Fix the Offense - Pick Your Poison (An MGoGameshow)
This post started as me wondering if we could be seeing Kugler and/or Bosch with the revelation from Borges' presser that they are giving shots to other OL in the wake of the PSU debacle.
Currently on the 1st page of topics for the board there are 8 threads focusing on Borges/Offensive philosophy/etc. I deem to make it 9. To try and come up with something new and entertaining and keep from it being just another Fire Borges/we can't block/Y we no innovate? post, I present to you:
Pick Your Poison (an MGoGameshow which allows you to select your least terrible solution to the offensive issues we've had, that, if enacted TODAY, would be the best possible fix for our offensive ineptitude). This may be stupid and pointless, but at least it's different. You may only choose 1, so choose wisely...
1. Fire Borges
Easy to say, but doing this midseason will cause issues before it fixes any, so you better have a good replacement/plan ready. Then again, putting ANYONE in the box that is ok with getting plays in quicker, not huddling, instituting quick checks and giving Devin the power to utilize them, taking free yards on the outside instead of running into 9 man boxes, etc. may be better than what we have. But we would be firing our OC and QB Coach mid season, which can never be considered "good". Y U No Use Constraints? Y U Hate Free Yards? (This assumes Borges is 100% responsible for our offensive philosophy, game plan, play calling, etc and Hoke has nothing to do with it - would anyone really pick "Fire Hoke" for their one option?)
2. Fire Funk
You sure you want to leave Borges here to call the same terrible plays / refuse to take free yards with a new OL coach? Maybe a new/better OL coach could give us some shot of executing perfectly to help make up for imperfect gameplan and play calling. Firing the OL coach midseason can't be "good" but it shakes things up "less" and maybe is just enough for a fresh start and a new look at things in the trenches.
3. Start Kugler and Bosch at C and LG, respectively.
This can't get any worse with Borges and Funk still around, right? Might as well get some experience for next year's presumed interior OL. (This assumes they aren't any worse than the current starters skill-wise, and the only reason they're not playing is to preserve their redshirts and gain experience in the system before being thrown into the fire.)
4. Keep everything exactly as it is, and trust in Borges/Hoke to figure it out. All is ok.
Everything is going to be fine. Funk will coach 'em up. We trust that Borges (maybe with Hoke's urging) will get more creative and be more open minded. Current OL just needs some more time to gel. Borges may just wear a bubble screen smiley face tee shirt in the box! By the time we get to MSU and OSU we'll be a road-gradin' terror that noone wants to stand across from and try to stop. Stop This? Oh, well here are all my constraints! Plus with JMFR back and promises of a practice-ball-hawkin' Stribling getting more time, the defense will continue to improve. Maybe we can win without any serious changes on O. At the end of the season we'll think "Thank goodness we didn't fire anyone or shake up the OL again in a panic move after a tough 4OT road loss only 2 games into conference schedule". Stay the course, trust the coaches, and all will be ok.
Due to process of elimination, which is best when you're talking "least terrible" solutions, I would go with #3. If I had faith that they'd be able to commit to/execute #4, I'd go with that, but does anyone actually believe any of that could happen? #1 solves the most of our problems if you have a viable replacement mid-season, but who would that be? Plus, like, that's not happening, right? #2 doesn't fix enough IMO.
If this is a long, failed attempt at a gameshow post then at least give me your thoughts on Kugler/Bosch playing and risking burning their redshirts to "see if they're better".
October 16th, 2013 at 1:09 PM ^
and, generally, I agree with combining 3 and 4. With the OL underperforming so miserably, that seems like a reasonable outcome. We need an OL; that is the biggest problem IMO.
October 16th, 2013 at 1:22 PM ^
I agree OL is the biggest problem, but what makes you think the true frosh are any better? We've had Omameh, Barnum, Mealer, Miller, Bryant, Kalis, Glasgow, Burzinyski, Magnuson, Gunderson all come off the bench and all perform terribly to varying degrees. I don't think Funk is capable of creating a polished lineman right now to save his life.
October 16th, 2013 at 5:59 PM ^
October 16th, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^
Make baby steps...like start balancing our 1st down plays between RB (power) run, pass and QB runs...a few more deep balls sprinkled throughout the game (3+ at a minimum). Firing Funk and/or Borges now is just stupid....don't think that a midseason change will help the "O" or recruiting.
