Jim Harbaugh on "In the trenches w/ Jon Jansen"
Some highlights: "I would start right where you started with Mazi Smith and Donovan Jeter," "Mazi just keeps growing and growing and growing. Donovan Jeter had his best offseason; that's half the battle. The level of consistency we've seen out of Donovan Jeter is the best since we've been here. With Chris Hinton you can see the maturity
"Nikhai Hill-Green. He's not a sophomore like you would think of a sophomore. The way he studies the game," "He's right where you want him to be. Junior Colson has a lot of experience from the spring and is knocking at the door to be a starting football player as well.
Oline: "I think we're pretty close in how it all fits together with the best five guys. I think we're going to have eight or nine that are really going to be in the mix. Ryan Hayes, Zak Zinter, Andrew Stueber; those guys are starters. Trevor Keegan and Chuck Filiaga both had really good summers.
"Two of our best players on the team are Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum," "They're both tremendous. Blake Corum is doing everything he says he's doing and then some. Hassan Haskins isn't saying anything but is doing everything that Blake Corum is doing. They're looking really good.
"This is as many good receivers as we've had on the team at one time since I've been here. We've had years where we've had some really good guys; this year I can talk about six guys in there that are all going to play and contribute. At the top of that list is Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson. They're winners. They're going to make plays. They block. The third best....Roman Wilson with speed
We have less guys worried about being stars and more guys worried about winning for Michigan and that Block M."
August 13th, 2021 at 7:10 AM ^
Interesting. Ive seen many references to so-called “bad attitudes” on the team in recent years and guys who were more interested in themselves than the team - but I really don’t know who these refer to. Anyone know?
August 13th, 2021 at 7:32 AM ^
Maybe the guy who threw a hissy-fit after being benched when his team fell behind 17-0 to Rutgers?
August 13th, 2021 at 8:34 AM ^
The QB who said he would drop 50 on Michigan. Maybe 50 interceptions, but certainly not points. Or the guy who was told he couldn’t play for U of M anymore because of an injury. Or a guy who transferred to Texas and thought he was the next great hall of fame receiver. Unfortunately he affected the attitude of his whole wide receiver room, and that’s one reason Nico was willing to come back. Or a guy who wanted to play more golf than football.
Harbaugh also got rid of a certain offensive coach who thought he knew all and wanted the offense run his way. He brought on a lot of negativity in his last few years and got a lot of credit for some guys getting drafted but he actually wasn’t as hands on with his group as you would think. They were using “analyst” type roles to coach his position group half the time.
August 13th, 2021 at 9:02 AM ^
MJ14, you seem to somehow have inside knowledge, which is tight if true. This post doesn't exactly represent this, but I appreciate your overall optimism for this team!
August 13th, 2021 at 9:20 AM ^
For Milton to say that after what the program did for him...am glad he is gone. And another... I noticed several times the poor body language on sideline of Tarik Black... am glad he is gone, too.
August 13th, 2021 at 10:05 AM ^
I still Chuckle at people who thought Warriner was good. He had a great OL(talent wise) in 19 and took almost half the year to establish any type of run game. Guy was a fraud and too many people wouldn’t admit it because he was better than Drevno. That bar was real low
August 13th, 2021 at 3:30 PM ^
This is a pretty spicy take… it wasn’t that long ago that Warinner was considered a top 5 OL coach by many on this board.
August 13th, 2021 at 10:21 AM ^
If we had that many players that just "cared about themselves" why were they recruited/hired to begin with?
And we're supposed to believe that it's all good now?
August 13th, 2021 at 3:25 PM ^
Sometimes a guys true colors don’t show until they have been on campus for a while. Just like the saying “Adversity doesn’t build character it shows it.”
August 13th, 2021 at 2:28 PM ^
Ok, I'm at a loss on the guy who left because of injuries.
August 13th, 2021 at 2:47 PM ^
I would guess Benjamin St-Juste
August 13th, 2021 at 7:37 AM ^
Maybe everyone on the team last year, when Harbaugh had to run up and down the bench and beg his players to cheer a great sideline catch?
August 13th, 2021 at 9:33 AM ^
It was clear that Black and even our buddy at Washington were upset with their situations at UM. Look at their close friends on the team and maybe that will help explain some of the players this board blame the coaches for underutilizing. Bad attitudes are a cancer
August 13th, 2021 at 9:16 AM ^
You know that we don’t engage in vilifying student athletes.
August 13th, 2021 at 9:32 AM ^
Nor do we text high school recruits.
August 14th, 2021 at 1:16 AM ^
Unless it is for some NIL money, amirite???
August 13th, 2021 at 7:12 AM ^
That last line sounds like a subtle dig.
and he sounds a lot more excited about the offense than the defense.
