What makes for a good offensive coordinator in 2020?
From SI.com: After catching five passes for 105 yards on Saturday, Cornelius Johnson has the same amount of 100-yard receiving games as Nico Collins, Tarik Black and Donovan Peoples-Jones had in their Wolverine careers COMBINED.
With Haskins rushing for 111 yards in the game, it was the first time since 2016 that the Wolverines had a wide-out with over 105 receiving yards and a running back with over 105 rushing yards in the same game. SAD.
DISGUST.
November 24th, 2020 at 8:23 PM ^
According to Urban Meyer a good OC runs concepts not plays. Plays can be stopped. Concepts provide the offense a platform to force the defense to choose what to stop while exposing themselves to a mismatch of some kind.
Keep them off balance.
And it doesn’t hurt to have a good QB
November 25th, 2020 at 4:13 AM ^
NW said hold my beer
November 24th, 2020 at 8:25 PM ^
One that your head coach trusts you and does not insanely intervene in your game plan and holds you accountable for those results.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:12 PM ^
I must say I am tired of the idea that Harbaugh "insanely intervenes in [Gattis'] game plan" or other hot takes. Insanely, really? There is exactly no information, directly or indirectly, that Gattis is being hamstrung in doing his job. If Gattis was being held back there would be leaks from Gattis or his agent, if for now other the reason than Gattis shifting/avoiding blame for what's going on.
I have been around here for over 10 years and the level of "commentary" on this board has consistently degraded to a level never before seen. And that's saying a lot.
November 24th, 2020 at 11:02 PM ^
Harbaugh may or may not be interfering in Gattis' offense but this is only his 2nd year. What I see from the offense at many points in these games is what I've seen an awful lot of in 6 years. For some examples, the end of the half clock management debacles. The game plan against MSU, running into the middle of the line where they are at their best. The overtime periods against Rutgers, turtling after slinging it all over the field with McNamara. The complete lack of any tempo being used. The consistent use of a FB and 2 TE's. These have Jim written all over them. I think Gattis calls the large majority of the plays but Harbaugh has his plays in that playbook as well. It seems to be a twisted hybrid offense and I dont think Gattis is used to running that style. The only offense that seemed to run smoothly was with Fisch as OC and that may have been because Jim fully trusted him.
November 25th, 2020 at 7:02 AM ^
Totally agree with Yooper. Every single coach and player who has ever commented on it (including Harbaugh and Gattis himself) has said Gattis runs the offense and has the reins. No player and no coach -- not a single one -- has said differently.
November 25th, 2020 at 8:55 AM ^
Do you really think a player is going to come out and say "Well Gattis calls most of the plays but Coach Harbaugh overrides him sometimes too"?
November 25th, 2020 at 10:30 AM ^
Well not with those words. Something along the lines of “Harbaugh is still very involved in the offensive gameplan” or “it’s more of a collaborative effort between the two” or something like that instead of only claiming it’s Gattis
November 25th, 2020 at 10:44 AM ^
Well considering everything is a big secret in this program they could have been instructed to not say anything about Harbaugh and the offense.
November 24th, 2020 at 8:33 PM ^
A dude that actually can construct, develop and run his offense without a meddling coach insisting on running up the middle with a stacked box on 3rd and 8.
November 25th, 2020 at 4:10 AM ^
If an OC can't talk his HC out of running into a stacked box on 3rd and 8, he shouldn't be an OC in that HC's program. Further determination of blame might go either way, but that's an unworkable situation, full stop.
November 25th, 2020 at 4:03 PM ^
Yeah, and while your at it, go tell your boss, the guy who hired you and can fire you, to shove his bad ideas up his rear end and you do what you think should be done.
Gattis isn’t going to do a thing other than what JH tells him to do. Period.
November 26th, 2020 at 4:09 AM ^
I have never had a boss that I couldn't get to listen to me if I was certain they were wrong, and I've never been fired from any job. I wouldn't necessarily tell them to shove it, but there are ways of asking questions that get people to realize they're wrong.
November 24th, 2020 at 8:36 PM ^
Touchdown drives
November 24th, 2020 at 8:38 PM ^
Anyone with an elite QB
November 24th, 2020 at 8:48 PM ^
Bama had a lot of game manager qbs who won championships.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:42 PM ^
While having a Vince Young, Trevor Lawrence, Cam Newton or similar sort of unicorn will make one an offensive genius, there might be 1 of those a year. Give me a killer offensive line every year and you'll be just fine (see Wisconsin). With some effective recruiting at skill positions then mixed in on top of it and you'll be a top offensive genius in no time.
November 25th, 2020 at 1:14 AM ^
Bama has been moving away from it recently because Saban recognized that you no longer can win championship by holding teams to less than 17 points. You need to be able to score to win championships. He landed Tagoviloa brothers(granted Tualia transferred to Maryand) and Bryce Young who was the #1 QB in the country in 2020 class.
November 25th, 2020 at 5:48 AM ^
I'm not sure how Bama winning championships with game manager QBs and elite defenses a decade ago has anything to do with "what makes a good OC in 2020?"
November 24th, 2020 at 8:46 PM ^
Scheming to the strengths of the players on the team and maximizing those strengths. Borges turning Denard into a drop-back QB is example 1 of how not to be a good OC. Urban and his OC's, hate to admit, maximized his players' talents--eg, passing more when he had Haskins and Cardale under center while JT Barrett and Braxton Miller ran more zone read option. Seems obvious and simple.
November 24th, 2020 at 8:51 PM ^
Runs up the middle on 3rd and long, not taking shots down field, leaving your best qb on the bench, relentlessly doing the same thing over and over expecting different results
/
November 25th, 2020 at 8:57 AM ^
You forgot play action on third and long and from your own endzone.
