This is not normal.

Submitted by Toby Flenderson on

I have no words, I have never seen a collapse like this before. I don't even know where to begin. Is it the coaches? Players? Inexperience? I don't know. But this did not feel normal today, something is wrong in the program. Maybe I am overreacting after losing 19 starters, maybe it is just lack of execution.  I just don't know and I am just sad.

MGoBoard

Epic-Blue

January 1st, 2018 at 4:12 PM ^

Your 10 million dollar man is becoming a side show, a nation punchline for epic coaching collapses! We deserve better than this! Obviously the college game has past him by. His antiquated offense doesn’t translate into today’s game! He should head back to the NFL. He’s Bo 2.0 in an Era which Bo 2.0 is well....Harbaugh!!

Joined: 10/06/2013

MGoPoints: 920

Kevin Holtsberry

January 1st, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^

These games just depress everyone and ruin my day.  My wife predicted the end zone interception.  This team simply finds ways to lose big games.  Other teams find a way to win even when it is ugly but Michigan just can't.  Embarrassing.

Joined: 07/10/2008

MGoPoints: 325

MEMSwolverine

January 1st, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^

Jim Harbaugh's offense has never been good here at Michigan.  Never.  It never will be either.  I'm starting to think that the garbage QB play is not because our players suck. It's that our scheme sucks.  Fire Drevno.  Make Jim Harbaugh change his offense or he can leave for the NFL. Neg away, I don't give a fuck.   I'm tired of naive people thinking this is all OK.

Joined: 03/12/2016

MGoPoints: 257

MEMSwolverine

January 1st, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^

Jim Harbaugh's offense has never been good here at Michigan.  Never.  It never will be either.  I'm starting to think that the garbage QB play is not because our players suck. It's that our scheme sucks.  Fire Drevno.  Make Jim Harbaugh change his offense or he can leave for the NFL. Neg away, I don't give a fuck.   I'm tired of naive people thinking this is all OK.

Joined: 03/12/2016

MGoPoints: 257

Maize4Life

January 1st, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^

you are NOT overreacting..CLEARLY something is very WRONG in the football program..We all thought Harbaugh would be the savior of Michigan FB..that has NOT happened..In fact Id argue we have really sunk..maybe not to the RR or Hoke era but weve fallen off the FB map..Harbaugh for whatever reason is failing and failing bad...The team just keeps IMPLODING, Turnovers, dropped passes stupid penalties..They havent improved mone IOTA since the season began THATS COACHING

Joined: 11/26/2017

MGoPoints: 3890

Maize4Life

January 1st, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^

you are NOT overreacting..CLEARLY something is very WRONG in the football program..We all thought Harbaugh would be the savior of Michigan FB..that has NOT happened..In fact Id argue we have really sunk..maybe not to the RR or Hoke era but weve fallen off the FB map..Harbaugh for whatever reason is failing and failing bad...The team just keeps IMPLODING, Turnovers, dropped passes stupid penalties..They havent improved mone IOTA since the season began THATS COACHING

Joined: 11/26/2017

MGoPoints: 3890

chomz14

January 1st, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^

double donger for me. I was in the clear with a Michigan win for a bowl confidence pick pool at work. but just dropped behind 4 Spartan slap dicks after the loss. $700 down the drain and now another awful off season. fire everyone

Joined: 09/03/2009

MGoPoints: 3676

MEMSwolverine

January 1st, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^

Jim Harbaugh's offense has never been good here at Michigan.  Never.  It never will be either.  I'm starting to think that the garbage QB play is not because our players suck. It's that our scheme sucks.  Fire Drevno.  Make Jim Harbaugh change his offense or he can leave for the NFL. Neg away, I don't give a fuck.   I'm tired of naive people thinking this is all OK.

Joined: 03/12/2016

MGoPoints: 257

WindyCityWolverine

January 1st, 2018 at 4:08 PM ^

Pat Forde
@YahooForde
What an utterly futile possession by Michigan. Absolutely should have gone for that -- not sure why announcers disagreed -- but pitiful execution

Barrett Sallee
@BarrettSallee
It's almost as if he's the fourth-best CFB coach in his own division.
Kevin McGuire
@KevinOnCFB
I can’t understand what Jim Harbaugh was thinking there. Absolutely a ridiculous coaching decision.