August 14th, 2021 at 1:17 AM ^
Especially as he is raving about the qb!!!
August 13th, 2021 at 7:48 AM ^
I'm optimistic on the offensive line but somewhat surprised Trente Jones isn't pushing for one of the starter roles. Redshirt sophomore but is it getting late for him to contribute?
August 13th, 2021 at 8:44 AM ^
The one thing Michigan has is a load of good offensive lineman. I don’t think it’s a knock on Jones or Rumler to not be contributing yet. Wisconsin has great lines because they store guys for 3 years before they get a chance, unless they are just crazy elite. Now if by next offseason those two guys aren’t contributing yet, maybe. But they could start for most other Big Ten teams. That’s how good the line room is.
The problem with new lines is always cohesiveness and having the center that can run the line basically. Even if they are all Big Ten caliber starters that have to be good as a unit. I think Michigan will have that this year, but that’s the reason why Zinter isn’t completely set in stone as the center. Zinter will start, but if he’s going to be at center he’s got the direct the rest of the line.
August 13th, 2021 at 8:45 AM ^
This should be the first year he's needed. OL should redshirt and practice for 2 more years before even getting a shot. It's not ideal to start freshmen or sophomore OL.
August 13th, 2021 at 7:48 AM ^
Lucy lining up the football for Charlie's field goal attempt. . .
August 13th, 2021 at 8:42 AM ^
I gotchu home fry
August 13th, 2021 at 9:46 AM ^
And I'm here for another Peanuts reference. I read this and I hear the teacher voice.
August 13th, 2021 at 7:49 AM ^
That whole players not worrying about winning is a damning statement to make. That is your fault Jim!
Jim can't figure it out. Maybe if Jim can develop a coherent offense and not employee a maniac as D coordinator things would be a little different.
Just another example of why Jim isn't the right coach for Michigan.
August 13th, 2021 at 8:26 AM ^
Looking at your posting history, you seem like a miserable person. I'm sorry for you.
August 13th, 2021 at 8:32 AM ^
lol. confirmation bias at its finest.
literally everything he says is - to shitheels like yourself - just more evidence of why Jim Harbaugh Sucks.
i started to write a paragraph or two to tell you why you're wrong, but screw that. life is too short to argue with miserable people.
August 13th, 2021 at 10:02 AM ^
It’s always someone else’s fault.
I don’t think you could put two coherent paragraphs together anyway so good idea to not start.
Great leaders deal with ego’s and figure out how to manage them. Jimmie Johnson was a master at this. Bo Schembechler was pretty good as well along with many others.
Why so many lousy attitudes on this team?
August 13th, 2021 at 10:14 AM ^
I don’t think you could put two coherent paragraphs together anyway
Great leaders deal with ego’s
Umm, yeah. You were saying?
August 13th, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^
I don’t think you wanna go down the rabbit hole of Bo knowing how to “control players” when it’s come out that he allowed abuse to his players. That’s a quick, slippery slope. So maybe don’t use him as an example anymore.
August 13th, 2021 at 10:59 AM ^
the odds of having a legit conversation with someone whose last post was in january 2021 and consisted entirely of the words "your mom" are approximately zero, so yah. hard pass.
August 13th, 2021 at 12:32 PM ^
You should read the post below.
August 13th, 2021 at 12:36 PM ^
Leggo my ego.
August 13th, 2021 at 7:49 AM ^
It all sounds like the words from the last 5 years. Show me on the field how the team is going to be better. I don't really care about W-L records right now, I want to see improvement over the last couple of years. I want to see the team play hard, play organized, play with good decision making, and show improvement from game to game - none of which we've seen with regularity since 2017.
I don't want to hear fuckall about a BS Covid year, either - every team from Pop Warner to the NFL went through the same thing last year. Warde gave Harbaugh a 'do-over' for a reason, now earn it. I want to see the team play like it did in 2016, hell, even 2017 would be great. I don't mean the W-L record - I mean the way those teams played. The way those coaches coached. If games are lost because the players just aren't there, well, okay. If they're playing like they did in 2016/17, such losses will be competitive and the winner will have earned it. But if they're lost in the same way they were lost the last few years, with shit play calls, shit execution, and shit mistakes... Well, fuck that.
August 13th, 2021 at 9:09 AM ^
I agree with the heart of your post, but fully disagree with not caring about the win-loss records.
Only looking for improvement from a team is like talking about a 1 win MAC team with a new head coach. This is a supposed elite coach heading up a supposed elite program; it's now or never. If there was EVER a year that win-loss record mattered, it's this year. He needs to get this team to the title game, or at the very least, if it's a 9 win season, that they beat OSU. SOMETHING needs to happen this season, not just "looking for improvement."
If they execute well, play mistake-free football, and show a lot of improvement, but still finish with 8 wins and lose by 40+ to OSU, then it's time to find a new HC.
