Wise Words From Bo
“When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when you team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing.”
So things could be worse, Harbaugh was our homerun hire, can’t keep blowing up the program and start over every 3 to 4 years. Yeah we haven’t beaten OSU, but 3 ten win seasons out of 4 is pretty damn good considering where we’ve been the past 10+ seasons.
December 9th, 2018 at 9:15 PM ^
And it may change significantly again from some social event or rule change (see CTE). Would that mean we should devalue the games that precede that happening? Of course not.
December 9th, 2018 at 1:31 PM ^
I never cared for that network 
December 9th, 2018 at 1:45 PM ^
Me either, and it's plainly evident that they don't care for Michigan or its fans. Yes, let's replay that App. St. game over and over again because it's a "classic" that makes the conference look just so damn good! Or how about we make fun of one of our flagship programs for failing to beat its rival!
December 9th, 2018 at 10:22 AM ^
Well we were winning & then played soft against Osu...
December 9th, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^
"When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft."
I guess this means Harbaugh and staff were far too soft on the team in the week before the OSU game.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:30 AM ^
I think the coaches were all soft on themselves. They stupidly thought they’d walk into Columbus and run the ball down their throat, while giving up 12 points, as if OSU is the same as a poorly coached PSU. When that didn’t happen the coaches were all clueless about how to stop it.
I’m tired of hearing about Bo and Yost, or RR and Hoke. It’s time for Harbaugh to win a game against a more talented, well-coached, team. If the team shows up looking like shit to the peach bowl there are going to be nothing but scorching hot takes all offseason. If we lose to OSU next year, the mob will form.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:33 AM ^
Assuming Shea comes back, this will be the first time under JH we have a returning QB starter who is good, three quality WRs, TEs, and a quality O-Line.
We finally get a good home schedule w/o having to see WS, JOK, BP as QB throwing arm punts and pick sixes.
Next year - yes - must win on 2019 or fans will begin accepting a Kirk Ferentz (with Michigan vs. Iowa talent) style performance every year.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:43 AM ^
Yes, next year sets up very well - though if both DBs go, people will find a way to excuse loses and poor play due to "the defense is young".
At some point, Michigan just needs to beat teams that are better on paper. I've seen Harbaugh do it at Stanford. I'm not sure what is causing all the problems here. Good coaches win, even when it's not the perfect storm.
Michigan this year wasn't too far off from as good as it's going to get from a talent perspective. Sure, we had problem spots but most every team does. Our QB talent looks good, but after the current WR trio goes...
December 9th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
If nothing else, the Dax flip has given me a reason to watch the Peach Bowl.
Because they need this win now. Badly.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:50 AM ^
This.
Best way to make a recruit start to forget about the OSU debacle? Absolutely smoke Florida in this game with a real spread offense and a defense that doesn’t continue to play Cover 1 as they get burned over and over.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:21 AM ^
The Peach Bowl is after early signing period...
December 9th, 2018 at 11:05 AM ^
IMO, not just win it, but you better look pretty good winning it too. Open up the offense and get the ball in our playmakers hands...in creative ways.
Don Brown.....dont do what you did last time.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:27 AM ^
People should stop worrying about harbaughs salary. I know through the development department his hiring has literally brought in over $1 billion. The interest on about a month pays for him.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:11 PM ^
For crying out loud, thank you! The penny wisdom, and pound foolishness around here is unreal.
The money is a drop in the bucket, and not even a consideration.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:27 AM ^
Make no mistake about it Michigan has the best coach it will ever have right now and that is actually what scares me we are 0 for with him. I’m not playing for the team I am a fan and am sick of watching the Saturday after thanksgiving so I have opted to tape the game going forward and I am making it a family day going forward. Go to the movies with the fam during the game and go holiday shopping. I’ll check the score on my phone if they lose I don’t have to watch it, if they win I can watch in joy instead of being miserable all game and the rest of the weekend. Maybe if they actually win one or two in a row I will start watching it live for 4 hours again but for now no thank you I’m no longer wasting mine or my family’s time.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:53 AM ^
This is such a common, stupid take that I will never understand.
In what world can another coach not go 10-3 here, especially if you can write in OSU as a loss every year? Theres probably 10-20 coaches who could and would easily do that with Harbaugh’s salary.
Stupid take is stupid. Jim is good but he’s not some benevolent deity—he’s a good coach. Period. Stop. Many good coaches in CFB today, so he can easily be replaced with no drop-off.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
That’s what Nebraska said after Bo Pelini. How’s that coaching carousel going for them?? There are very few coaches that are elite! I’m sure there were the over reacting fans on the Clemson board in year 4 of Dabo, I wonder where they are today?
