MSU Snowflakes: The Coaching

Submitted by LSAClassOf2000 on

This will be the repository for your thoughts and hot takes on the overall coaching in our game versus Michigan State. 

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Football

PopeLando

October 7th, 2017 at 11:33 PM ^

This is what I don't get. It's like we spent the off week turning O'Korn into a worse version of Speight. This is Hoke-esque in the worst way. "Let's spend our time practicing the stuff that plays into our weaknesses, instead of maximizing our strengths."

Joined: 08/01/2015

MGoPoints: 68209

snarling wolverine

October 8th, 2017 at 12:35 AM ^

How do you really prepare to play in nearly unplayable conditions?  I just got back from the game.  For most of the second half it was almost impossible to pass the ball and I was surprised how often we even tried.

You can fault our offense for farting around in the first half in good weather, but once the rain started falling, there was little offense in this game.  (The rain finally lightened up late in the fourth quarter, just in time for our last-minute possession.)

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 98328

I Like Burgers

October 8th, 2017 at 1:30 AM ^

For one, you don’t throw it 11 times during the peak of a monsoon. Do what MSU did — play smart and play field position. If you’re going to pass, at least throw it deep off of play action. So if it’s picked off at least it’s not much worse than a punt.

They called plays like they were oblivious to the storm.

You can also know that first half points were going to be extremely important. So when you’re in the red zone, maybe don’t call back to back low percentage fade routes — routes that haven’t worked all season for you — and piss away a good drive and wind up with 3 points instead of 7. Because guess how important those 4 points wound up being.

Joined: 10/06/2012

MGoPoints: 30575

atticusb

October 8th, 2017 at 12:18 PM ^

I'm saying that O'Korn was bad regardless of the weather.  Clearly Purdue was the exception, and O'Korn is the same interception/happy feet machine we saw last year.  So the weather was bad? So the playcalling was bad? Doesn't change the fact that O'Korn was bad.  I don't need players who do well when the playcall is perfect, and the weather gorgeous. I need players who do well despite the weather, the refs, the playcalling. I don't need excuses, I need improvement AND WINS.  As Mitch put it:  WIN THE GAME.

Joined: 08/23/2015

MGoPoints: 3774

MgoFunk

October 7th, 2017 at 11:34 PM ^

HOW DARE HARBAUGH LOSE THIS GAME WITH ONE OF THE YOUNGEST TEAMS IN AMERICA. HOW DARE HE OVERACHIEVE IN A CLEAR REBUILDING YEAR. "But OSU did it!" They did it with a long history of strong recruiting classes. It went Tressel good coach and good recruiter to Urban...'nuff said. Unless you're willing to say Hoke recruited at the same level this is youth. Everyone agreed we weren't going undefeated why is everyone upset that we lost a game where we turned the ball over 5 times? I'll now watch the neg counter go up, but let's be realistic here.

Joined: 10/14/2015

MGoPoints: 2483

MindlessChaos

October 8th, 2017 at 12:31 AM ^

8 Starters (some of the best players out of all the starters)  I think it was 13 or so total.  There are only 31 upperclassmen on scholarship. (several of those were given scholarships this year for the first time)  This is the youngest team MSU has ever had under Dantonio by a wide margin. 

Joined: 04/02/2014

MGoPoints: 212

MindlessChaos

October 8th, 2017 at 12:31 AM ^

8 Starters (some of the best players out of all the starters)  I think it was 13 or so total.  There are only 31 upperclassmen on scholarship. (several of those were given scholarships this year for the first time)  This is the youngest team MSU has ever had under Dantonio by a wide margin. 

Joined: 04/02/2014

MGoPoints: 212

MindlessChaos

October 8th, 2017 at 12:34 AM ^

8 Starters (some of the best players out of all the starters)  I think it was 13 or so total. (this is outside of graduating seniors.. .players expected to be starting this year)  There are only 31 upperclassmen on scholarship. (several of those were given scholarships this year for the first time)  This is the youngest team MSU has ever had under Dantonio by a wide margin. 

