Dare I ponder the impossible...winning out?

has visions of a more 'balanced' University, where athletics doesn't play such a prominent role and we become for example more Northwestern-like made me want to drive off the road.  The idea that Michigan is looking at Joe Phillips as a candidate for AD being some of that thought process is disturbing.  Sam used the word 'competitive' over and over again.  Of course he said that was his impression.  Whether he has inside info or not I don't know, but the thought that we would be willing to settle for being simply competitive is ludicrious.  If the pres is planning to force that agenda, he won't be here very long. .....This seems to be our one chance to get the coach we need to get back to relevancy and getting back to the national stage, the next AD has to hit a home run with the next coach and that seems to be Jim Harbaugh.  It may be myopic, but he seems to have everything we need.  Very driven, ability to turn around a program in short order and a chip on his shoulder to not take a back seat to anyone.  This program needs all that.  (Sorry about one long paragraph, my browser at work won't create a new paragraph)

Most likely scenario:  we beat NW, because they're pretty awful.  Then we eke out a win against Maryland.  Then against OSU we put up a fight in the first half but end up losing by 7 to 10 points (but cover the spread!).  We make a crappy bowl against an equally mediocre opponent and we win by about 10 points.  Sorry, but none of this scenario makes me want Hoke back for another season.

We would be 8-5 and turn a bad season into a not quite as bad season.  We will have beaten 1 of 3 main rivals and lost the little brown jug.  We would have won our last 5 games.  Hoke will still be the coach.

Some people set the bar so low.  Incredible.

Even if we win out I still want Hoke gone.

1. Don't get too excited about a blowout win.  Indiana has QB depth resembling 2012 Maryland.  And Indiana's defense is ... well ... Indiana's defense.

2. Can we win out?  Unlikely, but yes, we can.  We can beat Northwestern (and possibly as easily as Indiana), Maryland (it will be a battle), and yes, we can beat Ohio State.  Hoke gameplanned incredibly well against Meyer last year and nearly won with a far inferior team.

3. If the stars and planets all align and we somehow finished 8-5 with wins in a bowl game and a win in the Shoe, many fans and alums would share a lot of good sentiment regarding the coaching staff.  So if Hoke were retained, it would not be a complete PR disaster.

4. Hoke will not be retained even in the unlikely 8-5 scenario because we will have a new AD.  A new AD will want to make a splash with a big hire in the university's most visibile position.  Even if we finish 8-5 with a bowl win and a win in Columbus and some top 25 votes, there still was the Shane Morris situation, and the new AD can use the handling of Morris' head injury as a justification to replace the coaching staff.

Doesn't Schlissel realize we will all chip in to get the best coach.  I don't care if Harbaugh costs $8M/year.  It will pay for itself.  Mediocre football will drain the Big House.

These daily posts here and on social media about Brady Hoke coming back with a 7-5 record again in year 4 make me want to cry. I liked when the goal here was winning the Big 10 championship, you know those 42 titles we have.  I don't think he is going to go 6-6 I hope he does better but we really do have one of the worst head coaches in College Football and the record doesnt lie.

What if Michigan wins out so impressively that the mysterious committee decides that we deserve a shot in the playoffs, both games of which we win decisively, including a championship game so impressive that the Auburn players end the game by ritually cutting off their bell braids and dropping them in front of Devin Gardner?

Actually, now that I think about it, if that happened, I would argue to keep Hoke.

What???

If we win out (which, as has been discussed ad nauseum, has probably < 2% chance of actually happening) I think it is very possible he stays.  I wouldn't be thrilled with the decision but I wouldn't be devastated either.

While the Beilein comparison is not 100% accurate (Beilein is definitely an X and Os type guy unlike Hoke) I do recall us calling for his head after a 1-6 start to conference play a few years back before the aneuryism of leadership happened @ MSU.  That was the turning point of the basketball program.  If Hoke can win out (including in Columbus, obviously) the eternal optimist in me would hope that is the turning point for the program, should Hoke be retained.

