Has your general feeling/optimism about 2014 changed?
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.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:32 AM ^
Well fuck yeah.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:34 AM ^
I feel every year it's all rainbows and unicorns until October, and we implode. I would rather fly under the radar.
But I did just look up Gerg Robinson's hiring on MGOBLOG and no one was excited about that, so I am encouraged by the more knowledgeable MGOBLOGGERS enthusiasm!
January 9th, 2014 at 8:34 AM ^
After watching the bowl game, it's difficult to set high expectations for next year's team. Defense is the main reason as OSU & KSU just moved up and down the field at will. I think the hire creates optimism for the program going forward, but next year is still going to be a challeging year with all the road games on the schedule.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:12 AM ^
I am with you sir, and good first post.
The positive is it shows either Hoke had his hand forced to change by Brandon or Hoke realizes his dream job is at stake and decided loyalty to a friend had to be overlooked. I don't care which reason it is. And I dont think Borges is terrible - I just think last year's results are UNACCEPTABLE as that was possibly the worst OL in college football. They should have been mediocre by end of year and ascending rather than flatlining. That's not all Al, but Brandon and Hoke should know who it is on more than us.
The reality is the offensive scheme will be similar and one hopes Mr Nuss can perform some miracles to get some consistency out of the offense. But the same daunting OL issues return and a team not strong on it lines faces issues when playing good to great teams. And what happened to the defense the last 2 games is really disturbing and that doesnt change overnight. I am hoping an influx of some bigger players will help the physicality but aside from LBs still see a lot of question markets in the back 4 and front 4 of that defense.
Nuss will remove a crutch however for the fan base, so more eyes will now be on Hoke in 2014.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:35 AM ^
but not only for 2014, for the future in general. I like that he recruits, can modify and adapt a gameplan as the game progresses, and has a track record of success. The future looks much brighter today...
January 9th, 2014 at 8:36 AM ^
his control. . . and some clearly within it; I had some (lonely) belief in his abiility to right the ship. But once he was out, the only question was who replaced him. This looks as close to the perfect hire as you could want. Much as I wish that RR had succeeded, changing course now could have sent Michigan into another 5 year tailspin.
That this guy was eased out for Lane Kiffin, after setting offensive records at Alabama, will only speak well for him in the long-term. Alabama is facing a number of speed bumps.
Longer-term, I assume Nussmeier can do great with our recruits. Now I want to know what DG thinks of him, and how he plans to handle next year. And I want to know if he keeps Funk. There will be a lot of challenges.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:45 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 8:59 AM ^
My initial thought is that they brought up the "coach in waiting" item as part of the package. I saw several other people mention that on Twitter too. Hoke is 55, so that's a long time to wait for a HC position, but maybe he goes for a HC position at an FBS school in a few years and then is on the list of "Michigan Men" who are candidates for the job when Hoke retires. They could have brought up that aspect too.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:58 AM ^
I have absolutely no problem in dating Nussmeier/ a hot girl for a few years before they move on. One, it is fun seeing what they can do once you get your hands under center; two, when other coaches/girls see you with a good looking one, it always makes you look more desirable as a school/guy. Enjoy the hot chick while you have her, and keep pictures on your phone to remeber the good old days. lol
January 9th, 2014 at 1:09 PM ^
I don't buy that line of thinking. We should not fear hiring a coordinator that may only be around for a couple of years if he's the guy, for a myriad of reasons.
First, we're assuming he's going to do some really good things with the offense here at Michigan, let's say that checks out. If so, then most likely:
- Michigan will be enjoying considerably sucess which will...
- Increase attractiveness to other "home-run" hires if Nussmeier departs Michigan
Additionally, when Nussmeier leaves we have a chance to expand the Michigan coaching tree (which has arguably no negatives).
The logic of "let's make a less sexy hire so he will stick around for some time" doesn't sit well with me, at least not for the coordinator position. If we're talking HC position, then I think it's a better argument. And while I would obviously prefer coaching stability (especially if he is as successful as we all think and hope for), it is not necessarily a bad thing at all if he comes here, does fantastic with the offense, and departs in 2016.
Finally, this move helps considerably with Hoke's own stability. I think a rather large consensus was that, if no staff changes were made this offseason, Hoke's seat warmed up considerably next year. This move virtually locks Hoke in for 2015, and gives us stability, which we both do agree is an important thing overall, and in my opinion much more for the head coach.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:39 AM ^
...and I still have my suspicions that this may have been a little more DB than Hoke who iniated this move and hire. But absolutely this changes my outlook on 2014. I was already in a quasi-unrealistic "win the B1G or get out of Ann Arbor" mode for Hoke this upcoming season. This hire has completely made me back off of that stance and now I'm very much willing to relax a bit and give Hoke at least a couple more years to see what he can with Nuss at the helm of the offense.
