I don't know how it is at USAFA, but at West Point, we resented the guys who played football during basic. Because the season was right around the corner, they were given preferential treatment in a lot of ways ... namely their ability to eat. Had it not been for the constant hunger, the first summer would have been much better. I don't think any of the football players would have said it was easy, but everyone knew that they got it a little bit easier there - especially the OL and DL players who simply couldn't afford to lose a lot of weight.
I'm torn in a way ... I mean, I'd personally like to know more about Wilton and what Harbaugh really thinks about Ohio State. I'd love to know where he thinks we have an advantage and where we don't. So, it's maddening to read his presser transcripts ... that's the emotional part of me. But, the rational part of me is so thankful that he doens't say anything more ... not only to not show his hand, but also to not give Ohio any locker room fodder.
I'm a coach in Memphis ... at the rival school of the one where Freeze coached here. I've posted on here before, addressing unfair statements about the (Barrett) Jones family. By the way, the last (3rd) of the Jones boys (a LB) signed with Alabama today. That's 3 in a row, and I've been blessed to coach them. Considering that, I've gotten to see a lot of Hugh Freeze over the years, and have gotten sick of the lies that the movie created about the whole Michael Oher story.
Hugh Freeze is a charasmatic fellow. He's always been one. He's got an ego; he loves to win ... and will do what it takes to make it happen. Machiavellian. He loves trick plays / smoke and mirrors. He talks a big game, and he gets the best athletes he can find and then enables them to believe they can win. He's had success for that reason.
I don't doubt, though that there are things that are way out of bounds in the recruiting here. I had friends that sat in the classes he used to teach. He flirted with the high school girls, was disloyal to players that didn't perform, humiliated guys that didn't play football, and didn't give a rip about his acadmic responsibilities (and, I don't see reason to doubt the consistency of the statements I heard). There comes a point where you just have to call the kettle black: I just don't think he's a good guy. But, because of his background, he can sure talk like it, and he'll do what it takes to get the athletes. he knows how to get the players, and generally speaking, he's able to produce with them. That's been true of most places he goes. I hate that, because I don't care for him much, and I certainly don't have a stomach for Ole Miss. I'm thankful that we have a coach in Hoke that is the anti- Hugh Freeze.
I come from a family where we HATE Notre Dame. My grandfather was going to play footbally for Michigan (he was three time all county and two time all state as a 155 lb linebacker) from a little town called Grant, MI. But, he went to fight in the war instead, and when he came back, he couldn't go to college because he had to help save the family farm. He loves the state of Michigan - and though he despises MSU, he took it personally the way that ND fans and coaches would some times treat MSU. He forbid anyone in our family from even watching Rudy, because he says it's ND propaganda ... it is, you know. And, i won't let my kids watch it either.
All the more reason to play them! Keep it alive ... not because of the two schools of tradition, but because ND is evil. On top of that, their Coach is not a good man. We all see the colors he turns because of his rage. But, his press conferences are loaded with comments that are outright cruel - to his own players. I had pity for Holtz and laughed at Weis. I felt sorry for Willingham getting jobbed. But, I love the fact that Kelly's the coach ... so much more of a team to hate.
I love to hate the fact that they will do anything other than join the B1G. It's as though, they're going out of their way to rub the B1G's nose in it. Keep it up ND. The entire world knows that the rational thing for ND to do is join the B1G. It even means more money for ND to do so - and as the selfish font of evil that ND, we would all think they would jump at the opportunity. Yet, they live to spite the country. They get joy out of it.
I want ND to join the B1G, because I like sensible things ... I like things that are rational. But, I have to confess that I sort of like this more, because it further upholds another reason to hate ND more. Go ahead, join the Big XII.
I enjoyed seeing the adjustments ... and it seems very clear that Michigan is changing it up enough for others to notice that this isn't the same team it was last year. I love the fact that opposing offenses are looking at Michgan's defense on film and (with a little bit of caution/fear)seeing that they're changing things up enough to the point that it's not longer a guarantee where the weaknesses will be.
It's a short link on MLive, but at least I like to see a different tone coming from MSU about UM's defense than last year. There were no coaches last year making any statements about Michigan's defense, because the only thing that they could have said would have been the honest truth about the horror of what GERG was doing. This year, it's clearly different ...
