November 30th, 2022 at 10:17 AM ^
There is no Captaincy vacancy. Cade McNamara is and will forever be a Captain of Team 143.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:23 AM ^
It would come across as petty to strip Cade of his captaincy after he put his name in the portal. But I wouldn't be upset of Olu or another deserving player being added as a captain for the postseason.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:22 AM ^
IF... if, for some reason, he announces that he's moving on to School X before the playoff game, then he should have the C removed.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:12 PM ^
I don't see how it's petty, he could have waited to enter it if he wanted. And a captain who isn't on the team is a bit bizarre.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:34 PM ^
Dont have a problem with him staying captain but as a captain why wasn't he ever on the sideline showing support for his team?
November 30th, 2022 at 2:16 PM ^
He was on the sideline for the MSU game. I don't know about the other games, but I think that was before he had his surgery.
November 30th, 2022 at 3:26 PM ^
He was on the sideline of every home game up until his surgery
November 30th, 2022 at 2:18 PM ^
I'm saying that the media narrative could be that it is petty. It makes sense for someone to not be captain if they're not captaining the team. But the last thing this team needs is an unnecessary distraction. Promote someone else, leave the Cade situation alone, and keep it moving without any drama.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:31 AM ^
He’s not even with the team and STILL hasn't made any public statement of appreciation for his time at Michigan or support of his former teammates as they move forward. Oluwatimi would be a great choice.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:49 AM ^
That's a lame criticism. Cade gave it his all. He had a bad game and lost the competition with JJ. I agree that JJ is probably better, but at this point not by a lot. As a 21-22 year-old on the biggest stage Cade has handled himself admirably.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:12 AM ^
What is the baseline for admirably? Not publicly creating discord? He didn't do or say anything for us outside of Schemmy to go off of. What we do know is that he publicly stated is disappointment about there being a competition for the job in his post game press conference.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:26 AM ^
He had a bad game and lost the competition with JJ.
I would argue (i.e. my opinion only) that the decision to start JJ was made before the first game of the season. Cade played tight in the first two games and JJ was loose - it felt like they both knew who would be the game 3 starter.
With that said, hat tip to Cade for being a great teammate and not causing any strife this season.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:06 PM ^
No way. If JJ is the starter they wouldn't have bothered starting Cade vs Hawai'i. What possible point would there be?
November 30th, 2022 at 12:15 PM ^
A coach has to handle feelings as well. It wouldn’t have looked right to the players or fans if, after all the great success of 2021, Harbaugh had named McCarthy the starter before the 2022 season even began. McNamara probably had a small chance to win back the job, but he would’ve had to have been great and McCarthy would had to have been awful. From the moment he walked on campus, I think the plan was for McCarthy to be the starter no later than this season.
November 30th, 2022 at 3:21 PM ^
...and that's why you're The Oracle!
November 30th, 2022 at 11:45 AM ^
Cade did give it his all, he played great in 2021, moved the team forward, beat OSU, and won a B10 championship. I love all of those things that he did. I understand that he needs to do what is best for his career moving forward but if a captain announces that he's transferring midseason, then he is no longer a captain. Simple as that.
Harbaugh doesn't need to publically address it, slam the guy, or anything like that, but he's not a captain.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:50 AM ^
Not by a lot understates what JJ can do. It's not that he's asked to do a ton more, but what he is asked to do really accentuates the offense more.
And there are plays he makes that McNamara simply can't. McNamara is not making that throw to Cornelius off his backfoot in the face of an all-out blitz. And Michigan probably does not have as much success running on OSU this year against the loaded box with Donovan limited by hand injury without JJ's running threat.
It's no disrespect to McNamara to say that JJ makes this offense significantly more threatening.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:50 AM ^
Kind of feels like choosing to be mad about something just to be mad about it.
Cade's not playing, the team is doing well, why should he be making public statements to draw attention to himself? Maybe he just prefers to let the team keep the spotlight. Maybe he's already had private conversations with his teammates. Maybe it's none of our business.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:53 AM ^
Agreed. And don't be surprised if he does something to acknowledge his time here once the season is over in 3 games.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:00 AM ^
Why wait?
November 30th, 2022 at 11:09 AM ^
McNamara hasn't left yet. Players have entered the portal and returned. If he decides to stay, he would be welcomed with open arms. Don't be so fast to push him out the door.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:22 AM ^
He’s not coming back. This is fantasyland stuff.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:42 PM ^
It's a two way street. McNamara has made huge contributions to the football program over the past four years and has earned the respect of his teammates as evidenced by his selection as a Captain. He should not be criticized for exploring his options.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:59 AM ^
It’s typical for players who transfer to say something about their time at the school they’re leaving. This a guy who was voted Captain by his teammates, who’ve achieved great success this year and are in the hunt for more, and he has nothing to say.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:31 AM ^
Maybe it's none of our business.
this can and should be said way way WAY more often. "why doesn't harbaugh address x," "why hasn't warde complained about y," "why hasn't kevin warren talked about z." the vast majority of those things, up to and (especially) including "why hasn't cade said something about our great season," are fan-created crapola. they don't owe us a public explanation.
just because they didn't say it publicly, via some instagram post or in a press conference, doesn't mean that whatever you want them to say hasn't been said. possibly repeatedly.
/rant
November 30th, 2022 at 11:45 AM ^
I also agree [with RobF below]. The flood of information we can get now almost inevitably raises expectations that we SHOULD get any information we're curious about.
Celebrities with agents, managers, PR firms know how to play the game well. But the rest of us?
PLUS, whatever Cade does would draw criticism. He's supportive, no, he's drawing attention to himself. He's keeping himself modestly the background, no, he's actually dissing Michigan. He's recuperating from surgery which, as some of us know, takes time and energy, but, not, he's not doing anything right now.
