Something Doesn't Add Up with McCaffery
What we know:
Seemingly beaten out for starter so far.
Plans to graduate December and transfer.
No one loses a year of eligibility this year whether they opt out or not.
Was just recently with his family at Michigan's protest to play, very voca about playing, and everything seemed fine.
I think the natural question is given all of this, why would you opt out for the fall season? Even if you are set on transferring, wouldn't you still rather practice / play during the fal even as a back-up? It's additional experience at no cost, since you don't lose any eligibility and must stay on campus anyway to earn the degree. Wouldn't you rather practice / play football to keep improving instead of just taking a year off if there is zero downside?
The only logical conclusion is that there has been some schism between McCaffery and the coaches, or perhaps some misunderstanding that somehow got magnified causing this otherwise illogical decision. Not sure we'll hear about it necessarily but I'm curious. I was always a big fan of Dylan and wish him only the best.
September 17th, 2020 at 10:47 AM ^
The real conspiracy is that he's buddies with Mattison who has talked him into transferring to OSU after Fields declares for the NFL at the end of the season.
Why would you even think that!?
Because I'm a Michigan fan, son, and that's how things typically go.
September 17th, 2020 at 10:53 AM ^
Here's a question or two. Peoples Jones, Black, Collins & Oliver Martin.
What happened there? Or what didn't happen.
September 17th, 2020 at 11:28 AM ^
Add to that Morris, Kalis, Bosch, Fox, LTT, Richardson, Green, RJS, Pipkins, Kugler, Dawson, Peters, Walker, Solomon, Singleton, Anthony, Patterson, etc. The list goes on and on.
September 17th, 2020 at 2:31 PM ^
Yes, we were promised in every "hello" post that those mentioned above would set the college football world on fire. Instead, what we got was a whole bunch of meh. I refuse to continue go get caught up in the hype surrounding recruiting, and the unreasonably high expectations set on recruits. Wake me up when someone shows up and shows us something special on the field, in a big game.
September 17th, 2020 at 3:29 PM ^
mcilwain showed them his shark sextape during meetings
September 17th, 2020 at 10:57 AM ^
Yup, that's it. The Ohio State QB room is loaded with young talent, all who have to wait for one of the best two QBs in the country to finish out the season. So that's why they're coveting a guy who couldn't start for UM. Makes sense to me.
September 17th, 2020 at 11:01 AM ^
It's a joke man, geezus.
EDIT: I also see you're an OSU fan, makes sense, anything that requires brain processing power above Larry the Cable Guy levels of comedy I'm sure goes over your head. You have my pity sir.
September 17th, 2020 at 11:18 AM ^
you can't take unsubstantiated conspiracy theory too seriously
September 17th, 2020 at 11:52 AM ^
Sure I can. -see the United States of America, circa 2020.
September 17th, 2020 at 10:58 AM ^
You left a part out....where he then proceeds to win the Heisman and a national championship.
September 17th, 2020 at 11:20 AM ^
I thought that was implied
September 17th, 2020 at 11:28 AM ^
Brilliant post.
September 17th, 2020 at 10:55 AM ^
Well played
September 17th, 2020 at 11:26 AM ^
I expected this to be the top comment, and was not disappointed.
September 17th, 2020 at 2:19 PM ^
Easy there, Pepe!!!
September 17th, 2020 at 10:13 AM ^
Yea it’s surprising for sure but idk maybe he didn’t think that Cade should be number 2 so he decided to leave. Oh well, best of luck to him. Still a Michigan man
September 17th, 2020 at 10:53 AM ^
Someone in another thread posted that it made sense in that he would be able to start learning the playbook of wherever he is going. If the classes he needs to graduate are online due to the pandemic, he could even live/work out at his new school (cost of living money is not an issue for his family) while taking online classes at UM to complete his degree. I also agree he is still a Michigan Man and while I had hoped he would stick around for this season, I wish him the best of luck.
September 17th, 2020 at 1:31 PM ^
idk. i can't believe it would be allowed, or at a minimum ethical, to decommit from one school, commit and prepare for another school, while still taking classes at the original school.
September 17th, 2020 at 2:43 PM ^
umchicago,
who is asking? Ohio St or not Ohio St? The NCAA wants to know before they rule. If the answer is “not Ohio St.” then one’s only chance is Tom Mars.
September 17th, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
Still a Michigan man
Like all players, Dylan McCaffrey should be free to move to another team if he wants to seek greener pastures elsewhere. If he gets his degree before he moves, that's great.
However, if the term "Michigan Man" has any meaning at all, it means a commitment to Michigan football in adverse circumstances as well as in good times. Ambry Thomas comes to mind, for example. As does Chris Evans, who has battled to stay with the program even after making a decision bad enough to get him in deep shit with both the program and the institution. That's commitment.
How in God's name a guy at the most important position on the team can leave the program with two years of eligibility left and still be designated a "Michigan Man" is beyond me.
Leaving now—after his family was loudly advocating for a return of BIG football—is most definitely stating that you don't have a commitment to Michigan football.
September 17th, 2020 at 12:24 PM ^
Well said
September 17th, 2020 at 2:02 PM ^
Don, well said. I agree
September 17th, 2020 at 2:09 PM ^
I'm with you, Don.
Dylan McCaffrey is dead to me.