It's totally selfish of me, but right now but all I really care about is that Michigan beats MSU and OSU ... because I can't stand them, and because I'm going to those games for the first time ever. My dad and brothers and I will be in the endzones from both - coming up from Memphis, braving the cold - and we just have to win!
On a more rational point, I honestly do think that Michigan CAN win all of its games, I think the defense is much improved, the adjustments are great, the diverse play-calling is great. It just has to be the perfect storm. Michigan has to play better than it has to beat MSU, Nebraska, and OSU, but they can afford a few mistakes - simply because those teams' offenses aren't amazing. With Wisconsin, Michigan would have to be perfect. in theory, Michigan could have its act together more by then, but we're talking about a perfect performance.
It's crazy for us to even be talking about it. I live in SEC country, where nutso fans start talking national championship the first game of the season - so, I'm resisting the urge to even start dreaming about an undefeated season. Just beat MSU and OSU, and anything else would be amazing.
This morning, I watched ESPN's "The Experts" - on ESPN U ... it must have been yesterday's episode. All of the "experts" picked Sparty, except Galloway. The rest of the guys were talking like State's D-Line was better than any other college team in recent memory. Ivan Maisel was the only one that picked Sparty, but at least seemed rational in his explanation.
Galloway said that the tape from the OSU/Sparty game revealed, not that MSU's d-line was overpowering, but that OSU's o-line refused to block anyone and made them seem superhuman.
I'm willing to listen to educated opinion, however, I'm not suprised that most of the people who pick Sparty do so in an ignorant way. Is that just coincidence?
numerous reports are out there of sightings of RichRod on campus at Memphis ... and these weren't just from people who knew someone who saw him. Even local reporters in Memphis pretty much speak as though it happened.
He'd be a better fit for Memphis - since Memphis is being considered for the BigEast - primarily for their basketball. RichRod knows the BigEast and will have an easier time recruiting his typical Florida kids to a town like Memphis. it's also a given basically that Memphis will be firing coach Lary Porter this season.
What are Sparty fans like in person (they're tools online)? I was at the Northwestern game this week and felt quite welcomed - sat in some season-ticket seats and got the usual heckle initially, but then was befriended. Really nice folks - just not the higest football IQ I've been around.
I live in Memphis, and this is my year for seeing Michigan games (I picked a good one) - went to Northwestern and will go to East Lansing this week - never been ... and I'm taking my brothers to the Ohio State game (they've never seen Michigan play live).
Did y'all notice that several of the guys changed jerseys later in the game? They went from their tight fit, all white jerseys to the ones from last year? Denard didn't start the game with the old jersey, but he finished with it on - and even did his interview with it on. What gives?
Though Michigan was the original nike school (yes, I know connection with Oregon, but Michigan really blew up Nike branding), I don't think that Michigan ever really followed the Nike trends ... sort of like Penn State. As material changed, so did the Jerseys, but some schools - like Michigan - generally didn't cave into what Nike was trying to push. I don't think that it was ever a threat.
Personally, I think Adidas is a fine company. I hate their stuff in comparison with Nike's. No question. Nike simply looks sharper - and at the end of the day, that is what it comes down to ... the look. Nike stuff looks better. It just does. The materials ultimately balance out.
There are not many places in the South where a multi-racial anything would be tolerated... but Atlanta is a bit different. There are far more non-Southerners there than anywhere else. And that sense of propriety really thickens when you get futher west into Mississippi.
I agree that it's not about South-bashing. I love the South ... that's why I so badly missed it in both under and post-grad work. I had to get back. And, I do love the commitment to football. The culture here is amazing - and it really is astounding to see. There's nothing like tailgating in the Grove at Ole Miss ... nothing.
My concern is just the illusion that Southerners have - and I think that this is the reason for the oversigning being practiced and tolerated. I'll be honest with you, it's not going away; the SEC will actually try to keep it practiced - unless the NCAA says something. And, the SEC is far too big of a cash cow for the NCAA to make them change the way they do things.
