New Idea for Diaries

Submitted by True Blue In Ohio on

I am not brand new to this blog, but I admit that I haven't been around long enough to tally massive points.  I have read a lot of good posts and gained a lot of insight to how the game is really played at the college level since being on this blog. 

In my opinion, the "Michigan Nation" is one.  We live and die together as the same creature and I had an idea that would help.  Our beloved coaches are humans and are prone to errors here and there.  On a weekly basis, I would love to see a diary that would lay a precise blueprint on how to beat our opponent each week.

For example, someone could do analysis that would dissect the offense and defense of the team we are about to play(In the same painful detail that is done after a Michigan game).  Specific tendencies and certain match-ups that may be exploited.  Maybe just one idea that maybe the coaches might not have thought of and maybe read here.  I find it very possible this blog could help Michigan win football games.  Another example, if the diary notices a  running back squats a little differently in their stance on a run play, it could telegraph plays all day long or many other tendencies.

I could not accomplish this because I don't have the expertise nor do I have the time with 3 kids and being locked away in a cancer research lab.  Anyway, it was just an idea I thought of.

MGoBoard
Football

jhackney

November 18th, 2010 at 6:03 PM ^

I think it has actually pumped up a lot of people into a confidence that we will win that otherwise wouldn't have cared or even think we could have won. Yea, you get loony toons, but you get that with anything. I don't see the harm in it. I guess the worst is that it annoys people, but i don't think it is detrimental to the quality shit you and the other guys put up. I try to keep it to just the boards. It will end, just like every fad. Until then I don't see the negatives in it except for the curmudgeons out there.

Joined: 12/11/2008

MGoPoints: 19772

SanDiegoWolverine

November 18th, 2010 at 6:01 PM ^

No, you sir are wrong.  Any coach who isn't open to new ideas and always trying to refine and improve his methods needs to find another line of work.  Some of those ideas might come from the internet.  Just dismissing that internet outright in favor or books, conferences, clinics and other places coaches might get new ideas is as inane as saying the MSM is the only place to get legitimate sports coverage.  But you already new that since you're an active user of a four letter word, "blog".

I can say with 100% confidence that baseball and basketball of been greatly influenced over the last 10 years from advanced statistical analysis, much of which came from or was first posted on the internet.

Joined: 02/03/2009

MGoPoints: 7180

SanDiegoWolverine

November 18th, 2010 at 6:34 PM ^

So you're saying that between the entire coaching staff they've watched every down of offense and defense for Wisconsin for the last couple years multiple times?  The coaching staff has a lot of responsibilities besides watching film for Wisconsin all year.  Is it possible they might have missed something from the past few years? Is it possible that someone else who takes a different approach might draw different conclusions?  Is it possible that Michigan doesn't have the best defensive minds in football and that someone with a lot of time on their hands and a lot of talent might have an idea or trend they've noticed that wasn't but the Michigan staff? That idea might even get posted on the internet.

Point being, I find that people that blindly dismiss ideas and suggestions are a little off base.  If someone had suggested in week 2 or 3 that QW and BWC switch positions they would have bee laughed off this blog but quite a few people.

Joined: 02/03/2009

MGoPoints: 7180

bluewave720

November 18th, 2010 at 7:13 PM ^

but as professionals, they shouldn't need to watch Wisconsin's last 3000 snaps multiple times to understand tendency.  I mean, after all, they are professionals. 

A couple months ago, I had to go see a gastroenterologist because I had blood in my poop.  I know, too much information.  Bro asked me to drop my trousers and examined my nether parts.  Said "I have no doubt in my mind your . . . condition (for which I think he meant bloody butt burps) is secondary to a fissure.  But, we gotta scope you."

After the scope, my entire 'chute is clear, save the fissure.

He didn't need to watch me crap 3000 times to know what was up. 

Joined: 07/17/2009

MGoPoints: 6515

Tacopants

November 18th, 2010 at 7:26 PM ^

I think that you'll find what you can glean out of watching a network broadcast of a game is not even close to what you can see in game tape.

The network broadcast is a nice presentation visually.  It also has a tight focus on following the ball.  In many times, this is detrimental to game tape.  You don't see the drops and coverages.  You don't get to see that Stonum likes to make a double move on his fly and post patterns.  You don't see what Roundtree does to indicate that he's about to make a cut.  You don't see Koger release to lurk in the flat.*

What you do see is Robinson booting right, seeing a wide open Koger and Stonum, and reading Top to Bottom, then completing the pass.  You don't see why he's reading top to bottom, or if that's his tendency.  You don't see how those receivers got open, you just see that they're open.  Maybe if you have a good announcer and technical crew you can get the money shots, but even then, you don't know if that happens all the time or just some of the time.

My point is that each coach devotes at least double the time that Brian does on a UFR to film study.  Beyond that, each player also sits in the film room to grade their performance and watch for tendencies that their individual assignment has.  Taylor Lewan can probably tell you all about how Adrian Clayborn likes to dip his shoulder when he's thinking about making a swim move.

If your 9 coaches, 2 grad assistants, 80 scholarship players, and 40 walk-ons didn't notice it, but a random blogger notices that Nick Toon likes to clap his hands 3 times when he runs a slant route, your football program is well and truly fucked.

*All of these tendencies are completely made up.  Or are they?  Chances are that nobody on this board knows.

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 3579

Tacopants

November 18th, 2010 at 7:35 PM ^

This is nothing against Brian and everybody else who UFRs, Run-charts, and Picture Pages.  They do a great job of identifying tendencies and developing ways to counter them.  The problem is that they are mainly concerned with Michigan's tendencies, and not other teams'.

Plus, its boring and tedious work.  It may or may not be applicable to even diehard fans.  How much do you really want to learn about Tyler Sash's positioning before the snap, and what kind of coverage and blitz package that may indicate?

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 3579

Rasmus

November 19th, 2010 at 9:09 AM ^

I don't rule out that there could be a blog, in theory, run by a genius who sees things that even very good and professional coaching has missed. However, I'll argue that it would be a short-lived blog, because said individual would end up working for, I don't know, the New England Patriots or something like that.

Joined: 07/02/2009

MGoPoints: 2412

Anonymosity

November 18th, 2010 at 6:35 PM ^

I think it's more critical that Brain Cook get the UFRs up earlier in the week so the coaches have more time to study them.  Maybe we can help out by chopping up the video and doing some preliminary analysis for him?

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 2482

Foote Fetish

November 18th, 2010 at 6:36 PM ^

I'll start.

Step 1: Score more points than Wisconsin.

Step 2: Maintain more points than Wisconsin for the duration of the game.

Step 3: Celebrate with a light salad and a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio.  Because what's more HARD EDGE than a light salad and a glass of Pinot Grigio?

Joined: 05/12/2009

MGoPoints: 1913