Farnn

February 9th, 2011 at 1:49 PM ^

Talking about all the big10 D-linemen going in the draft this year kind of strengthens the point about the team being young. You have a line returning 4 of 5 starters that was going up against high draft pick seniors. Especially in a position like OL where experience and strength training time is important, those class differences mean a lot.

Joined: 07/07/2008

MGoPoints: 12788

dahblue

February 9th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^

No mas on the excuses...!!!

You (in the broad sense) can't offer up the youth (or decimated defense routine) without understanding that RR had a serious problem in retaining players on defense.  Some left for reasons beyond his control, some left for unknown reasons and some left because of him.  In total, he lost ~30% of commits on defense.  A team can't mature, grow talent and become deep if it isn't able to retain its players.  

Joined: 11/09/2009

MGoPoints: 5253

dahblue

February 9th, 2011 at 2:35 PM ^

As we all know...the "bare cupboard" argument brings up the same points and counterpoints.  My most succint response is that the cupboard emptied (if at all) under RR's watch.  You say that Carr would have had a terrible 2008.  Well, the cupboard wouldn't have been so bare, would it?  He would have had Arrington and Manningham.  He would have had Mallet and Bore...I can't type it...the guy who went to that school in Ohio.  

Clearly the cupboard was not "as bare as could be" when RR got here because so many key players left the team after his arrival.

Joined: 11/09/2009

MGoPoints: 5253

Huntington Wolverine

February 9th, 2011 at 2:56 PM ^

and when they left, who was in line behind them to take their place? That's the point of the Bare Cupboard" rationale - there was no depth or experience!  The cupboard was bare on offense (young and inexperienced) and that was just starting to change in 2010.  The defensive cupboard was emptied when the '08 seniors left.  It got emptier when Stevie B, D Warren, and Graham left after the '09 season.  There was and is plenty of talent on the roster but there had never been depth and experience since the end of the '07 season. 

Joined: 10/26/2009

MGoPoints: 2588

MileHighWolverine

February 9th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^

Did you not see Manningham absolutely owning Mallett on the sidelines during his one and only season as a Wolverine?  Just repeatedly yelling and screaming at him in plain view?  There was no way he was coming back.  Arrington, maybe.  But with Mallet gone, and he was gone the second Mustain left Arkansas, what good is a great WR if your QB can't hit the broad side of a barn? 

We were going to suck in 2008 ... no way around that reality. 

And when you think about it objectively, our D in 2007 wasn't THAT great.  We lost to App State and were blown out by Oregon the following week.  We won the bowl game despite the D giving up 30+ points...how often does that happen (in a decent bowl)?  2006 was good right up until the point we played good teams...then we got crushed.

Our entire program was in serious decline before RR got here and then the 07 class graduated and took what was left of our top flight talent with it.  We lost more to graduation than to defection and we had a big empty nothing to take its place.

Joined: 09/02/2008

MGoPoints: 7749

BigBlue02

February 9th, 2011 at 6:17 PM ^

Ha! This is why no one takes you seriously. How many "key players" do you think left after RichRod was hired? The reason everyone talks about mallet and boren is because those are the only 2 players who left after RichRod was hired that have done anything on the football field. Unless you have some list of amazing players who transferred that have been tearing it up lately.

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: -1003

Tater

February 9th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^

"I'm still confident in that we have a formula to have great success and I just need to be in an opportunity, situation where everybody is pulling in the same direction."


He's still speaking "coachspeak;" the quote covers the answer to an obvious question without being inflammatory or specifically calling anyone out.  I would say RR has learned his lesson about walking into a parochial pissing match without doing due diligence first, but maybe he knew the risk involved.  

I am beginning to think he may have known about the rift and that is why his buyout clause was so high.  At any rate, it will be interesting to see if anyone is able to get anything other than coachspeak out of him in subsequent interviews.  I am guessing they don't until a lot further down the line, like after he retires.  

Joined: 08/13/2008

MGoPoints: 30584

mackbru

February 9th, 2011 at 2:15 PM ^

RR latest press-strategy evokes the same irritating flaws he had at Michigan. He gets squirrely.

1) He never just mans-up and takes full responsibility. No, he's not responsible for everything. But most great coaches say the buck stops here. They don't blame empty cupboards and bumbling freshmen or "the drama." They get the big bucks. They're the leaders. They take the bullet.

2) But, if he must complain or point fingers, he should at least have the balls to go straight at it. He dances around the subject ("the timing"). He implies ("events beyond my control"). Bo, when he couldn't restrain himself, didn't mince words. If RR thinks DB fucked him over, for example, he should either say so -- and stand behind it -- or he should say nothing at all. 

Joined: 09/01/2009

MGoPoints: 34069

swamyblue

February 9th, 2011 at 2:51 PM ^

To fire up the troops. But seriously, my money is on RR was done if DB knew that Brady could bring Mattison. Case closed. If RR didn't have an answer for who he would hire as a DC/recruiter (emphasis on recruiter) when they had their pow wow...Well, it was "over when the Germans bombed Pearl harbor".
<br>
<br>Lots of pressure on Borges...

Joined: 11/01/2010

MGoPoints: 2168

Don

February 9th, 2011 at 3:00 PM ^

after having his team taken away."

Get your history straight. Bump Elliott retired of his own accord, and in fact was the one who initially suggested the name of Glenn E. Schembechler to Don Canham.

So there was no reason for him to cry and complain, in other words.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148288

NateVolk

February 9th, 2011 at 4:04 PM ^

Lots of people on here falling into the same old trap of excusing the results with off the field intangibles, rather than focus on the tangible product he was responsible for. He does the same thing in the interview.  Unfortunately, not being fully accountable was too often his MO at Michigan.

Good guy, but his regimented belief that he is the smartest guy in the room did more to harm him at Michigan then the opinions/agendas of various factions of fans.  If he does a better job of putting together a winner that lives up to the standards you must meet at Michigan, we aren't talking about him in the past tense.  Winning is what unites a fan base and failing to win will keep it divided.

I like Rich though. I think he is a brilliant offfensive mind. I would have embraced him returning as coach if that is what Mr. Brandon deemed best.  I am glad we are on track to get our program back however.

Joined: 07/19/2010

MGoPoints: 6863

MH20

February 9th, 2011 at 5:13 PM ^

"He loved Big Brother."

Also, why would you want a coach that didn't have full confidence in his abilities to lead a team?  Would you want a coach who says, "Well, I don't really know if I'm all that smart and I don't know if I can lead this team, but hey, I guess we'll try and see what happens"?!

Anyway, you certainly got what you wanted when you innocently started this thread.

Joined: 10/30/2008

MGoPoints: 40590

Y0ST

February 9th, 2011 at 5:52 PM ^

This thread was hijacked by the same old arguments we've all read a gazillion times, already.  Was RR on The Herd and what did he talk about?

Joined: 02/25/2010

MGoPoints: 1024

alwaystrueblue

February 9th, 2011 at 8:56 PM ^

this board is populated with some pathetic posters since RR was fired and Hoke hired.

You nailed it AAmichigan when you said in another thread that Nate Volk was the biggest ass-clown poster on this site....but he sure has some competition if this thread is any indication.

Some of these new posters are just mind-numbingly stupid.

 

Joined: 08/09/2010

MGoPoints: 80