October 16th, 2013 at 1:14 PM ^
I wouldn't bother burning redshirts yet, all of our OL have the same issues which leads me to believe it's a coaching problem, and I have no reason to believe any freshman would be any different.
Option 5: Ride it out until the end of the season, at which point Borges and Funk are promptly fired, and we tell any successful OC who will listen "we'll give you a raise, the ability to pick your own OL coach, and complete autonomy over what is one of the most (on paper) talented offenses in the B1G if not the country." Firing anybody midseason is bad news especially because there are no replacements out there right now, but if I'm Dave Brandon I'm starting my OC search today.
October 16th, 2013 at 1:16 PM ^
I pick 2, at the end of the season.
Changing personel isn't going to help at this point. You roll with the guys you think have the best chance of "getting it" and hope for the best.
Firing Borges doesn't make much sense right now, IMO. He's not the best coordinator, but we've got a lot of bigger problems that are what are really killing us. If Borges can't call a decent game with some of the constraints (TO prone QB, OL that can't block anyone, TE that are glorified receivers, etc) then it's time to take a look. We're also not going to replace him with a spread and shred guy so any changes will be marginal.
I don't know if 4 is really how I would phrase things, but yeah at this point in the season you gotta just roll with what you got. In the offseason, I think we need to look pretty hard at why no one can block worth a damn on this team. We've got young, talented guys, and older, less talented guys making both mental errors and getting manhandled. Hell, even the two older, talented guys aren't doing that great. That screams coaching to me, hence #2
October 16th, 2013 at 1:19 PM ^
Is Kugler back from injury yet?
October 16th, 2013 at 1:23 PM ^
- As soon as I saw your post I was reminded of his shoulder (?) injury. Not sure when he's expected back from that.
#MGoGameshowFail
October 16th, 2013 at 1:33 PM ^
Maybe he's better with only one arm than whoever he's replacing.
October 16th, 2013 at 1:22 PM ^
Force the defense to defend the full 50 yard breadth. Bring in 3 wide sets. Run shotgun. Incorporate horizontal/edge attacks.
You can do all of this out of the I, pistol, shotgun or ace.
Nobody is going to accuse Michigan's offense of turning in it's man card.
And hold on to the damn ball.
October 16th, 2013 at 1:24 PM ^
MGoGameshow?
I'd say go with option 5.
5. Phone a Friend
Borges can't call plays. He has to get the play calls from his "Friend". This can be from: MGoBlog Staff, LiveBlog Poll, Twitter Feed, or Magic 8 Ball.
October 16th, 2013 at 1:34 PM ^
Ditch the JV tackle over crap. Throw a dang bubble screen at least once a game. No more fullbacks give me Funchess, Gallon, Chesson/Dileo, and Butt on the field every play in a 3-31-1 or 2-2-1 combination. Running Fitz 27 times for 27 yards is an abomination.
October 17th, 2013 at 10:07 AM ^
October 17th, 2013 at 10:15 AM ^
But throwing one a game forces defenders to play against it and not load 8/9 up against the run. I'm not saying it should be our new offensive strategy, just a wrinkle to keep teams honest. At this point if I'm an opposing DC I'm not even practicing against the bubble screen because UM won't run it.
October 17th, 2013 at 10:33 AM ^
October 17th, 2013 at 3:48 PM ^
Bubble screen moves defensive backs up closer to the line of scrimmage. Making it easier for WR to get over the top.
October 16th, 2013 at 1:37 PM ^
Maybe Al is trying to get fired? Heh? Maybe he hates Funk?
Or maybe he is some evil genius whose thoughts transcend ours, existing on a plane of reality we can only hope to achieve.
I mean why else would you RUN THE FUCKING BALL 27 TIMES FOR 27 YDS out of your tailback spot??????????????
I swear if I see that shit again on TV I am flying up from Houston and I will personally rip the moobs off of his body! With pliers!
-j/k
October 16th, 2013 at 1:45 PM ^
Plus ... Fitz, thanks for all the effort. You've given everything you have, but you are now 3rd on the depth chart. I'm moving Green to #1 RB ... because he IS the future. He's a 5 star and he needs the experience. He hasn't fumbled and when the job of our running back is to only get to the line of scrimmage for no gain ( /s ).... I think he can handle that.