August 13th, 2021 at 10:16 AM ^
Michigan still has a lot stacked against them relative to the upper tiers of the Big Ten when it comes to talent and development. There hasn't been a ton of cohesion the last few years or really much of a clear picture of what their plan is. In essence, they don't have their shit together and haven't for a while and as a result can't make the leap from 2-4 to being one of the top 2-3 teams in the Big Ten in one season -- just way too much to overcome.
But I'm with the other guy, if Harbaugh can get this team playing hard and there's a clear picture of what they are trying to do on offense and defense (especially in the last half of the season), and there's a vision for attacking opposing weaknesses....but they still finish with 3 or 4 losses, I'm fine with giving him another season to see if he can turn what would now be veteran team into a team that wins 10+ games in 2022.
August 13th, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^
What does it say, when the coach who has been here 7 years is still floundering figuring out cohesion and identity?
I'm sorry, but playing hard is something that should not even be mentioned; we aren't talking about pee-wee football. They are playing basically semi-pro- if they aren't playing hard at this level, sit them down.
If they finish with 3 to 4 losses, and one of those losses includes another blowout at the hands of OSU, what exactly are we doing? Why continue the charade?
August 13th, 2021 at 11:05 AM ^
"Why continue the charade?"
Well, it doesn't really matter why anymore because Warde continued it. I was with you last year, as I called for Harbaugh's replacement (not as loudly as many, but probably louder than most). But he's here this year, so let's just take it from where things are now and start fresh. I don't think it's reasonable to expect a win against OSU - but it's plenty reasonable to expect them to be competitive through 4 quarters as the result of a good plan that was well executed.
I understand that you feel the need to win something of substance, or to hit some arbitrary number of wins. I'll be content to see the type of improvement that puts them back at the 2016/17 level of organizational competence. If there's going to be any chance that JH survives another season, it has to start with organizational competence.
August 13th, 2021 at 11:24 AM ^
As negative as I am about this football team, I would be beyond excited to be put in my place. I want this team to defy everything I currently feel towards them, beat OSU, win big games, and look like they belong again. I will watch the games as I always do, and I know I will start to get my feet back on the hype train if the QB looks good and they start to build something.
I just know the evidence is overwhelming at this point as to what the program is. And I would be stunned if Harbaugh gets them to where we all thought he would.
It gets brought up often, but something in him changed a few years ago after that OSU loss, and he's never looked the same. If he TRULY cares about this program, and the team does not hit any goals this season, he needs to move on to his next coaching gig and put the hands in someone else who can potentially take them higher.
August 13th, 2021 at 1:24 PM ^
It's hard, but we have to let go of the 7 years thing. It doesn't matter where the program was supposed to be by this point. What matters is the program's direction going forward.
August 13th, 2021 at 1:37 PM ^
So this is a loose comparison, but if a new coach at X program was 2-10 his first few seasons, would you be saying the same thing?
You absolutely have to take the 7 years into account; it is part of the Harbaugh narrative. We can't just pretend he's starting over every single season. At some point, it is what it is, and this cat just ain't getting it done.
August 13th, 2021 at 12:33 PM ^
"if Harbaugh can get this team playing hard and there's a clear picture of what they are trying to do on offense and defense", This, I believe is the core problem. Without a clear offensive and defensive personality, it makes it very difficult to set recruiting priorities and make proper personnel lineup decisions on game day. This could be the root cause of a lot of frustration in the locker room. Decide on a philosophy and run it well, to where everyone knows their role....
August 13th, 2021 at 7:54 AM ^
GO BLUE
August 13th, 2021 at 8:18 AM ^
Calling out DPJ?
August 13th, 2021 at 8:29 AM ^
Or maybe Shea
August 13th, 2021 at 8:42 AM ^
Maybe he just really likes those green jackets
August 13th, 2021 at 9:23 AM ^
Well if he is calling out Shea then its on him... because he had a rising Speight that he moved away from. Was a risk, and wish he didn't.
August 13th, 2021 at 10:20 AM ^
Nah I disagree here. The year that we moved away from Speight was Shea's first year. He had a really good first year here, and all signs pointed to him having, at worst, a fringe All B10 year as a senior. Instead he regressed. Whether from golf or coaching we may never really know, but the year he replaced Speight was not the problem.
August 13th, 2021 at 12:28 PM ^
because he had a rising Speight that he moved away from
No, Speight was in free-fall. He was never the same player after he got hurt in the 2016 Iowa game. OSU and FSU games, sure, he still wasn't 100%. But he was just as shaky in 2017 before getting knocked out of the game against dirty ass Purdue.
And speaking of 2017, am I the only one that no memory whatsoever of playing Cinci? I was even at the game, and I don't remember it at all...