Rutgers Snowflakes: The Coaching
November 5th, 2022 at 11:09 PM ^
Michigan has trailed in four games this year. From the moment of first trailing in each game, they’ve outscored their opponents 116-17. It’s not always pretty, but that’s good coaching.
November 6th, 2022 at 9:42 AM ^
This team differs from so many in the recent past in the adjustments they make at halftime. I remember the years when the team would come out in the 3rd quarter doing exactly what didn't work in the 1st and 2nd. I think we've finally turned that corner.
November 6th, 2022 at 10:57 AM ^
I think it is more than adjustments. I think it's something unspoken, and it's physicality. Harbaugh finally has, over the last 2 years, the fully punishing teams that have been his objective here. These 2 to 1 (or in the case of PSU 5 to 1) time of possession first halves, are a primary reason the second halves are so lopsided, and it's because of a first half gameplan that isn't alway impressive on the scoreboard, and which therefore has us all thinking that incredible adjustments were made, when a major aspect of these routes is actually that teams just can't keep up with the combination of physical punishment and great athletes. Look at OSU last year. We outscored them 28-14 in the second half, and they were lucky it wasn't worse. But did we make any significant adjustments? Or did we just keep punching them in the face?
November 5th, 2022 at 11:10 PM ^
Hat tip to Zach Shaw on this one, but Michigan is +100 in the second half of Big Ten games this season.
November 6th, 2022 at 7:50 AM ^
In the last four games the Defense has only given up 3 points (Penn State)
Jesse Minter's adjustments are insane.
November 6th, 2022 at 11:42 AM ^
And that PSU drive was their scripted drive coming out of the locker room. It only got them a field goal.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:32 PM ^
ALL YOUR THIRD QUARTER ARE BELONG TO US
November 5th, 2022 at 11:10 PM ^
3rd quarter Michigan would beat early 1900s Yost Michigan
November 5th, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^
Early 1900s Yost didn't pass, and that comeback was keyed on three picks.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:30 PM ^
We found Fielding Yost’s account
November 6th, 2022 at 12:00 AM ^
The comeback was keyed on Rutgers first interception of the second half
The blowout was keyed on everything else
November 6th, 2022 at 1:19 AM ^
We were already ahead 21-17 when the first interception happened.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:52 PM ^
3rd quarter Michigan would beat 1st quarter Michigan with a point a minute.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:11 PM ^
If you had told me before the game that we'd win 52-17, I would've nodded smugly and went about my evening. As always, the devil is in the details....
November 5th, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^
What devil? A blocked punt? A few long gains in the first half that were schemed into oblivion by sharp adjustments at halftime? 38-0 in the second half. Minter is a really good DC.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:21 PM ^
We outgained them 433-180 despite a ton of drops. The final score reflected how the game was played. Just not the score at half.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:11 PM ^
They give some great halftime speeches!
November 5th, 2022 at 11:14 PM ^
Halftime adjustments have been exceptional this year.
November 6th, 2022 at 9:22 AM ^
But, why wait until halftime
November 6th, 2022 at 11:50 AM ^
Because you don't know the opponent game plan with certainty until after a half?
November 5th, 2022 at 11:14 PM ^
The coaches know it's a 60 minute game - not all the fans seem to realize that
November 6th, 2022 at 11:37 AM ^
If I had *something* for every time I looked at the halftime score for a "Top 10 vs Unranked" and thought "wow, unranked is really giving Top 10 a game, I should check this for an upset" only to be ultimately let down then I'd have a LOT of "somethings"
November 5th, 2022 at 11:14 PM ^
Jesse Minter may be season MVP.
November 6th, 2022 at 11:50 AM ^
Pay the man his money.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:16 PM ^
I’ve long held, as many do, that Harbaugh holds significant influence over the offense.
That’s not unusual or inappropriate. Football coaches have a lot of influence on the side of the ball they specialize in. Nobody complains that Andy Reid works with the offense at KC, or that Bill Belichick influences the defense in New England.
My assertion two years ago (and specifically repeated after last year’s Rutgers game) was that Harbaugh had a significant effect on the quality of the offense.
That has been proven correct… but it turns out I was dead wrong about what kind of effect that was.
Josh Gattis just went into a big rivalry game and hung three points on Florida State.
Now, about this game? Bag the win and move on.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:24 PM ^
Gattis has been absolutely brutal there.
I kind of feel bad for Cristobal. You'd think hiring a Broyles Award winner would be a sure thing.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:40 PM ^
I don't feel bad for Cristobal. Guy leaves a really good gig in Oregon to go home to a program that hasn't been relevant in forever and nobody in town cares anymore. As for Gattis, I wonder if Harbaugh told him not to let the door hit him in the ass on the way out.
November 6th, 2022 at 8:59 AM ^
It's a fan base with strong and fairly recent memories of something that was so dominant and so heavy on style, that it's literally impossible to satisfy them.
