OT: Relax it is just recruiting
Just something to lighten the load for people that are stressed already about football recruiting.
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:17 PM ^
Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college. To say that it doesn't matter, is Spartyish. We're not going to get anywhere past a big ten title if we don't recruit well.
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:24 PM ^
It matters to coaches, players, and recruits (and their families).
To the average adult-aged Michigan "fan" who lives and dies with the decision-making process of a 17-year-old, who pays money to get "inside information" about these kids' lives, who try to Facebook friend or Twitter-follow these kids, and who then trash the fuck out of them once they decide to go somewhere else... It's not your lifeblood--it's your creepy obsession.
If it were up to me, the entire industry surrounding recruiting would be stripped away in favor of this being a personal decision for a student-athlete. No one would be doing a hat ceremony if there weren't a fleet of cameras and a million mouthbreathing recruitniks watching with baited breath on ESPNU. The whole thing has become sick.
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^
I agree, but let's not pretend like it's just people victimizing the poor kiddies. They're the ones who schedule the hat ceremonies, pull all sort of stunts, what have you.
The people who give them tons of attention are extremely weird, but for the most part, the kids themselves enjoy being celebrities.
January 24th, 2014 at 8:34 AM ^
If the recruits don't want the attention, all they have to do is say no. Want to do this interview? No. Want to announce live on our air? No. Want to go to this camp where there's going to be media? No.
Its that simple.
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:24 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:27 PM ^
No college has won a BCS national championship without having one class in the top 10. Sure you can be good, but you can't be the best.
January 24th, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^
Well sorry to burst your bubble but this program is trying to get back to good. You can't talk about being the best untl you are at least good and the last 2 seasons have been "not good". Missouri is a good example of no top 10 classes and they were a few plays away from a NC appearance. MSU was a few PI in South Bend away from a NC appearance. But frankly right now we are not in a category to even make those discussions - I realize these are ultimate goals but realistic people see we need to be good before great.
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:26 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:31 PM ^
Honestly, sometimes it feels to me like there is a good chunk of this fanbase that cares more about 'crootin rankings than they do in-season poll rankings. Sparty just punked these people, and they're still twitter-bashing high school kids.
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:14 PM ^
and they did it with the #17, #30, #31, #41 and #40 classes over the past five years, according to Rivals.
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:18 PM ^
Sparty won the Rose Bowl and has two conference titles. I'd rather be nationally dominant and we have seen although many don't like to hear it recruiting studs + coaching equals dominance. If you're ok with never winning a national title again then by all means Hoke should offer everyone.
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:19 PM ^
Do you even read what you're responding to?
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:22 PM ^
Yes. The article was funny.
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:44 PM ^
So pointing out that MSU has had some very successful seasons with low-ranked recruiting classes = being OK with Michigan never winning a national title again?
OK then.
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:53 PM ^
And how close did we get to another national title with all those highly ranked recruits we had while Lloyd was here? ONE TIME after 1997 we had a chance to make the national title game but lost The Game and then got pantsed by USC in the Rose Bowl. In fact, we've been pantsed in the Rose Bowl every time since...1997! Why was Sparty able to win it?
In conclusion, elite coaching matters more than elite recruits.
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:54 PM ^
So the solution to this is to stop recruiting 4/5 stars? I'd think we'd want to up our recruiting and up our coaching if Hoke doesn't work out. Alabama didn't get back on top by offering UAB recruits who wanted to play for Bama.
January 23rd, 2014 at 10:01 PM ^
Good lord, literally no one is saying that.
Can you read?
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:56 PM ^
MSU has been successful for them. I'm looking for Michigan to absolutely dominate nationally. 1 Rose bowl and 2 big ten titles in 7 years won't cut it.
January 23rd, 2014 at 10:07 PM ^
So you're saying we underachieved during Lloyd Carr's tenure correct?
January 23rd, 2014 at 10:09 PM ^
Towards the end, yea.
January 23rd, 2014 at 10:20 PM ^
I'm glad someone else on this blog other than me can finally admit this.
January 24th, 2014 at 8:54 AM ^
I could upvote you both.
January 24th, 2014 at 8:48 AM ^
They would have beaten FSU if given the chance.
January 24th, 2014 at 9:29 AM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:43 PM ^
I would argue the players that were the heart of their team this year were in recruiting classes that at least equaled ours in the same years. Maybe in terms of stars we had a small edge, but in terms of building a complete team and not having gapping holes at multiple positions they definitely did a good job.
I take your point that you need to develop the guys you recruit, something they've done well, but recruiting does matter and this narrative that Sparty won with a team of castaway scrubs just isn't the whole truth.
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:49 PM ^
Exactly, football recruiting is an ugly business between all colleges. I wish it weren't this way, but it is what it is. We need a team filled with mostly 4 and 5 stars like Alabama and FSU have unless you all are content with never winning a national title. Most of the people in this thread seem to think getting a shit load of 2 star MAC offers that really love Michigan is the way to go.
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:58 PM ^
You are pretty much on with that.. i posted below about how they had more 4 star players on their team from 09-11 than we did..
We clearly have more 4 and 5 star kids now that are either fresh, soph, or RS fresh.. but in terms of Upper classmen from those years they def had the edge the last few years
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:55 PM ^
and from the 09-11 recruiting classes MSU actually had more 4 star players playing on their roster than us..
Shows how much attrition we had from the majority of RR classes.. which led to very few talented upper classmen in relation to the depth MSU has sustained by retaining kids in their class
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:29 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
If we gave scholarships to those who wanted to play here the most, our team would be terrible. Brady Hoke offers the best. Lloyd Carr offered the best and got a National Championship from getting commitments from bluechip guys like Charles Woodson.
January 23rd, 2014 at 10:01 PM ^
I presume that most kids want to play at a big name school; some are just better at it than others. And honestly, if every school handed out scholarships to kids who wanted it the most, I'm guessing Harvard and Arizona State would probably be the two best schools in all sports, ever.
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:06 PM ^
So would you say Sparty recruits well or not?
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:59 PM ^
Um, I think the point was that while people who actually have a positive effect on it (players, coaches, etc.) definitely should take it seriously, idiots with twitter accounts flaming 16-year-olds should probably bump the brakes on their fandom a bit.
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:22 PM ^
We better land Malik Mcdowell. That is all...
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:25 PM ^
Hope he picks where he feels the best
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:23 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:28 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:31 PM ^
Ok.
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:34 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:54 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:44 PM ^
...right?
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:08 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:35 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:32 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:51 PM ^
I feel bad for people who thought this was a real article and non-satirical post by the OP
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
“Still, I can’t shake the feeling that he wants something from me. Maybe it’s the way he’s always complimenting my intangibles, suggesting I’d be great in a pro-style offense, or telling me I’d look really sharp in crimson and white.” Spear, who did not want to rush to judgment, reportedly plans to run his theory past some of his other friends, specifically Louisiana State University football coach Les Miles when the pair meet for lunch next week.
LOL. I think the Onion pretty did a pretty good job summing up recruiting and the nature of it here. I can only imagine some recruit saying to a coach, "It's funny that you mention all that, because the same thing happened just the other day when Nick Saban visited....it's odd..."
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:41 PM ^
Let's raid EMU's recruiting class. I bet those guys really want to play at Michigan.
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:30 PM ^