Not a chance in hell Michigan beats OSU.

at Michigan actually donates money to the general University every year. in the multi-millions of $$ neighborhood.  That can't happen if the ath. dept isn't in the black and THAT doesn't happen if the football program isn't winning.  The football program is the wheels, engine and driver of the bus that makes this ath. dept go.  MBB does contribute, but let's face it, without the Big House being full and Michigan being more than just 'competitive' in football, many 'wheels' grind to a halt.   This program hasn't been competitive for the last seven years and the university has been in melt down mode for months.  Donors on both sides of the ledger are withholding funds because the dept and the program are in shambles......So to be cruel, NO, if this team wins out, fire them all anyway.  If Hoke is still here next fall you'll be able to pick your seat in that empty big house and all games will be on BTN.

If they win out, then it is the worst possible scenario... I hate saying this but a big part of me wants us to have more losses than wins purely so Hoke n Co don't have a shot of returning.

No.  You don't dare.

I'd rather go 1-11 with a win over Ohio than 12-1 with a loss to Ohio.  If we beat Ohio, Hoke will stay.  That said, I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell of that happening, but greater miracles have happened.

I'd rather go 1-11 with a win over Ohio than 12-1 with a loss to Ohio.  If we beat Ohio, Hoke will stay.  That said, I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell of that happening, but greater miracles have happened.

You can ponder the impossible for as long as you want...

does not mean we are good. NU and Maryland don't look too hot, so there is a good chance we could win both of these games. Winning in Columbus is not out of the realm of possibilities but odds are OSU (not a great team) will win by a couple TDs!

Since OP threw it out there, IF (and big, major, unlikely, not happenin' kind of IF) but if Michigan won out I think Hoke would be retained and given one more year to really show if he can turn things around (probably cannot).  However, decisions are not made in a vacuum, unless it's the sucking vortex of Dave Brandon's ego, and I do think Harbaugh's availability/willingness to come to UM will play a role in the decision (all via backchannels of course).

2011: 11-2

2012: 8-5

2013: 7-6

2014: 4-5

First of all, Michigan won't win out.  Best case scenario is 6-6 with wins over Northwestern and Maryland.  Beating both of those teams seems highly unlikely given UM's past and recent performances.

As for the Ohio game, no chance.

Michigan lost to MSU by 24 points on the road. MSU had the 5th ranked scoring offense in the nation and the 22nd ranked scoring defense in the nation.

Ohio currently has the 4th ranked scoring offense and the 17th ranked scoring defense. Those numbers will probably decline after this weekend, but rise again after Minnesota and Indiana games.

Michigan football and Hoke's career are going into a proverbial wood-chipper on November 29th, just as it did on October 25th.  Not much difference really. So there is really no universe where Michigan wins that game.  I'm going so far as to predict an Ohio shutout of Michigan in Columbus (a la at Notre Dame), even if Hoke is given the Ol' Earle Bruce treatment.

Therefore the question about Michigan football winning out is just moot, man. 

At 6-6 I think Michigan will still play in a bowl game for the money and bowl practices, but I'm not sure what bowl that would be or the opponent.

I like the cut of your jib and your optimism!

But...no.

we may not win one of the next few games coming up. Yeah we looked good last Saturday - for the most part - but that was against Indiana; we're not going to look that good against, say Ohio State. I didn't realize what 'impose your will' upon the opponent meant until we couldn't do it no more. Imposing your will means, basically, you are better than your opponent and you can run your offense against them. We're going to struggle to do that against our remaining opponents. We got amazingly lucky last year against Northwestern - we shoulda had an extra 7 turnovers that game, I swear - and Maryland just won at Penn State, that was rather impressive. I don't think we have the character or the talent to win at Ohio State. I hope your right but at the same time I can't believe you would believe we could do this after the decade we've just been through.

I'm being a bit over the top, but winning out would be akin to winning a few games at the end of a bad NBA season and ruin your chances at the number 1 pick in the draft.  The Pistons would win near the end of the season and instead of getting a top 3 selection, they routinely drafted around 7th and are still mediocre.

Winning out for us would do the same thing.  The same mediocre coaching staff would return with the hope that "next year will be the year".  I'd rather lose out, get our top choice as HC and get back to challenging for B1G and MNC titles in November.