Vicious Circle - Losing to Recruiting
So, we come to accept it as fact that 3-9 = poor recruiting class. Poor recruiting class = lack of talent (duh). Lack of talent = 3-9, 5-7 seasons. Those seasons then equal bad recruiting classes, and it spirals downward. So how do you break the cycle? Well, at some point you have to overachieve. As was popularized Rich is supposed to be a coach who can take his and beat you with them, then take yours and beat you with them. (Just see Hail to the Victors 2009 for a really good example of it). Unfortunately, so far, that hasn't happened. And it has to happen somehow, if we hope to not continue to hover at mediocre, and build back up.
I anxiously await Misopogon's next diary, where he details how last year's team should have been 5-7, and this year's 7-5. Because it might serve as some baseline for what we need to reach to turn things around.
November 16th, 2009 at 1:37 PM ^
You break the cycle by beating Ohio State at home in front of a dozen top recruits. We're not 5-7 yet...
November 16th, 2009 at 1:54 PM ^
I like the hope...but I can't say I have it after last weekend...
November 16th, 2009 at 1:51 PM ^
also, we will continue to have good recruiting classes (while not necessarily the best) even if we are bad just for being Michigan. 2 bad seasons dont erase over 100 yrs of tradition.
November 16th, 2009 at 1:55 PM ^
But is a 15-20 recruiting class going to make us appreciably better? Eventually you're going to have to win with the talent you have to attract the elite talent to win big.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:22 PM ^
Not necessarily. We need linebackers (and defensive backs) who play smart, physical assignment football. It doesn't take a 5 star player to be in the correct position.
On a side note, I really wish we got Caleb Lavey who committed to Ok. State. Does anyone know if we are still in contact with him?
November 16th, 2009 at 2:24 PM ^
well the talent we have is young and inexperienced. we will win with defensive improvements and growth in RRs and GERGs systems
November 16th, 2009 at 2:09 PM ^
I can't start a topic on my own..
I would imagine that when people steal our tradition it might not help with recruiting..
[Michigan Great or Florida Gator on the right?]
Living in Florida this angers me but I just cant see how can they expect to get away with repainting Tom Harmon in Florida colors?? Urban Meyer even signed it!
![[Michigan Great or Florida Gator on the right?]](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tR0HWH1skrI/SvnUIRcFAdI/AAAAAAAACbo/4O1ZxcSFHCc/s1600-h/12101gators.jpg){kind=link}
November 16th, 2009 at 1:59 PM ^
well RR and recently Brian Kelly have shown they can win with recruiting classes that are not as highly rated as your typical Michigan class I think we'll be ok. Get to a good bowl next year, and the recruits will start to look our way once again
November 16th, 2009 at 2:10 PM ^
Right now with a crew of freshmen and sophomores on offense, we have the #1 (that's right) scoring offense and #5 total yards offense in the big ten.
Two years from now, the offense will put up numbers that will provide wins even if faced with a shoot-out.
However, the likelihood is that the defense will also improve.
Thus: Chill.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:39 PM ^
Stats run up on MAC-y cakes and Baby Seal University don't count. Michigan is currently seventh in Big Ten in scoring offense and tenth in total offense against Big Ten opponents.
Scoring Offense:
http://cfbstats.com/2009/leader/827/team/offense/split07/category09/sor…
Total Offense:
http://cfbstats.com/2009/leader/827/team/offense/split07/category10/sor…
This offense is marginally better than last year's which I find worrisome.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:45 PM ^
for awhile now. You should start a seperate thread detailing this.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:08 PM ^
I could see where this would be an issue if we utterly lacked "tradition." But, that's not the case.
If you were a big-time recruit, wouldn't the prospect of early playing time be enticing? Yes, this assumes that the ship would be righted before too long. We'll see on that.
Basketball recruits generally look favorably on early playing time, right?
November 16th, 2009 at 2:21 PM ^
They can be one and done though. One good year and they can leave
November 16th, 2009 at 6:56 PM ^
Basketball's a completely different animal, where a couple of recruits can turn a whole program around.
And generally you would think the wisdom of early playing time would be right, but it goes against the analysis we've been getting from Brian that 3-9 doesn't mean "ooohhh, look at all the playing time", but in Michigan's (and ND's) case, poorer recruiting classes.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:54 PM ^
It's not necessarily that we need higher quality players (though I'll take all of em!), it's that we just need MORE. I think it was one of the Decimated Defense diaries that stated we have 50% less Upperclassmen on defense that the rest of the Big Ten. Good, quality depth is a blend of high recruiting rankings and just filling all your damn scholarships. Once that is rectified in a year or two the defense will go back to the mean (at least).