It's a nice to suggest making Oluwatimi a captain. No reason to sour the nice suggestion.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:32 AM ^
I completely agree; I looked yesterday at Cade's Twitter posts since his decision, he's had numerous interactions with current and past teammates who have wished him well on Twitter.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:55 AM ^
I'm with you. Olu lost three former teammates and his father had emergency brain surgery to remove a tumor. He went out and did his job days later. He did that job damn well. That is triumph in the face of adversity and someone that I would trust to lead our team into whatever challenges they face. He has absolutely shown the courage, will, and talent of Captain.
As much as people on this board despise Joe Milton, the fact is that he waited until after the season was over to announce his decision to transfer in a tweet thanking Harbaugh and Michigan.
There is a double standard, lets at least acknowledge it.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:00 AM ^
Exactly.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:33 AM ^
i lol'd.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:13 PM ^
Milton entered the portal and sent out a tweet of thanks after the season. I'm good with that. Cade entered the portal and hasn't sent out a tweet of thanks at all (to date). I'm good with that, too. There is no double standard. Each player is free to treat the situation as he sees fit.
The idea that it's not official until it's tweeted is ridiculous. Cade very likely had a private discussion with Harbaugh....but we don't know that (and we don't need to know). I saw Mike Sainristil's heartfelt message to Cade yesterday. The teammates know where they stand with each other and that should be good enough.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:23 PM ^
“Cade very likely had a private discussion with Harbaugh.” You have no idea. Even if you want to discount his lack of a public statement, has McNamara been visible on the sidelines encouraging anyone? Compare that to how Ronnie Bell conducted himself after being injured last year. You always saw him fully engaged. I read that Kolesar, who was voted Special Teams Captain, was on the sidelines at OSU in a knee brace. Where was McNamara?
November 30th, 2022 at 12:32 PM ^
I literally said "but we don't know that" about Cade meeting with Harbaugh.
Cade is a Michigan legend. He'll probably be there in 2046 when they celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 2021 B1G Championship (be we don't know that). I can't imagine anybody trying to bring him down over petty reasons.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:15 PM ^
As much as people on this board despise Joe Milton,
People here hate Milton? I thought the consensus was just that he simply wasn't good enough to be our starter.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:18 AM ^
Harumph!
November 30th, 2022 at 10:19 AM ^
I don't think we have forgotten our fantastic O-line. We all know they are one of the best, if not THE best, in the country.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:19 AM ^
It's a locker room full of heroes, and you don't need a Captain's C to have honor.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:53 AM ^
"There's an officer on deck"
One of my favorite scenes of one of my favorite movies.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:19 AM ^
He has been arguably the best player on the team.
We were extremely lucky to get him for a year. He will have a nice long carrer in the NFL.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:51 AM ^
Anyone know who the center will be next year? Definitely not looking ahead yet, but I couldn't figure it out by looking at the depth charts I found, which list all of our linemen as just OL.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:54 AM ^
Greg Crippen has been dubbed the future of the position as far as I'm aware.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:23 AM ^
He's going to be a first team All-American and potential Rimington and Outland Trophy winner. I'm not sure there is another Michigan player who has built a legacy like this in one year.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:41 AM ^
Olu was a runner up last year, and did a little work before that.
Morris is a good candidate as well. The post game presser with Cade was a good example. He doesn't let it get outside the team. Donovan is perhaps the best role player going into the remainder of the schedule, if Blake can't play. He has lauded Blake, despite having more than enough chops to starts anywhere else.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:26 AM ^
He is an Alternate Captain, so it isn't like he hasn't gotten that recognition.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:42 AM ^
This is exactly my point, the alternate Captain is exactly who should be promoted when an existing captain catches a plane to Reno.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:30 AM ^
I think the Rimington Trophy will do just fine...
November 30th, 2022 at 10:50 AM ^
Speak for yourself! I haven't forgotten that one bit. This team runs through the trenches. It is their identity.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:51 AM ^
Do we forget about the offensive line? I'd be more prone to argue no fanbase is more in tune with their offensive line two deep than Michigan is. Ask your average college fan to name all five OL starters on their team and I bet Michigan performs best
November 30th, 2022 at 11:58 AM ^
Olu has definitely been a true leader on the field. The 85-yard TD run was largely in part to him and Zinter creating a crease that Donovan burst through. Also, the support he gave a 1st year starter at QB in helping with line calls, etc. was underrated.
As for Cade, I think he reacted like a lot of people do when they are 21 and feel they've earned their stripes, but then get relegated to 2nd place. He DID earn his stripes as a hero, giving the one glimpse of hope during 2020 and then 12 wins last year, including the world changer vs. Ohio.
I haven't heard fully where he is at these days - did he finish his classes virtually and go out West? Is he still at team meetings? I do hope he is part of the banquet in December to be remembered by his team and fans. If he chooses not to attend, that's OK - he has a future left in CFB. But I do believe years from now he will wish he had handled a few things differently.
I'm retired now but can say there are always younger people moving up the ranks looking to take your job. You either get better or get moved out of the way. JH learned from the Shea experience that the better option may be the back-up (DCAFF I think would have started the rest of 2019 had he not be drilled by Wisky). Patterson regressed as a senior. What I saw from Cade in the CSU game was not the same guy who was tossing around the ball at PSU, Maryland, vs. Ohio. Even without the portal and fear of losing JJ, I don't think Cade would have remained QB for the year the way he played during the opener.
Fact is, we're blessed to have had him as well as guys like Mikey who were true team players. Maybe we need another award for the player who excelled most after changing positions and award this at the banquet.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:04 PM ^
the captaincy is not vacant.