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Hard pass on hiring a coach…

Hard pass on hiring a coach for the sake of expediency and in the process limiting ourselves to coaches whose teams are not in the NCAA tournament. Especially when the roster needs a major (complete?) overhaul regardless. 

Let's focus on getting the right person for the job, please. And let's also remember that folks clamored for Warde to make a hire basically the day after Beilein resigned, and we ended up with Howard. 

I ordered through an email…

I ordered through an email that came directly from the Rose Bowl. There's an option to purchase souvenir tickets through the end of this month, and you can specify your tunnel, section, and seat number for your individual ticket. You can also add the lucite case for $20.

I'm terrible at links, but here's the website I ordered from: https://directfulfillment.wwlinc.com/PasadenaTOR/Orders/New

Think there was an option to…

Think there was an option to add the section and seat number (at least, mine did). Either way, they are awesome!

The early handwringing over…

The early handwringing over the recruiting inadequacies of Martindale has also been addressed. Rather than promoting Clink to a first-time coordinator role, Moore has opted for an NFL coordinator with experience in the Ravens system and paired him with young, rising coaches at every level of the defense.

Time will tell if this was a wise choice--there will certainly be some growing pains compared to the continuity last year's team enjoyed--but on paper it makes a lot of sense. 

Here I thought we were…

Here I thought we were discussing the announcement of Michigan's new linebacker coach, but not so fast!

Apparently we must always be discussing Warde's ability to capably hire a basketball coach that we "may be looking for soon." 

You have (finally)…

You have (finally) articulated an actual case for retaining Howard beyond "beware groupthink," but I would argue that your arguments essentially boil down to hope. Hope that things will be better. Hope that Howard will figure it out. Hope that the heart surgery is a significant factor in the team's performance this year, despite the downward trajectory of the past few years. And hope is not a strategy. 

  • Winning might cure all, but the team isn't winning and isn't trending in any kind of positive direction. Add in public altercations and an internal HR complaint from a longtime staff member, and you have a poor combination. Wishing it were otherwise is just wishful thinking.
  • "The bones are clearly there." This is honestly baffling to me. The team lacks depth and will turn over a significant portion of the roster again this offseason, and defensive fundamentals have been nonexistent. Comparing the current basketball team to the 2020 football team is also curious: The 2020 football performance was an outlier, set against a developing pandemic, empty stadiums, roster sit-outs, and injuries. The 2023-2024 basketball record is the continuation of a multi-year trend. The team has a losing record over the past 90 games.
  • "If not Juwan, then who?" If the current coach is underperforming, you need to act. Period. Michigan is currently in last place in the conference. Failing to replace mediocrity for fear of further failure is no way to pursue championships. It's the AD's job to find the right coach. 

You clearly have a soft spot for Howard. It's understandable. We all want people we know and believe in to succeed. I would love for Howard to prove me wrong, and I would happily own it if he is retained and engineers a turnaround. For me, the problem is that there's very little that objectively suggests that will happen. May it happen anyway. 

"leading us to situations…

"leading us to situations where the consensus is that Bakich should be fired...."

The problem with this is that, as already pointed out, it is completely made up. At no point did anywhere near the majority of posters want Bakich fired. It was literally one guy on one thread. Michigan then went on to the College World Series, and the meme was born.

Wasn’t he reportedly the…

Wasn’t he reportedly the highest paid strength coach in the country and given a 5-year contract just last year?

Hey, speaking of Warde...!…

Hey, speaking of Warde...! While I realize this is an insanely difficult thing to police, can anything be done about the folks who want to turn every thread into a referendum on Warde? I get it, opinions run hot and folks want blood now because reasons, but it's borderline hard to meaningfully discuss actual news.

Probably wishful thinking, but what can I say. I'm a wishful guy.

You don't have to support…

You don't have to support him. I don't, either. But it is pointless, hey-everybody-look-at-me behavior to post about it in every thread.

Especially one involving a NFL DC candidate whose interview with another NFL team that was a quarter from the NFC championship game has absolutely nothing to do with who Michigan's AD is.

Think someone mentioned the…

Think someone mentioned the other day that Clinkscale is rumored not to be interested in calling the defensive plays?

