Michigan needs to use Alabama's offense as a blueprint
After watching the Orange Bowl this evening, I've begun asking myself why Michigan can't be like Alabama offensively. While not on their same level, we have similar personnel. Shea is not Tua, but is a pretty accurate QB who is also decently mobile. Both teams are loaded at the WR position. Both teams have a solid run game with good RBs. The only main difference is that Alabama's OL is better, but our OL is improving.
Overall, we have relatively similar offensive personnel to work with but Alabama is utilizing their personnel much more effectively. A balanced attack that isn't predictable. A steady dose of RPOs and giving the ball to weapons in space. Using the run to set up the pass.
Harbaugh needs to take a good look at the best team in the country and see that we aren't so different. Maybe learn a thing or two from Saban about adapting to modern times and updating your offense
December 30th, 2018 at 9:04 AM ^
Tua was killing it with those quick-hitter slants. He threw more TDs than incompletitions.
Between that and his mobility / QB runs, OU was never able to get any pressure on him. He never just sat in the pocket trying to make multiple reads under pressure. Within 3 seconds, either his feet or arm were moving forward.
I would like to see more of that in our offense.
Shea is not comfortable being a multi-read pocket passer. I'm not sure he ever will be.
Our offense needs to fit his strengths better: Get him on the move like Tua - more zone reads, RPOs, rollouts, quick hitters. He can't just stand back there in the pocket waiting for slow-developing plays to evolve on third and long. He's not good at it.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:05 AM ^
Ya think???
December 30th, 2018 at 9:08 AM ^
Problem is, Bama’s players, head coach, training, culture of winning, are light years ahead of Michigan. So we can run the act same plays as them, but we won’t be as successful. Their 3rd string running back would be Michigan’s #1 by a mile.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:14 AM ^
It will be very interesting to see how their OC, Locksley, does at Maryland.
I thought he called an excellent game last night. I wish he were calling plays for us.
But . . . that's with Alabama players. I'm curious to see how well it will work with Maryland players.
I suspect that it will still work quite well. I think he will turn some heads there.
If we don't get our act together and catch up, we're going to be having Indiana-type games with Maryland as well.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:10 AM ^
I hate to be the cold splash of reality, but no, Michigan and Alabama do not have similar personnel. You're barely playing the same sport at this point. Just about the only team that could make your claim and not be laughed out of any bar on Earth is getting ready to play Bama in a few weeks.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:14 AM ^
College football has changed. You don't win with ball control offense and defense. In fact defense in itself is an afterthought in the current college football landscape. First one to 50 wins and its so far from what Harbaugh believes its scary to think he might change his approach.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:23 AM ^
Agreed.
Even the vaunted Alabama defense gave up 34 points to Oklahoma. OU scored on all 4 of its second half possessions. Nobody was stopping anybody once OU shook off the rust.
Alabama scored 45 points . . . and needed to.
If you're not putting up 30+ points in modern football, you're not wining games against top competition.
When you step foot on the field, you better have a plan to score 30+ points. Otherwise don't even bother showing up.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:22 AM ^
Here's an idea: how long would Pep Hamilton last at Alabama with the 114th ranked passing offense?
At Michigan that gets you a second year and an expanded job title.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:23 AM ^
Mich needs to use pass to set up run against good teams.
You see Saban chewing players asses last night. JH stands there with a blank stare thru his Woody glasses.
Think Saban would have had Nico, Dpj & Black all on the sidelines on a critical 3rd & long at Osu?
December 30th, 2018 at 9:26 AM ^
I didn't make it to Ann Arbor this year (boo me), so yesterday was the only time I saw the team live. I kept seeing two tight ends in obvious passing situations. All I could wonder is whether the pass blocking is so bad, we had to have an extra blocker. I was really confused.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:57 AM ^
" I was really confused" yeah so was the coaching staff so you were not alone Bill.