Sadly enough, too, the SEC fans have a big enough chip on their shoulder, that if the NCAA did get involved, they would once again take it as an attempt to keep down the relegate the better programs ... once again, the North imposing its will on the South.
I live, teach, and coach in Tennessee - where nearly everyone here in Memphis is an Arkansas, Ole Miss, Auburn, Alabam or Tennessee fan. I grew up here - but had to get out of the South to go to college, and then came back here to coach.
From many of our perspectives, we think, "why would a kid go to an SEC school when they know that this could happen to them?" We're using reason, here, folks ... and to be honest with you, the SEC and its fans are not driven by reason - at all. In the South, SEC football is life - there is nothing else. Nothing.
So, on one hand, the entire community will wholesale look the other way when things like this are done. To go beyond that, there is this sense of dillusion, that I cannot explain if you've been here. A couple years ago, I had a conversation with a 30-something who was trying to argue that Tennessee had the best program in the country ... At first, I thought he was talking football, but he meant ... everything. I couldn't believe that I was actually even engaged in a conversation where I was having to suggest that M.I.T has a better engineering program than U.T. But, this guy was serious - and this is the life of the SEC fan. They really do not think - at all. Auburn fans are convinced that every other school would have offered money to Newton, but Auburn would never do such a thing; they will not even hear any conversation that hints that such schools buy players.
Much of the reason that coaches can get away with it is that they know they do not have to justify it to the masses of people who will not face with reality. I'm used to rabid fans. I've been around Michigan football all of my life, and my best friend is a Nebraska fan. I get it; people love their teams. But, there is a severe unwillingness in the South for their fans to come to grips with reality. I think that there are more than one or two hacks at the freep, but at least those guys will try to talk about the good and bad of what's going on at the hometown school. That doesn't happen here.
And the kids are going to go to the SEC school every time - because that's all they can see. I had a friend who got into Princeton, but her mom wouldn't let her go, because Princeton didn't have a southern chapter of Chi Omega. So, she went to Ole Miss instead - and wore her coctrail dress to games every Saturday. No matter how dirty a coach is, the player is sold - because of the cultre ... not because of the reality. It's a different world here, folks.
I personally know both Jones boys and their mom. First of all, they are not counting on their boys playing in the NFL. Barrett likely will get drafted very highly ... and his dad (who played basketball for Alabama) is strongly encouraging Barrett to consider other options. I have the utmost respect for both the parents, and the boys. Barrett has a 4.0 - and has dreams other than playing the NFL - I know that for certain. I'm not sure about Harrison - but I know that he's in college to get more than a football experience. I do know that Jones family is extremely solid - and has a much more broad outlook than having a luxurious life. They have raised three wonderful boys (I currently coach and teach the 3rd, Walker). While your post may be true of other families, I think you shouldn't be so quick to come down on this family / mom.
Saban is the wrongdoer in this situation - and if you'd read my post a little further down, you'd see a broader picture.
I normally read anything that Brian posts as gospel, when it comes to Michigan, but I feel like I do need to make an edit to the quoted section referencing the treatment of Jones and his mother's response. I actually thought that it's cool that a kid I coach showed up on MGoBlog - that's never happened for me before. Despite my thrill, I need to make sure we keep the story straight ...
I coach in Tennessee - and actually coached Jones. His name is Harrison Jones, and he is the younger brother of Alabama's academic All-American, Barrett Jones. Harrison's a good kid - and was expecting to redshirt all along.
The article that Brian quoted was a bit hasty on the whole situation. Jones did get a gray shirt - for about 5 days. Then, his scholarship was returned to him, and he resumed everything as normal. I've had numerous conversations with him about his experiences at Alabama - He has nothing negative to say about the way he was treated in the whole situation. He got to dress for all of their games, and was as much of a redshirt player as anyone else.
I'm not a Saban fan; he's been around school a couple of times to recruit our kids. He's a business man first and foremost. Though the Jones family was not expecting the whole gray shirt situation, they ended up saying that it was reported far differently than it actually went down. Saban did call the parents in - and Harrison in. He explained the whole situation to them. Harrision said that Saban spent nearly 45 minutes articulating it all - which is something that Saban rarely does ... have that long of a conversation with his players. He actually tried to make sure that everyone knew exactly what was happening ... and from what I understand, the family understood that this was most likely a temporary thing ... and that's what it ended up being.