Joined: 08/31/2014

MGoPoints: 3406

Blue Warrior

January 1st, 2018 at 4:08 PM ^

1. Fire the entire offensive staff immediately 2. Hire an OC that can run a spread look “college offense”. Harbaughs pro style offense from the 80s isn’t working. 3. Special privileges will be earned. You want to go to Rome? Then an MSU or OSU win will earn you that. Giving Harbaugh the keys to the city was a mistake. The AD should say “ spring practice will be held in AA”. Someone fix this shit storm and soon.....

Joined: 12/12/2017

MGoPoints: 1454

ppudge

January 1st, 2018 at 4:09 PM ^

Bad news - if Shea Patterson isn't ruled immediately eligible, this is a 7-5 team next year. Even with him the ceiling is probably 9-3. With a 3-year head start will Harbaugh have Michigan in a Big Ten title game before Scott Frost has Nebraska in one? Yes, I know the Big Ten West is easier but still, Frost looks like an elite college coach - Harbaugh appears to be an NFL coach with an NFL offense that college kids have a hard time executing.

Joined: 10/19/2008

MGoPoints: 11438

MIGHTYMOJO91

January 1st, 2018 at 4:12 PM ^

Oh I beg to differ with you OP.

It is very much normal.

What was on display today is the normal for this program.

The Michigan that the older folk grew up with is a distant memory.

Joined: 11/28/2015

MGoPoints: 4532

Justibro

January 1st, 2018 at 4:12 PM ^

I was prepared for a hard year this year but not this extent. lost to all of our rivals, got upset several times in games we easily could/should have won, game plans were consistently poor, and the offense regressed with a month to improve. they mostly r young who did a poor job of executing which is understandable from so many young players. So next year is the make or break year for Harbaugh. we have to get the coaching figured out offensively and hopefully every coach, player, analyst, etc. work their asses off because I know I would be pissed, infuriated, and ashamed at the team performance if I had a hand in the results in the outcome of the game because personally anything less than a championship is failure. but as a fan I will keep watching, keep cheering, always be proud of our team, and be behind our players 110% .

Joined: 12/04/2016

MGoPoints: 1648

UMFanstuckinOhio

January 1st, 2018 at 4:13 PM ^

UM is not used to going 2 and 8 in the last 4 games the past two seasons. I am done with most of this staff.

Joined: 10/15/2011

MGoPoints: 533

GoArmy

January 1st, 2018 at 4:15 PM ^

This isn’t the Stanford model. It’s not even the Wisconsin model. This is becoming the Iowa model. A few close loses. A big win seems like it’s in sight against OSU. But it’s not, really. The defense is a function now of a failed offensive philosophy and can’t carry the team. The offensive coordinator and philosophy will have to radically change. The players are losing a belief in the system and the coaching. The recruits are going to not commit. This is a problem. Harbaugh is a great person and man of character. The offense needs a new strategy and direction.

Joined: 02/02/2012

MGoPoints: 201

Blues Notes

January 1st, 2018 at 4:20 PM ^

How will recruiting be impacted?

These kids are all highly rated recruits.

Are prospects going to point to this game, and this season and say, "I want to be a part of that"?

 

 

Joined: 08/25/2016

MGoPoints: 206

HailHail47

January 1st, 2018 at 4:23 PM ^

But Harbaugh has been a choke artist since he has been here.  Let's look at the tale of the tape. Games that were played relatively evenly against equal or better competiton have been L's. In several of these games we were leading for a significant portion of the game.  Let's look at the close games: 

Close games against good to great teams we have won: 

2016 Wisconsin

Close games against good to great  teams where we lost: 

2015 MSU
2016 OSU 
2016 Iowa
2016 FSU
2017 MSU
2017 Wisconsin
2017 OSU
2017 South Carolina

 

I hope this trend reverses in 2018, but it is a trend that should not be ignored. Something is causing us to lose close games, and it isn't just "luck." 