November 24th, 2020 at 8:53 PM ^
I used to be firmly in the Harbaugh-is-meddling camp, but the more I watch this team, I’m not so sure.
Part of me wonders if Gattis knows *plays* but struggles at calling the entire game. Harbaugh isn’t an idiot nor is this his first coaching rodeo - even with a different offense, I somehow am coming around to him trying to help a first time OC.
The getting too cute in the red zone? I mean, how could a seasoned play caller make those gaffes? That’s stuff you call when playing Madden - or maybe when you’ve only had your own show for 1.5 seasons.
I could be way off but I am beginning to think Gattis sucks as a gameplan designer and play caller.
November 24th, 2020 at 9:03 PM ^
I think we have a good one. We just need Harbaugh to stop meddling in the play calling.
November 24th, 2020 at 9:04 PM ^
A GREAT steering wheel that doesn't FLY OFF when you drive it!
It's a good idea, and I stand by it.
November 24th, 2020 at 9:07 PM ^
Based on these accomplishments, things are looking up .
November 24th, 2020 at 9:07 PM ^
An elite QB
November 24th, 2020 at 9:10 PM ^
Joe Brady though I doubt he'd make a lateral to college. Best bet is to get someone from a smaller school, who's doing well.
Phil Longo as well. Current OC for UNC, 4th in the nation for yards per game. Memphis, UCF and BYU OCs all deserve a look as well. No idea how they'd translate to bigger schools though.
November 24th, 2020 at 9:30 PM ^
You never know. Some coaches don't like the pros. Some don't like college.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:19 PM ^
We could probably get Lloyd Brady to help us get his son to coach here.
November 25th, 2020 at 1:59 AM ^
Joe Brady would be a HR hire for Michigan as a HC. If he wants to be a NFL coach and he likely won't get it after the season though he'll get interviews. Why not get his feet wet by coaching at Michigan and rebuild from there? If he is as good as people think he is, Michigan would be in great shape once he's ready to make a jump to the NFL and Michigan would be a far more attractive job.
November 25th, 2020 at 1:03 PM ^
Joe Brady has zero head coaching experience and is in his first year as an OC. Anyone who thinks he’s ready to be a HC is crazy. You think he can come in and hire a staff, manage a program and recruit? Nah. Too inexperienced for that just yet.
November 24th, 2020 at 9:19 PM ^
I’d say good athletes make a good offensive coordinator
November 24th, 2020 at 9:29 PM ^
Like Charlie Weis? /s
November 24th, 2020 at 10:04 PM ^
No. Like OSU, Alabama, and Clemson
November 24th, 2020 at 10:10 PM ^
He was joking bro...
November 25th, 2020 at 12:01 AM ^
This is true to a point, but I would argue that if Michigan and Ohio State swapped coaching staffs in 2018 and 2019, Michigan wins both games. It may start with elite athletes, but someone has to actively choose not to squander their talents.
November 24th, 2020 at 9:32 PM ^
A good offense.
November 24th, 2020 at 9:51 PM ^
Harbaugh in charge is key. He is our best OC. He sucks as a CEO. Dude needs to coach his specialty which is offense. Gattis has some good new concepts but when Jim re-inserts himself and takes over we win. Plain and simple, Jim needs to set the game plan and call the plays. He is the savior. Damn the naysayers and get control of the situation Jimbo. Go Blue !!!
November 24th, 2020 at 10:11 PM ^
I need to go put on some aloe after reading this scorching hawt take.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:28 PM ^
Running the zone blocking read-option scheme is Gattis. Running pull-pin power runs with play-action pass is Harbaugh. Which schemes wins games ?
November 24th, 2020 at 11:29 PM ^
A scheme that correctly balances both. There was a blend of both against Rutgers. Multiple RPOs, some play-action pass, pin-pull runs with hot route tags, a few read-options and a SPEED OPTION to boot. You are seriously making me worried.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:24 PM ^
I think it is opposite. Harbaugh runs the RB into the line all 3 downs. I think in the 2nd half Harbaugh let Gattis take over. What did he have to lose being down 17 to Rutgers. I know Harbaugh let Milton start and it was Gattis who wanted Cade to play.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:35 PM ^
Nope, sorry you are wrong. Harbaugh took over in 2nd half and benched Milton. Game plan with Cade was all Harbaugh with power run and play-action pass. Pure Harbaugh.
November 24th, 2020 at 11:22 PM ^
There was too much RPO with Cade for this to be true. The answer to all these questions related to M's offense is that Milton is bad at running it and Cade is good at running it. Milton's build and natural gifts make it tantalizing to try and wait out the growing pains, but Cade is servicable or better now.
November 24th, 2020 at 11:27 PM ^
I have responded to you in MULTIPLE threads now and given you ample evidence that what you say here is patently FALSE. There were numerous RPOs, read-options, zone-reads, and even a SPEED OPTION when CM took over the QB duties against Rutgers.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:57 PM ^
Harbaugh as OC does enough to beat bad teams, but not enough to beat good teams. We'll run over the likes of Maryland but get blown out by Wisconsin, Florida and any half decent team that has our offense figured out.
Scary part is that even without OSU, Harbaugh's offensive schemes still wouldn't win us the rest of the games on our schedule. MSU/Wisc/PSU/ND/Bowl Game is automatically 2+ losses with Jim's playcalling.
November 24th, 2020 at 11:25 PM ^
Why do you keep saying these things? What is this personal crusade of yours? Does Harbaugh have some dirt on you and is going to blackmail you unless you continuously shout that he's the true OC and the guy behind all the offensive success of this team? Like this is truly baffling.
November 25th, 2020 at 10:11 AM ^
You can never convince Flat Earthers that the earth isn't flat.
November 25th, 2020 at 1:14 PM ^
The Backfire Effect. See it everywhere nowadays.