Relax, Haterz
Before the board is locked entirely:
1) Losing sucks.
2) Like me, 95% of you dont understand Anything about X vs. O football
Before you all run to the local torch and pitchforkery, wait and let the pros review what we ran and why in the second half. Remember that there were 2-3 turnovers. That limits anyone. So, please, wait for the calm sober light of tomorrow morning.
If you won't do it to keep from sounding like lunatics, and denigrating the board to the content of MLIVE, do it because the rest of us act like adults, and derive meaning from our own life accomplishments. And we enjoy a nice, calm, reasonable MGOBLOG, fergodsakes.
Hugs and Kisses,
Nantucket Blue
November 24th, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
Sorry but I don't have to understand X's and O's football to know you don't sit Denard Robinson. 6 carries for 124 yards in the first half and watched his last quarter and a half of his last Ohio game from the sidelines. That's poor coaching
November 24th, 2012 at 3:47 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:48 PM ^
know that you're best players need to be on the field. Denard and Devin were not on the field at the same time nearly enough, even as a decoy Denard would of been more effective than the RB's were today.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^
know that you're best players need to be on the field. Denard and Devin were not on the field at the same time nearly enough, even as a decoy Denard would of been more effective than the RB's were today.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^
know that you're best players need to be on the field. Denard and Devin were not on the field at the same time nearly enough, even as a decoy Denard would of been more effective than the RB's were today.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 4:14 PM ^
Most fans on here know their fareshare of football.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
It completely tipped off the opposition every time he was in at qb. For whatever reason they went away from both of them on the field at the same time. The gameplan in the second half was indefensible.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:55 PM ^
But before we turn to an evening of rabble rabble rawrr grumble, go play with your kids or take a walk with your wife. Or call your mom.
Derive some purpose from living your own life, not getting worked up over a game you had no control in.
We just dont know, man. Maybe Al and Brady played conservative becasue the defense was lights out and keeping everything one posession. Or maybe they're just dicks. At this point, both are reasonable hypothesis.
If people want to rant, do it tomorrow, or go somewhere else. You'll be better served in life learning some self control or developing more positive coping mechanisms than demanding someone's head outright.
Hugs and kisses,
Nantucket Blue
November 24th, 2012 at 3:45 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:48 PM ^
If the interior o-line is going to play like that you should stop trying to run it up the middle every single time you get down to second- or third- or fourth-and-short. We stopped at least 4 drives by running it up the gut and getting stopped for a loss.
Doesn't take a lot of X- and O-knowledge to figure that out.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^
It's not like the line let us down and therefore nothing worked. Runs from the shotgun worked pretty much every time. Running Denard from anywhere worked pretty much every time. Intermediate passes worked the vast majority of the time. You know what never worked? Running it up the middle. You know what we kept trying to do? Running it up the middle. You don't need to know jack shit about x's and o's to realize Borges fucked up.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:53 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:53 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:54 PM ^
I agree. If your team can't get a yard running the ball on 3rd and 1, then you don't deserve the first down. I hate it when people call a power run on 3rd and short a bad play call, becuase we pass in short yardage scenarios (ie MSU last year), and people want to hang Borges when that fails too. If the players can't excute a simple short yardage play, then blame them.
November 24th, 2012 at 4:32 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 4:42 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:54 PM ^
I agree. If your team can't get a yard running the ball on 3rd and 1, then you don't deserve the first down. I hate it when people call a power run on 3rd and short a bad play call, becuase we pass in short yardage scenarios (ie MSU last year), and people want to hang Borges when that fails too. If the players can't excute a simple short yardage play, then blame them.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:45 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:46 PM ^
but kind of hard to expect an explanation of how Thomas Rawls and running it up the gut were really high-percentage calls there, and why it was really a "pro" move to bench Denard in the fourth quarter of the Game when you are down a TD.
This all changes if Denard was really unable to go, but it sure didn't look that way from the cheap seats.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:46 PM ^
bad second half, period. He should not be fired, and he does not "suck," but once again, he should be rightly criticize for failing to put the offense in a place to be successful. That was a very poor offensive display in the second half. Very hard not to be dissapointed after showing so much promise in the first half. He froze up, which he has a tendency to do in big, close games.
November 24th, 2012 at 4:11 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:47 PM ^
Yay basketball?
/msu
November 24th, 2012 at 3:47 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:48 PM ^
Good post, but I disagree with calling anyone who questions Borges' play calling "haterz." Running Vince Smith into the line hasn't worked all year. Or the year before that. That is just one of the things he continues to do without an explanation. Borges had a bad day, I don't see the harm in pointing that out. Personally, I haven't been that impressed with him in two years, but I know others will disagree and that's fine.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^
However, even more annoying are op and his kin with the calm down its just football, we don't know the whole story ... Ugh. The only thing more predictable than the crazies are op
November 24th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^
There were turnovers, and there was a pick, but the offense would have been more damn productive if they didn't totally go conservative. 3rd and 3...Let's run it up the middle. Not like we haven't done that all game!