Now, what I'm really curious about is seeing what happens to the QB position. Bama's QB was more of field general than a game changer (same with Bulger while he was the QB coach in St. Louis). That seems to suit a more pure pocket QB like Morris better than DG, but then again, Nussmeier wasn't too bad at rushing himself in college and did coach Stanton at MSU and Locker at Washington. I am very excited either way.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:58 AM ^
at Washington, and his knowledge should help us get through next year with DG. He also brought some up-tempo looks to Bama. The failure to use tempo or get to the line was--for me--one of the most legitimate criticisms of Borges.
Does seem like this buys Hoke an extra year to get it right. And while I have been one of those who pointed beyond Borges to Hoke as responsible for our failures, he will have been given ample time--and talented personnel--to prove that he can manage this program in the right direction. We need to be challenging for the B1G title and a playoff berth two years from now.
January 9th, 2014 at 11:18 AM ^
That was the single most frustrating thing about the offense, a lack of up-tempo. The lack of audibles too (there were some, but not nearly enough).
I don't care that you huddle when you are in no rush to get down field. But there is no reason that any offense should be incapable of going no-huddle up-tempo when the game demands it.
January 9th, 2014 at 12:07 PM ^
I think this move was to get Hoke his 5th year. You can't hire a new OC and in one year you are done. This move has given Hoke another year beyond 2014.
I'm curious about all of what you mentioned. Gardner / Morris, the coaching, and how they develop this talent Michigan has.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^
I also feel this was more Brandon than Brady.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:38 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 10:35 AM ^
Someone is already hired.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:39 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 8:50 AM ^
They will be 2 years probably (RS Soph) with Braden and Magnuson.
If LTT starts, thats 1 year removed (RS Fresh).
And look at the diary that interior linemen determine running game better than tackles.
Lastly, 9 wins is very good because it gives us a decent chance to win 10 after the bowl game.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:20 AM ^
Yeah. Ten wins in a season is a good season, no matter where you are.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:39 AM ^
Assuming Kalis, Mags, and Glasgow stay in the starting lineup, I expect that the new additions to our offensive line will likely come from Braden (Rs. So.), Bosch (So.), and Kugler (Rs. Fr.). But I suppose there are a lot of others still in the mix.
And just to be clear, I meant that my previous "optimistic" season was 9 wins including the bowl game. I agree with others that a 10-win season (including the bowl game) is a good season, and one we should be happy with. I'm not sure it's likely, but with the possibility of a new offense I no longer think it's entirely out of reach.
January 10th, 2014 at 11:35 PM ^
My wife went to Alabama when Gene Stallings was head coach and she is a huge fan of Tide football. We married in 2003 when Alabama was in the midst of a string of unsuccessful head coaches. I told her pityingly then that Alabama was nearly as good of a program as Michigan and would, one day, be able to put up records on a par with Michigan. Then the SEC became king of college football, Alabama became king of the SEC, and Michigan football imploded.
For the last 7 years, I have watched for a sign that Michigan could get off its back and compete with the Alabamas of the world. This is it and I revise my season prediction from 8-5 to 15-0!! I fully expect the face of God to be clearly visible over Michigan Stadium on football Saturdays going forward. I am only half joking.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:46 AM ^
Nuss will be an upgrade, but he's not the OL coach. If our blocking doesn't markedly improve, then we won't be taking advantage of what he has to offer.
Our young OLs ought be better simply by being older, but that doesn't mean they're playing up to their potential. How much impact will Nussmeier have in that area remains to be seen.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:51 AM ^
I think you'll see a significant difference just in blocking schemes.
It appeared that Borges was trying to make these guys learn a very complex blocking scheme that even upperclassmen would struggle with.
Nussmeier runs a zone in/zone out offense which should simplify the blocking assignments.
I really don't think our O-Line issue was technique related as much as it was them being incredibly confused and young. I think the evidence on that is the pass protection (yes, it wasn't great, but it was their strongest aspect. And youth in the middle will give us sacks no matter what).
I'm willing to give Funk another year with Nussmeier's offense.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:03 AM ^
Agreed, everything still revolves around the OL (the interior in particular). It's not gonna matter what kind of scheme or things that Nussmeier uses if the OL is still Hot Garbage
January 9th, 2014 at 8:43 AM ^
Yes, yes, yes.....a thousand times yes.
We have hope. Hope that our OC wont continually bash the heads of our players into brick walls. Hope that when we call plays they won't depend on 100% perfect "execution" of all 11 players to be reasonaly successful. Hope that on the recruiting trail we will have a powerful and persuasive voice for Michigan that can into the homes of the recruits and win the day. And hope that our defense will benefit from being able to take more than three plays off during a tough game.
