Michigan Monday at the Ozone: Channeling Brian

Submitted by StephenRKass on

So, I wasn't going to link to Michigan Monday this week, but can't resist. (This is the Michigan column put up every Monday at the Buckeye blog by the name of theozone.net)  LINK:  http://theozone.net/football/2012/MichiganMonday/MM_12_09_10.html

I swear, Tony Gerdeman is channeling Brian or something. Listen to these quotes:

I was very opposed to Dave Brandon finalizing the Alabama deal, and I'm almost as opposed to him signing the Air Force game as well. This schedule wasn't brave, it was arrogant and ignorant, and the Wolverines were fortunate to come out of it with just one loss.

This game, against an option offense like Air Force, does nothing for the team. Had they lost, Brandon would have been 100% responsible for this team being 0-2 to start the season.

He followed up an impossible game against Alabama with an impossibly tricky game against the triple-option. That's a Football 101 no-no.

Brady Hoke should have a clause that extends his contract one year for every time Brandon screws him over on the schedule like he did with the first two games of this season.

 

I don't think Gerdeman has anything GOOD to say about Brandon, nor does he have anything BAD to say about Hoke. As usual, there's a fair amount of good content and analysis. Here are a few bullets.

  • Denard in this game shows that Borges didn't want him to run against Bama unless absolutely necessary. For the rest of the year, Denard returns to being the most exciting player on the field.
  • Our running game is terrible, because our OL is terrible. This is painfully obvious to everyone.
  • Funchess already looks like an all-conference receiver, and Denard is doing a good job of getting the ball to the two Devin's.
  • The future looks very bright for the LB corps in the coming years, as we see both Bolden and Ross do a great job.
  • Ryan already is an all-Big 10 LB, responsible for singlehandedly stopping Air Force on 3 of the last 4 plays.
  • Gerdeman really liked BWC. (This is analysis I haven't much heard yet.) EDIT:  If true, this gives me much more hope for the remainder of the season, because if BWC can anchor the DL, we MIGHT be able to do something on defense.
  • Norfleet is a stud, and will return a kickoff for a TD, soon.
  • We still don't know what kind of defensive line Michigan has, and won't know until ND.

As always, go and read the article if you are starved for Michigan info.

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Lionsfan

September 11th, 2012 at 10:13 AM ^

For the millionth time, YOU'RE WRONG! Dave Brandon took over in January of 2010, was approached about it over the summer, and they signed the contract in October of 2010

Announcement (October 2010): http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/101410aaa.htm

 

When ESPN and the Cowboys Stadium organization pitched the game to Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon, it was a financial reach.
http://www.freep.com/article/20120824/SPORTS06/308240150/Dave-Brandon-F…

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MikeCohodes

September 11th, 2012 at 10:32 AM ^

At the time of the 10/14/10 announcement, we were 5-1, Denard was amazing and all over the Heisman early watch lists, and people were salivating about what he'd be like in his senior year.  I'm sure at the time DB scheduled the game that he didn't envision the team going 2-5 the rest of the way and having to replace RR at the end of the season and have the Bama game be in year 2 of a new coach.  So, at the time the trigger was pulled, things were looking pretty rosy in 2010, so I salute the scheduling of the Bama game.

Air Force was scheduled on Jan 28, 2011 per http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/012811aac.html.  At that time we hadn't scheduled UMASS yet and we had open dates on 9/8, 9/15, and 9/29 on the calendar.  So, scheduling the triple option a week after facing Alabama was incredibly stupid and I blame DB for that.  I'd have much rather played AFA on the 15th instead of the 8th. I am glad he scheduled the service academy though in general, I have much respect for our military so props to him for that.

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Metzger

September 11th, 2012 at 11:56 AM ^

If I remember right, when Alabama was announced, people all over this blog were thrilled with the prospect of playing Alabama with Denard as a senior.   I don't remember chatter about Air Force or their position in our schedule. 

I think people are generally mad because Michigan isn't dominating like we want them to.    You can't schedule a couple of great matchups 3 years from now, hope your team will improve by then, and then be mad when your team isn't as good as you want them to be.   Looking back, of course it would have been better to schedule Air Force on 9/15 instead of after Alabama.  But if we were really good, it wouldn't matter.  You can't blame Brandon for a tough schedule when he expects to field a great football team.

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Njia

September 11th, 2012 at 10:22 AM ^

While cut-blocking is a technique I'm glad we are not likely to see again this year, seeing AFA's triple option was probably a great opportunity to build some skills that will be useful later on.

Consider: how likely is our D going to be fooled by anyone else's half-hearted attempts at misdirection, options, counters, etc. this year? AFA sends so many looks, that there isn't a likely scenario our coaches and team haven't seen now, and we're only headed to Week 3. Could be invaluable experience.

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StephenRKass

September 11th, 2012 at 10:27 AM ^

EDIT:  Dagnabit, this was meant as a response to Lionsfan. I've got to be more careful to hit reply and not put up a new post.

Mgoblue link no longer exists - could this be a dark plot by the AD to remove anything that could be negative? Probably not. Nonetheless, I am reminded that links don't also last forever. The Internet is a wonderful thing, but there is no paper trail, and things just . . . disappear sometimes.

Regardless, DB was responsible for both games. I think some of the confusion comes because it was initially assumed that RR would be competing for the MNC by 2012, and that we could keep up with, nay, dominate? Alabama on the field. Those assumptions, in retrospect, are . . . quaint. What were we smoking? Anyway, when the game was scheduled, I don't think that a new coach, let alone Hoke, was on anyone's radar. Obviously, you wouldn't schedule Alabama for a new coach. No one fully understood the train wreck that was recruiting, especially line recruiting, under RR. In August 2010 the Gerg disaster was not yet understood. It is painful to even recall.

FTR, I personally would have been supportive of Alabama, or Air Force, but not both back-to-back. For that matter, I think Alabama and the AFA back to back in 2014 or 2015 wouldn't be so terrifying. However, you have to make schedules up long before you can see those kinds of things.

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M-Wolverine

September 11th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^

I've jumped in the Air Force thread about...but has Brian really complained about the Air Force game being scheduled?  I know he doesn't like Bama, and there are legit reasons for not scheduling it (having to do with home games, and such) but not being ready isn't one of them. I'm sure if he doesn't like it, he blames Brandon, but I don't recall him being up in arms about there being too good of an OOC schedule.

I don't know that our Offensive line is terrible yet. We shall see. Denard didn't have to dodge 11 guys to get all those yards...he had a little help.

Ryan made some mistakes too, and I'm not ready to crown him anything, but he's shown a lot of promise. And he hardly did anything single-handedly at the end. He made plays, but others had to be in their assignments for him to make the play. (And at least one he wasn't the only guy there tackling).

Norfleet only returns a kick for a TD if we face kickers outside of UMass who can't kick it deep into the endzone.

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