You are Brady Hoke. What is your approach towards the team this week?

Submitted by MGoPAR on

I like these "You are..." themed stories. What is Coach Hoke's approach towards the team this week? Here are some thoughts I had.

(1) You (the players) are defined at Michigan by what you do against Ohio State. BEAT OHIO.

(2) This is a chance to create a memory for yourselves (seniors) or for the seniors.

(3) This is our bowl game. (Obviously, any bowl oppoent will not be as good as Ohio State.)

(4) Light them up that they have underperformed and can salvage the season with a win here.

(5) Don't overstate the game's importance. Focus on the process of getting better each day.

(6) Other (explain)

 

 

MGoBoard
Football
Motivation
Coach Hoke

NBlue

November 24th, 2013 at 4:03 PM ^

Given the youth and depth of the OL, I don't think that anyone expected "great", "good", or even "above average" from the offense.  I think "average" or even "below average" would have been acceptable to most reasonable people (and likely resulted in 10 wins when you think about how close every loss except MSU was).

However, with a somewhat experienced quarterback, two senior tackles (one of whom is going to go at the top of the first round in the NFL), and at least average talent (if not depth) at RB and WR, the complete and total disaster that this offense has been has to fall on coaching.

Having no experience in the middle of the line does not resign an offensive unit to be terrible, it just means they won't be great.

 

 

Joined: 08/30/2008

MGoPoints: 42

opwolverine97

November 24th, 2013 at 5:04 PM ^

Analysis can be both quantitative and qualitative. One thing you might want to address in your analysis is how coaching, practice, and play calling with the players on your roster impact game results. This staff has issues on the offensive side. The players are not performing well either. Correcting performance issues happens with experience AND solid coaching. The numbers are only part of the story.

Joined: 08/11/2011

MGoPoints: 237

Soulfire21

November 24th, 2013 at 3:19 PM ^

Let's fire our coach every year they do not go 14-0.  What could go wrong?

Obviously that's an exaggeration, but Michigan could benefit from some coaching stability, at least at the HC position.

Joined: 03/18/2010

MGoPoints: 22716

MGoBio

November 24th, 2013 at 3:00 PM ^

I saw instead of booing Borges and the coaches, we Boo fans like you!

 

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joined: 11/21/2013

MGoPoints: 50

UFM

November 24th, 2013 at 2:48 PM ^

Apologize to seniors in advance for what will transpire. Tell the 60 recruits that "something came up" and cancel their visits. Hug your wife. And refuse a headset and long sleeves because it's Hoke-y.

Joined: 01/27/2012

MGoPoints: 238

Blue Blue Blue

November 24th, 2013 at 2:59 PM ^

the 1969 OSU team was a juggernaut, coming in having gone for 2 at the end of the previous year's 50-14 ass whipping.

Hoke should go "full Bo" including the inspirational captain's speech, followed by charging out of the locker room through the unopened (fake) door. 

 

Joined: 06/20/2010

MGoPoints: -999446

FatGuyLittleCoat

November 24th, 2013 at 3:25 PM ^

Stuck in 1969 is a big reason why Michigan is an average, far-from-elite program. Michigan fans still worship Bo, even though he's been away from the program for 20 years. If Michigan wants to actually win football games and enter into this century, it's time to move on from Bo and the Michigan Man BS and play to win national championships. We are Notre Dame. Actually no, we are worse. At least Notre Dame isn't stuck on a coach who last had a direct impact on the program 20 years ago.

Joined: 07/05/2011

MGoPoints: 2004

Soulfire21

November 24th, 2013 at 3:31 PM ^

I still don't understand how respecting/adoring/loving Bo makes us an average, "far-from-elite" program in 2013.  As you said, no direct impact on the program for 20 years.

There's something to be said about dropping the "Michigan Man" coaching thing but would you still be saying that if we had landed Les Miles or Jim Harbaugh?

Joined: 03/18/2010

MGoPoints: 22716

cp4three2

November 24th, 2013 at 5:04 PM ^

The fact that every. single. time. we face any kind of adversity we reference a guy who hasn't coached in 25 years means that we can never live in the present and focus on the future. 

