February 7th, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 1:15 PM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 10:52 AM ^
We're going to find out just how good (or bad) the offensive staff is next year. Absolutely zero momentum within the program, your reputation as a program has fallen off a cliff in the span of five months, your rivals have beaten and (in some cases) lapped you around the pool several times over. You're almost right back where you started when you took over. Don Brown and his defense can't do this all by themselves.
If the team goes out and lays an egg in South Bend next September, Harbaugh will really be feeling the heat.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:18 AM ^
Yeah, when you start thinking about it, that ND game might be the most important game of the season. Whatever happens in that game is going to set the tone for the rest of the year. Lose, and you have zero momentum, the heat on Harbaugh gets turned up several notches, recruiting going to get awfully tough, and you basically have to run the table until OSU to reverse the negativity.
Win and its pretty smooth sailing until mid-October when you have Wisconsin and MSU in back-to-back weeks.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
You are right, negative momentum is building towards UM, it's been going that way all season and opposing coaches are happy to pile on.
It's absolutely imperative that they get to at least double digit wins next season. Even if it's 10-3 counting a bowl win, they can probably swing things around. They must also at least split with MSU/OSU. UM isn't going anywhere until they start winning against those programs. MSU is probably the easier monkey to get off the back.
I think losing to MSU again in 2018 would be a complete disaster. An OSU loss, while it completely sucks, is somewhat rational.
February 7th, 2018 at 12:07 PM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 10:53 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 10:53 AM ^
Vote of No Confidence. \
Between the shitshow that is this offensive coaching staff and missing out on so many severely-needed recruits, I've lost a lot of faith in what this staff is doing and the direction of the program.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 11:09 AM ^
winged helmets!
February 7th, 2018 at 10:53 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 11:18 AM ^
Obviously. A program that's down can never get back up again. Just ask Alabama, USC, Penn State, Michigan State, Clemson, Washington, Wisconsin, Florida State, Georgia ...
February 7th, 2018 at 10:53 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 11:00 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 11:15 AM ^
Iowa wins big games. Michigan has only won one game as an underdog in the Hoke/Harbaugh eras (at Northwestern in 2013).
February 7th, 2018 at 11:24 AM ^
Iowa has been a MUCH better program than Michigan the last decade. They've gone 82-48 in the last decade while Michigan has gone 74-53. They've got a division title in that span too. Michigan has been a more incompetent version of Iowa the last decade.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:08 AM ^
the Boat
February 7th, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^
what a bunch of idiots. We'll be alright.
Beat Nd.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 10:55 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 10:55 AM ^
That sucks, but seemed inevitable.
February 7th, 2018 at 10:55 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 10:55 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 10:56 AM ^
Our higest ranked recruit would be Ohio State's 14th highest ranked recruit. While I really like a ton of our players, those numbers don't add up to this being a competitive rivalry going forward.
February 7th, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
Horseshoes and hand grenades.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:05 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
We were competitive 2 years ago. This past year we used emotion to jump to a 14-0 lead and then got trounced the rest of the way 30-6...at home. That was not a very competitive game.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:40 AM ^
Depends on what you mean by competitive when it comes to the rivalry. Playing a close game every so often isn't really competitive to me. They've got a six-game losing streak to OSU and have one once in the last 14 games. To really be competitive, they're going to have to win some of these games.
At this point, its kinda like saying the Hoover Dam and the Colorado River have a nice little rivalry.
February 7th, 2018 at 12:37 PM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^
Curious to hear what insiders think. Did we not have enough "grinders" on the recruting trail? It seems as though Harbaugh focused on that with his recent staff additions. With some better big game luck next year and these "grinders" maybe we pull a few more 5 stars.
February 7th, 2018 at 10:58 AM ^
Losing our top rated kid to GA and major positions of need to our rivals OSU and ND is simply the cherry on top of the crap sundae that's been served up over the past year already.
It's like how Brad Stevens would always walk away and not look at whether his team won or lost a buzzer beater at the end. The overall trend (good bad or ugly) was already apparent.
Bottom line is this: either Harbaugh already recognizes the problems far before today & is already on the path to fixing it, or we are still in serious dire straits when it comes to recruiting still.
The likelihood that this totally disappointing ending to an already disappointing class moves the needle much is pretty low. If anything it'll underscore the need for change is there were any members of the staff still deluding themselves that we were doing an OK job.
It seems like it's a mix of people who don't truly enjoy recruiting in staff (view it as a chore & aren't good at even when recruiting) and also irrational confidence in our ability (or just total refusal to pull out all stops necessary) to recruit head to head with the major power programs to pull down the superstar kids.
I have confidence this CAN turn around. The 2016 & 2017 classes were outstanding.
But holy shit we need a retooling. I pray that the steps we are taking are the right ones & that we have a strong 2018 season to get momentum back.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:09 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 11:11 AM ^
We need to win a couple of big games in 2018 is what we need. Starting with Notre Dame. Winning that on the road could flip the narrative in a hurry.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:42 AM ^
This 18 recruiting class is going to affect the 18 season very little in my opinion. There's like 2 guys who will play, it's on the current players to step up and right the ship. Unfortunately there will be some significant turnover after 18 and then the 19 season isn't going to be as great as we all once thought. 19 recruiting class is make or break
February 7th, 2018 at 10:58 AM ^
Plus college football will probably be gone once online college becomes mainstream by hipsters and kids who are too lazy to go to college.
Either way, hope Reese plays his lights out at uga.
What I doing now: watching first take.
February 7th, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
This is a bigger kick in the balls than having an old crockpot set your house on fire
February 7th, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
I never though Hoke would put Harbaugh classes to shame. Unfortunate.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:01 AM ^
The poor performance on the field, JH's lack of enthusiasm all season, Complete disaray in the offensive coaching staff and recruits signing everywhere, but here. This is definitiely not the Michigan I knew and grew up with. We are the fourth best team in our own DIVISION and can't even pull a recruit from ND who lost their OC and DC and their HC is a trainwreck.
Bring on the bagmen. /s This is just ridiculous.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:01 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
Glad to see some people are finally coming around to what I have been saying (and getting killed for) for months. This program is in deep shit.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:08 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 12:02 PM ^
What the fuck are you talking about? Stop bringing up John Beilein. if you really want to talk about him, let's talk about how Michigan is on pace to lose 8 conference games in a year where there are only going to be four tournament teams. Let's talk about how it's another year headed right towards the bubble. Let's talk about how this team looks nothing like a team that can make it out of the 1st weekend of the NCAA's, which would be the 8th time in 11 seasons they've failed to do it. But oh yeah he's a god and my takes are so bad even though half the roster (Simmons, Watson, Brooks, Davis, Teske) contribute absolutely nothing to this team. Please tell me how awesome his recruiting is. Or how about this, stop hijacking threads because you don't like an opinion of mine regarding something completely different than the subject at hand. Good grief.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:09 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 12:03 PM ^
So are you.
February 7th, 2018 at 11:10 AM ^
February 7th, 2018 at 12:31 PM ^