The only interesting note from today's presser

Submitted by Blueverine on

was his response to the question about Shane not taking the last couple of meaningless snaps. Harbaugh was specifically asked if it was to keep a red-shirt option open for Shane and he said "it is a consideration. We're all seeing it how it's taking place. We're in control of it."

Pretty revealing to me. Seems like it's a long shot that we wouldn't play a no. 2 QB this year, but an interesting comment to say the least.

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Gofor2

September 14th, 2015 at 6:52 PM ^

his is a result of Harbaugh being short sited. Starting Shane and working with him threw his struggles this year would have done a great deal to develop him and ready him to be a serious threat in the next season or two. But Harbaughs ego didn't want to take the losses that would come with that decision. So he starts a transfer that is only marginally better and is at his ceiling. He's not going to get much better, so what you see now is what you get in game 11. It's some very short sided thinking that unless he never plans to use Shane is down right dumb. But hey, dumb is required for a UM head coach.

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East German Judge

September 14th, 2015 at 12:58 PM ^

For the transfer experts on MGoBlog, if Shane did not play this year and was redshirted this year and transfered for next year, would this year count as his "sitting out" year out and thus be eligible to play immediately next year???

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rugbypike11

September 14th, 2015 at 1:10 PM ^

If Shane graduates early (he was an early enrollee, right?), he could use the graduate transfer exception to play those last two seasons somewhere else.  He has to graduate and get into graduate school at a school that wants him to play QB, and I'm not even sure he was an early enrollee to put a May 2016 graduation in play.  Hopefully he keeps competing and pushing Rudock.

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charblue.

September 14th, 2015 at 1:12 PM ^

Harbaugh is really doing Shane a favor. He's telling him you're our No. 2 guy, but I don't want to waste your eligibility with end-of-the-game snaps that burn your redshirt option if we can avoid it. It tells Shane he's in Harbaugh's plans for the future, he's secure as the backup if something happens to Rudock and he will have a chance to compete next year for a starting job while still potentially having two years remaining to play at Michigan. 

Essentially, he's letting Morris know he's being counted on for two years as a competing No. 1  and it ought to keep Snane from thinking about leaving to play elsewhere. Now, this might not be enough for him. But Harbaugh is making it clear what his intentions are with Shane and how he feels about him. I think that ought to motivate Shane now and tomorrow as he contemplates his future in this program. 

 

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BlueCube

September 14th, 2015 at 1:40 PM ^

this year even if he hopefully doesn't play. He can come in next year and compete with all the knowledge he's gained. If he gets to the end of next year and sees he isn't playing and has little chance to break the depth chart, he can transfer for his fifth year with his degree and hopefully kick ass for some team after working with a great quarterback coach for two years.

I read that Brandon Peters is enrolling early so the quarterback competition the next two years will be incredible.

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Muttley

September 14th, 2015 at 4:52 PM ^

And even if Shane does transfer, Harbaugh's handling of it will be an example of doing the right thing for the player.  Too bad Rich Rod didn't do that for William Campbell.

Plus, in the unfortunate event that Rudddock* is significantly injured, Shane is immediately The Man.

 

*Rudddock makes D's look out of place.

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Philbert

September 14th, 2015 at 1:12 PM ^

It doesn't have to be just a fifth year transfer. The Texas qb a few years back managed to graduate in 3 years and transferred to smu and had 2 full years of eligibility and was eligible as soon as he hit campus. Name is escaping me. Rule is you can transfer to any school that has what you want to master in after you receive your bachelors. In reality, if Shane busts his ass and graduates next summer, he could play some where for 2 full seasons.



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Ronnie Kaye

September 14th, 2015 at 12:58 PM ^

There is no downside to redshirting him assuming that Rudock stays healthy and only comes out in garbage time. If Shane improves and is good enought to start next year, you've got him for two seasons. If he's not, you don't renew his fifth year and he can get a shot somewhere else. This is smart roster management.

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Hannibal.