Like I said, I don't like Saban one bit - never have. But, this specific issue was not reported - or at least followed up with accurately. There's no reason to say that Brian should know this ... but the article should have linked a follow up to the story. I do believe that more than a handful of kids have gotten screwed by Saban. Jones is not one of them.
To add to it all ... he's younger than Ezeh! I would argue that, even if Ezeh (considering how bad he is) were on par with Demens or even slightly better, I would prefer Demens simply on upside for the future. That's a no brainer in my thinking. If Ezeh is bad, and Demens is equally bad, you go with Demens - easy decision. The fact that Demens is actually better just makes me smile - and hope that we can somehow hold it together and build a better defense from guys that have been through it all together this year.
I appreciate your level headed approach ... and generally, I agree with you. I've been sitting back and saying, "this takes time." I've coached football for years - primarily on the high school level. I get it ... to expect results immediately is assanine. It takes a long time to build a new paradigm - in more than just sports.
Though, I'm getting close to going over the edge toward despair, when it comes to Robinson and Tony Gibson (the DB and Spec. Teams coach). They are astronomically bad ... and I wonder when RR will set his loyalty (which I admire) aside. I think that GERG may be ok ... ok at best in being a coordinator, but I can't believe that he's better than Ron English. There's no way he's better than Ron English.
Yes, we have freshmen playing - who are well outmatched in strength, experience, and general feel for their positions. I get that - but this is Michigan, and it simply doesn't compute that these kids who were generally studs at good high school programs now seemingly don't know how to do a lot of fundamentally sound things. We're improving - I see a lot of good things on defense, but I also see a lot of things on film that look like our guys are confused in the secondary and a lot of things on Special Teams. That's not our guys' faults. I've learned a lot - have eaten some humble pie about it in my experience too - that when guys make mistakes, that's either on them, or we have to be willing to say that it's because they don't know what to do - or aren't sure. If kids aren't sure, then that's coaching. They may be sure what to do and simply can't do it because of strength or ability ... but if they don't know what to do, then we can't continue to say it's because they're young. We're too far into the season to excuse extreme confusion - and that's quite often what I see ... and I wonder if Tony Gibson is the best guy for the job. He has never really had a a great reputation for putting together strong secondary cohesion (even though he's had some good players) ... and here at Michigan, I think that cohesion is the farthest thing from what we see. RR has to say ... and I pray he does. Certainly Gibson has to go ... he just has to.
I would not say this against Denard, even remotely. He has done the two minute drill quite well. I was simply saying that I think this skill set fits Tate a bit better, it appears ... I don't know why, I just got a different feel watching him in the 2, rather than Denard - even vs. Notre Dame.
I don't understand why there aren't more questions about Tony Gibson. When I look at Michigan's greatest weaknesses, I can't help but seeing Tony Gibson's name all over them (of course, that might be because he's actually the coach for db's and special teams.)
I just can't stomach what I see at DB ... that's what I've played, and coached all of my life ... and I simly don't get it. There is no way our kids are that unathletic or stupid. The fact that UM recruited them tells me that they are studs from good high school programs. They should know what to do - at least minimally. And, the mistakes that I see reflect poor coaching. They are athletic kids - who are for sure out experienced - but they should be able to be better than dead last in passing, considering all of the other teams out there in the FBS who recruite kids far below where UM does.
I agree that I don't want to see a QB change that is contingent upon weekly performances - or even in-game performances. These younger quarter backs need to learn to handle the pressure and overcome obstacles - even if they are created by their own doing.
And I agree that it's only prudent with a clear injury, etc. Is there not also a situational potential need as well? For instance, might we also say that Tate could be better suited for a true hurry-up 2 minute drill type thing? If we're not running the ball at all, would you be opposed to seeing Tate come in then?
I've been opposed to the idea, but considering the objective of such an offense - move the ball with as little time coming off the clock as possible - that Tate might be the guy over Denard in that situation alone. Am I dead wrong?
