Snowflake Thread: Coaching
October 12th, 2013 at 10:53 PM ^
Agree - bad idea to get rid of Hoke at this point. But I am getting tired of hearing him say in every press conference, "We have to do better as coaches." I don't know what this means anymore. I'm not seeing improvement or evolution in the game plan. So what does doing better as a coach mean? The takeaway from Borges' pressers is that he's been through all this before with (insert former QB here). So with all that experience, we should be seeing results, yes? I hate to say this, but it's starting to feel like a lot of empty talk.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:26 PM ^
Disagree.
We are suffering temendously from the disastrous 2010 class which saw no OL and some ridicuous attrition. Hoke's got his second recruiting class in and has been recruiting very highly, particularly where our current team weaknesses are: offensive line and defensive line.
Honestly, it's 6 years before the coach fully owns all players on his team, and while I'm not saying we should wait it out that long I am saying year 3 is not the year you fire a coach unless it's for something egregious. Do you really want to continue the transition that has been ongoing since 2007? What results has that gotten us?
October 12th, 2013 at 9:57 PM ^
I wonder what would have happened if Hoke HAD eaten before the game.
October 12th, 2013 at 9:57 PM ^
I'm sure I'll get negged for saying this, but I'm just saying what I think a lot of us are thinking anyway:
Is Hoke the guy? Yes, he's an amazing recruiter, there's no doubt about that. But there were moments of pure coaching ineptitude tonight. Those delay of games should never have happened. I can't stand that conservative, lloydball, play not to lose mindset. That, among other things, cost us the game tonight.
I know we all like to bash on Urban Meyer on this board, but these are the kinds of things that would never happen with a guy like him at the helm. That man's teams play to win, and that mindset carries down to his players. They don't sit on a 7-10 point lead and hope the other team doesn't come back and win.
We're in the third year of Hoke's system, and on a lot of fronts, things just aren't getting better. In some cases, they're getting worse. I'd honestly have to question if this O-Line could guard efficiently against an FCS team. They've shown me nothing to make me think that they could. They make opposing D-Lines look like the damn '85 Bears. And we just can't win on the road. At all. I don't know what it is, but this team completely shits the bed whenever they leave Ann Arbor. Does not bode well for when we face a legitimate defense in EL in a few weeks. Narduzzi will be blitzing all damn day.
At the end of the day, I wonder if we've seen everything out of Hoke that we're going to get. His coaching tonight makes me seriously question his ability to lead this team to a conference title, much less a national campionship.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:02 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:02 PM ^
I don't think you can say after 1 game that Hoke isn't a good coach. He has shown a lot of killer instinct in the past. I think what happened tonight is concerning, no doubt, but it's kinda hard to write him off based on it. He really does need to get more involved in fixing the offense, but as far as game management goes, he's shown lots of capability in the past.
October 12th, 2013 at 9:57 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 9:58 PM ^
I can look past Borge's play calling. I don't like it, but given execution he's left with not a lot of options. Hoke... I can chalk this up to an isolated game where he just didn't have the killer instinct. I think you have to give him credit given his past that this is not his MO.
Funk on the other hand... I haven't seen a damn thing that says he is capable of coaching at this level. I understand you have some young guys, but to not field something even a MAC level O line out of 7-8 options is just ridiculous. The only guys that have any semblence of competence are guys that got coaching from someone else before. Seeing 4 and 5 stars trot out and make mistake after mistake and get physically pushed back because of poor technique just isn't acceptable. Time is up for him, as far as I'm concerned. Wisconsin salvaged they're season a couple years ago with a O-line coach shake-up, I'm hoping there's still time for us.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:08 PM ^
If your head coach doesn't have the killer instinct every single game, I think your (our) head coach has a big problem. Are we in this to win games or be good sports and always say the right, non-controversial things to the media? A lot of people around here praise Hoke for saying nothing to the media, even after a 20 minute press conference. But maybe that's a reflection of what he's really thinking.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:32 PM ^
I don't think the "killer instinct" thing is really fair. Gardner had three turnovers tonight to add to however many he's had all year, and if we'd had asked him to drop back and he'd gotten sacked/stripped, everyone would be pissed off. As it was, we drove inside their 30.
I thought the last real drive went to plan until the delay of game penalty. That's not an issue of "killer instinct," it's just a plain blunder on the part of the coaches, QB and center.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:29 PM ^
I don't think that's really fair. Game management theory isn't an exact science. There are odds and statistics to consider, but you have to go with your gut. Hoke's gut has told him to go for it many times, but tonight he got cold feet for whatever reason. Given the team's performance, you can't really fault him for going to a safe, low variance option. (In hindsight) obvious, it turned out to be the wrong decision, but you can't say that leaving a freshman QB with 50secs to go 80 yards to beat you with no time outs is a terrible call either.
Now, missing the two delay of games is concerning, and he's shown some instances of that in the past. Someone on the staff, if not Hoke himself, needs to have better awareness to keep that from ever happening.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:11 PM ^
Agree . . . Funk is THE guy on the staff that most needs to be on the hot seat. It's unbelievable how bad our OL is.