*stuffed*
November 24th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^
Nantucket you're relaxed? Let me ask you this - what has Borges shown that makes you think he is remotely qualified to be our OC? Every single big game against a decent defense he has had a horrible game plan. Va Tech? Couldn't move the ball. MSU last year and this year? Nothing. Iowa on the road? Horrid. ND this year? Atrocious. And now the tour de force, this game. He is not a very smart football mind.
November 24th, 2012 at 4:08 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 4:13 PM ^
And how many turnovers did we have?
November 24th, 2012 at 4:11 PM ^
But I would expect that good defenses (use the term elite, for the ones you feel are deserving) make many offensive coordinators look inept.
All I know that I can apply to football is a basic grasp of management techniques:
1) Don't move to fire someone without a succession plan
2) Evaluate someone based upon their full body of work
3) Give them an opportunity to self evaluate their performance
Let's assume this was a very poorly executed second half. So,
1) Who is more qualified and ready to step in in the case of an immediately fireable offense?
2) When your employee (Al) has had the necessary resources at his disposal, over an appropirate length of time, what have been the results? How do you judge acceptability?
3) What does your employee (Al again) have to say about how he made and implemented his decisions?
Then of course, you judge carefully, and look out for bullshit. But its a process, not a revelation.
And I think Brady is a better manager than most of us, and I am happy with his opinion.
And no, I'm not relaxed. I was raised in Ohio and will hear about it all year.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:51 PM ^
It just sucks that this season could have been something special, but instead it's just ok. I guess when you lose to 4 teams with a combined 2 losses it's not that bad.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:51 PM ^
with that teams personel, an interior offensive line that has been poor all year, a 2nd string RB who has been stopped on short yardage plays all year.
Running I form and running up the middle in those situations is just plain indefensible.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:56 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:52 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:55 PM ^
It's amazng to me, given the amount of turnover we've had in recent years, that anyone would want any changes right now. I mean, it wasn't like watching a Greg Davis offense, folks, and if you make that comparison you are being hyperbolic. Michigan got 21 points in the first half (something Iowa would never have done against OSU's best shot). OSU figured out M's formula, Borges outsmarted himself thinking runs in the middle would work in any way. They didn't, and M becamse utterly predictable after that.
But Fire Borges? After all the shit that has gone down in teh past 4 years, THAT'S the rational response? Come on, man.
November 24th, 2012 at 4:15 PM ^
Our offense is going downhill as quickly as the defense went downhill for RichRod. Borges is not a good football coach. If you couldn't figure that out from watching the game today, I don't know what to tell you.
November 24th, 2012 at 4:47 PM ^
Did you stop to consider that "our offense is going downhill" because our starting quarterback can't throw the ball and our starting running back has a broken leg? Those MIGHT have played a factor. Doesn't excuse the play calling in the second half, but it's not like a different offensive coordinator could have kept those injuries from happening.
November 24th, 2012 at 5:13 PM ^
I'm not referring to just this game. Since Borges has been here, the offense seemingly gets worse month to month.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:55 PM ^
For whatever reason, In the 2nd half, Denard and Devin were not in the same backfield at the same time. Ohio knew Denard was not throwing at that point so there goes the ability to fake them out. To compound it, M ran it directly behind the interior of the line (our weakest point); and, the result was very predictable.
M basically threw away the 3rd quarter with bad play calls and turnovers. The defense played OK but allowed too much run yardage at critical times.
Seemed like M had a good chance to win, and piddled it away.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:56 PM ^
(or any of us for that matter) we probably could've held Michigan to <10 yards of offense in the 2nd half and that means that Ohio probably sees the exact same stuff on film. Offense was way too weak and predictable.
I mean seriously, we ran I-form with Vincent Smith on 3rd & 2. EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TRY THAT. Why doesnt Al?
November 24th, 2012 at 3:56 PM ^
First of all I know my X's and O's very well and second it didnt take a genius to see what our O was doing. We became extremely predictable. Denard in the first half lined up at rb 6times and wr once. None in the 2nd half. No looks with both in, no designed DG runs. When Denard was in he was keeping it, when DG was in we're throwing. With no run threat in, it made our PA useless.
Like another poster said. You dont marry a girl thats been married 5 times in 10 years. Theres a reason Borges has had 5 jobs in 10 years. He sucks.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:58 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 3:59 PM ^
Calmer than you dude.
1. You are an idiot. Posting an anti-tirade tirade is as counter-productive as it sounds.
2. Calling some a "hater" to deflect any criticism is way overdone. If you have a problem with the criticism, then you should put up an actual argument.
November 24th, 2012 at 4:18 PM ^
November 24th, 2012 at 4:51 PM ^
But then I saw your avatar. And then your point.
I guess the moral of the story is one should avoid telling others who to vote for, pray to, or be pissed at.
November 24th, 2012 at 3:59 PM ^
...the mindset beginning with squib kick at the end of the first half was old-school Michigan -- playing not to lose in a big game. Unfortunately, that starts with the head coach, not the offensive coordinator.
November 24th, 2012 at 4:05 PM ^
very true. Hoke is just as much to blame for the gameplan. Borges just shit the bed when it came to the calls.