META (sort of): An appeal for more objective analysis
I appreciate that everyone is upset with the state of the program. I am too. However, I feel like the boards are getting tainted by negative emotion. Can we please keep doing analysis alongside the (justified) anger and frustration?
For example, I thought there was a lot of development in the Rutgers game, especially along the o-line. Michigan owned the line of scrimmage and ran the ball at will on Rutgers in the 4th quarter. Green, Smith, and Devin were tearing it up on the ground. It might have been the first glimpse of actual "manball" that we've seen in a long time. I am not saying that it was. I am saying that it was noteworthy and it is hardly being discussed at all. It also seemed like pass pro was a lot better. There were plays were Devin had 5-6 seconds to pass, running backs were effectively picking up blocks, etc. Often, it seemed like Devin panicked (understandably, given his experience) unnecessarily when protection was ok or good. I haven't seen any thing resembling a thorough discussion of these points.
To be clear, I am as upset as everyone else. I dropped way too much money to fly to Notre Dame and I watched the debacles against Utah and Minnesota. I don't like the fact that we lost a close game to Rutgers. However, I saw what looked like development in several key phases of the game against Rutgers and I come to MgoBlog to hear smart people say smart things about that type of thing. Threads about being upset are fine, but can we also keep analyzing the actual game please? This isn't about "Hoke is doing a good job" or "Hoke is terrible", I just want to read smart things about Michigan football in additon to cathartic bitching.
October 5th, 2014 at 9:05 PM ^
I appreciate you trying to do what MGoBlog always does, analyze data. There has indeed some improvement in the run game and with the O-Line. It was even nice to see Devin take off on scrambles rather than wait to get splattered.
But my thinking is what does it matter? We've seen and proven this coaching staff has difficulty in transferring what they are teaching the players unto the field of play. Perhaps the 4th quarter of Saturday's game is their turning point. Perhaps now they will begin to play with fire and passion, something that has been missing at least the last 3 years, I think we saw some in Brady's first year. The point is I believe we can all agree that Brady and most of his staff will be gone at the end of the season, whatever progression is made will not translate to next season. Coaching, techniques, schemes, etc will all likely be different. Can the players build on their experience this year? I hope so but I'm concerned about if they're being coached up at all.
Like others have said, we really don't need a lot of analytical data. The eye test says the product is less than it should be. I don't know what happened the last 2 years to cause the wheels to fall off the wagon but the damage at this point is likely irreversible. Only winning out and defeating both MSU and OSU would give Brady and staff any remote possibility of being retained for 2015.
I've been a Michigan fan now for almost 30 years. It has become like family to me. I have favorite pro teams but none of them bring out the same emotions in me as Michigan. I've always been proud of the University's teams (other than a brief period with MBB) but the last 7 years have pushed me to the brink and I can't take anymore. That's what these guys like Brandon don't understand. They see fan and alumni anger in recent events as a separate entity and totally removed from past events. That's not how it is with lifelong fans and alumni. Players come and give their sweat and tears for 4-5 years and leave, perhaps they remain fans of their school, we are the one constant and without us there's no reason to field any athletic teams. Sorry if my rant is partially off topic, there's really no one place to put these thoughts.
As has been the case now for 4 years, we continously see players not even performing basic techniques correctly, or not enough players on the field, or poor clock management, the list goes on and on. What is the one constant? Who affects these things the most. Coaching.
October 5th, 2014 at 11:23 PM ^
It was the analysis that set it apart. Between the UFRs and the comments by knowlegeable coaches and others, I've learned far more about football than I ever could have imagined.
I can go to any sports blog that follows college football and read people whining about the coaches or the losses. I can go anywhere and read vituperative attacks on other commentors, the coaches, the AD or pretty much anything. I can go anywhere and listen to people vent about the season being lost and how the program is gone forever.
What I can't do is go elsewhere and get the combination of the staff's analysis with the support of the high quality commentors who contribute here. Space Coyote and Magnus have excellent sites and provide solid analysis, but they don't get the give and take that occurs here. That give and take about the various views on key plays is what makes Mgoblog special.
Hey I get it. Sometimes it's hard to wade through painful videos. Sometimes it really sucks to revisit an ugly game. Sometimes it's really hard if you've given up on the entire season and can only see despair. The problem is that the content that effort produces is what sets this blog apart from any other. That is this blog's singualr added value.
Brian is free to spend his blogging time any way he chooses, as are his staff. However, he might consider what was special about his content that got Mgoblog here and whether or not it's worth the pain to continue to provide it.
October 6th, 2014 at 10:00 AM ^
None of that fine content ever got this blog a mention on Olbermann.