Joined: 10/07/2017

MGoPoints: 5305

Nemesis

January 1st, 2018 at 4:32 PM ^

In the post game presser after UM lost to MSU, Mark Dantonio paid UM a "compliment" by saying that UM was "well coached" because (I am relying on my shoddy memory) "they fielded 30 different formations in the first half alone."

 

I put much of the blame for this loss on Drevno and Hamilton.  The offense is overly complex, yet never seems to fool the opposing defense.  There are no wide open receivers running in space.  No defenders way out of position.

 

What I do see is:

 

1)  Very hesitant QB play.  Instead of making plays, they are trying to avoid making mistakes.  Then the frustration level builds and they just heave it out there.  The worst of both worlds.

 

2)  Lot of plays that require a long time to develop and require a lot of things to go right.

 

3)  Our wanting to play power football while really lacking the personnel to accomplish this against SERIOUS competition.

 

4)  Receivers who cannot get separation.

 

5)  The play clock getting down to 1 or 2 seconds constantly because our guys are just confused.

 

I cannot imagine what our defense must feel like now.  To play so well and watch the offense continually botch things.

Joined: 10/23/2017

MGoPoints: 399

Minohio15

January 1st, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^

Why will no coach be fired?  Because Jim hired them and admitting it may not have been the best decision is not in his DNA.  With a month to prepare for this game I truly felt we would see a different team offensively...NOPE!  This is Jim's team and they are going to continue to bang their heads against the wall until he can prove to everyone he was right.  As a coach how can you watch film and not be a little ambarrassed or disgusted?  Watch any other team play today, does Jim or Tim really not see that they are NOT CLOSE to being on that level...I mean NOT CLOSE!  Doing it his way continues to be more important to him than winning, he always has to feel like the smartest guy in the room and his way is the only way.  We will be bad again next year and the year after but Jim is sure to do it his way.  Grow up Jim!

Joined: 01/01/2018

MGoPoints: 5

kgh10

January 1st, 2018 at 4:43 PM ^

Seeing UCF not only go undefeated, but take down an SEC giant like Auburn, a team that beat an all world, all talent Alabama program this year...there really isn't a good excuse. I don't know what it is, and I don't purport to know what it takes for a team to be great, but I hoped for more guts than our coaches showed this season. Do I expect we win every big game on the schedule? No but it's certainly not unreasonable to expect MUCH better than this. 

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 3149

BuckNekked

January 1st, 2018 at 4:44 PM ^

I know its disappointing but these comments are pathetic.

Changes do need to be made. Something needs to be done with the offensive staff. They have nothing they do well and the playcalling is disjointed. There isnt even one average position group on offense. But the biggest issue is a lack of talent and/or experience at the most important position, QB. Until thats fixed we will struggle to win big games.

Joined: 12/06/2013

MGoPoints: -1793

RadioMuse

January 1st, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^

2017 was always going to be some degree of a "lost season" of some variety. Everything that had to go wrong, did. And them some in the 2nd half against USC (NTUSC).
 

It feel like a complete gut-punch. I feel kinda sick and dizzy right now. This program is snakebit. Completely snakebit. And the 2018 schedule has us on the road against all our rivals (ND, MSU, OSU) and both Wisconsin and PSU come to Ann Arbor. We'll find more than 8 wins, but will they be in the high profile games, when it counts? I have my doubts.

Control the controllables: Change the offensive staff. We need details-oriented dedicated position coaches and an OC to create a cohesive offensive that suites the personel and can be grown and developed throughout the season. Even before Speight went out the offense smelled of a too-many-cooks approach that only had an identity when running over weak defenses with gap-schemes. The unconventional division of Michigan's offensive staff and responsibilities seems like a major factor (along with poor line calls and QB play).

Joined: 03/20/2012

MGoPoints: 311

Veryoldschool

January 1st, 2018 at 5:50 PM ^

Year 3 is in the books now and Harbaugh does not compare favorably with Meyer or Dantonio who are having great tenures at their schools.  Harbaugh needs to do a lot better in year 4 or it is time to give someone else a shot, hopefully a young upandcomer who will bring fresh energy and a modern game to this moribund program. 

Joined: 05/13/2015

MGoPoints: 84