December 9th, 2018 at 11:30 AM ^
Michigan isn't Nebraska and Warde isn't fuckface Brandon or some checked out old sailboat enthusiast.
Let's see what happens at OSU. I bet Day doesn't drive them off a cliff.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
"Many good coaches in CFB today, so he can easily be replaced with no drop-off"
No drop-off? Sure, that worked out really well the last two searches.
Some people are complete morons.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:47 AM ^
12 teams have as many wins as Michigan since the start of 2015. 9 are P5. None were taking over from Brady Hoke.
Also we had three different coaches take 12 years to compile as many 10-3 seasons as Harbaugh has in 4 so what makes you convinced it’s so easy to do that?
December 9th, 2018 at 11:53 AM ^
What you're saying sounds to me like Harbaugh is a top 10 college coach (which I agree with). Top 10 guys are replaceable with other top 10 guys. It's the top 3 types that are irreplaceable.
How many of those 9 P5 coaches are consistently doing what they do at places without the structural advantages and resources of Michigan? Those are the people who you short list if/when Harbaugh goes.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:19 PM ^
I'm just broken up that you're going to watch it on tape. You don't deserve the team's efforts, win or lose.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^
I'm done with Bo quotes, he didnt exactly do much on the national scene, but a fantastic regional power.
December 9th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
We were much harder on Bo at the time than people are on Harbaugh now.
"Stubborn coach that can't recruit elite athletes, can only beat teams with lesser talent."
Come to think of it . . . it was pretty much the same as it is now.
Some things never change.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
At the end of the day, none of this matters anyway.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
And it only costs us $7 million a year.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:05 AM ^
7 million to have the best coach in the last 50 years is a great deal.
Go back to your hole, maizen.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
This is the perfect post for myopic Michigan fans. Great job! Were you posting it for the 11 point basketball win yesterday, the 10-2 football season, during which Michigan beat PSU, MSU, and Wisconsin (I know, they are all terrible and we should have beaten them by more points), or the OSU loss?
December 9th, 2018 at 10:37 AM ^
Yeah more quotes.
You know what Beileins best quote was? "We had subs it was great"
Less time spent on quotes and more times spent on scheming to beat your rivals.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:28 PM ^
Actually, I think it's, "We had subs, it was crazy."
Bo's record in Bowl games wasn't stellar. That is true. But there was something about his "win the right way" and "The Team" philosophies that players, alumni and fans embraced then, and still do today.
The anti-Machiavellian ideal that the means have to justify the end is in diametric opposition to the Meyer, ES-EE-SEE model of win at any cost.
It's also the reason OSU spends its time wishing it were Michigan (11 Warriors) and not vice versa.
I'm fine with Bo quotes as a reinforcement of the ideals that my Alma Mater endorses and emulates.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:34 PM ^
It was directed at the program as a whole not Bo. Even though Bo didn't win as lot of Bowl games, he beat Ohio 50% of the time and best MSU all the time, plus won a bunch of Big Ten titles. If there was a playoff in Bos era he'd probably go near every year.
Bo didn't live off quotes about steak, nervous birds. Enthusiasm ect, he won big games and titles
I'd take that over now. EASY.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:38 PM ^
Thank you very much for this. This could not have been better written.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:37 AM ^
Bo's dead. Program wasn't elite with him and it's not elite now.
Soft and underachieving.
Let's bury the Bo quotes.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:41 PM ^
Wow. You should be ashamed of such lack of respect.
Bo was great. And the measure of the greatness of his teams stands the test of time.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:39 AM ^
Two things can be (and are) true at the same time:
1. JH is one of the better coaches in CFB. People underestimated how hard it would be for Harbaugh to rebuild Michigan from its worst ever decade. He has Michigan tied for 7th in total wins over the last 4 seasons. He is doing an excellent job, given the hole Michigan was in and the machine at OSU since Meyer arrived (which hopefully will sputter under Day).
2. JH needs look at the reality of today's CFB and make key changes this off-season. Ask D Brown to practice and use in games at least 30% of snaps zone/zone blitz schemes so that Michigan is good at it when it needs them against OSU. Improve the offense. Passing game is well below what it could be. Fixing the passing game will open up the running game even more.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:27 AM ^
I like this take. You're a level-headed poster who doesn't have his/her head in the clouds. If Harbaugh can keep Michigan hovering around the 5-10 rank year over year, that's a very solid job. If top 5-10 performance leads to top 5-10 classes (not just due to massive numbers, but due to average rank too), that's great.
All of that is totally unrelated to his ability (or not) to break into the upper echelon (e.g., 1-5 rank) of college football. Doing that would be nice. Not winning ugly would be nice too.
