Durkin on Harbaugh and Meyer

Submitted by SAMgO on

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wol…

Good short piece from Chengelis with quotes from DJ Durkin about working for both coaches.

On Harbaugh he said:

"When I first got there, it was like, oh my gosh,” Durkin told Pete Thamel of SI. ‘Then you finally spend more time with Jim. The guy is really smart. Extremely smart. Everything is for a reason, but he loves chaos. That's just how he operates. He loves confrontation, chaos, conflict. He doesn't want it to be everyone comfortable, this is the schedule. He just loves throwing a wrench in the works.

“So, when you first get there, it's like, what's going on? But it was great. To see someone impose their will, their confidence, their vision on a program, to totally change it — total 180. Stanford was known as a soft, academic, wine-sipping program. Now it's the total opposite. He definitely imposed his will on the place.”

mfan_in_ohio

April 27th, 2016 at 4:14 PM ^

I don't know what we really could have done.  Our nose tackle depth was gone, so it was largely impossible for our four down linemen to hold up against 5 OL.  As soon as we bring the free safety up to 8 yards from the line to help with the run game, they could just throw a post to Michael Thomas or Braxton Miller.  The only reason they didn't do that against MSU was that it was horrible weather, and their OC had his own brain fart of not at least trying a deep pass more than once.

Let's put it another way: How many times in the post-Carr era have we held OSU under 30 points?  Answer: Twice, and one of those was because Tressel knew we couldn't score so he just kept calling the same 3 plays on offense the whole game.  It takes a great defense (or bad weather) to shut them down, and without Glasgow and Mone, we just didn't have one.  I expect things to be different this year.

OwenGoBlue

April 27th, 2016 at 4:35 PM ^

Yes, we were outmatched inside after those injuries. More than just the questionable FS positioning in the matchup, it was the total lack of making an in-game adjustment that stood out to me. I don't agree with your scheme fatalism, but I see your point. We weren't gonna shut them out. I'll still take my chances on posts against our secondary over endless running lanes, especially given the route running ability of OSU WRs (not great or a focus - they kill over the top with athleticism and in the screen game but have struggled at the position when they face similar athletes).

WorldwideTJRob

April 27th, 2016 at 11:57 PM ^

Dude The reincarnation of Vince Lombardi himself couldn't have saved us in that game. For as bad as the Defense played the offense did them no favors by posting up only 13 points. We were outmatched in that game, hate to say it but it's the truth. They were coming off a terrible loss and we just happened to be the next squad up on the schedule. Don't blame Durkin, blame Dantonio for the reason they came through the big house guns-a-blazin'!



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ak47

April 27th, 2016 at 8:50 PM ^

People forget our offense got shut down in that game too. Harbaugh didn't do any better I'm in preparation. Osu came to play and they had a huge talent advantage. Harbaugh got out coached in two games this year, msu and osu people just overlook it because he didn't get out coached as much as we have in the past.

wahooverine

April 27th, 2016 at 11:47 PM ^

He didn't get outcoached at MSU.  You'll need to explain that if you truly believe it.. If ONeil doesnt drop a normal punt snap (or, even more improbably, put the ball directly in the hands of the oncoming rush in a pefect hand off with full head of steam) we win that game and Harbaugh wasn't "outcoached".

kehnonymous

April 27th, 2016 at 4:21 PM ^

Yeah, it was indeed a farking travesty that we couldn't stop the same rush offense that was dropping 42+ points in every big game they played in the last 14 months.  C'mon people.