Recent Comments
I don't know how it is at USAFA, but at West Point, we resented the guys who played football during basic. Because the season was right around the corner, they were given preferential treatment in a lot of ways ... namely their ability to eat. Had it not been for the constant hunger, the first summer would have been much better. I don't think any of the football players would have said it was easy, but everyone knew that they got it a little bit easier there - especially the OL and DL players who simply couldn't afford to lose a lot of weight.
I'm torn in a way ... I mean, I'd personally like to know more about Wilton and what Harbaugh really thinks about Ohio State. I'd love to know where he thinks we have an advantage and where we don't. So, it's maddening to read his presser transcripts ... that's the emotional part of me. But, the rational part of me is so thankful that he doens't say anything more ... not only to not show his hand, but also to not give Ohio any locker room fodder.
I'm a coach in Memphis ... at the rival school of the one where Freeze coached here. I've posted on here before, addressing unfair statements about the (Barrett) Jones family. By the way, the last (3rd) of the Jones boys (a LB) signed with Alabama today. That's 3 in a row, and I've been blessed to coach them. Considering that, I've gotten to see a lot of Hugh Freeze over the years, and have gotten sick of the lies that the movie created about the whole Michael Oher story.
Hugh Freeze is a charasmatic fellow. He's always been one. He's got an ego; he loves to win ... and will do what it takes to make it happen. Machiavellian. He loves trick plays / smoke and mirrors. He talks a big game, and he gets the best athletes he can find and then enables them to believe they can win. He's had success for that reason.
I don't doubt, though that there are things that are way out of bounds in the recruiting here. I had friends that sat in the classes he used to teach. He flirted with the high school girls, was disloyal to players that didn't perform, humiliated guys that didn't play football, and didn't give a rip about his acadmic responsibilities (and, I don't see reason to doubt the consistency of the statements I heard). There comes a point where you just have to call the kettle black: I just don't think he's a good guy. But, because of his background, he can sure talk like it, and he'll do what it takes to get the athletes. he knows how to get the players, and generally speaking, he's able to produce with them. That's been true of most places he goes. I hate that, because I don't care for him much, and I certainly don't have a stomach for Ole Miss. I'm thankful that we have a coach in Hoke that is the anti- Hugh Freeze.
I come from a family where we HATE Notre Dame. My grandfather was going to play footbally for Michigan (he was three time all county and two time all state as a 155 lb linebacker) from a little town called Grant, MI. But, he went to fight in the war instead, and when he came back, he couldn't go to college because he had to help save the family farm. He loves the state of Michigan - and though he despises MSU, he took it personally the way that ND fans and coaches would some times treat MSU. He forbid anyone in our family from even watching Rudy, because he says it's ND propaganda ... it is, you know. And, i won't let my kids watch it either.
All the more reason to play them! Keep it alive ... not because of the two schools of tradition, but because ND is evil. On top of that, their Coach is not a good man. We all see the colors he turns because of his rage. But, his press conferences are loaded with comments that are outright cruel - to his own players. I had pity for Holtz and laughed at Weis. I felt sorry for Willingham getting jobbed. But, I love the fact that Kelly's the coach ... so much more of a team to hate.
I love to hate the fact that they will do anything other than join the B1G. It's as though, they're going out of their way to rub the B1G's nose in it. Keep it up ND. The entire world knows that the rational thing for ND to do is join the B1G. It even means more money for ND to do so - and as the selfish font of evil that ND, we would all think they would jump at the opportunity. Yet, they live to spite the country. They get joy out of it.
I want ND to join the B1G, because I like sensible things ... I like things that are rational. But, I have to confess that I sort of like this more, because it further upholds another reason to hate ND more. Go ahead, join the Big XII.
http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf/2011/10/michigan_state_notes_spartans_4.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+msu-spartans+%28MSU+Spartans+Impact+-+MLive.com%29
I enjoyed seeing the adjustments ... and it seems very clear that Michigan is changing it up enough for others to notice that this isn't the same team it was last year. I love the fact that opposing offenses are looking at Michgan's defense on film and (with a little bit of caution/fear)seeing that they're changing things up enough to the point that it's not longer a guarantee where the weaknesses will be.