Obviously not sure if that is true, but we should keep in mind that not all coaches are interested in climbing the ladder or taking on certain roles. Moore needs to navigate both the capability and and personal ambition of those on staff. It does no good for the program to promote someone to a position they are not excited about and may not be comfortable performing in.

Goodness, we can't even have…

Goodness, we can't even have a discussion about a potential DC interviewing with an NFL team without someone dragging out the "fire Warde" line unprompted. It's getting beyond tiresome.

Just think: If Iowa did a…

Just think: If Iowa did a version of this video, it WOULD be their defensive highlights. 

Guessing the implication is…

Guessing the implication is that Sanders will play for whatever team his Dad coaches, so he’s not a ‘traditional’ transfer in that sense?

Unless I missed something,…

Unless I missed something, that Rose Bowl against Texas was sadly many more than "several" years ago.... it sure is good to be back. 

"If Juwan was winning at the…

"If Juwan was winning at the clip he was in first couple of years or like Harbaugh there's no way we don't back him to hell."

That "if" is doing a massive amount of work. Michigan is not winning at the pace of Howard's first two years. In fact, the team has trended downward every year since and is currently on pace for a second straight NIT bid barring a real turnaround. Michigan has lost 5 of its past 7 games and people are hoping that a convincing win over a 5-5 Iowa team is a sign of that turnaround. Maybe or maybe not, but a win over this Iowa team isn't something we should be hanging our hat on.

When you are not winning AND you are getting into on-court and off-court altercations with other coaches, you have a very real problem. Especially, in my view, when the latest incident involves longstanding internal staff member with no known record of any disciplinary issues. 

This is interesting, because…

This is interesting, because I am surprised at the number of people who seem to be supportive of Howard given the trajectory of the program, especially in light of the on-court and off-court issues that have been become public.

Your comment touches on something that I've been wondering about: Do people's perspectives on Howard depend on whether you watched/were invested in the Fab 5 era? 

I always thought it was his…

I always thought it was his other run that game where he missed a huge hole with nobody behind it. 

But on the other, other hand…

But on the other, other hand, the university does not go through a review process every time coaches get into an argument. That would be absurd. 

It might be that Howard's current supposed  'zero tolerance' policy (or whatever it is) means that he has a shorter leash, but when you factor in Sanderson's game absence, there sure seems to be enough smoke that we can reasonably conclude it wasn't exactly your standard run-of-the-mill disagreement. 

Which means it is yet another thing that the athletic department has to deal with optically. 

There is unfortunately…

There is unfortunately nothing in Juwan’s track record at Michigan that objectively suggests he can figure it out mid-season. The team’s record has gotten worse every year; postseason results as well.

Last year the team barely eclipsed .500, and now they are 4-5 with B1G play just starting. Nor is their any apparent, real depth on the roster judging by the relatively tight rotation to this point, so it’s not even clear where help would come from. 

There is more than a kernel…

There is more than a kernel of truth to the concerns about the offense and its ability to move the ball (or lack thereof) against Iowa and in recent games. And it's difficult to tell how much of the recent struggles are related to JJ's mobility being limited, but that doesn't explain all of it, either.

On the other hand, Michigan put up 30 points against OSU in The Game and didn't punt in the second half. OSU's defense is vastly improved from last year and hadn't allowed more than 17 points in the entire season. So did Michigan really struggle that badly on offense against Iowa, or did we decide that once we were up 10 points the game was effectively over?

By this point, it seems clear that Michigan's offense does an awful lot of things "well" and few of them "great." Overall, that translates to a mixed bag with some brilliant stretches and others that are a slog. Obviously the latter won't cut it in the playoffs. The coaches need to keep their feet on the gas. 

Hard pass on going for a…

Hard pass on going for a very uncertain 4th and 4 up by 3 points in near automatic field goal range with a minute left in the game. 

“The only difference if we fail is that OSU can tie with a field goal.” But that’s a huge difference, especially with only a minute left on the clock. And overtime is inherently risky, especially when the other team has momentum going into it.

100% agree that the third and 6 call is the one that should have been more aggressive.

