View from the Sidelines: What could have been
ATLANTA — Sitting in the bowels of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, not even an hour after his college career ended in unceremonious fashion, Grant Perry had no interest in talking.
“How do I feel right now?” he asked sarcastically, eyes welled with tears. “How does it look like I feel?”
And, really, how else could he feel?
This was a team with so much potential. It could have shut down every rumor that Jim Harbaugh isn’t long for Michigan. It could have ended the national perception that the Wolverines aren’t near competing for a national title. It’s hard to put a ceiling on it.
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And even after losing to Ohio State, Michigan still could have come out of the Peach Bowl with momentum. Next year still would have looked bright with Urban Meyer gone, Shea Patterson in year two and a New Year’s Six bowl victory to boot.
Instead, the Wolverines got ran out of the building, to the tune of 40-15. Florida out-prepared, out-executed and out-efforted Michigan — beating them up and down the field. Say the Wolverines didn’t get up for an exhibition after losing to the Buckeyes if you want, but that doesn’t change the scoreboard.
“We just gotta continue to execute and get better,” Tarik Black said. “That’s all it comes down to. Just executing the plays that are called. And doing our job. There’s maybe some missed assignments on the field that we need to correct. We gotta execute those plays. They came out and they played a better game today and that’s all it was.”
The same thing could be said about both other losses. That’s how a 10-win season — with arguably Harbaugh’s best team since he’s been in Ann Arbor — will come to be remembered for lost opportunity. Grant Perry knows it. So does the entire roster.
“I think going off last year you can say that it’s a success,” Jon Runyan Jr. said. “But for our golden standards, no, I don’t really think it was. We lost three really key games at times that we needed it.”
Even after four years of Harbaugh, two of them with the talent to win the Big Ten or more, the Wolverines still can’t get over the same hump. In the next nine months, we’ll hear some talk about who looks good in camp, how badly the team wants redemption and maybe even something about completing a revenge tour this time around.
It will be hard to buy any of it.
The answer is far from simple. This team had its flaws, and did a good job adjusting on the fly throughout the season. These weren’t three losses stemming from the same issue.
“I think they’re all different games,” Runyan said. “You can’t really lump them together. It’s not just a unit. It’s a family at a time. Whether it be Ohio State or this game, it’s the whole team.”
On Saturday, it certainly was. The defense allowed big plays at inopportune times. The run game, without Karan Higdon, failed to make headway. Shea Patterson was intercepted twice and sacked five times. The defensive line didn’t get nearly enough pressure. This loss can’t be blamed on any one person or group. Michigan didn’t play to the moment. As a group. Again.
Next year, still, could be the year. All those positive factors — Patterson returning, Meyer leaving, an elite recruiting class — are still at play.
“My feeling about the team is we’re right there at the top,” Jim Harbaugh said, “but we have to put it over the top. Especially in big games at the end of the year.”
Until the Wolverines actually do that though, it’s hard to believe they will.
December 30th, 2018 at 6:44 PM ^
It's going to be very interesting to see if Harbaugh makes the changes necessary.
RPO is what he needs to spend every waking moment learning and implementing. If he cannot do it himself, he needs to find someone that can design, implement, and teach the advanced RPO concepts that the elite college offenses are employing to great effect right now.
December 30th, 2018 at 3:36 PM ^
What could have been, indeed.
There are two things that MUST happen next year or I fear the pressure on Harbaugh may become overwhelming.
First, a full installation of RPO concepts as the BASE offensive set. In watching all the playoff teams, and even OSU to some extent when they started running Haskins more, its 100% clear that the RPO,-- especially with a running threat QB -- is what makes these offenses so lethal. We were told in pre-season that RPO was coming, and we saw glimpses of it from time to time, but never with any consistency. Why?
Was it stubbornness, or was it execution? Was it Harbaugh & Pep not wanting to call it because, "Manball!" or was it "Shea not really excelling at it?" Maybe, it was that Harbaugh & Co. don't really know how to teach it very well. I don't know, but it's obvious that when your offense is always going where the opposition isn't, it's a lot easier than going where they are but simply physically out executing them. I am not saying that RPO doesn't require great execution, it does, but it's more visual/intellectual versus physical.
