Has your general feeling/optimism about 2014 changed?

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

Have your feelings changed for the upcoming season?

I was glad the season ended but as soon as Borges was let go, it felt like a weight was off the shoulders but there was still an uneasy feeling with the vacant position. 

I, for one, am very excited now and there is a fresh and new feeling of hope.

86 days until the spring game. 

In reply to by lbpeley

Cold War

January 9th, 2014 at 9:39 AM ^

I already expected a reasonable amount of improvement as the thinner upper classes continue to graduate and the deeper, lower classes have another year under thier belts.

The "Fire Borges" meme got to be a crutch. I'm not upset with his dismissal, a case can certainly be made for it. My fear is expectations are just going to be too high.

We're still part way through a major roster rebuild. The OC change should be viewed as a positive tweak, not a cure all. The 2015 season remains the time to look for this team to become a bonafide B1G contender.

lbpeley

January 9th, 2014 at 10:25 AM ^

that this isn't necessarily the magic cure in and of its own. It definitely is a step in the right direction, though.

This has been hashed and rehashed on this site all season, but I am firmly in the camp of the line of thinking where all the youth and inexperience excuses don't seem to be as big a problem at other schools in the same boat. It is unfortunate for Borges that all these guys will be a year older with Nuss so a fair comparison will be impossible. 

dennisblundon

January 9th, 2014 at 8:06 AM ^

Enough of the fat jokes! Seriously though I was optimistic anyway with a little doubt lingering over the offense. Love the move and the guy actually recruits. Bang.Bang

APBlue

January 9th, 2014 at 8:08 AM ^

I still had optimism due to the number of returning players, but this definitely increases how optimistic I am about the potential for 2014.  Borges was good, but he seemed to really dig his heels in on how he'd run the offense.  

MOAR BUBBLE SCREENS! 

APBlue

January 9th, 2014 at 8:21 AM ^

Not to rehash old wounds, but that was probably RR's single biggest mistake.  If he'd just let Shafer do his thing and not forced him into running that 3-3-5, how would things have unfolded?  

I don't think that this is a scapegoat firing, though.  I liked Al, but this seems like a definite upgrade.  I don't think the same can be said for GERG.  

gbdub

January 9th, 2014 at 8:39 AM ^

The other thing was that there was much less clarity in 2008 that defense was the problem. But the feeling was that a 3-9 season required somebody's head, and canning Magee would have been throwing out the reason RR was brought in. So it was Schafer. The "sacrificial lamb" status seems to be confirmed by the fact that RRs defensive position coaches survived the firing.



This year, the season was mediocre enough that they probably could have gotten by with no firings, and even swapping a couple position coaches would have largely quieted the rabble. Instead they made what appears to have been a well coordinated move to a clear upgrade at the OC position. An upgrade that was needed, since offense was unquestionably the weakest unit on the team.

bluebyyou

January 9th, 2014 at 10:45 AM ^

I agree that the potential for significant improvement on the O side of the ball exists with our new OC.  Borgess seemed like a ship adrift.  If there is a coaching problem with the O-line, let's hope it is quickly identified and addressed.

I still have some concerns that there seems like a lack of toughness, Devin and Jake notwithstanding. Does anyone else feel this way?  Is it just the age of the players or something else?

UMgradMSUdad

January 9th, 2014 at 11:49 AM ^

I'm not sure either Brandon or Hoke needed to learn anything.  Certainly from Hoke's history, he has fired coordinators and position coaches before.  The whole "retaining your guys" meme always seemed to me like an invention of some in the fanbase rather than anything based on reality.

Skapanza

January 9th, 2014 at 8:50 AM ^

Or the AD could have opened the wallet to bring Casteel over. I'm glad Brandon is now willing to pony up for good assistants but it took too long.

If Michigan is a premier school and we're making all this money through Brandon's diabolical schemes, the last we can do is use some of that money on coordinators. Looks like we finally are.

Yeezus

January 9th, 2014 at 8:54 AM ^

Not at all like Shafer.

Rich Rod actually knew what he was doing with the offense.  Because one of his buddies ran a certain style of defense - he tried to shove that down Shafer (and then GERG)'s throat.  