It's a short link on MLive, but at least I like to see a different tone coming from MSU about UM's defense than last year. There were no coaches last year making any statements about Michigan's defense, because the only thing that they could have said would have been the honest truth about the horror of what GERG was doing. This year, it's clearly different ...
It's totally selfish of me, but right now but all I really care about is that Michigan beats MSU and OSU ... because I can't stand them, and because I'm going to those games for the first time ever. My dad and brothers and I will be in the endzones from both - coming up from Memphis, braving the cold - and we just have to win!
On a more rational point, I honestly do think that Michigan CAN win all of its games, I think the defense is much improved, the adjustments are great, the diverse play-calling is great. It just has to be the perfect storm. Michigan has to play better than it has to beat MSU, Nebraska, and OSU, but they can afford a few mistakes - simply because those teams' offenses aren't amazing. With Wisconsin, Michigan would have to be perfect. in theory, Michigan could have its act together more by then, but we're talking about a perfect performance.
It's crazy for us to even be talking about it. I live in SEC country, where nutso fans start talking national championship the first game of the season - so, I'm resisting the urge to even start dreaming about an undefeated season. Just beat MSU and OSU, and anything else would be amazing.
roughly the going rate for a mid-level escort. That fits.
This morning, I watched ESPN's "The Experts" - on ESPN U ... it must have been yesterday's episode. All of the "experts" picked Sparty, except Galloway. The rest of the guys were talking like State's D-Line was better than any other college team in recent memory. Ivan Maisel was the only one that picked Sparty, but at least seemed rational in his explanation.
Galloway said that the tape from the OSU/Sparty game revealed, not that MSU's d-line was overpowering, but that OSU's o-line refused to block anyone and made them seem superhuman.
I'm willing to listen to educated opinion, however, I'm not suprised that most of the people who pick Sparty do so in an ignorant way. Is that just coincidence?
numerous reports are out there of sightings of RichRod on campus at Memphis ... and these weren't just from people who knew someone who saw him. Even local reporters in Memphis pretty much speak as though it happened.
He'd be a better fit for Memphis - since Memphis is being considered for the BigEast - primarily for their basketball. RichRod knows the BigEast and will have an easier time recruiting his typical Florida kids to a town like Memphis. it's also a given basically that Memphis will be firing coach Lary Porter this season.
What are Sparty fans like in person (they're tools online)? I was at the Northwestern game this week and felt quite welcomed - sat in some season-ticket seats and got the usual heckle initially, but then was befriended. Really nice folks - just not the higest football IQ I've been around.
I live in Memphis, and this is my year for seeing Michigan games (I picked a good one) - went to Northwestern and will go to East Lansing this week - never been ... and I'm taking my brothers to the Ohio State game (they've never seen Michigan play live).
Did y'all notice that several of the guys changed jerseys later in the game? They went from their tight fit, all white jerseys to the ones from last year? Denard didn't start the game with the old jersey, but he finished with it on - and even did his interview with it on. What gives?
Though Michigan was the original nike school (yes, I know connection with Oregon, but Michigan really blew up Nike branding), I don't think that Michigan ever really followed the Nike trends ... sort of like Penn State. As material changed, so did the Jerseys, but some schools - like Michigan - generally didn't cave into what Nike was trying to push. I don't think that it was ever a threat.
Personally, I think Adidas is a fine company. I hate their stuff in comparison with Nike's. No question. Nike simply looks sharper - and at the end of the day, that is what it comes down to ... the look. Nike stuff looks better. It just does. The materials ultimately balance out.
There are not many places in the South where a multi-racial anything would be tolerated... but Atlanta is a bit different. There are far more non-Southerners there than anywhere else. And that sense of propriety really thickens when you get futher west into Mississippi.
I agree that it's not about South-bashing. I love the South ... that's why I so badly missed it in both under and post-grad work. I had to get back. And, I do love the commitment to football. The culture here is amazing - and it really is astounding to see. There's nothing like tailgating in the Grove at Ole Miss ... nothing.
My concern is just the illusion that Southerners have - and I think that this is the reason for the oversigning being practiced and tolerated. I'll be honest with you, it's not going away; the SEC will actually try to keep it practiced - unless the NCAA says something. And, the SEC is far too big of a cash cow for the NCAA to make them change the way they do things.