Confused,befuddled,clueless, incompetent, in above their head and whatever else one can come up with to describe this coaching staff.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:23 AM ^
I like what you're saying, but there is a huge difference between the Bama line and ours. And there is a huge difference between their backs and ours. Their backs are big and fast. That's what happens when you recruit the best back in the country every year.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:39 AM ^
Nobody says we will be Alabama. But we could benefit from the Alabama offensive approach to be able to beat teams like Ohio State and Notre Dame.
Alabama was throwing quick hitters, using the QB's legs, hitting runs as change-of-pace. You had to defend the entire field and every player every play.
During our game against Florida, I kept watching the hash marks. On most offensive plays, we had 9 players inside the hash marks. Especially on early downs. We were playing in a phone booth.
It made us easy to defend. Just attack 10 horizontal yards of the field with linebackers and safety's.
Then I watched what Alabama, Oklahoma, and Clemson were doing. On most offensive plays, they had 4 or more players outside the hash marks. Even on early downs.
You could see how this stretched the defense and created one on one matchups in space with no help. They were assuredly not playing in a phone booth. You couldn't just attack 10 horizontal yards of the field.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:25 AM ^
Ummm defense still wins games. That's a fools way of thinking, saying they do not.
Ask ND how they felt about Clemson's D.
Bama's D shut down OK just enough.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:38 AM ^
Shut down OK just enough. Spot on. I am wondering if JH strategically thinks that by running so much, we will control the ball, score some and let our defense win the games. Unlike most here, I think that is possible, if you have superior linemen and backs and a superior defense. We do not have the first two and we do not have elite speed on defense (Bush excluded) compared to the big boys. With the ability of the current college offenses to get the ball to really fast athletes in space, I just don't think that concept will work unless you are stocked with studs on the O line and running back. I'm afraid the talent we have does not lend itself to manball on offense and balls to the wall on every play on defense. I am certain that Harbaugh and Brown are much smarter than I am, but I think a realistic big picture review on both sides of the ball, and how the two sides work together, is called for. And unlike some, I still believe in both of them.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:04 AM ^
Defensive stops will win games.
But you have to re-calibrate your expectations about the number of defensive stops.
You can no longer assume that you will get defensive stops on 70% - 80% of your opponent's drives, and therefore you can contentedly play ball control on offense with long drives that kill clock but come up empty.
The script has shifted. While you'e killing clock with empty drives, your opponent is scoring TDs. Ohio State says Hello.
The expectation now needs to be that you will only get defensive stops on 20% - 30% of your opponent's drives. Your offense will need to keep pace and score points.
Alabama's vaunted defense gave up 34 points to Oklahoma. OU scored on every single possession it had in the second half. Alabama won the game on offense. It took advantage of 3 key defensive stops early in the game and scored points while that was happening.
You can no longer hide behind your defense in modern football.
You are going to get only a handful of "tennis break-serve" opportunities that your defense provides. You better be ready to take advantage of them on offense and score points when that happens.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:13 AM ^
You pretty much made the point I was trying to make much better than I did.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:44 AM ^
Degree of difficulty. If they ever devise a college football tournament in which only concepts from 1991 or prior are permitted, with no disguising of intentions, just pure smash mouth execution... ah, hell, they’d still find a way to lose to OSU.
But I bet the other games would be cakewalks.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:08 AM ^
They have that now.
It's called the Big Ten regular season schedule.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:20 AM ^
Need better OL but also backs that can break the first tackle. Seems like we have a terrible time running through the first tackle
December 30th, 2018 at 10:22 AM ^
Think Saban would have turtled like JH did before half time yesterday & played for a FG?
Think Saban would have been averaging 31 sec a play while down multiple scores in the 4th? Same garbage we seen against ND & Osu btw.
The dude switched QBs at half time in the NC game last year. He ran a flea flicker play late in the 4th the previous year - that just missed for a td.
He plays to win. JH turtles & plays for field goals. The players see it just like us...& then we wonder why they play flat.
