Michigan Football, 2021 Season

[Mike]

Yep.

[Tom W]

That's a good explanation as to why the fans stayed though the Rich Rod era. It felt like a blip at first but once it became apparent it wasn't going to work, they pulled the plug on that experiment. It was the right thing to do but the ensuing hire was a sick joke. We got the pixie dust Sugar Bowl win out of it and that felt amazing on the heels of 6-18 in the Big Ten for the 3 previous years. But it's almost impossible to explain what an absolute shock Harbaugh's failure has been. All of a sudden you look up and its been 17 years since the last Big Ten title and there isn't even hope. Once that goes there isn't much left unless you want to spend $150 to hear Hells Bells and One Nation Army 47 times in 3.5 hours.

The thing about the RichRod experiment that we forget is that after the disaster of his first year, there was actual progress in years 2 then 3 and that carried into Hoke's first year. Of course, that's really irrelevant to what happened to Hoke's next three years and the truly baffling roller coaster ride that Harbaugh has taken us on. About all I can add to that is that he was actually set up to make it to the CFB playoffs TWICE. His complete crapping of the bed against Tosu in those opportunities is the biggest mystery of them all.

[Cody_Russell]

Rich Rod might have stayed longer if his teams didn't no-show in big/rivalry games. The fanbase was pissed after being blown out by Ohio State and Mississippi State to end 2010.
But yes... there was progress year to year. Excluding the awful Greg Robinson defense.

Carr couldn't beat Ohio State at the end of his era.
Rich Rod's teams improved, but not enough in time. Culture drama/ "not a Michigan-man" stuff.
Brady Hoke's teams regressed.
Harbaugh has been a chaotic mixed bag after being the most home-run hire imaginable in 2015.

[Tom W]

All of the above is dead spot on..

[lineygoblue]

I laughed out loud at the Snooze article today that said Michigan should "likely" end up 8-4.

I have no idea where such optimism comes from. NOTHING has happened over the last 24 months to indicate that a season like that is possible.

Nada.

[Tom W]

Well, they SHOULD win at least 8 games every season- including this one. Sorry, but assuming otherwise just isn't acceptable. Sure, beating ohio will take a near miracle, but scratching out 8 wins from the rest of the schedule should be the bare minimum to keep Jimmy from taking up gardening full time in 2022.

[lineygoblue]

Just to give this thread some life:

Michigan opened fall camp on Friday. Cade McNamara begins camp as the starter, with JJ McCarthy as the backup. The transfer kid from Texas Tech "will be in the mix" according to Harbaugh.

Hassan Haskins and Blake Corwin will be "1 and 1" at RB. Donovan Edwards has been impressive enough in pre camp workouts for his teammates to be impressed with him.

The OL will be young, but all will have game experience.

Aiden Hutchinson will likely be a captain. Could be the best overall player on the team.

otherwise ... yawn...

[Hannibal]

4--8

OSU and Wisky will be monster blowouts. OSU, I'm sure, is chomping at the bit for that 66-17 type blowout loss that they were robbed of last year.

PSU and Udub are sure losses. MSU is a tossup because they are sitll totally bereft of talent. That one should be a blowout too, but, well Harbaugh.

I don't see more than 5 wins on the schedule, best case. The team sucks dick and the coach is, far and away, the worst coach in the conference now that Lovie Smith is gone.

[iam416]

(A) I'm not sure how Ohio State only scores 66 last year and (B) I'm not sure how M scores 17.

[Hannibal]

(A) I'm not sure how Ohio State only scores 66

Mercy in garbage time combined with Michigan's tendency to run their offense very slowly.

(A) I'm not sure how M scores 17.

The same way that Nebraska scored 17 or that Rutgers scored 27 on you -- one or two good drives, a turnover here and there, Ronnie Bell converting an 8 yard completion into a 60 yard catch-and-run, 2nd stringers in garbage time going against our first stringers, etc.

I guess we'll never know. But this year's blowout will probably be representative of last year's alternate universe blowout.

[lineygoblue]

I think that 66-17 prediction is spot on. OSU will be good enough to score the 66, and M's defense will be bad enough to allow even more. And I don't see CRD telling any 'string' of his offense to 'take a knee'.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Well at least HARBAUGH!!! will get a win in Lincoln over FROST!!!

[Jeff Buchanan]

I've never been more disinterested in analyzing or talking about M football than I am now.

[AlabamAlum]

Same.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Thirded