 

We have gone from making the "michigan man" thing be something extra to placing it in the forefront of our program. Harbaugh and Miles would have been great hires regardless of their affiliation with Michigan. Their connection to the program would have been an added bonus. The reason we have Brady Hoke, who had an all-time losing record and no history of winning championships, is because we have so many people inside and outside the administration that puts the connection to Bo ahead of everything else. 

 

Yes. Bo was a great coach. Yes. 1969 was a big upset. Yes. He gave a great speech and inspired people. But, he has no more impact on the current team than Yost, Crisler, etc, or at least, he shouldn't have any impact on the current team.

 

The man has been dead for 7 years. Over that time he's gone from an old coach that we loved to a god that we as a program worship. Anyone who doesn't worship him is deemed a heretic. And now we're about to get smoked by Ohio State. They have a coach who's won 2 national titles and is on the verge of his third season where he's won all his games, which, just for note, Bo never did. Why do they have that coach? Because Ohio State has spent less time time worrying about Woody Hayes and patting themselves on the back for games played four decades ago and more time looking at the college football landscape's change and responding accordingly. 

 

Joined: 08/03/2009

MGoPoints: 4828

Muttley

November 24th, 2013 at 3:32 PM ^

The undefeated defending national chammpion Buckeyes were thought to be the "team of the century". It wasn't Michigan's own play that caused them to be a 15 point underdog.

 

1969 Michigan Wolverines

W/L

Date

PF

Opponent

PA

Location

W

09-20-1969

42

Vanderbilt (TN)

14

Ann Arbor, MI

W

09-27-1969

45

Washington

7

Ann Arbor, MI

L

10-04-1969

17

Missouri

40

Ann Arbor, MI

W

10-11-1969

31

Purdue (IN)

20

Ann Arbor, MI

L

10-18-1969

12

Michigan St.

23

East Lansing, MI

W

10-25-1969

35

Minnesota

9

Minneapolis, MN

W

11-01-1969

35

Wisconsin

7

Ann Arbor, MI

W

11-08-1969

57

Illinois

0

Champaign, IL

W

11-15-1969

51

Iowa

6

Iowa City, IA

W

11-22-1969

24

Ohio St.

12

Ann Arbor, MI

 

http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/bigten/michigan/1965-1969_yearl…

Joined: 07/07/2009

MGoPoints: -73245

I Have A Gnarly Face

November 24th, 2013 at 2:59 PM ^

"Guys! Gather around, gather around. Now...look . I mean, what can I say? This is one of the best teams in the country and their program is light years ahead of ours. Just try not to lose by 30 plus. KTHANKSBYE."

Joined: 10/14/2013

MGoPoints: 579

Saint_in_Blue

November 24th, 2013 at 3:02 PM ^

just make sure there's plenty of hot chocolate for the tens of thousands of Ohio State fans that are going to take over the Big House......... again. At least be hospitable.

Joined: 10/17/2011

MGoPoints: 16993

Orion

November 24th, 2013 at 3:04 PM ^

Have the guys gather around. Point at each one and tell them how much I care about them maybe clap a few times just to emphasize that point. Lead them all in a round of The Victors. Walk out. I've done all that I can do.

Joined: 08/27/2008

MGoPoints: 68

readyourguard

November 24th, 2013 at 3:05 PM ^

There is no greater challenge for a coach than trying to rally the troops after so many disappointments. You can talk til you're blue in the face. IF, and I stress if, some kids have lost faith in a coach or the staff, nothing you can say as a coach will change their performance. Hoke has an incredibly tough task this week. His kids are down, his qb is reeling, and the fans are revolting. IMO, this week is paramount to Coach Hoke's future here at Michigan. Not necessarily the presumed outcome of the game, but whether or not the kids will respond and "play for him". I don't envy his current position.

Joined: 08/21/2008

MGoPoints: 40944

DonAZ

November 24th, 2013 at 3:27 PM ^

"I don't envy his current position"

Hoke's head coaching mettle will be tested this week, that's for sure.

Best he can do is minimize lingering damage from previous games and get their focus on the upcoming game.  Win or lose, if they play with intensity and focus then Hoke will have succeeded in that goal.  But if they play as if they don't care, then Hoke will have failed in that goal, and that will be a very big problem for Hoke.

Joined: 12/05/2011

MGoPoints: 16679