Yes, I watch that same shitshow as well (until I tapped out with 3 minutes left) and I have the broken plate to prove it, but the implication that Durkin half-assed his prep against OSU because he was interviewing for the Maryland job is baseless at best and slanderous at worst unless you can categorically prove otherwise.  Did Alabama give up 42 points to OSU last year in the Cotton Bowl because Kirby Smart was looking for his HC gig? Did Iowa get jailsexed in the Rose Bowl because Kirk Ferentz was preoccupied negotiating another pay raise?  The sad fact is that the other team makes plays too, and we unfortunately got the OSU team everyone thought they'd be seeing at the beginning of Week 1.

kehnonymous

April 27th, 2016 at 5:36 PM ^

Obviously, I have as much evidence as anyone else, which is to say none.  The burden of proof isn't on me though - it's generally assumed that when coaches call a bad game plan, it's because of various factors that don't include an assumption that they mailed it in which is a pretty serious charge to levy at this level of competition.  When Greg Mattison coordinated the defense, it allowed 42 pts in 2013 and 35 in 2014 - was he coaching with one eye on his holiday plans or possible retirement?

kehnonymous

April 28th, 2016 at 8:49 AM ^

No shit, it involves some attention.  So does taking care of your kids, balancing your finances, and dealing with people in your life.  I'm sure he didn't devote 100% of his time to game-planning that week.  I'm sure he didn't devote 100% of his time to game-planning any other week - and we have no idea when he actually interviewed and when he actually made the decision.  You're taking a big leap to say that he quarter-assed prep for the biggest game.  Again, the burden of proof is on you to verify this assumption.

And again, to all the yobs downvoting me and the other people who aren't aboard the 'Durkin cost us the OSU game' conspiracy, I have yet to see a cogent explanation as to why all the other defensive coordinators who had otherwise stout defenses that also allowed 42+ pts to them aren't also subject to the same level of scrutiny.

wahooverine

April 27th, 2016 at 11:36 PM ^

Ugh this so dumb it's barely worth responding. When you make an outlandish claim the burden of proof is on you. Those who claim the default state - that a widely respected and professional coach, who had heretofore coordinated a dominant top 5 defense and had learned under and earned the respect of Jim Harbaugh, decided put no effort or thought into the defensive game plan for the most important game of the season....an action that would be an audacious break from character that would certainly be noticed by players and fellow coaches alike. Yet not a single comment to suggest or even insinuate that happened. And an action made more improbable by the fact that Harbaugh and certainly Mattison must have collaborated with Durkin on the plan. There's no evidence to prove this unlikely scenario isn't true you say? That is like saying there isn't definitive evidence to prove that Elvis Presley isn't alive and well and living in Ann Arbor. Do you have definitive proof that this isn't the case? Do you?!

JOHNNAVARREISMYHERO

April 27th, 2016 at 6:07 PM ^

Harbaugh signed off on the gameplan, yet people keep ignoring that.

Our offense was a complete joke and the redzone playcalling was Utah-esque.

We ran that same play with Grant Perry that we did with Brian Cole in the first game on first down in the redzone.   Lost 3-4 yards both times and the drive was already pretty much over despite having two more downs left.

Not to mention the team quitting by mid third quarter.

But yeah, that's all Durkin's fault

LSAClassOf2000

April 27th, 2016 at 6:47 PM ^

“So, I came back and he's sitting behind his desk and he looked away from me when I walked in. The secretary told him I was here, so he looked when I walked in, but then never looked again. He was looking at his computer, doing something and was talking to me. ‘Are you sure?’ ‘Yeah, coach, I'm sure.’ Then he suddenly (jumped up) and got this far from me. ‘are you sure?’ I didn't even know the guy at the time. I was like, ‘Uhhhh, yeah, OK’ I walked out of his office like, What the heck did I just do?” - Durkin on Meyer

"Goooood night di-ding-ding-ding-ding....."

jonesie022

April 27th, 2016 at 8:11 PM ^

Anybody who assumes that Durkin wasn't fully concentrated on Ohio State is delusional and has never coached at any level.

I'm going to assume the man was a professional because he was all season long and has been throughout his career until something is proven otherwise.

As many others have stated, combine Ohio State's talent level, their loss to MSU the previous week and our injuries especially to the defensive line and you had the perfect storm for 42-13.

I just don't understand all of the Durkin hate.



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UMProud

April 27th, 2016 at 8:16 PM ^

I can't believe Durkin said he let JH win.  When Durkin faces Harbaugh he will be crushed underfood like a walnut...post game how much you wanna bet JH asks Durkin if he let him win?