Joined: 04/02/2014

MGoPoints: 212

MgoFunk

October 7th, 2017 at 11:52 PM ^

This I can agree with. Dantonio is back in his element though. He doesn't know how to operate as anything but the unappreciated, pissed off underdog. The weather also did not help, when everything started to go Michigans way...down pour.

Joined: 10/14/2015

MGoPoints: 2483

I Like Burgers

October 8th, 2017 at 1:34 AM ^

Three of those turnovers came when the coaches inexplicably kept calling passing plays during a time that it was impossible to pass. It’s like me asking you to eat a bowl of soup while running. Who’s fault is it when soup gets spilled everywhere?

It’s not the players fault when the coaches decide to go 5 wide during the middle of a monsoon.

Joined: 10/06/2012

MGoPoints: 30575

MgoFunk

October 8th, 2017 at 12:33 AM ^

It's hard to coach around 5 turnovers, and that's not on the coaches. It's a testimony to Don Brown that 1.we were in the tOSU game last year after the pick six, and the other interception.2. Survived and won a game where we threw two pick sixes against Florida. 3. Has a chance to win this game with 5 turnovers in the closing seconds.

Joined: 10/14/2015

MGoPoints: 2483

Albatross

October 7th, 2017 at 11:50 PM ^

You do realize MSU’s lineup was younger than ours.. Plus we were playing at home and had two weeks to prepare. Not to mention all we heard was “wait until Harbaugh” gets his guys in there. Year 3 at Michigan in the least you should have taken over the MSU rivalry; and we have’t. Pathetic.

Joined: 11/12/2013

MGoPoints: 1957

MgoFunk

October 7th, 2017 at 11:59 PM ^

No, you're right. Now look at what Harbaugh's guys are doing. Defense - phenomenal. TE's really good. WR's - look out once they put it together. QB's - not Harbaugh's guy. RB's flash promise but rely on...the line - mason cole is good, the kids flash promise...but again O-lineman need time to develop.

Joined: 10/14/2015

MGoPoints: 2483

MgoFunk

October 8th, 2017 at 12:27 AM ^

O'Korn was a transfer that was going to bridge the time between his QB's and Hokes. I don't think I'd call him a Harbaugh guy but that's just my opinion. RB's I'm going to withhold judgement for now, our yards and yards and ypc aren't awful. Looking at you 30 whatever carries for -40 some odd yards. No doubt I think we'd all like to have the All American back but Gentry and McKeown aren't bad.

Joined: 10/14/2015

MGoPoints: 2483

Puget Sound Blue

October 7th, 2017 at 11:52 PM ^

I don't think anyone seriously expected U-M to go undefeated this season, especially having lost so many starters.

This was, or at least should have been, a winnable game. First half went poorly, then the U-M defense shut MSU down. U-M got outplayed and outcoached in a game where they shouldn't have been.

This doesn't mean that we should be calling for Harbaugh's head. But there is a lot of work to do and it looks like there's more work needed that most of us thought, I'm guessing.

Joined: 11/18/2008

MGoPoints: 2470

MgoFunk

October 8th, 2017 at 12:10 AM ^

Agreed. I really thought that Speight would continue with the upward trajectory but that didn't happen. The part where O'Korn started the whole overthrowing thing is also not great. But I stand by: when the kids on the field turn the ball ober 5 times killing almost every drive it's hard to coach back into that game.

Joined: 10/14/2015

MGoPoints: 2483

TomJ

October 8th, 2017 at 12:12 AM ^

I didn't expect them to go undefeated.

I DID expect them to win this game.

Against MSU (a crappy team).

At home.

After a bye-week.

And the young part of the team, the defense, played pretty damn well. It was the experienced guys that make up the "offense" that sucked.

Tired of excuses.

Joined: 03/21/2012

MGoPoints: 1437