Worst We'll See?

Submitted by Sten Carlson on

I am going to come right out and say that I firmly believe that the 2015 season opener vs. Utah will be the WORST game Michigan plays under Coach Harbaugh.  I don't care if he coaches Michigan for 20 years, what we saw Thurdays was as bad as it's ever going to get!

Call me overly optimistic, but to me the difference between Team 135 and Team 136 is marked.  Whenever I thought we'd seen the worst that a Hoke team could play, whenever I was sure that they'd finally start to improve, they'd deliver another shockingly bad performance against weaker and weaker opponents.

That will not happen under Harbaugh, you can bank on that.

Go Blue, beat the Beavers! (he he he!)

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Don

September 8th, 2015 at 7:19 PM ^

you are absolutely guaranteed to see several games where we play worse.

Check out Bo's overall record. There were some real turkeys along the way, and they in no way diminish his accomplishments. That's the reality as a coach of 18-23 year olds.

You're erecting ridiculously unrealistic criteria that can only lead to disappointment for you.

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Don

September 8th, 2015 at 7:33 PM ^

Don't feel sorry for me; I sure as hell don't.

But just out of curiosity: do you deny that there were some really bad games during Bo's tenure? And if you accept that there were, why do you think there will be none under Harbaugh?

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Sten Carlson

September 8th, 2015 at 7:43 PM ^

I don't deny it Don.  Bo had a few stinkers in his day.  Not many, but a few.  I am not saying that there won't be any bad games, I am saying they this first game against Utah was bad, and that is the worst we'll see.  Why?  Because Harbaugh is a better coach than Bo. 

I realize that's saying a lot, especially to someone whom I am sure reveres Bo more than most.  But I always felt that Bo was too stubborn, and looked at football in a way that wasn't always the way it was in reality.  I think Harbaugh, being Bo's student, has learned this, and has encorporated flexibility into his coaching that Bo lacked.

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Hezrizn

September 8th, 2015 at 9:02 PM ^

You MAY be right, and from what I've seen so far - not much to date - there is good reason to hope it could be. I believe many of us DO see that "something" (we would all have a different take on WHAT that is) that collectively explains why this fanbase is so energized.

We WANT to believe. 

I don't bet money any more on things, but IF I were a betting man, I would put money on Jim Harbaugh establishing a legacy that goes beyond Bo Schembechler. We just need to wait and see. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the wait.

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MChem83

September 8th, 2015 at 9:41 PM ^

Since it's likely that Harbaugh will be back in the NFL five years from now, maybe having had a few good seasons here, but not having stuck around long enough to establish a "legacy".  

If he actually were to stay here for the rest of his career, maybe 15 years or so, then you might be justified, but doubt very much that will happen.  Jimbo wants that Super Bowl ring more than  anything.

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EGD

September 9th, 2015 at 6:28 AM ^

"Jimbo wants that Super Bowl ring more than anything."

What is your basis for this assertion? Do you have evidence, or are you just making the same false assumption that all the NFL reporters made last winter about how no coach in his right mind would turn down NFL opportunities for the college game?

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MChem83

September 9th, 2015 at 8:23 AM ^

Do you think he's out of goals to achieve? Neither do I. What obvious goal has he not yet achieved? Do the math. If he were more interested in a college NC, he would not have bailed on a 12-1 Stanford team. SF was becoming a mess, and it was obvious that he wasn't going to be able to take that final step there, and we were a convenient place for him to hang out until another suitable NFL offer came along. And it will come along, there's no doubt of that. When it does, probably 4-5 years down the road, he'll be gone back to the NFL, probably for good.

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Double-D

September 8th, 2015 at 7:42 PM ^

weeks and during the course of the season. This is a new system with new coaches. I thought they played with toughness. Unlike the recent past I don't think you will see the same glaring mistakes over and over again.

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Sten Carlson

September 8th, 2015 at 7:45 PM ^

Read my OP and my comments again.  You're assuming that a loss to MSU and/or OSU is going to be as bad as the loss to Utah in terms of the way the team played.  That's an erroneous assumption, and not the point I am making. 

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Pinky

September 8th, 2015 at 7:43 PM ^

Michigan may not play that poorly anytime soon, but they will definitely have much worse losses, especially this year.

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evenyoubrutus

September 8th, 2015 at 7:46 PM ^

Here's the thing, I don't know how good Utah's team is in relation to last year's team, and I certainly have no idea where they will finish in the PAC 12 or where they would finish were they in the Big Ten.  I do know that they seem like a decent team (still probably the 3rd best on Michigan's schedule), and that this game was the first for a new head coach, a new QB who just met his teammates a couple of months ago, and it was a road game at night.  And with all that this team looked much better this year than they did against Utah last year, in game 3.  

Just like it is unreasonably illogical to have thought this team would light it up right out of the gate and go 12-0, it is equally illogical to think this team isn't tangibly better, and will not improve throughout the season.

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MChem83

September 8th, 2015 at 8:01 PM ^

but if you're evaluating our prospects for the rest of the season, you also have to acknowledge that every team on our schedule is also going to be better than they showed in their first game.  NU is going to be better by the time we play them, so are State, Minnesota, PSU, BYU and everyone else.  You can't project our improvement as automatically translating into wins against teams that looked better than us without demonstrating why we will necessarily improve MORE than they will.   HARBAUGH!!  is not an argument in that regard.  Sorry, but it just ain't.