Sadly enough, too, the SEC fans have a big enough chip on their shoulder, that if the NCAA did get involved, they would once again take it as an attempt to keep down the relegate the better programs ... once again, the North imposing its will on the South.
I live, teach, and coach in Tennessee - where nearly everyone here in Memphis is an Arkansas, Ole Miss, Auburn, Alabam or Tennessee fan. I grew up here - but had to get out of the South to go to college, and then came back here to coach.
From many of our perspectives, we think, "why would a kid go to an SEC school when they know that this could happen to them?" We're using reason, here, folks ... and to be honest with you, the SEC and its fans are not driven by reason - at all. In the South, SEC football is life - there is nothing else. Nothing.
So, on one hand, the entire community will wholesale look the other way when things like this are done. To go beyond that, there is this sense of dillusion, that I cannot explain if you've been here. A couple years ago, I had a conversation with a 30-something who was trying to argue that Tennessee had the best program in the country ... At first, I thought he was talking football, but he meant ... everything. I couldn't believe that I was actually even engaged in a conversation where I was having to suggest that M.I.T has a better engineering program than U.T. But, this guy was serious - and this is the life of the SEC fan. They really do not think - at all. Auburn fans are convinced that every other school would have offered money to Newton, but Auburn would never do such a thing; they will not even hear any conversation that hints that such schools buy players.
Much of the reason that coaches can get away with it is that they know they do not have to justify it to the masses of people who will not face with reality. I'm used to rabid fans. I've been around Michigan football all of my life, and my best friend is a Nebraska fan. I get it; people love their teams. But, there is a severe unwillingness in the South for their fans to come to grips with reality. I think that there are more than one or two hacks at the freep, but at least those guys will try to talk about the good and bad of what's going on at the hometown school. That doesn't happen here.
And the kids are going to go to the SEC school every time - because that's all they can see. I had a friend who got into Princeton, but her mom wouldn't let her go, because Princeton didn't have a southern chapter of Chi Omega. So, she went to Ole Miss instead - and wore her coctrail dress to games every Saturday. No matter how dirty a coach is, the player is sold - because of the cultre ... not because of the reality. It's a different world here, folks.
I personally know both Jones boys and their mom. First of all, they are not counting on their boys playing in the NFL. Barrett likely will get drafted very highly ... and his dad (who played basketball for Alabama) is strongly encouraging Barrett to consider other options. I have the utmost respect for both the parents, and the boys. Barrett has a 4.0 - and has dreams other than playing the NFL - I know that for certain. I'm not sure about Harrison - but I know that he's in college to get more than a football experience. I do know that Jones family is extremely solid - and has a much more broad outlook than having a luxurious life. They have raised three wonderful boys (I currently coach and teach the 3rd, Walker). While your post may be true of other families, I think you shouldn't be so quick to come down on this family / mom.
Saban is the wrongdoer in this situation - and if you'd read my post a little further down, you'd see a broader picture.
I normally read anything that Brian posts as gospel, when it comes to Michigan, but I feel like I do need to make an edit to the quoted section referencing the treatment of Jones and his mother's response. I actually thought that it's cool that a kid I coach showed up on MGoBlog - that's never happened for me before. Despite my thrill, I need to make sure we keep the story straight ...
I coach in Tennessee - and actually coached Jones. His name is Harrison Jones, and he is the younger brother of Alabama's academic All-American, Barrett Jones. Harrison's a good kid - and was expecting to redshirt all along.
The article that Brian quoted was a bit hasty on the whole situation. Jones did get a gray shirt - for about 5 days. Then, his scholarship was returned to him, and he resumed everything as normal. I've had numerous conversations with him about his experiences at Alabama - He has nothing negative to say about the way he was treated in the whole situation. He got to dress for all of their games, and was as much of a redshirt player as anyone else.
I'm not a Saban fan; he's been around school a couple of times to recruit our kids. He's a business man first and foremost. Though the Jones family was not expecting the whole gray shirt situation, they ended up saying that it was reported far differently than it actually went down. Saban did call the parents in - and Harrison in. He explained the whole situation to them. Harrision said that Saban spent nearly 45 minutes articulating it all - which is something that Saban rarely does ... have that long of a conversation with his players. He actually tried to make sure that everyone knew exactly what was happening ... and from what I understand, the family understood that this was most likely a temporary thing ... and that's what it ended up being.