October 12th, 2013 at 9:58 PM ^
how i hate thee. it's clear we can't run power. so why not go old school northwestern. the tight ends can't block anyway, so why not spread the field and use 4 wide outs more often. this would take a couple defenders out of the box and open it up for devin and fitz. plus, gallon and dileo would be more effective on short routes. oh well. maybe next year borges will learn. but i highly doubt it.
October 12th, 2013 at 9:58 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 9:59 PM ^
sending in shane rather than taking a TO cost us a crucial down and maybe 4 pts.
very bad night for the coaches.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^
My wife told me to calm down as I yelled at the TV to take the TO instead of sending in Morris. Hell, if you didn't want him to throw, just do a naked bootleg and see what shane can do.....
October 12th, 2013 at 10:28 PM ^
Same thing happend at my house.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:00 PM ^
Hope the conservative fan base is happy. This program is so far from contending for a national title I do not know where to begin. The Lloyd Carr years are back. Hopefully everyone will be happy with 8 to 10 wins a year with the occasional BIG title. The thought of it makes me sick. The goal should be NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. Sure we all think that is the under tone of the program, but when all you preach is that at Michigan BIG titles is the goal. That used to be okay when the entire country did not see every college football game every week. When was the last time you herd that message come out of the BAMA program. You haven't because they expect to win national titles. While I am at it MANBALL my ass. This coaching staff has their kids, their system and still can not run the ball a lick. The dinasoar philosophy of MANBALL only works if you can run. Play to WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS not to NOT LOSE game in Happy Valley in October. Help me Fielding H. Yost at least you understand.
October 12th, 2013 at 9:59 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 9:59 PM ^
Now my Ohio friends and family are calling Borges one of the worst OC's in the B1G.
Their team fucks up and gets sanctioned with no consequences. Urban Cryer is a little bitch but his offense is lethal and they do just enough on defense to get thru. They beat teams they should beat with ease and in tight games they pull out the wins. We have started to play not to lose the last 2 seasons really and it is costing us right games just like it did under Carr.
No easy solutions to the problems. Start by running a spread on O because that hybrid pro shit is not working. If Borges is unwilling to adapt (this is not Auburn 1998), then Brandon should force Hoke to fire him. Hate to be this way but we only need to look at our past and learn from our history to not make the same mistakes.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:01 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:01 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:03 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:04 PM ^
Hoke owes my wife a new TV remote, he made me throw it off a baby bouncy seat. POS.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:05 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:05 PM ^
Borges needs to GO !
Simple as that !
Waiting for somebody to start the FIRE AL BORGES webpage, i'll visit often
October 12th, 2013 at 10:06 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:08 PM ^
Indiana spreads PSU out all day and puts up 44 pts..We didn't spread them out once today i don't think.
Borges is awful...
even in the 4th quarter with that last drive, play for the win .
those outside runs with fitz were garbage.
3rd and 1 in OT, you want to give it to Fitz, I knew it was coming, said it on my facebook page even before it happened.
Conservativbe play calling
Played not to lose, didn't play to win.
Give me a OC who will go for the KILL
October 12th, 2013 at 10:08 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:16 PM ^
Thanks for proving my point above perfectly. This is the mindset of most fans and the Michigan Way. Also, exactly why we may never get to the top of the college football mountain again.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:27 PM ^
Sounds to me like you're taking a chaep shot at Bo. Funny thing is, Bo is the only fucking reason you even care about Michigan football.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:16 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:21 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:18 PM ^
Bo's teams used to beat the crap out of bad teams.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:19 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:32 PM ^
Well, it's a technicality that we still have a chance to win our division. OP is not wrong. Didn't say it was likely at all.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:41 PM ^
Have you watch this team? There's no way a sub .500 conference team is going to play in the B1G championship game. Face it, this team is way too young and does not have enough depth to compete in the B1G for the next couple of years.
I think they won the ND game which they should probably have lost and now have lost this game. I think they will be lucky to win one of the following games NU, MSU, NE, OSU and even IA.
October 12th, 2013 at 11:29 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^
we can get all the top offensive recruits
it wont matter as long as Borges is here
October 12th, 2013 at 10:10 PM ^
Sorry, I just need to get something off my chest, and I think it got completely glossed over in the the live blog.
THEY CALLED A GOD DAMN SPIKE PLAY ON FIRST DOWN AFTER GALLON WENT OUT OF BOUNDS. GOING OUT OF BOUNDS STOPS THE CLOCK. AND WE SPIKED IT ANYWAYS.
Ahem. I don't think it mattered in the grand scheme of things, we probably wouldn't have gotten another play off before the Gibbons FG try anyways. But really, what kind of coaching has us spike the ball when the clock is stopped?
October 12th, 2013 at 10:13 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:14 PM ^
There's a long list of coaching decisions from this game that can be questioned but that might be the biggest head scratcher? The only thing i can think of is the coaches were so unprepared they needed the extra time to figure out a play. I was surprised the announcers weren't questioning that decision more.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:14 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:17 PM ^
Best part of that is that Gardner is looking at the sideline asking why.
October 12th, 2013 at 10:12 PM ^
October 12th, 2013 at 10:15 PM ^
I loved those adjustments RR made in '08 and that great record he had that season. You must be smoking something!
October 12th, 2013 at 10:22 PM ^