Go Blue!
October 16th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^
10 carries, 0 yards and no TFL would be a big improvement.
October 16th, 2013 at 3:27 PM ^
He was over rated as a recruit and has shown nothing so far on the field. I would give Deveon a chance - at least he does not faint at first contact. FWIW I think Fitz is actually running quite well... on the rare occasions when he has some space to run.
All of that said we would run and block much better if we would THROW ON FIRST DOWN!
October 16th, 2013 at 3:33 PM ^
But the reality is, if we were starting Shane right now he would probably be in the hospital or dead.
October 16th, 2013 at 5:07 PM ^
You are totally joking, right? Green is a true freshman that has shown some promise. Its Fitz that goes down on first contact. In fact, I have never seen a guy get shirt tackled as often as him. He is soft. I would give Green many more touches . . . many more.
October 16th, 2013 at 1:53 PM ^
will be gone. I think Brady would give Borges another shot after this year.
October 16th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^
Why Funk when the OC thinks double teaming means each OL is to take on 2 DLs instead of 2 OL taking on 1 DL? The problem is that we are running plays that would be doomed to failure if we had 5 Jake Longs, and it is not Funk who is calling those plays.
October 17th, 2013 at 3:42 AM ^
The playcalling is the problem. I really don't see bad technique from the O-line especially given the in experience. The playcalles and lack of ability to check out of bad plays are making the O-line look worse than they are. I am not saying this unit is good, but running into 8 or 9 in the box isn't helping.
October 16th, 2013 at 2:35 PM ^
Hoke is very loyal. Don't see it happening. He isn't the type to save his neck by tossing his friends over board.
October 16th, 2013 at 8:45 PM ^
This appears to be the most accurate asseement. The offense can't really improve much until Hoke is replaced or leaves. Coordinators are doing what their boss is telling them to do- there is no basis for firing anybody. The commitment to manball is the problem- no offense that is truly dangerous is so one dimensional- a coach that publicly commits to a limited offensive format is telling all opponents how to defeat UM. Hoke appears to believe that willpower alone is enough- it isn't. The greatest asset any offense has is invention and unpredicability- Hoke does not seem to highly value either.
October 16th, 2013 at 3:49 PM ^
Interesting stat of the game, Lewan is only person to start four years on the O-line for Michigan. So we are basically asking Funk to create a good O-line with Freshman, who have previously never started before at Michigan. I guess your line to him would be accomplish something no one else ever has or be fired!
October 16th, 2013 at 2:00 PM ^
October 16th, 2013 at 2:23 PM ^
At this point in the season, unless you start having injuries pile up, I wouldn't bother inserting true freshman onto the line. A) you're just burning their redshirts at the end of the day, and usually, they're not physically and fundamentally ready yet anyway, and B) is there really any indication that they could be any better than what we've got right now?
We've got a top-10 NFL draft pick at left tackle, a mid-late rounder at right tackle, a RS freshman on the interior who was a five-star recruit, and we still can't get any push against anyone, no matter who we're rotating in there. To me, this is emblematic of a coaching problem. A BIG coaching problem. Maybe its not the best idea to let him go mid-season, as that could just make things worse, but assuming there isn't drastic improvement on the line over the next 6-7 weeks, I think Funk needs to be shown the door at the end of the season. Then again, if Borges continues to be as predictable as he is, and stubbornly continues to believe that running up the gut is the best option, then maybe he should go, too. We are so predictable on offense sometimes that its laughable.
I can understand the line not being dominant. I understand that there are some young guys in there. But for it to be this bad, week in and week out, there is no excuse for that.
October 16th, 2013 at 2:48 PM ^
The problem is that we are not fooling anybody. They expect us to run, they put 8, 9 or 10 in the box to sell out on the run and we RUN. What is Funk supposed to do? There are plays that are blocked okay, but those are not plays where we are outnumbered 8, 9 or 10 to 6 on the line of scrimmage. Until we start running when they think we are going to pass and passing when they think we are going to run, I will reserve judgment on Funk. It's not fair to pin the blame on him when we are running when they expect us to run, passing when they know we have to pass and running some more when they have totally sold out on the run.