When your scheme makes the defense choose between a QB keeper, a give to the RB, and a pass on every single play, the defense is often glaringly out of position. That's really where the rubber meets the road for me -- Michigan's offense seems to labor for every inch, while other offenses rip of chunks to WIDE OPEN guys in space, in stride, who can take it to the house on even the most innocent-looking play. We've seen the results against our great defense when the RPO makes our defense look pedestrian.
On defense, Harbaugh & Brown need to sit down and study how to DEFEND the RPO. Whatever it takes, whatever the scheme that works best, adapt to it. Michigan's defensive scheme is brilliant when the DL can physically dominate the opposition. But, when the opposition is actively OPTIONING your front 7, waiting for them to do one thing, so they can do the other, a hyper aggressive defense is a massive liability.
The contrast is stark. How often did we see a Michigan WR running wide open, catch a ball in space, and jet away down the field? Almost never. By contrast, in the games in which Michigan struggled defensively that's ALL we saw because the opposing OC used scheme to clear out an entire side of the field, option the LB/CB, throw to the wide open dude let him run because there is NOBODY within 5 yards of him, and the closest guy is out of position.
Case in point, the running TD Franks scored on yesterday. How many of us were screaming, "QB DRAW ... QB DRAW ... QB DRAW!!!" Not one player seemed to recognize the danger, not one coach even thought about calling time out, and Michigan again made an average QB look great. OSU did the EXACT same thing to Bush several times. This should be an easy check away. So again, go to a more multiple/flexible defensive scheme so when teams try to option you, you don't play RIGHT INTO THEIR HANDS!
Will Harbaugh do these things? They seem pretty simple if, and only if, he and Brown are progressive enough and not too driven by stubbornness. Adaptation is not a sign of weakness or capitulation, it's a sign of intelligence and humility. Use scheme to out maneuver the opposition and the execution becomes a lot easier. Make the defense unsure, and make them chase ghosts. Use the defense's natural tendency against them. On defense, use what works best, but also understand that the offense has the advantage of momentum -- they have the ball and make it move, the defense has to react -- and unless you're totally out matching an opponent, if they have a competent modern offense, they will move the ball, and you might have to outscore them.
December 31st, 2018 at 10:58 AM ^
You have hit the nail on the head. JH has not adapted. This offense is only occasionally effective. You have to have the perfect defense and a great QB. How long does it take teams to find a great QB? If your in the NFL it takes years (Jets, Cardinals, Dolphins, Cleveland, etc) and now you are trying to to it every 1-3 years in college? Will not work.
The wins by Ditka and the Ravens are outliers. Teams that win Championships have to put up points these days. Saban knew this and that is why he adapted. Look at how that offense attacks. It has a great running game because they speed up the game so much, the defense gets exhausted and gets tired of tackling a 220lb back. It is not the same, plodding, boring, slow, uncomplicated, yes UNCOMPLICATED (Florida - we know what was coming), Tight end driven, wide receiver restrictive, and unimaginative offense. And then there is just the stupidity. Why run the pistol when your tackles can't block. The defensive ends are already in your backfield before the backs get the ball. You had to be prepared for that once JBB was going to sit. I know Jim, you should have run Mason more. He would have had a total of 3-4 yards. I mean just simply look at how many times we ran the fullback dive in short yardage and look at the success rate. It's not hard. I am sure there is a freshman in engineering who would love to help.
But that would be metrics and that would be new and novel.
So frustrated and so disappointed in JH. Though we were getting a great coach, not merely good.
December 30th, 2018 at 5:41 PM ^
"right there at the top". Look at the losing margins. Look at the 1-9 record against the top ten. Look at the pathetic offense and failing defense. Come on Jim.
December 30th, 2018 at 7:40 PM ^
I guess I'm just too old. I'm disappointed by losing games, especially to the likes of the Irish, the Buckeyes, and whomever we're matched up against in a bowl game. But it's a game. And for me, I'm just a fan, with no real life stake in the outcome. The players play and the coaches coach for other goals than my entertainment, but for me it's simply entertainment. By that standard, it was a successful season, one of the most successful seasons in the 60-some seasons I've been a Wolverine fans. Yeah, the last two games were major letdowns, but I'm looking forward to the next 60-some seasons, God willing and the creek don't rise.
December 31st, 2018 at 1:06 AM ^
One of the nice things about blaming the coaching is that it implies that we can make changes tomorrow and "break through" to be the winners we all want. Because if it's not the coaching, it's the recruiting, and that cannot be fixed quickly.
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