September 17th, 2020 at 3:07 PM ^
Ok, but I think the bottom line is that when a highly rated QB gets passed on the depth chart by someone a class behind him, he automatically transfers.
September 17th, 2020 at 3:39 PM ^
Yep, well said.
September 17th, 2020 at 4:23 PM ^
Isn't the definition of "Michigan Man (or Woman)" that they earned a Michigan degree?
Supposedly DMac is grad transferring, so...?♂️
September 17th, 2020 at 5:13 PM ^
Did Steve Fisher have a UM degree?
September 18th, 2020 at 11:47 AM ^
I should hope so! Did attending USD (because I now live in San Diego and Ann Arbor is forever away) for a Master's get me thrown outta the club?
My guess is: Harbaugh was honest with DMac that Milton was starting and McCaffrey saw he was a half dozen classes from graduation and loaded up on school to graduate in December and prioritized that once the season was reannounced.
September 17th, 2020 at 4:24 PM ^
Isn't the definition of "Michigan Man (or Woman)" that they earned a Michigan degree?
Supposedly DMac is grad transferring, so...?♂️
September 17th, 2020 at 6:22 PM ^
What's the opposite of THE TEAM THE TEAM THE TEAM?
September 17th, 2020 at 12:13 PM ^
QBs that don’t get the number one spot after a couple of years are now all looking at becoming the next Joe Burrow.
September 17th, 2020 at 3:59 PM ^
Given the list of facts stated in the OP (foremost no one loses any eligibility this year) it makes ZERO sense to just sit out the year.
My working theory on this (posited in yesterday's Exit post) is that despite the McCaffrey family being leaders in the "let em play" group, they were told point blank Joe was being named starter because he worked with his teammates during the shutdown while DMac went home to Colorado.
And they're pissed & irrational about it. Anyway you slice it, it's another guy leaving the program unhappy. Not ideal!
September 17th, 2020 at 10:14 AM ^
He could just be watching his health. Doesn't want to get injured?
September 17th, 2020 at 10:18 AM ^
I think that's the least likely reason if you're a known backup. Practice as a 2 or 3 is much less intense and game action is minimal. A weight room injury is probably more likely to happen than game/practice injury as a backup.
September 17th, 2020 at 10:37 AM ^
Tell that to him the past two years! Didn’t he break his collarbone in 2018 and get seriously concussed in 2019...as the back-up?
Yeah, totally unlikely that’s the reason he’s sitting out. Back-ups never get injured. /s
September 17th, 2020 at 10:47 AM ^
But then why would he be protesting to have the season if he was going to then opt out of a season because of fear of injury?
He's clearly butt hurt about being QB2
September 17th, 2020 at 11:59 AM ^
He protested for his teammates. He is sitting out and transferring for himself. Its 2020 folks. Both those explanations can exist side by side. And nothing about any of it reflects badly on Dylan. Good luck to him in his future role as quarterback at Stanford.
September 17th, 2020 at 1:09 PM ^
Agreed. It's frighteningly hard for many MGoBlog readers to hold two slightly opposing ideas in their head simultaneously.
September 17th, 2020 at 1:37 PM ^
Fair enough. I think it's more likely that he's upset at the Milton hype and his sudden QB2 status. But it doesn't really matter. Gone is gone.
September 17th, 2020 at 4:24 PM ^
Of course he's upset. If he were QB1 he would not be transferring. So, go somewhere he gets two years as a starter.
September 17th, 2020 at 12:13 PM ^
Based on your logic he should just retire from football. Why ever play again anywhere?
September 17th, 2020 at 10:51 AM ^
Officially got beat out and is bitter? He's entitled?
September 17th, 2020 at 11:37 AM ^
If that were the case why wouldn't he have left after last year when he was ''beaten out'' by Shea?
September 17th, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
Because he was the presumed starter this year, but now a guy younger than him took his job?
September 17th, 2020 at 11:52 AM ^
That doesn't make since because of the families role in protest, but maybe he just thinks he's better than Milton and wants to take his ball and go home. He made an emotional decision and now he has to stand by it.
September 18th, 2020 at 6:49 AM ^
Maybe. We’re all speculating it’s about qb2. Maybe Cade is the real deal and he was in a dogfight there? Who knows...I wish him well. The kid was fearless to a fault and gave his all.
September 17th, 2020 at 12:36 PM ^
Even if he's the backup, if he plays then he'll lose a year of eligibility, right (maybe I'm misunderstanding the Covid rules)? So staying would essentially be saying "I want to be the backup and practice, but I don't want to play and I'm not 100% committed to this team." Why would the team allow that? I think he's making the decision he feels is best for him and I won't question it. Good luck to him, wherever he ends up.
September 17th, 2020 at 12:57 PM ^
You are right. Not sure why the OP thinks you don’t use a year of eligibility if you play. That was only if you opt out or your team doesn’t play. If you are part of a team playing football, that is a year of eligibility. From DMac’s standpoint, if you now have practically zero chance to start and or play for Michigan why would you give up a year of eligibility for a shortened season. Graduate, take a grad transfer and have two seasons of eligibility left and can play right away.
EDIT: Looks like I was wrong that the NCAA did give a blanket waiver, subject to each school's decision. Surprised they have maintained it in light of most major conferences now playing close to a full season. In that case, I think the only reason for McCaffrey to opt out is to focus on graduating and finding the next place to go