Run-heavy offense
With the QB situation being what it is - and no real improvement in sight - the attention is turning toward the run game as far as salvaging the season is concerned. It became obvious down the stretch vs Indiana that the coaches shifted their approach to a 'let's avoid passing if at all possible' type of plan.
Now if you look at the numbers you will see that while Michigan has always featured a slight emphasis on the run game - we're still notably more pass-happy than teams like Wisconsin, Georgia or Alabama who feature the run heavily without being 'specialist' teams like Navy or Army.
The question is - can we do that? Can we reliably run the ball to set up the pass just often enough to keep them honest? The three teams in question also have *highly* efficient passing games, in other words, when they do pass the ball, they usually do a decent enough job at it. That is where we differ from them so far. But would it really be beyond possibility for O'Korn to actually make 2 or 3 good play action passes for chunk yardage a game IF we can run the ball reliably?
On the 'con' side - we have had too many runs stuffed for minimal gain or loss due to blown up blocks to do this. But maybe this is more easily fixed by focusing on what we do well with the O-Line than any other part of the offense. If we can fix this - and there were signs vs Indiana that we're improving here. Then this would open up a simplified passing game that perhaps we can pull off We still wouldn't be high scoring but with 3 TDs we'd be in every game.
tl, dr - Is our future power running it 70% of the time?
October 15th, 2017 at 12:04 PM ^
Those aren't midseason overhauls...we've seen basically everything I mentioned other than the "pop pass"...and if you can't install that, you shouldn't be playing football...let alone be studying at the University of Michigan.
October 15th, 2017 at 1:44 PM ^
October 15th, 2017 at 3:17 PM ^
Great response when you're proven incorrect. Basically "neh neh na boo boo."
October 15th, 2017 at 1:55 PM ^
When Harbaugh was injured in '84 against MSU, Rein and then Zurbrugg came in at QB but could not handle the job.
So against Illinois (who had beaten us the year before and gone to the Rose Bowl), Bo went with an almost completely run-oriented option offense.
It worked. He crushed Illinois and got a big, unexpected win. It was masterful.
It bought him time until Zurbrugg could acclimate to the position.
1984 was not a great year, but Bo never had a losing season, and that game is why.
Not saying that they could do something like that with O'Korn, but there is precedent for that kind of move.
Even "inflexible" Bo adapted to the undeniable situation that faced him.
Whatever plan he had for Harbaugh was not going to work with Zurbrugg, and he knew it and did something about it.
October 15th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
Forrest Ruin.
Go Blue.
October 15th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
After suffering through the "too run heavy" offenses in the 80's, strange feeling to want the ghost of Bo to be your OC.
October 15th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
In Swift, Chubb, and Michel, Georgia has three excellent RBs, but last night against Mizzou, Georgia QB Jake Fromm was 18 of 26 for 326 yds, 2 TDs, and 1 INT. With a QB like Fromm taking snaps, opposing LBs/DBs can't Sparty-like crash the LOS on virtually every play. The have to respect such a QB's ability to find open receivers and his ability to get the ball away quickly and accurately. And, as the LBs drop into coverage or at least hesitate to see whether the QB might throw the ball, this respect has to translate into more efficent line blocking and a more productive ground game.
I suspect every running back prays for a hotshot QB whom other teams have always to look out for as well as a strong O-line that can sustain blocks and open holes at the first then the second level. A good QB and a good O-line combine to make the RBs job a little (or maybe a lot) easier. BTW, with those three GA RBs leading the way, last night GA rushed for 370 net yards. Yes, currently Mizzou isn't a very good team, but these stats (696 yds of total O) do point up how the passing game compliments the ground game.
October 15th, 2017 at 12:32 PM ^
October 15th, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^
I don't know what the alternatives are at this point. But if they go this avenue they need to clean up the penatlties, especially the after the whitsle, easily preventable ones.
October 15th, 2017 at 12:24 PM ^
A lot of the experience on this team is with the tight ends. TWJr, Bunting, McKeon, and Gentry have more time and impact on the game right now than almost any receiver not named Perry. It makes sense to use them more, especially since that is where O'Korn seems most comfortable and if it helps your running game then why not.
October 15th, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^
JOK isnt inspiring confidence even on short yardage gimme pass plays
October 15th, 2017 at 1:11 PM ^
The trouble is that if both safeties are in the box and not respecting play action then it is almost impossible to run, it's 9 defensive players vs 7 blockers. RB is expected to make his guy miss but there's a still a free hitter. QB runs change the math a bit and force the defense to "waste" a player on the QB.
I'd like to see more QB runs, zone reads etc with O'Korn. Michigan ran a couple of them last week vs MSU but O'Korn handed it off most of the time. A few times that was the wrong read and he should have kept it but I think it's a great idea. We saw more shotgun handoffs vs Indiana, I really hope we're working on zone read, QB power etc for the PSU game, I think we'll need them to respect O'Korn's legs to have a chance to win.
The other option is to get some chunks in play action and make those safeties play back a bit more. I think O'Korn is fully capable of hitting those max protect bombs, and it's just a matter of time, but you can't run that all game. O'Korn will need to complete some intermediate throws before the safeties start thinking twice on play action.
Draws and screens are also useful, though we had an epic draw fail vs MSU and no successful RB screens this year. WR screens to DPJ vs Indiana were pretty good but the blocking was poor. A few times he would have gotten chunks if the other receiver does his (relatively easy) job of blocking DPJ's man.
October 15th, 2017 at 1:50 PM ^
Our weak blocking on WR screens prevented two of them from breaking for long runs
That is something that Ohio State is very good at that we need to vastly improve on.
October 15th, 2017 at 4:02 PM ^
I think our problem is often - especially on the O-Line - that we struggle to narrow down what we're trying to do. Coaching and evaluating is part of my job and I find the higher the number of concepts you have to teach, the harder the coaching job is. The more clearly defined the goal is, the easier it is. Maybe everyone on offense would profit from focusing and simplifying.
Not that I always wanted Michigan to play Tresselball, I really didn't. Heck, I'm a big fan of offensive fireworks, too...but this isn't exactly like picking your desired entree at a fine dining restaurant..this is more like finding an only slightly expired package of cookies while dumpster-diving. It's not great but it might well beat the garbage around it.