Michigan Football, the 2020 Abbreviated COVID Season

[lineygoblue]

Herbstreit and Pollock sharpen up their skills in kicking in the dirt on Michigan's grave. They'll have even more material come Saturday about 4:00 pm Eastern.

https://247sports.com/college/michigan/Article/Michigan-Wolverines-football-Jim-Harbaugh-exposed-Michigan-State-Spartans-game-Don-Brown-154128296/?utm_source=247Sports%2520Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=201103_080728_MichiganWolverines&utm_content=Link

And by the way, Big Ten, you better fear Mel Tucker. He's about to become the scourge of the Big Ten. Ryan Day's "days" are numbered.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Harbaugh failing at M makes great sports news. I'd equate his failure at M to Trump's epic failure with NK. Huge expectations, grandiose claims of great things to come from supposed experts on international diplomacy and state's craft and then ....... a huge wet fart.

[lineygoblue]

I'd equate his failure at M to Trump's epic failure with NK.

Well, at least he talked Kim out of nuking Honolulu. So, there is that ...

[Mike]

If Harbaugh or anyone else is disappointed that he's FINALLY being taken to task by the media, there's nobody to blame except Jim Harbaugh. The media has fawned over him since the day he was hired. He is to Fox Sports what AOC is to MSNBC.

EDIT: I actually went back and read the article and they are 100% spot on. And Herbie is actively rooting for Michigan to be good! They aren't exactly piling on, simply discussing a game of national interest on a podcast about CFB. Kinda like it's their job.

"Kudos, by the way, to not only (first-year head coach) Mel Tucker but Jay Johnson — his offensive coordinator was ridiculous. I mean, really, really good job because Michigan State's numbers don't blow you away at all. I mean, their rushing game was OK, but the passing — they rushed it enough and their play action and moving the pocket and not letting Lombardi just sit back there because Michigan has a good pass rush. I mean, they have a really good pass rush. ... They didn't sack him once. Not once did they sack him. So it was a great offensive game plan. It was a great job of, 'You're going to play man? I'm going to take shots over and over and over.' And then on the other side of the football, they couldn't run the football consistently, Michigan, and their offense couldn't go deep. Their offense was dink and dunk. They couldn't make big plays down the field and that was really the difference in the game.

"And Michigan got a late score when they were down 10 with like 40 seconds left or 30 seconds left to make it look even closer. ... There was no turnovers on either side. This was just a, straight up, 'We lined up. We're better than you. We out-coached you.' And Michigan State's game plan was better and they executed it better, and they beat Michigan pretty soundly."

Sounds just like the game I watched.

[lineygoblue]

I've come to realize that any praise toward Michigan that is uttered by people with connections to OSU is to be totally ignored. Urban Meyer, Herbstreit, Joey Galloway, Spielman, all of them. Whenever they say anything remotely resembling positive remarks toward Michigan, it is to be taken with a grain of salt. Especially in the case of Meyer.

Urban Meyer Michigan commentary = Howard-Paul Finebaum Michigan commentary. One and the same.

For me, bottom line is that Harbaugh has to go. He came in with tremendous good will and had the opportunity to bring in top notch coaching and player talent, and turn this thing back into a championship contending program. For whatever reason(s), he has failed. He needs to recognize his failure, and not only that, but his seeming unwillingness to or inability to make the changes necessary. He needs to voluntarily step aside, and let Manuel find someone who has the knowledge and passion to bring the program back to respectability.

The recent history of Michigan football and coaching searches and hiring's is not favorable. And the powers that be have become complacent and accepting of their status. Just like the Detroit Lions. Failure is acceptable. Participation trophies are the goal. Humiliating defeats = box of juice and sliced apples time. Its all good, nothing is wrong here... "Go Blue".

pfffft

[Jeff Buchanan]

This was actually the first time I watched a lot of M. I know they're missing Hutchinson and Paye and Mayfield. But, nonetheless, I was stunned at how awful they are. In every meaningful regard they are a really bad team.

I moved this comment from Talent that appeared in the game thread over to the general discussion of M football. I'm going to kill the game thread in a couple of hours to post the game thread for Michigan at Rutgers next weekend.

But yeah, I watched portions of Paul Chryst's destruction of Jim Harbaugh last evening. My son, Sean, and I agreed it was hard to watch and we both asked how could the program have sunk to such lows - did 2016 kill Jim Harbaugh? I don't know the answer to either of those questions but, like Talent, I'm stunned at how bad the 2020 version of M football is.

I'm not interested in dissecting the Wisconsin game. I gave up interest in pre and post-game analysis after MSU blew out M in Ann Arbor a few weeks ago. That was the final straw for me. If Bacon is right that Ward Manuel will renew Jim Harbaugh's contract I won't be attending or watching M football in 2021.