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KungFury

September 8th, 2015 at 7:52 PM ^

I don't know if you missed the entire last season of the 49ers, but that was a team of professionals, most with years in the Harbaugh system, and they had quite a few derps in execution. You can throw out "this is my opinion and I'm entitled to it" all you want. But with nothing to back it up but a gut feeling, you aren't going to get much love.

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Sten Carlson

September 8th, 2015 at 7:53 PM ^

It's ok guys.  You can agree with me.  Just let go of your fear, your anger, and give into the positive flow. 

I had a feeling this would spark some good conversation.  Many of you are so funny.  Despite your obvious intelligence, you're having trouble comprehending what I'm getting at, and keep trying to refute my assertion (which is irrefutable) by saying MSU and OSU are really good.  Who cares how good they are?  We could lose both and still play better than we played against Utah.

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copacetic

September 8th, 2015 at 8:34 PM ^

I don't necessarily agree that that's the worst game we'll see under Harbaugh, but I do agree it's funny that people feel the need to continue posting MSU and OSU are very good teams. Even if the final score is worse than against Utah, that's not relevant to your point.

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SMart WolveFan

September 8th, 2015 at 8:10 PM ^

....we'll "see"  worse performances but I think what you are saying is, subjectively, you will never watch a Harbaugh game with as much trepidation as you have the past few seasons because you know the ship's heading in the right direction.

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Parkinen

September 8th, 2015 at 9:00 PM ^

Stem, you are spot on. I graduated in 1977 and thus witnessed many Schembechler teams. One of their hallmarks is that got better each week. Why wouldn't they barring injury? More experience, more time to coach and more time to get cohesive. That is what always concerned me about Hoke's teams. They seemed to stand still and some times even regressed. I hate to mention them, but look at MSU last season. No doubt that team got progressively better throughout the season. I really think we are about to see the same phenomenon. This is what good coaching does.

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Wolvie3758

September 9th, 2015 at 11:17 AM ^

the bowl games back then ...first there were only a few...you had to have a great season to get to a bowl..MANY of Bos Bowl games were like true road games ..USC or UCLA in the Rose bowl alot, and almost always top 5 opponents...and most importantly for a long time only 1 big ten team could GO to a bowl..that changed after a 3 yr run of 30-2-1 and Michigan didnt go to a single bowl game...Bo raised holy hell and that changed

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SwitchbladeSam

September 9th, 2015 at 12:11 AM ^

Honestly, I think the performance was on par. Playing a tough opponent on the road first game, new qb new everything, 6pt underdogs in vegas... what were you expecting?? We were a few key plays away from a real chance, very organized, didn't have many penalties and fought hard to the end. I'd be shocked if we didn't have a worse performance than that this year. And it will probably be against a lesser opponent in a game in which we win.



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AmayzNblue

September 8th, 2015 at 9:09 PM ^

Agreed Sten. I am becoming more convinced the altitude played a more significant role than we previously thought. Players slowed down with less oxygen. Mistakes were made as they wore down and because it was the first actual game. I have a feeling we're going to look unstoppable against Oregon St



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mgowill

September 8th, 2015 at 9:12 PM ^

Your assertion is a strange one Sten.  It isn't based on anything tangible that can be discussed as to why, yet you make the bold claim that it is the worst.  Then you carry on throughout the post defending your bold optimism with speculation that teams under new coaches get better.  This is not always the case (see the last 3 previous Notre Dame coaches for an equivalent discussion) and that always washes itself out.

I'm on the Harbaugh bandwagon, as I think most are.  What we saw Thursday night was a combination of several things.

  1. A brand new coach with a brand new system
  2. A team that was 5-7 last year
  3. A night game on the road
  4. A fundamentally sound opponent without a lot of flash

Add these things up, and I wouldn't call their performance the worst.  [This is the point where I interject an excuse about interceptions or overthrown passes and then the discussion turns back to opinion.]  

In the grand scheme of things, I would be willing to bet that after 50 games under Harbaugh, that this might be a better discussion because then we will have facts to talk about to pair with our emotions.  At the end of the day, that's really all this discussion is about - your emotional state after Thursday night's game.  What you're finding is that not only is that not quantifiable, but is also an exercise in futility because the comments are all conjecture based responses.

I will say this though, if your exercise was to gauge the temperature of the fanbase after the loss, then you have given us a barometer with which to discuss.  Thanks for posting even if not all appreciated it.

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Sten Carlson

September 8th, 2015 at 9:45 PM ^

I am a speculator, that's what I do.  Now, normally I am speculating in index or treasure note futures, but futures speculation and football fandom are pretty much the same thing -- right?

I enjoy the discourse, and as you aptly put it, gauging the temperature of the fanbase.  I know how much we've all had to endure, and I've suffered through it every step of the way.  But, I've been buying on the way down, knowing that Michigan WILL rally again. 

I am here to say, again, the BOTTOM IS IN.  Those of you who need confirmation before you'll buy -- and subsequently get in at a higher price -- BUY BUY BUY before the price gets too high and you have to wait.  This rally is going to go on for a while! 

LOL, I think my two worlds have intermingled too much!

Go Blue boys!  I was away from the board all off-season ... and it's good to be back, I've missed everyone!

 

 

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