But it hasn’t been bunk the…

But it hasn’t been bunk the past 2 years against OSU: The Henning reverse (motioning Edwards and running opposite, to play off Edwards’ catchapalooza against Maryland), the flea flicker to Sainristil (think the first of ‘21?), the Mullings jump pass last year, etc.

The coaches have actually been aggressive in deploying new plays in creative fashion in high leverage situations.

*caveat: applies to OSU ‘21 and ‘22 only. Before that, yeah not so much. Hoping it continues this year…

Congratulations. You have…

Congratulations. You have gone from "literally everyone outside Michigan media thinks this is very bad" to "Insiders to college football, folks who cover it, have had mixed reactions," while managing to pretend that your stance has been consistent.

Gold star!

.... But he sort of is wrong…

.... But he sort of is wrong. Michigan replaced one OOC opponent with Notre Dame, played Washington in 2021 and (as of now) will play Texas next year and Oklahoma in 2025 and 2026. Which marks 2022 and 2023 as definite outliers in terms of Michigan's non-conference schedule, regardless of how Michigan has shifted things around.

And it's definitely an odd time to bring this up because--being kind--Penn State's OOC this year isn't exactly a murderer's row.

Even if he somehow has a point, why is he talking about this? There is no benefit whatsoever unless he's already campaigning in case Penn State and Michigan both end up with 1 loss. And while Michigan plays Indiana in conference, they won't get the benefit of playing this year's Illinois or Northwestern teams like PSU did.

So how are their schedules really different? Just odd all around.

True, but you could also say…

True, but you could also say that same 'garbage' ND team lost by only 11 on the road to that same OSU team that is no longer quarterbacked by CJ Stroud. Doesn't seem crazy to think ND could take it at home this year. 

I mean .... *gestures at Michigan's 2020 season, then beating OSU 42-27 in 2021

Interesting, because I would…

Interesting, because I would actually argue the past two years have shown that Michigan finally demonstrated a willingness to plan specific wrinkles for the OSU game that paid big dividends in high leverage moments: The Henning TD sweep (set up by Edwards' bevy of receptions in the Maryland game), the 2021 flea flicker, the Mullings pass to Loveland, etc.

Would be great to see this continue as long as Michigan can take care of business against the rest of the schedule. Have to think they'll need to get a bit creative against PSU on the road, though.

The problem is that none of…

The problem is that none of your provided data proves that CFB is, in fact, dying. To do that, you would need to establish (among other things) that viewership of CFB games has decreased relative to NFL games over the same time period. I'm pretty sure NFL games have always surpassed CBF in viewership or very nearly so, even the best games.

And what does the Super Bowl have to do with anything? It's always been far and away the most watched football event of the year; that's nothing new and will never change. The CFB championship does not compare and never has. 

The Super Bowl is also more immune to individual matchups than CFB because it is an annual viewing event with parties, halftime concerts, a reputation for memorable commercials, etc. CFB, not so much.

Maybe CFB is slowing dying. But all your numbers show are that the NFL is more popular. Water is wet. 

Least favorite: Newark …

Least favorite: Newark (terrible experiences with flights getting canceled or delayed to the point of missing connections), LAX (brutal to navigate and actually leave), and Miami (outdated and awful in every way imaginable). 

Most favorite: Regional airports in general get my vote.  Inexpensive parking close to the terminal, short security lines, not overly crowded, no trams to navigate to get from A to B or back to your car, etc. Of course, food options are more limited, but the convenience is well worth the trade. 

This is either recency bias,…

This is either recency bias, the result of a selective data set, or perhaps an explanation for why your Cubs have outscored opponents by 75 runs on the year but are only 4 games over .500. 

If I'm reading the stats right, it looks like errors per 9 innings are overall down this year and notably so against historical data.  And errant throws home by outfielders have always been common: it's one of the reasons defensive assists are so exciting. You are trying to throw a ball at maximum velocity hundreds of feet to a single point with the exact correct trajectory. It's insanely hard.

In sum, it is ridiculous that the Brewers (go Crew!) are currently winning the division. Probably won't last.