Harbaugh's post game comments that appeared in an ESPN news feed that I read this morning rung hollow as he took full responsibility for the loss and would look at every aspect of the program to find out where we are, what's wrong and a path forward - or words to that effect. WTF, this is year 6 Jim and your Michigan football team continues to deliver an on-field comedy of errors with such errors coming in ever increasing frequency and impact. Michigan football is a joke. Worse than the worst of the Rodriguez or Hoke years. I hope Harbaugh resigns and there's a pathway for that.

The best thing for M's football program - and I think Jim knows it - is for him to tell Manuel privately that he won't be back and let Manuel start a search for JH's replacement to be named before Christmas. Depending on how that plays out, Harbaugh with his staff in place could complete the season which I think he would prefer. Will that happen? I have no idea. It really is up to Harbaugh as I think it's more likely that Harbaugh will force manual's hand than the other way around.

Watch for FOIA requests on Harbaugh's contract renewal which, as far as I know, has not yet been extended. It expires 3d after the last game of the 2021 season. Per reports, he remains the only P5 coach with < 2y remining on his contract entering the COVID shortened 2020 season.

[iam416]

The Covid season has a ton of leeway. It’s so abnormal that you can write off a lot to the weirdness of it all. HARBAUGH!!!! has somehow gone well beyond the leeway. It’s really astonishing.

[iam416]

Also, regarding the stupid ass “The spot killed HARBAUGH” nonsense. What killed HARBAUGH!!! is that Hoke’s recruits left the program, HARBAUGH!!!’s recruits entered the program, the QB whisperer has yet to develop a QB and he apparently has some issues retaining players.

But, sure, Ohio State killed HARBAUGH!!! That’s roughly the same as believing God is punishing your adultery by giving you herpes when you’ve been banging hookers by dozen sans protection. The explanation is obvious.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Lucid yet cogent.

[Whitley]

The Covid season has a ton of leeway. It’s so abnormal that you can write off a lot to the weirdness of it all. HARBAUGH!!!! has somehow gone well beyond the leeway. It’s really astonishing.

It is a weird season. No one would have thought that Penn State would be 0-4 right now, IU and Northwestern being unbeaten right now.

Michigan graduated a lot of production and the transfers have killed the depth. Losing Nico and Ambry Thomas really hurt too. The only good thing right now is the youngsters are getting valuable reps.


If youa re going to replace Harbaugh....the question is with who?

[iam416]

If you’re afraid to fail then you’ll never succeed.

There are dozens of coaches who are better than HARBAUGH!!!!

[AlabamAlum]

Mark Stoops. I know his overall record isn’t great, but you gotta remember: Kentucky is the Illinois of the SEC. He entered the season with 4-straight winning seasons (7-6, 7-6, 10-3, 8-5), but when he took them over they were coming off of a 2-10 record. Just Vandy bad. When he leaves, they will go back and I’m ready for that.

Hugh Freeze has baggage, but he is a very good coach. My fear is South Carolina is gonna fire Muschamp and hire him. No beuno.

Doc Holliday at Marshall. Solid coach at a have-not school.

Fickell. Bob Stoops. Venables. The other usual suspects.

The only bad choice would be Sark. History of alcohol abuse. He’s probably drunk right now. Just riding Saban’s coattails. Overrated. Big time. Gattis with an addiction issue and a worse coach.

[lineygoblue]

If I were Manuel, I'd at least make a call to Cincy and then Fickell's agent, to see if he has any interest. If he has no interest, I'd move on quickly and not try to change his mind. If he has interest, I'd send the jet to bring him in for an interview. I doubt he's interested. He does not like Michigan.

We don't need the baggage that Freeze would bring. Let him go be a Cock.

Doc Holliday would get a phone call, as would Bob Stoops. Mark Stoops can stay in Lexington.

And just to spite Mr Alum, I would give Sark a call. If the man is in a good 12 step program and on the wagon, he deserves another chance. He's an offensive genius. All he'd need is a good DC.

In addition, I think I'd give Jed Fisch a call. Good man, solid with QB's, and a good recruiter. He'd be worth an interview.

[Hannibal]

I like Mark Stoops too although I think that his stubbonness with shitty offenses and overreliance on dominant defense gives him a hard ceiling. He would be fairly successful but frustrating to watch.

I'd rather have Brohm from Purdue. Fickell is my #1 guy though for sure. And I'd also get Paul Chryst on the phone. Lots of really good candidates who aren't super risky hires or reaches. But whoever it is needs to be on board the Monday after the season ends. We can't have a repeat of our 2011 and 2015 classes, both of which were disasters.

[AlabamAlum]

I think his offense is a product of the talent he gets - at least partly. It’s hard to make much hay with the 1 and 2 star skill players Kentucky is able to get against SEC defenses so he plays a more conservative run-based offense.