Michigan Football, the 2020 Abbreviated COVID Season

[WingsFan]

RichRod is now weighing in on the program , I thought this was rather amusing.

“I remember after a weekly press conference after a game, I got called to the administration to talk to them about what I said at the press conference. And I’m like, ‘Uh, I can get pretty intense sometimes,’ and I’m thinking, ‘OK, did I say some four-letter word at the press conference I wasn’t aware of?’ So I go in there, and they said, ‘Well, coach, we’ve had several complaints from some board members and from some folks that in your press conference you said the word 'ain’t.' I said, ‘Uh, excuse me?' That’s not the four-letter word I was thinking. They said, ‘At Michigan, that’s not really the proper language,’ and I was like, ‘I’m in trouble here if that’s going to be the case.’

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2020/11/19/rich-rodriguez-jim-harbaugh-michigans-struggles-dave-brandon-and-more/6347822002/

[THE_WIZARD_]

heh

Pretty sure Bo and Lloyd said "ain't" as much as they wanted...RichRod never earned that...

[lineygoblue]

Rich Rod was sent to the plate with two outs, two strikes against him, and a balsa wood bat, .. and told to hit a home run.

He wasn't a great choice, but he wasn't given much to work with, and the natives were already sharpening their knives.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Had a good conversation with Doug and Sean yesterday morning. Key factors in this COVID shortened M shit-show are:

• (1) COVID - probably has a bigger impact on how players feel about playing than is being factored in. Some coaches are handling this better than others. Harbaugh is failing at it.
• (2) The QB debacle. Contributing to that is limited practice time to eval QBs, the McCaffrey shit, key players leaving, the BT front office season planning and execution. He who practices best plays ..... and where have we seen poor outcome from this approach before? This isn't all happenstance. A lot of it is on Harbaugh.
• (3) The D line. Why is Shaun Nua still employed. Zordich? Brown? Shitty recruiting, shitty player development produces the shittiest defense M has put on the field in a decade. It is a collapse and complete reversal of epic proportion. Not giving Harbaugh a pass on any of it.

The on-field performance of this team ranks right up there and probably exceeds the worst RR or Brady Hoke years. Mike may be right and JH isn't going to walk or get fired but Harbaugh has to be held accountable, most prominently for the baked in failure of his teams to compete at a championship level.

I too have serious doubts that he will be and just like I can choose not to buy shitty products at retail, I damn well won't be signing up to buy or watch whatever Warde Manuel and the Regents think is a product that is going to sell and sustain the M athletics programs. COVID will do its part to the AD's bottom line but without a change in the direction of M football, fans won't be buying and that will knock the legs out from whatever is left standing of M sports. To tiki, no laundry.

[iam416]

I can’t think of circumstances where a M coach in his 6th season should need a missed Rutgers FG to escape Piscataway.

[WingsFan]

He's a 'Michigan Man'


not named brady hoke

[lineygoblue]

He shouldn't have needed overtime at all.

McNamara won the starting job with his performance against Wisconsin. Why Harbaugh went back to Milton is beyond me. The entire team responded to McNamara's play, not just the offense.

I know that any praise of McNamara is going to get mocked to scorn in here, but he's proven that he's Michigan's best QB. Whatever system is in place needs to be molded to fit his strengths.

[THE_WIZARD_]

shaddup

[lineygoblue]

You're obviously feeling better

[THE_WIZARD_]

STFU

[Mike]

He shouldn't have needed overtime at all.

McNamara won the starting job with his performance against Wisconsin. Why Harbaugh went back to Milton is beyond me. The entire team responded to McNamara's play, not just the offense.

I know that any praise of McNamara is going to get mocked to scorn in here, but he's proven that he's Michigan's best QB. Whatever system is in place needs to be molded to fit his strengths.

Agree 100%. It was a different team on both sides of the ball after he came in. Now, the quality of the opponent cannot be overstated and the best Michigan can finish this season is 4-4 (3-5 is probably most likely as I think they'll split PSU and Maryland). So the season will ultimately go down as an unmitigated disaster BUT it looks like we might have a competent QB for the future.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Hope springs eternal among M fans, Mike ...... believe it. The last 15 years or so has extinguished it for me. Michigan football is what it is and probably won't change a whole lot for more than a few reasons not worth debating or listing.

[iam416]

Competence at QB isn't really an issue. I mean, sure, Milton looked awful, so maybe finding competence is the bar for 2020. But, look, Shea was "competent" for two seasons. He wasn't 5* great, but he was certainly competent.

So, yeah, M isn't going to be at a .500 level for anything other than this season. They'll be back to 8-9 wins with competent to good QB play.

I still think it's a remarkable problem to be this undertalented in Year 6. I could possibly see it in one position group (OSU, e.g., has mediocre DB talent for very good reasons resulting from the 2018 and 2019 classes). But, to see it so widespread is really astounding.

[Hannibal]

They aren’t undertalented as they are poorly coached. Very very poorly coached. You could put Harbaugh n charge of OSU and he would have them at 8-4 in three or four years.

[Hannibal]

Warde Manuel should be fired for not firing Harbaugh yet. No other program in the country would put up with this horseshit.