December 30th, 2018 at 11:47 AM ^
Saban called an on-side kick to start the second half in a National Championship game, just to change the momentum.
It worked. He would not have won it without that play.
He has a huge talent advantage, but he never just sits back and blindly relies on it.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:48 AM ^
Shea is an upgrade over the QBs we put on the field the first 3 years of the Harbaugh era but he is still not good enough for us to compete with the big boys.
6 of the best QBs in the country in no particular order are:
Tagovailoa, Lawrence, Haskins, Murray, Book and Fromm. Where are their teams ranked?
December 30th, 2018 at 11:42 AM ^
Wasn’t Ryan Day the OC at Boston College when Brown was there? If his offenses went up against Brown’s defenses every day in practice I imagine he might be able to come up with a game plan to attack our defense.
December 30th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^
Florida appeared to have no problem doing it.
Their own players even said so in the post-game press conference.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^
QB whisperer - is whispering too many negatives & killing confidence imo.
Haskins said he was licking chops ready to attack Brown's defense.
Patterson was throwing it in the dirt scared.
December 30th, 2018 at 11:31 AM ^
Need alabama’s O
coord and qb first
December 30th, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^
No you don't.
December 30th, 2018 at 11:33 AM ^
With regards to the offense, while Alabama runs the "power spread" that would be an improvement for us, OU actually had a lot of success after the 1st quarter against what is arguably the best defense in the CFP. I'd like to see that level of creativity at UM and keep our defense almost as is with a few tweaks including the ability to switch and go to a zone when the matchups are not to our favor.
December 30th, 2018 at 11:43 AM ^
I’ve got to believe Pep will be processed like Drevno. I’ve got to hope Harbaugh realizes the scheme can work, but needs major changes. I have to plead that Harbaugh swallows his ego and hires a younger college offensive coach he will listen to and let him co-run the offense.
I moved to San Diego 11 years ago thinking I would be going to the Rose Bowl frequently. Not so much and not sure it’s gonna happen if he doesn’t do the above. My hopes and beliefs are back to the Hoke days, but now with 9-10 wins a season (which is an upgrade) I’m even more disappointed by the end of the season letdowns.
It’s still possible he gets it done and realizes an offense like Alabama’s is the answer, but I think he believes so much in his manball scheme that he’d rather prove everyone wrong than you know, win big games by changing the offense. I hope I’m wrong.
December 30th, 2018 at 11:56 AM ^
he’d rather prove everyone wrong
That is my biggest concern.
Harbaugh has a huge defiant, contrarian steak in him. At this point it almost feels like his prevailing attitude is "I'm going to prove all those bastards wrong."
He's not going to change anything. He wants to win this philosophical debate.
Extremely Bo-like in that respect.
The defense was never his baby. He was willing to turn that over to somebody else. But not the offense. He's not letting that go.
December 30th, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
Let’s hire Alabama’s OC as our new head coach. Warde will be a hero in the offseason.
keep Jim around as the director of recruiting. Problem solved.
December 30th, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
Maryland just did that.
If we don't get our act together, we'll be looking up at them too.
December 30th, 2018 at 2:47 PM ^
Just need the line play. Getting better, but not there yet.
December 30th, 2018 at 2:47 PM ^
Just need the line play. Getting better, but not there yet.
December 30th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
Our OL is massively inferior to Bama, which is a huge deal. You can’t open up the scheme if you can’t pass protect. The problem with the offense is the OL, it isn’t a scheme issue....we can’t pass protect. The coaches kept us ahead of the chains most of the year, and didn’t open things up in order to mask that massive weakness.
We had 10 wins this year, the qb position is finally looking promising for the foreseeable future. We just need to start recruiting OL much better and Mich should be able to start competing for titles on an annual basis.
December 30th, 2018 at 8:47 PM ^
Because coach Harbaugh refuses to get an offensive coordinator and have one person calling plays. Who would have thought John Harbaugh would be more innovative that Jim. See Lamar Jackson