Eli

January 1st, 2019 at 1:54 PM ^

I call BS on this. Spath is not very connected and his source is probably a person he knows, who knows a disgruntled person inside the program. People get disgruntled when they don’t get their way. Just my opinion. 

Sopwith

January 1st, 2019 at 2:36 PM ^

Exactly what I'm thinking. I hope the substance of the tweets is largely accurate, because at least they're not oblivious to what everyone else is seeing.

The fact there's not a clear, unequivocal play caller still chaps my arse. Every play call, from what we've read, is a mini-conference call with 3 guys. No wonder we fight the play clock so routinely. 

ijohnb

January 1st, 2019 at 3:17 PM ^

I knew we were going back to the same ole same ole after the Turner TD was taken back and we ran Mason-Mason for nothing.  

That is not “cool” or “exciting” anymore to have a fullback who can bang for a half yard just cause “Yeah Fullback bitches.”  It is just stubborn and irritating.  If you are going to do it on 4th, break tendency on 3rd and go deep.

There is just so much that I don’t know where to start.  Harbaugh needs to hand off the offense entirely.  He is a very poor playcaller.  Like D- poor.  It seemed crazy a couple years ago but if we come back with the same offense next year I am not sure how much more leash he will be given.  The program is squandering major opportunities right now and I don’t think that can go on much longer.

JPC

January 1st, 2019 at 3:33 PM ^

I don't have data to support this conclusion, but it seems to me like his ability to convert went down as the season wore on. It could have been an increase in opponent quality or the predictability of it, but he was most definitely not automatic. 

CityOfKlompton

January 5th, 2019 at 8:32 PM ^

Here are some statistics that could be found as relevant: https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaaol

Particularly, Power Success Rate, which measure the percentage of runs on third/fourth down with two or fewer yards to go that result in a first down or touchdown. Michigan's Power Success Rate this season was 69.2%, which is good for 74th in the country.

That's, eh... not good, Bob. Not good.

ijohnb

January 1st, 2019 at 3:43 PM ^

It is just part of a bigger issue in my opinion though.  We had moved the ball straight down the field for the entire drive with some novel concepts and creative playcalling.  Why revert to Mason for six inches on 3rd down when you have fourth down to do it if you want?  Fake it and do a naked boot.  Fake it and slip a tight end down field.  Try to score instead of trying to prove a point.  

I was not “pumped” when I saw “Bench Mason” on the field and knew he was getting it, I was deflated because it was clear that the called back TD had caused a glitch in Harbaugh’s matrix already and we were going back to the same predictable stuff.

BroadneckBlue21

January 1st, 2019 at 5:30 PM ^

Not safe in a game where they know your go to becotheu studied the film. Harbaugh does not break tendencies, and nor does Don Brown. They are easy to game plan against because they’re playcalling is situationally and formationally predictable. 

Theh didn’t even try to stretch plays outside after the Turner success. That has been the most infuriating part of it—you trust these coaches to adjust and be creative and they are not either in the biggest games.

You Only Live Twice

January 1st, 2019 at 5:38 PM ^

The spot on what would have been a Mason first down was garbage.  A drive killed.  It's just one data point, and I get that teams have to play past it. See: Ravens, refs actually very nearly did cost them that game.  Ravens hung in.

Anyway it may not be exciting especially with people in the mood to dump on anything to do with our coaches or players, but Mason most definitely had a first down that was denied.

MGlobules

January 1st, 2019 at 4:23 PM ^

It's objectively not working a critical part of the time. Jimmy may know what he'd doing, or what the trajectory looks like. But he needs to explain it, publicly. When the whole world sees things one way, either they're right or wrong. But if they're wrong you need to explain why. And if not fix it.

Crisler 71

January 1st, 2019 at 5:15 PM ^

Bo was a poor play caller as well.  Play it safe, don't pass and rely on the defense.  Of course that was before spread offenses and quarterbacks started playing football at 12-13, no 7-8 and did not spend their summers with quarterback gurus.  Back then stop the run on first and second down, stop the team.

Communist Football

January 1st, 2019 at 4:18 PM ^

To me, the Spath explanation makes far more sense than any other. The lack of an OC with play-calling duties, the call a play by committee and take a lot of time to do it -- all this means that the HC can't track things like "how many touches did Evans get" because he's too busy thinking up the play. 

Get Jedd Fisch in there or at least self-scout enough to move away from the offense-by-committee concept. "It's the way Bo did it" is not an acceptable answer given Bo had exactly the same problems in terms of losing bowl games and losing to well-coached opponents.

Kevin13

January 1st, 2019 at 4:20 PM ^

Your opinion on spath is spot on. He’s not very connected and usually talks out of his ass. Could there be a sliver of truth to this?  Maybe but nothing to the extent he’s trying to pitch 

teldar

January 1st, 2019 at 7:20 PM ^

I don't remember seeing the coaches fighting on the sidelines or walking away from each other or press conferences. What's yoiur proof that the coaches gave up on the game plan? Other than anecdotal "I'm depressed" stuff.

 

bronxblue

January 1st, 2019 at 6:48 PM ^

They'll need to change the offense, but this source sounds like some GA who wants to vent a bit.  It was obvious the game plan fell apart, but it didn't help when Michigan's previously-fine suddenly couldn't block anybody and guys just missed holes that were there.

I want to see a change at offense, likely with Hamilton out and someone (probably not Jess) coming in.  But the biggest change needs to be a consistent playcaller on the team, not this three-tier system they seem to have.

JamieH

January 1st, 2019 at 11:01 PM ^

Spath is not very connected and his source is probably a person he knows, who knows a disgruntled person inside the program. 

Uh, he's basically saying there are possibly going to be surprise transfers.  Wouldn't those surprise transfers be DISGRUNTLED PLAYERS INSIDE THE PROGRAM??????

I know Mike.  He wouldn't be saying this stuff if he wasn't pretty sure it was legit.  I don't know what your definition of "connected" is, but he talks to a lot more people that have eyes and ears inside the program than anyone else I've ever known.  

Now, will those disgruntled players cool down and change their minds?   Maybe.  But I still believe something Spath says over most Michigan rumor mongers.  

Catchafire

January 1st, 2019 at 1:57 PM ^

Fake news.... Just stop trying to understand what happened. You will be much happier.

 

On the other hand, if UCF beats LSU... Sheesh, I'd be pissed if I were them for getting snubbed.

FauxMo

January 1st, 2019 at 2:07 PM ^

Wait, which kind of fake news?

Like, the real definition, "something being reported that is demonstrably false and intended to spread false information"?

Or the alternative definition, "this thing being reported is totally true, but it paints me in a bad light and comes from a source that doesn't exclusively fawn over me, so I shall call it 'fake news'"?