Hard to say if this bodes…

Hard to say if this bodes poorly or not. It could be that the defense believes they can slow OSU's running game without committing more resources than necessary, and was practicing for a barrage of real RPOs. Of course, it's easy for fans to theorize that the team was basically willing to lose a close game just to marginally increase the chances of beating OSU. 

Either way, if you're right and OSU scores 40+, Michigan's chances are bleak.

I am much more concerned…

I am much more concerned about Colson being forced into coverage all game against OSU.

The thread is about Michigan…

The thread is about Michigan's defense, not (yet another) referendum on Michigan's passing offense. It is very on brand for Michigan fans, however: We have a top rated defense BUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE EVER NEED TO COMPLETE A PASS DOWNFIELD!?!?!

The observation that…

The observation that Michigan's defense is on par with last year's defense through 7 games is really something. The defense lost a pair of 1st-round defensive line talents, a senior and long-time starting linebacker, and a 1st round safety (who has been replaced by a converted slot receiver) and hasn't seemed to miss a step despite also having a new defensive coordinator.

The worst thing you can say about the defense to this point is maybe that they've given up really late scores to Maryland and Iowa to make those games look more competitive than they were? So far, so good at least.

"I could see it being a good…

"I could see it being a good idea to do this.  I don't know if it is a particularly good idea to announce it and kind of make a big deal out of it."

I think Harbaugh had to announce it in advance. This way, the expectation has been set. If Cade has a great game against Colorado State but JJ starts against Hawaii, everyone knows it was the plan all along; "Michigan suddenly benches B1G champion starting QB after throwing 4 TDs" media headlines averted.  And vice versa: If Cade doesn't have a great game, he isn't getting "benched" for week 2 (more headlines!). Etc. etc. 

This sends the desired message and also shields the players from answering a million questions -- at least for 2 weeks. 

Touchdown Manningham doesn't…

Touchdown Manningham doesn't get enough credit because it was a down year for the team. What a game to be at. That 4th quarter was insane.

Sure, it's not difficult to…

Sure, it's not difficult to move on, but that's not really the point. Critical feedback should be welcomed to maximize the podcast's reach, which in turn makes it more attractive to sponsors and therefore better for the blog's bottom line -- everyone wins.

The blog should want feedback. Sounds like you maybe don't agree in this case, which is ok, too.

Standard SOP for the…

Standard SOP for the offseason at Mgoblog. We could always revisit traditional topics, like: Shampoo or soap first when showering? An oldie but a goodie! Just to mix things up.

Totally with you on the…

Totally with you on the handling the money aspect. Heck, tons of professional athletes go bankrupt. If you're old enough to sign a deal, it's your deal and you can squander it if you want. 

The "ruin the locker room" thing I think is more valid than you're crediting. In business, you obviously have a massive disparity between leadership (CEO) and your frontline employees, for example, and there are obviously reasons for that.

This is different. You now have unproven true freshmen making millions dollars more than experienced starters at the same position before they even step foot on campus. Sure, QBs get higher contracts relative to other positions on an NFL team, but the pay commanded by individual QBs is still largely based on the rookie wage scale and then actual performance, all within a defined salary cap that applies uniformly to all teams. That's all out the window in college now.

There's already been at least one published report of a starter basically demanding to have his NIL "match" that of incoming freshmen, or he'll walk.  That's a locker room issue waiting to happen. And there's no good way for coaches to manage it effectively because the coaches aren't the ones doing the individual deals. 

Sure, we we will never see…

Sure, we we will never see Diabate's ceiling, but even assuming that Jordan Morgan as a senior was a better player than Diabate is as a true freshman--which I do not think is nearly the 'slam dunk' you seem to suggest, as the raw stats are comparable and Diabate's defensive impact is on a different level--remember that it took 3 years of development for Morgan to reach that level while playing on some very good teams. 

Which means that you also tied up a scholarship for 4 years to get similar production from a (potentially) one year player like Diabate. This is not a knock on Morgan, by the way.

The elite teams seem to have both: Elite talent paired with good, experienced players that are stronger and have played against high competition in difficult environments. That's where we need to get to.

And not only Bell.  Just…

And not only Bell.  Just when Wilson started to look like an emerging, reliable target, he got hurt.  Now we're basically down to Johnson, a transfer (although a serviceable one), freshmen, and slot receivers. 