Hoke is a different coach.  He lets his guys run what they want.  It's not like he's going to have a sitdown with The Nuss and try to make him run Borges' moronic scheme.  

Niels

January 9th, 2014 at 9:26 AM ^

What I would want to know (and would tell me a lot) is whether or not DB was driving this or Hoke. If it was Hoke, then it would seem to be more of a Beilein situation where the coach came to grips with the fact that he needed to move on from people he had a history with to people who could perform better in this situation. 

If, on the other hand, this firing was the result of a come to you know who meeting between DB and Hoke and that is the only reason why it happened, then I would be worried. Players would pick up on this, and I can't imagine it leading to a cohesive staff/coaching situation. This is more in-line with how it seemed the Shafer firing went iirc. 

Regardless, I think that Borges needed to go the moment he threw his players under the bus with all the "if they would only execute" nonsense. Regardless of who is at fault, I believe you need to protect your players in a public setting.

MechEng97

January 9th, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^

I really would like to know the same.  I believe it was Brandon for no other reason than $$ and knowing we needed to do something to re-energize the fan base.  It's not difficult to see in black and white while looking back on the season, but I still thought Hoke was going to give Borges another year.  

I doubt we'll ever know, and with how tight-knit the coaching staff/wives seem to be, I don't believe Hoke will cultivate any animosity towards Nussmeier..he just wants the best for M.

Darker Blue

January 9th, 2014 at 8:09 AM ^

I was already super stoked for next season. Now we're not only going 15-0 but we'll also set every offensive record imaginable. It's a great day to be a Michigan Wolverine.

ilah17

January 9th, 2014 at 8:14 AM ^

Yes! I was afraid of what could happen if Borges stuck around. I love that coach Hoke is a loyal kind of guy, but he also needs to think about what's best for the team.

EastUGoBlue

January 9th, 2014 at 8:16 AM ^

I'm particularly excited that we aren't changing schemes, rather bringing in someone that will hopefully be able to use our players better. If we went back to a spread-type offense and our window was put on the back burner for another 2-3 year I'm not sure how I would have handled it.

I'm really excited to see a more adaptive coach get a shot with what seem to be talented and regarded players.

LSAClassOf2000

January 9th, 2014 at 8:34 AM ^

I would agree with this. The uncertainty of direction preyed on my mind between the time we knew Borges was not coming back and the time of the Nussmeier announcement, so it is a relief on that level that the general look of the offense will not change drmatically. Throughout 2013, it was not the scheme so much as utilization of the personnel in it that seemed vexing to most fans that I know, so getting a coordinator that does show an ability adapt to defenses and can maximize talent seemed much more important, I would think. 

Adrian

January 9th, 2014 at 8:20 AM ^

I think Hoke has changed the tide on the rivalry. Hell people in Ohio are starting to believe him. Never in a million years I would have thought that. Selling Michigan jerseys is a good start.Hiring Nuss is an even better start

Johnny Blood

January 9th, 2014 at 8:26 AM ^

That was the most frustrating thing about Borges... one game we would be incredibly amazing on offense with a well-thought out game-plan and then the next week we would have nothing with no adjustments.  If we had OSU Borges all season long, I definitely think we would have won a few more games.

So maybe the Nuss isn't OSU Borges, but at least he won't be Penn St / Iowa / Nebraska Borges and that has to be a good thing, right?

SituationSoap

January 9th, 2014 at 8:47 AM ^

Nussmeier's offenses have generally been focused on using the short to intermediate passing game to attack the linebackers as a way to open up inside zone runs...which is largely what we did against OSU. While we're obviously not going to put up 600 yards per game next year, expecting a cogent gameplan that plays off our strengths and attacks the weaknesses of our opponents (which is what we did against OSU) doesn't seem remotely out of the realm of expectation. 

nappa18

January 9th, 2014 at 9:07 AM ^

5. (Baseline)

Trying to channel brian (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery):

Plus 1- breath of fresh air
Plus 1- hoke is on notice too that next year is critical, not 2015
Minus 1- offensive line is still unproven
Minus 1- still play MSU, nd, Ohio away
Plus 1- nussmaier did coach Bama
Minus 1- saban seems to have dumped nussmaier
Minus 1- the better we do next year, the sooner nussmaier bolts for HC somewhere (Illinois, Purdue???)
Plus 1- he actually played the game

I could go on but I ll spare you. In brief. WTFK. Maybe.