Am I more optomistic about 2014? Does the pope shit in the woods?
January 9th, 2014 at 8:50 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:42 AM ^
I thought of you immediately, mGrowOld. I think I recall that you were threatening not to renew season tix next year. Is this hire a game-changer for you? Just curious how it's affecting the mindset of long-time ticketholders who were growing restless. I also recall that you listed a slew of game-day things that were grating you, so maybe the laundry list was too long for you to reconsider based on this hiring.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:37 AM ^
Running Fitz 28 times at Penn State for 28 yards.
January 9th, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 8:47 AM ^
I'm eager to see some changes and optimistic.
Borges was good if he arrived at the game with a good plan. And oftentimes teams would adjust to the plan with no response from Borges. There were no counters, no opportunities to adjust at the line and very little in-game alterations except for the rare "screw it - its the 4th quarter let's let Devin/Dennard do what they do."
January 9th, 2014 at 8:55 AM ^
made me believe that he really wasn't a good OC at all. Yeah execution ... but the guy NEVER blamed himself for ANYTHING and that's just arrogance. The offense NEVER improved over the course of any year he was here and this year's playcalling with an inexperienced Oline for PSU, Nebraska and Iowa was absolutely dismal. Michigan was better than all 3 of those teams.
I love the hire and Alabama's issues this year was with their defense anyway, not the offense.
Go Blue!
January 9th, 2014 at 10:44 AM ^
You have to admit that every time he let DR/DG off the chain and said do what you do was a ton of fun. Some of the best football we have a seen at Michigan. I will miss them running around.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:50 AM ^
It is a Michigan (State of) sports tradition to scapegoat one guy for any one team's failures. We got him this year in Al Borges.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:51 AM ^
Yes. I thought 10-2 was our ceiling next year and now I'm not sure where it's going to be, but I have a feeling that that is probably our worst outcome now.
What's more important is that I think that we are better set for the future now. Yesterday morning, I was thinking that Hoke was probably going to live or die with Borges and he'd be out after 4-6 season or so (6 more probable than 4). Now, I'd imagine that he's cemented his 5th season and possibly a 6th season. With the way he's been recruiting and two unquestionably top coordinators, I don't see any direction but up for this program.
January 9th, 2014 at 8:57 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:09 AM ^
If he were our coordinator this year, I don't think that we would have had so many issues on offense. My guess at how a consistent coordinator affects the season is that we beat PSU, Nebraska, and Iowa. That's 10 wins right there. Maybe we lose a game to ND or someone like that, but I think a good OC gets our running game going and we aren't so hit or miss with our offense.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:23 AM ^
Yeah, I mean one field goal against PSU (out of four) and a two point conversion against OSU gets us to nine wins alone. It's really easy to feel crappy about this season, because we were crappy, but at the same time, even a mediocre offense probably gets us wins over PSU, OSU and Nebraska...and that's 10 wins and a bowl game against Clemson instead of it being the Buckeyes.
We were really bad least year and we were still almost pretty good.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:27 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:31 AM ^
But a decent offense doesn't struggle against those teams.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:15 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:21 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:02 AM ^
Maybe Im a debbie downer but the O-line still looks like a probably tire fire. I bet Nussmeier knows it and part of his recruitment was "Look at all this young O-line talent. It will probably be bad but slightly better next season, and then you'll look like a freakin genius the next two seasons when they're all 3rd and 4th year players. Come to Michigan"
So I have hopes that the offense will be better. I'm not sure he'll wave his magic wand and be able to find a running game next season
January 9th, 2014 at 9:18 AM ^
however a good OC knows his teams weaknesses and calls plays to "hide" them if at all possible. Borges had no answer for a team that blitzed us ... none, and the other teams knew this. Scheme is critical to develop both a passing game and a rushing attack, if we can find a player to fill Gallon's void ... I think we'll be just fine (but that's a big IF)
Go Blue!
January 9th, 2014 at 10:48 AM ^
As Borges was in the run game. Running Fitz 28 times for 28 yards at Penn State is classic Borges stubborness.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:06 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:08 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 10:43 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:11 AM ^
Yes I am very excited for the 2014 season now. It was clear Borges was a giant liability to this team. His arrogance led to our offense being wildly inconsistent. He never took personal blame for bad playing call and the whole mantra of "we didn't execute" was a terrible excuse for his failures as an offensive coordinator. We win the Penn State, Nebraska, and probably Iowa game if Borges wouldn't have been so arrogant. Hopefully this leads to more staff changes (Funk, possibly Mallory). Even if these changes don't happen, I still expect improvement next year. The offensive line may still struggle, but hopefully it doesn't struggle enough where our offense is largely incompetent like it was this year. Go Blue!