in the history of the sport is super easy. Just as easy as waking up and doing in your brain.

What Michigan has done has been replicated exactly zero times in the last 25 years. Michigan has the 14th best talent composite. That is lowest since the beginning of the recruiting sites that rate high school prospects. It took a great culture and a lot of veterans to win and great coordinators. That isn't something you replicate year after year. Alabama and Georgia have won because they have the best rosters every year. Michigan won with amazing coaching.

Joined: 01/08/2023

MGoPoints: 527

The Oracle 2

January 15th, 2024 at 11:34 AM ^

No, he couldn’t. Not at Michigan. All the planets aligned for this great season. They had the great QB, which they hadn’t had in a long time, a great group of players overall, and many stayed who could’ve left. They hit on some absolute recruiting gems, like Graham and Loveland, that others overlooked. Alabama and Georgia weren’t quite what they’ve been. Building a team like that isn’t something that can be repeated year after year, especially with the hurdles Michigan faces (weather, academic standards, mediocre talent game). Even if Harbaugh returns, which I don’t think is going to happen, next year won’t be quite what the last three have been. Enjoy and appreciate what happened because it isn’t guaranteed to happen again.

Joined: 02/25/2018

MGoPoints: 19223

mitchewr

January 15th, 2024 at 12:15 PM ^

Exactly. Reality is that we're about to return to the mean as a program. There's just no way we can sustain this level of success with the level of recruiting we pull.

And I could honestly live with that IF...

1) We beat Ohio State at least once every 4 years.

2) We win the Big Ten championship at least once every 4 years.

 

Anything beyond this is gravy and if we're being honest, we all know this is true. Unless the university is going to start lowering admissions for athletes AND ponying up for NIL, there's no way we're prerrenial national title contenders. 

Joined: 08/29/2016

MGoPoints: 13775