 

In a normal year this may…

In a normal year this may not be a top 5 team, but this year it could be.  Take a look at the current top 10. 

  • Georgia: So far, so good.
  • Cincinnati: Are they measurably better than Michigan? 
  • Oklahoma: Dogfights all season, needed a double-digit comeback to beat KANSAS.
  • OSU and Alabama: Certainly pass the eye test but already have a loss each.
  • Oregon:  One great win, some shaky wins.
  • MSU:  We will find out.
  • Iowa:  Beat PSU only because of Clifford's injury, lost uncompetitively to Purdue. 
  • Ole Miss:  Powerful offense, not so much on defense.

Lots of flawed teams on that list.  Seems to me that it's kind of a crapshoot and that two of the best three teams have already lost a game.  So who knows.

Clearly, the main takeaway…

Clearly, the main takeaway here is that GRIII, in a single game, had 5 times as many dunks as Michigan's starting point guards combined over the last 8 seasons.  That's pretty wild.

I tend to think the reason…

I tend to think the reason is that Beilein developed a well-deserved reputation for a certain kind of offense and tendencies, which made recruiting post-up players of Dickinson's caliber enormously challenging.  McGary might have helped to change that perception had things turned out differently, but alas.

And if you can attract only marginal post players, there's not enough benefit to changing your offensive scheme to highlight them.  You leverage your expertise and keep your system.  It was still a very good offense, as long as there were shooters.

Juwan came in with instant credibility for utilizing a true center, and here we are.

Good news! Michigan isn't…

Good news! Michigan isn't building a team based on "who-dats from New England." I understand your larger point that Michigan probably isn't recruiting at an elite enough level to really compete for national championships, but let's not exaggerate. Michigan signed the #14 class in 2020 and currently has the #11 class.  Not exactly a group of who-dats, but also good way from the OSU Recruiting Death Star.

This is a very helpful…

This is a very helpful update. The only issue I'd take issue with this is the "communication being difficult" angle. There have been ongoing, vocal complaints about the site, HUEL, etc. for a long time.  Maybe I missed it, but this is the first time I remember someone acknowledging that some of these issues are on the server side, etc.

I just think a periodic "Site Update" would be awesome, not THAT hard, and maaaaybe head off some of the complaining. Or maybe people will complain anyway. Ok, probably that.

But that's not really the…

But that's not really the same as suggesting that the ADs should all be on the call with the presidents and commissioner, right?  At the end of the day, it seems pretty darn obvious that:

  1. The ADs wanted to play, because of course they did and still do.
  2. The ADs communicated this desire to their respective presidents. I'm sure they argued for player safety, jobs, economics, etc.  If they didn't, that's on them.
  3. The presidents made a decision.

The comments from the ADs are the least surprising thing in all of this. They are trying to placate players and fans and have absolutely nothing to lose by letting everyone know that they support the athletes' desire to play and think they can keep the athletes safe in the process.

My two cents, I guess.

Keeping the ADs off the…

Keeping the ADs off the phone with all the presidents is exactly how the process should work.  The presidents are the decision-makers, and it is incumbent on them to gather the information and gather input from their respective ADs that is needed to make the decision before the decision gets made.

What you're proposing would be an absolute shitshow--14 self-interested ADs arguing with 14 university presidents on a phone call?

This is the real world.  Unless you're at the top of the totem pole there are times when you get to provide input to your superior and have to live with the decision your superior makes with the other people in charge.

Kevin Warren is a mouthpiece…

Kevin Warren is a mouthpiece and nothing more. If he'd announced a decision that was not in line with the B1G universities' vote/approval, the universities themselves would have spoken up immediately.

Did they? Nope. Just some self-interested coaches and ADs without any real say in the matter.

Disagree. No practical good…

Disagree. No practical good would come from this so-called desired transparency.  The people who already think the games should be played will continue to think the games should be played, and vice versa.  All it would do is inspire more yelling and the same angry debates discussed on repeat around here. The internet "experts" would be out in force to critique every word and referenced study. It would get political.  It would be ugly for the conference.

And it wouldn't change anything.