Like I said, I don't like Saban one bit - never have. But, this specific issue was not reported - or at least followed up with accurately. There's no reason to say that Brian should know this ... but the article should have linked a follow up to the story. I do believe that more than a handful of kids have gotten screwed by Saban. Jones is not one of them.
To add to it all ... he's younger than Ezeh! I would argue that, even if Ezeh (considering how bad he is) were on par with Demens or even slightly better, I would prefer Demens simply on upside for the future. That's a no brainer in my thinking. If Ezeh is bad, and Demens is equally bad, you go with Demens - easy decision. The fact that Demens is actually better just makes me smile - and hope that we can somehow hold it together and build a better defense from guys that have been through it all together this year.
I appreciate your level headed approach ... and generally, I agree with you. I've been sitting back and saying, "this takes time." I've coached football for years - primarily on the high school level. I get it ... to expect results immediately is assanine. It takes a long time to build a new paradigm - in more than just sports.
Though, I'm getting close to going over the edge toward despair, when it comes to Robinson and Tony Gibson (the DB and Spec. Teams coach). They are astronomically bad ... and I wonder when RR will set his loyalty (which I admire) aside. I think that GERG may be ok ... ok at best in being a coordinator, but I can't believe that he's better than Ron English. There's no way he's better than Ron English.
Yes, we have freshmen playing - who are well outmatched in strength, experience, and general feel for their positions. I get that - but this is Michigan, and it simply doesn't compute that these kids who were generally studs at good high school programs now seemingly don't know how to do a lot of fundamentally sound things. We're improving - I see a lot of good things on defense, but I also see a lot of things on film that look like our guys are confused in the secondary and a lot of things on Special Teams. That's not our guys' faults. I've learned a lot - have eaten some humble pie about it in my experience too - that when guys make mistakes, that's either on them, or we have to be willing to say that it's because they don't know what to do - or aren't sure. If kids aren't sure, then that's coaching. They may be sure what to do and simply can't do it because of strength or ability ... but if they don't know what to do, then we can't continue to say it's because they're young. We're too far into the season to excuse extreme confusion - and that's quite often what I see ... and I wonder if Tony Gibson is the best guy for the job. He has never really had a a great reputation for putting together strong secondary cohesion (even though he's had some good players) ... and here at Michigan, I think that cohesion is the farthest thing from what we see. RR has to say ... and I pray he does. Certainly Gibson has to go ... he just has to.
I would not say this against Denard, even remotely. He has done the two minute drill quite well. I was simply saying that I think this skill set fits Tate a bit better, it appears ... I don't know why, I just got a different feel watching him in the 2, rather than Denard - even vs. Notre Dame.
I don't understand why there aren't more questions about Tony Gibson. When I look at Michigan's greatest weaknesses, I can't help but seeing Tony Gibson's name all over them (of course, that might be because he's actually the coach for db's and special teams.)
I just can't stomach what I see at DB ... that's what I've played, and coached all of my life ... and I simly don't get it. There is no way our kids are that unathletic or stupid. The fact that UM recruited them tells me that they are studs from good high school programs. They should know what to do - at least minimally. And, the mistakes that I see reflect poor coaching. They are athletic kids - who are for sure out experienced - but they should be able to be better than dead last in passing, considering all of the other teams out there in the FBS who recruite kids far below where UM does.
I agree that I don't want to see a QB change that is contingent upon weekly performances - or even in-game performances. These younger quarter backs need to learn to handle the pressure and overcome obstacles - even if they are created by their own doing.
And I agree that it's only prudent with a clear injury, etc. Is there not also a situational potential need as well? For instance, might we also say that Tate could be better suited for a true hurry-up 2 minute drill type thing? If we're not running the ball at all, would you be opposed to seeing Tate come in then?
I've been opposed to the idea, but considering the objective of such an offense - move the ball with as little time coming off the clock as possible - that Tate might be the guy over Denard in that situation alone. Am I dead wrong?