Cackle with glee - we look like Bama Midwest
Cry- we score more against MSU but still lose

MgoRayO3313

January 9th, 2014 at 8:26 AM ^

This hire should definitely lift the spirits of the majority of Michigan fans. Seemingly great hire for a guy with a solid pedigree. The only concern I have is identity. Under Al we never really seemed to establish one. We were not a downfield passing team (our personnel and scheme didn't call for it) we obviously were not a running team, at least a downhill team that so many of us envisioned back in July and August. The little success we seemed to have ironically came out of the very formations Borges seemed to be trying to do away with.



However, when you have a qb and rb that were recruited for one scheme you have to find ways to incorporate their strengths into the game plan. Unfortunately, Borges, who was so successful at this in the beginning absolutely refused to accommodate these needs, particularly this past season. When the offense was bad, it was not just bad, it was terrible.



A new OC with new ideas and a unfamiliarity with the staff (assumed) might just be the kick in the pants this staff needs in order to get this program rolling on the pitch.



My fear is that Nussmeier was merely a offensive figurehead under Saban. Statistics suggest otherwise and I am sure coming from a program like Bama experience is not an issue. I just hope he am develop a philosophy ad scheme all of his own here that can be successful from

The get go. Lord knows Brady does not strike me as a coach to say 'no' to any offensive ideas.



All in all this is a huge hire and should help us build the momentum we

need before signing day and spring ball. Go Blue!

Raback Omaba

January 9th, 2014 at 8:27 AM ^

Not to temper everyone's excitement, but I specifically remember this exact same topic being asked about 12 months ago when Lewan announced he was coming back.

Just playing devil's advocate here.

But overall, I am happy with the move to fire Borges and hire the New OC. Although I dont know much about him, any guy that spent his last two years at Bama is fine with me.

Mattinboots

January 9th, 2014 at 9:16 AM ^

And if Lewan didn't return we may have gone 6-7 or worse. I don't think we win a close one at NW or even hang on against UConn or Akron without him back. So while it didn't lead to the "we can win the big ten now" like many hoped, he still likely saved us from a losing season.

Hoek

January 9th, 2014 at 8:29 AM ^

1 reason, the guy recruits... Unlike Borgess, Nuss will travel and walk into a recruits house. I always thought it was odd that our OC never went out on recruiting trips.

Mr. Yost

January 9th, 2014 at 8:30 AM ^

I'm not excited about the season yet (in terms of positive...we're going to be good excited. I'm ALWAYS excited for the season, it means more college football and I get to watch my all-time favorite team).

So if that makes any sense, this doesn't change my feeling/optimism about the season. However, it DOES about the Spring.

I can't wait for Spring Ball. I want to see how the team takes to the new changes. I want to hear the comments and really watch how the offense is evolving.

That said, I don't think it's THAT big of a move. The playbook shouldn't change that much, I just believe the play CALLING will be better. So we may not notice a difference until the first game.

Nick Saban said something during the National Championship that really stuck wit me. He said, "I make sure I tell my offense every day that every drive should end with a kick. If you can do that generally you can be successful."

You obviously want PATs, but FGs and punts don't kill you like INTs and fumbles.

I want to see the bad playcalling cut down, the negative plays go away, and see us "stay ahead of the chains."

Again, we won't find that out until we take the field.

That said, I'm excited about the spring...can't wait to see/hear about some of the changes.

AA2Denver

January 9th, 2014 at 8:30 AM ^

From everything I've read Nuss seems to be a great fit...developing DG, rebuilding the OL, pro style, etc...

I never critized Borges on this board, but I will admit that I wanted him gone. His schemes were pedestrian and the offense had been regressing. All those misdirections in the bowl game seemed to be a last gasp.

This hire has me optimistic for '14 and '15. Will he be around after that, probably not. However, if we have success then the OC position under Hoke becomes more attractive to other top notch OC's.