September 14th, 2015 at 1:04 PM ^

I can see the downside being that he won't get any meaningful snaps in Harbaugh's system before next year.  I don't know if he's the heir apparent but with all of the starters returning next year I think that it's worth doing everything possible to make 2016 a 10-win season.  If that means burning Shane's redshirt for 25 garbage passing attempts, I think that I am still in favor of it.  Barrring injuries we are going to be loaded on offense next year.  I'd hate to see it submarined by poor QB play.  With QB recruiting going the way it has plus the O'Korn transfer, I'm not too worried about that position in 2017 and beyond. 

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Hannibal.

September 14th, 2015 at 1:55 PM ^

Depends on the circumstances.  In this case, we will have a large senior class playing in 2016, coinciding wtih what passes for "rebuilding" at OSU and probably MSU too.  We will have a pretty easy schedule.  2016 is by far our best bet at winning the Big Ten in a decade and our best chance to beat OSU in Columbus in just as long.  In 2017, we will lose a lot of guys and they will likely be replaced by redshirt freshmen, true freshman, and true sophomores from our upcoming classes.  And let's face it, recruiting isn't exaclty setting the world on fire lately, so the next rebuilding year is shaping up to be pretty ugly.  I look at that situation and say that I'd rather be all in for 2016 than waste a guy's fifth year in rebuilding mode. 

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ST3

September 14th, 2015 at 3:37 PM ^

I'd rather have a returning 5th year senior QB starting in 2017 when we play OSU and MSU at home, than have Shane get garbage time snaps this year and be breaking in a new QB in 2017. Just based on the new schedule, odd years are what we have to set our sights on. Winning at OSU and MSU in the same year is a difficult task as long as Meyer and Dantonio are still at the helms.

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FreddieMercuryHayes

September 14th, 2015 at 1:18 PM ^

How is garbage snaps meaningful? The upside of a potential 5th year returning starter far outweighs 15 handoffs and 10 passes in garbage time, doesn't actually do anything else to make Shane better, and removes future contributions from possibility. If Shane has two years left, the QB competition next year is going to make all parties better.



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Hannibal.

September 14th, 2015 at 1:40 PM ^

Getting a chance to read live defenses, see coverages, and learn areas where he still has to improve?  Having some meaningful stuff on film to be critiqued in practice so that the next spring will be productive?  I dunno.  I guess I don't see his fifth year as having much value anyways, since we're going to be loaded at that position by 2017, albeit with guys who are young. 

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Doctor Wolverine

September 14th, 2015 at 6:09 PM ^

The problem is that nobody passes the ball during garbage time anyway (unless garbage time starts in the third or early fourth Q). Also, at that point, the defense is going to be very vanilla. I am in the camp that a redshirt would be much more valuable than a few hand-offs against a vanilla defense. The only exceptions would be if the race is close enough that Shane might get meaningful snaps, or if it is unlikely that Shane would be the starter those last two years. I don't think either of those exceptions apply.

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sj

September 14th, 2015 at 1:52 PM ^

Honestly, even substantial playing time isn't clearly that vital. The ratios of learning on your own to practice to playing in games is totally different in football than any other sport that the stuff we don't see is so much more important than the stuff we do. I'm more curious about how much coaching time and practice reps with the good players he's getting, but we won't know that. I would definitely rather have a slightly better QB for an complete second year than a tiny bit of game time, by a lot. 

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funkywolve

September 14th, 2015 at 2:40 PM ^

imo, it depends how much garbage time are we talking about.  If it's like this past Saturday wherer it's a couple hand offs and a kneel down, I agree - not much development.  However, if you're inserting the second string QB early in the 4th quarter, and he's going to probably get a few series, then that can be beneficial.

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1201SouthMain

September 14th, 2015 at 2:31 PM ^

25 garbage pass attempts won't do anything for Shane.  We're making way too much out of this in my opinion.  If we need him, he plays.  If we get lucky enough to never need our backup except as a garbage time guy, he redshirts.  Makes perfect sense.  

Shane, if that hurts your feelings (which I doubt it does) sorry about that.

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Muttley

September 14th, 2015 at 5:00 PM ^

and that example will even further bolster the attractiveness for QBs coming to Michigan.

Do the right thing for Shane, and if after the spring it becomes clear that Shane would be better off somewhere else, thank him for his efforts and help him land a better opportunity.  Shane deserves that.

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