Yes, we kicked the shit out of MSU this year, but this Michigan team should have blown them out. Going 21-7 is OK against the MSUs of the world, but that turns into a blowout against OSU, a near loss against NW, and a loss against ND.
The offense needs a second gear and I'm not sure why it doesn't have one.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:17 PM ^
I can agree with this analysis. Not sure about the zone blitzing requirement but I trust Don Brown to adjust as required
I would just add to your analysis that Harbaugh has always displayed the willingness to change and adapt. I am sure he will do it again in this offseason.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:31 PM ^
On zone blitzing, zone coverage plus dropping a guy like Winovich into the area of OSU mesh point of crossing route (and blitzing a LB instead), is really disruptive to OSU's base plays.
It also would have countered OSU double blocking Gary and Winovich. IOW would have been a different way to pressure Haskins when the standard approach was getting no pressure.
Also, being multiple on D just cranks up what Haskins (or whoever) has to process and think about. Lining up in press man single high every time just makes it easier for Haskins to know what the D will do, and for OSU's OC to scheme mismatches. So why make it so easy for your opponent?
And then when Michigan countered with zone coverages, turns out they were terrible at it because they rarely practiced/used it all year. Not a good idea to run out some zone coverages against OSU when you have not really put in the time to gett good at it all year.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
I am not sure, I don’t necessarily disagree. What you write makes sense for sure.
To me, lack of pressure and losing decisively in the trenches makes everything look stupid, especially against OSU’s quick WRs. Not even sure what the DL was capable of in this game. It looked pretty spent and broken.
December 9th, 2018 at 1:55 PM ^
Yeah, the lack of d-line pressure was pretty much fatal.
But I still think that even with d-line pressure, not being multiple on D, and running mostly press man one high is a bad plan against what OSU was doing on offense this year.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:39 AM ^
Michigan will advance in the college football world when they decide to not bring up Bo every chance they get.
It’s the Bo philosophy that is holding back the program.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:52 AM ^
Absolute stupidity. Bo is part of the absolute bedrock foundation of this program. Always will be. Win with integrity or it is worthless.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
Sweet he is the bedrock for you old asses. Now close the yearbook and enter 2018.
The entire gameday experience is centered around Bo. It’s like walking through Greenfield village each Saturday.
And once again Bo’s offensive philosophy is directly the reason Harbaugh is the way he is on offense.
December 9th, 2018 at 12:59 PM ^
You can’t be this simple. I will try to explain so even you can understand.
Harbaugh does not use Bo’s plays. Bo never used the pistol, shotgun, zone read, etc.
However, the basic principles of how Bo ran his program will always remain. Same with Yost, Crisler, Lloyd. Winning with integrity, not cheating, education is important.
If you don’t support this things, you are a part of the wrong organization.
December 9th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
You can’t be this simple that you can’t figure out the difference between Offensive Philosophy and offensive plays??
Oh wait you literally proved you are in your above post.
The shame of it all is all of you think Michigan players aren’t getting handouts. This is really funny and neive.
December 9th, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
You chose not to understand because it does not fit your sophomoric assertion.
Tradition, offensive philosophy, and offensive play calling are all different things.
The Tradition has always been win with integrity and concern for both the student and the athlete in the student athlete.
The offensive philosophy is power. Which Bo used as well as Harbaugh, Wisconsin, Saban, Urban among many others.
Offensive plays are read option, down G, passes out of the pistol, play action, etc. are all things run this year and are not at all similar with what Bo ran.
Tthe Tradition will never be abandoned around here. It is everything. Get on board with that or get lost.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:45 AM ^
10 wins is awesome, even by our own measures of successes of the past. However continuously losing to OSU is not something that has historically happened and is a frustration most fans cannot get over. Regardless of the record, until we can beat OSU, we will remain frustrated and all other negative things (Hill decommittment) only serve to amplify that frustration. There is no consolation. Basketball wins are great. Beating MSU is nice. Punishment of Meyer is fun to indulge in. But, the only thing that will console us is a win over OSU.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:01 AM ^
average wins per year
Harbaugh 9.5 (9.7 if he wins the bowl game)
Lloyd 9.3
Bo 9.2
Moeller 8.8
Hoke 7.7
RR 5.0
The morons who suggest Harbaugh is on any type of hot seat are not living in reality. JH will be at UM until he decides to walk away, period. Thank god most of you idiots have zero influence (no money) on coaching decisions.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
You’re forgetting Harbaugh gets an extra tomato can those coaches didn’t. So add an extra win to those records and Harbaugh drops down to 4th.
December 9th, 2018 at 11:56 AM ^
Newbie here must be a fan of one of the “States.” Only explanation for stupidity of this magnitude.