Rutgers @ Michigan, Saturday, September 28th, Noon EDT, BTN/Fox Video

[hack]

One thing that seems obvious is that Ben Mason needs to be back in a short-yardage package. He's clearly not going to help at DT. Get him back on O full time.

[WingsFan]

I think that experiment is over, wheres Brady Hoke when you need him.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Hack:

Show me where competent observes - those who actually know what they are talking about - have stated that [Patterson] just isn't quick with his reads and struggles to hit guys in stride.

This is a common meme among the uninformed and you're just repeating it here.

https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/shea-patterson

I'll give you that I think the weight of the evidence points to the reality that M's DT position is a bit on the light side, i.e., Brown is missing the Mo Hurst types that he traditionally depends on for running a 3 DT (3-3-5 or 3-4-3 over/under or 4/3/4) aggressive man, pressure D.

But life in CFB has changed. The wide spread adaption of variations of the spread offense have dictated changes in defenses. Couple that with the reality that DTs like Mo Hurst don't grow on trees and you can understand why defenses ARE changing across CFB. Brown, as ufm in his analyst position with Fox has stated he will have to do, HAS adapted. But this and what it implies ........

I really mean it here -- I'd feel a lot better about Don Brown if we had Brady Hoke coaching and recruiting defensive linemen.

....... just isn't a good take.

Here's why: No question the DT positions are critical for a stout run stopping defense but when you don't have a bevy of Mo Hursts on your roster - an increasingly common occurrence across all of CFB - you adapt. Brown has done that. I've linked to numerous articles describing what I think is what he's done to mitigate the weakness in M's DTs. I'd even argue that Brown knows what's out there among HS recruits and has found the combination of 300+ Lb DTs that are agile enough to be good defenders against spread offenses that focus on getting the ball out quickly are rare. While it's true you give up a bit of run stopping up front to gain agility, coaches are off-setting that with fast LBs and Ss that have a bit of beef to them and can read the keys and fill gaps at the LoS to defend the run adequately. There are trade-offs, I thiink Brown recognizes that ....... and what evidence do you have that supports your position that Brady Hoke is a better coach than Shaun Nua?

TBF, we are all really dealing in stating armchair coach positions that are based, at best, on collating observational and anecdotal data to support a particular view. So, I get what you are saying. I just don't think either of your positions can be well supported.

[hack]

No need to take my word for it, and nobody is asking you to. Clearly you've made it clear that you think you are informed and I am not, and that my takes are not good. But you follow Space Coyote. There's a few tweets up top that feed now talking about how they're simplifying reads for him. I'm not sure if you've permanently categorized mgoblog as Uninformed now for not calling the defense a 2-4-5, but those guys are talking about how he can read half the field but not two halves. Brian went into the season hoping for improvement from Patterson in terms of seeing the field and reacting fast. I know you read that stuff. Are you sure you're understanding what they are saying? Another guy you could heed there if not me is Nico Collins in Camp Randall, waving frantically after his man falls down and Patterson can't find him. Another approach would be to rewatch the games. You could just watch the Ronnie Bell targets alone. And say what you will about booth teams, but they'll point out to you those late throws and missed reads.

As for the DTs, well, as you say, it's a lot easier if you have a Mo Hurst. Who was responsible for Mo Hurst? Brady Hoke was! He recruited and developed Mo Hurst. So there's one bit of evidence Brady Hoke is a better defensive-line position coach than Shaun Nua. Nua could prove to be a good hire in time, but this is the one area where Hoke has a great track record -- the Wormley/Charlton/Glasgow/Hurst/Henry era was insanely talented and productive, and all those guys came to Michigan and spent their developmental years under Hoke. Shaun Nua has never put together a DL like that. Hoke also coached ends at Michigan in 95-96, and from 97-01 the entire DL. A trip down that particular memory lane would be depressing today, but you know the list of names on that DL who were recruited and coached up in that period. Shaun Nua has also never done that.

So there's the evidence that supports my position. I think that position is pretty well supported.

[Jeff Buchanan]

With respect to mgo, I have less confidence in what Brain concludes in his UFRs than in the past. There are alternate views that would disagree with his take.

Don't take my comments about your views personally, Hack ....... I just don't agree with some of them and ask that you support them. You've done so. It's not just you that will take a position on Harbaugh, Patterson, Brown, the offense or defense and take that particular position without support. It's a distasteful, to me anyway, approach taken by too many M football fans. Bad takes in an echo chamber sort of way.

I'm all for respectful debate on any number of subjects but especially those about the things we are debating - the state of M football, Harbaugh's competence or lack thereof, Shea Patterson, Don Brown's defense, etc. I can be persuaded by good argument to change my view on any number of things and not dig my heels in about a view that I hold.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Interesting take:

Michigan seemed to realize who they should be.

https://touch-the-banner.com/michigan-52-rutgers-0/

[hack]

I can be persuaded by good argument to change my view on any number of things and not dig my heels in about a view that I hold.

That's not my experience here. I spent two days trying to talk about how Wisconsin has a DT problem and handled it differently, and your response was to become the only person to anyone's knowledge who thinks Don Brown's in a 2-4-5, then to announce that those sorts of distinctions aren't important, and then to announce the downgrading of MGoBlog in your eyes because they don't agree with your formation opinion, which I guess was back to being an important distinction after a brief period of being unimportant.

Meanwhile, the fact remains that Michigan has a serious vulnerability in the middle of its defense, just like other teams do and suffer less from. And that Michigan's DL play has deteriorated every year for four consecutive years since landing Rashan Gary, the first consensus #1 rank in at least a decade if not ever since the 247 composite scores. That's an obvious football discussion of the kind you say you want to have, staring you right in the face.

[Hannibal]

All of the prognisticators who predicted a wave of overoptimism after a Rutgers blowout were spot on.

[lineygoblue]

Rumor time:

Don Brown to Rutgers as HC after the season ends.

[hack]

He's earned a chance.

[Hannibal]

I'll take Chris Ash as DC.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Rumor time:

Don Brown to Rutgers as HC after the season ends.

I'm not sure Don Brown wants to be a HC ..... anywhere. It's a hassle compared to what he's doing at M. Given the short chain the deciders gave Ash at Rutgers, not sure they can attract any kind of quality coach with a resume to back it up.

I don't visit other team's boards but I'd sure like to know what direction fans think their AD will go or if coaching search rumors or a leaked short list has already emerged.

[hack]

He reportedly interviewed for the Temple job two years ago, which, if true, indicates a degree of interest in an HC job.

[Jeff Buchanan]

From Gerdman's Michigan Monday:



There's a good reason for these numbers and I posted a link to what those are. https://www.detroitlionsforum.com/fo...26#post1656526

Not dissing Gerdman. His stuff is always good. But it helps when evaluating Michigan's 2019 season and new OC, Josh Gattis' run game if you have some understanding of one of the reasons this may be happening: DCs aren't concerned about Patterson being a run threat in the Gattis ZR/RPO offense. It's an alternate view of the ones that suggest the OL isn't blocking well or M's RBs aren't that good.

https://theozone.net/2019/09/michigan-monday-forgiven/

[lineygoblue]

I doubt Brown would leave either, but if he takes a lot of heat for losing big games again, it could grease the rails for him to consider alternative employment.

He knows recruiting on the east coast. And he may take a couple current Michigan assistants with him.