Not just win (and they can't even muster just winning anymore),but crush opposition and do it with an urban and local flair.
And do that for a decade.
You know Crisobal walked in and wanted to be real clear from the jump that those days are gone never to return. But they have hard enough time getting people to travel way out to that stadium in the northern suburbs for games. He has to dangle the remote possibility of an 80s reincarnation to keep interest high.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:04 AM ^
Harbaugh called him anonymously about a up and coming OC looking for a fresh start.
Savage Jimmy Savage
What is funny is after that Virginia disaster last week Gattis didnt even score today. The special teams got the points not the offense.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:20 AM ^
Worth remembering as we overreact (positively or negatively) to Weiss/Moore... there's a puppet master, and that's fine
November 5th, 2022 at 11:17 PM ^
This staff seems to develop a killer run offense but doesn't know how to develop a pass offense. If we're winning games, whatever, but it definitely puts a ceiling on this program
November 5th, 2022 at 11:34 PM ^
If the ceiling is Big Ten championships and playoff appearances, I guess I can live with that.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:40 PM ^
Touché
November 6th, 2022 at 12:50 AM ^
I don't profess to be the arbiter of such matters, but I think only the person to whom the response was given is allowed to say "touche." Otherwise you kind of seem like a dick.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:23 PM ^
touche
November 5th, 2022 at 11:41 PM ^
I agree with you, but expectations are shaped by past results. If we start making the playoff every couple years, eventually we will start to expect more. I love Harbaugh, I always have even through the hard times, but ultimately the goal is to beat a team like Georgia, and I think we do need to be more successful throwing the ball to accomplish that. That doesn't mean abandoning our physical character. It just means adding efficient chunk plays and unpredictability, in order to keep defenses honest, so our awesome run game can thrive.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:07 AM ^
21-2 but it easily couldve been 22-1 if we just knew how to out play a team that out recruits a combined 13 of the 14 big ten teams. Seriously look at the players their 25 recruits are better than the entire non-OSU big ten together.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:43 PM ^
By that logic OSU has a ceiling too, since their rushing attack is inconsistent against lousy teams and pretty poor against good ones.
Georgia should have lost to Missouri. 'Bama has 2 losses. Clemson got trounced. So who doesn't have a ceiling?
Yes, the ceiling is "not one of the greatest college teams of all time". Same can be said of every team in cfb.
We're undefeated, with a great chance to make the playoff for the second year in a row - these are the good times!
November 5th, 2022 at 11:53 PM ^
Don't get me wrong, these are great times!! My entire childhood was shaped by Saturdays watching Michigan football. We then were terrible for a few years, but now we are back to being really good. I love watching this team and my week is filled with UFRs, Neck Sharpies, and Opponent Watch. Michigan football brings joy into my life most of the time under Jim Harbaugh and I truly love him for that. However, thinking someone is an excellent coach, doesn't require me to think they are perfect. Harbaugh is one of the best football coaches in the world, but in order to take the next step from excellent to national champions, I do think we need to improve our passing game. I don't think saying that means I don't appreciate the good times, because I really do.
November 6th, 2022 at 7:14 AM ^
Yeah, the pass game has been a little 'off' all season. The receivers at times are unable to get separation, and when they do, the ball doesn't always go there, or is a tad off. JJ is still developing, and whether it's this season or next, when passing equals running, this team will be formidable.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:18 PM ^
More 2nd half coaching. Less 1st half coaching.
I hope this was an awakening for Harbaugh to spread out the offense more and stop being so stubborn running.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:28 PM ^
We rushed for 282 yards and Corum hardly played in the fourth quarter. Darn that stubborn running.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:39 PM ^
And BC had a long run early in the game negated by penalty.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:42 PM ^
They rushed most of that yardage back, you can't double count it.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:43 PM ^
And yet when we needed points, we leaned on the passing game to make it work.
November 6th, 2022 at 1:29 AM ^
We averaged 5.6 yards per pass attempt. We made a few key plays in the passing game but I wouldn't say we leaned on it.
November 6th, 2022 at 11:53 AM ^
It wasn't the stats, but I think UFR will prove this out: 2nd half we stretched the field horizontally with more spread formations. We also started taking more shots doen field. Even those most didn't connect those two things (formation to stretch horizontal, and playcalling to get safeties to back off) loosened up the defense in the 2nd half.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^
Good job getting it back on track during the 2nd half. Again.
November 6th, 2022 at 6:41 AM ^
We weren't really off track in any way except the score. Michigan was out gaining Rutgers, had all the first downs, all the time of possession, etc. Rutgers had a total of 4 things go good for them (3 big pass plays and the punt block) but they were all clustered together to give the illusion that Rutgers was having success.
The 2nd half exposed that. Some of it was adjustments but some of it was just probability being a bitch, and low percentage plays for Rutgers reverting to being low percentage. You're not going to beat a ranked team over 60 minutes on nothing but fades and blocked punts.