October 16th, 2013 at 3:54 PM ^
I agree with this. I don't care how good of an OL coach you are, good luck teaching your players how to block more than one guy at a time. Borges is not helping the linemen with these predictable runs where the defense stacks the box. For the time being the offensive issues cannot be placed on Funk enough to justify letting him go.
That being said, obviously the offensive line personnel could be doing better and that, at least in part, is on Coach Funk. I'm not saying he's innocent in this debacle.
October 16th, 2013 at 2:23 PM ^
Then implement #3. If we are going young, lets go young.
October 16th, 2013 at 2:37 PM ^
I see them going to a wishbone attack rather than any type of attack that involves bubble screens.
October 16th, 2013 at 6:39 PM ^
just a few times a game that would force the LB's back and wide. We don't need a bubble screen to get a 5 - 10 yard easy completion when they are packed in like PSU was...
The line is not the problem when the Defense is forced to play the whole field and we take advantage of numbers... Borges = GERG 2.0... great pedigree but clueless on what he needs to do to adjust
October 16th, 2013 at 3:46 PM ^
1) Fire Funk Immediately.
2) Start the five BEST linemen, regardless of seniority. If this includes a Bosch, so be it.
3) If we don't beat MSU AND OSU, Fire Borges in the offseason.
That's my game of marry / fuck / kill right there.
October 16th, 2013 at 6:47 PM ^
My two cents worth. The OLine problems can be traced to the guard and center positions. The jury is still out on Glagow at center. Too early to pull him imho. Kugler sounds great on paper but he hasn't spent enough time in the weight room. We need maulers out there and I'm not sure Kugler is ready physically.
As far as the guard position I would also throw Dave Dawson's name into the mix. He's young but he has a mean streak and as far as measurables go he appears as physically ready to play as any of the other young linemen. If Bosch is a candidate for playig time I don't see how DD wouldn't be. Alabama was after him for a reason...
Today's big announcement (Magnusson to LG) is a possible solution. I would also submit to you that Kalis hasn't exactly been getting the job done. I question whether there should be competition for his spot as well. The bottom line is that the only two guys who should be safe at this point are Lewan adn Schofield.
October 16th, 2013 at 8:15 PM ^
Fire Funk now to send a message. Fire Borges at the end of the year to give us time to find a new OC.
October 16th, 2013 at 9:26 PM ^
What "message" does that send? If he's bad at his job, OK, let him go, but I don't think the issue is that the assistant coaches are slackers who need a wakeup call.
October 16th, 2013 at 8:59 PM ^
Be patient faithful "maize n blue" fans. Firing people is not always the best answer in situations such as this with the current state of the offense. Brady is not an "idiot", he knows things have to change/improve.
Maybe something as simple as simplfying the blocking schemes will make a huge difference. I think the young players may be "thinking" too much about proper techique, foot work, etc and thus playing too slow along the OLine. Simple can be better.
Offensive play calling needs to become more diversified for sure. I'm sure this will be addressed with the staff this week and in the future. Devin, if capable, needs to have the freedom to audible out of bad plays. Al isn't new at this OC stuff, he should be able to figure this out.
Let's see how the rest of the season plays out before we start chopping coaches heads off and starting over with a new OC and OLine coach.
October 16th, 2013 at 9:46 PM ^
Call audibles at the line, and for gosh sakes, don't run power I when the defense stacks the box. And when we can't run the ball, spread the defense out and pass.
Lastly, can we ever get a no huddle offense at certain points of the game? I swear, our defense looked gassed when Penn State went no huddle on us. If we don't fix that before Ohio State, we are screwed.
October 16th, 2013 at 9:50 PM ^
October 16th, 2013 at 10:05 PM ^
In answer to your question, I would wait until after the season to make any coaching changes. Based on all I have read and seen, there is no quick fix for the O line. Better play calling would help more than personnel changes, in my opinion.
October 17th, 2013 at 3:51 AM ^
That formation cost us the ND game last year. Vincent Smith HB pass for INT. Another game Borges cost this program with his incompetent playcalling. (We are going to make Denard a passer this year.) It was a giant waste of practice time and plays on the field.
October 17th, 2013 at 11:07 AM ^
Brady needs to tell Al,to run some new plays.
October 17th, 2013 at 11:14 AM ^