Michigan 45, TCU 51 Post Game Thread

[lineygoblue]

What sticks in my craw is why is it always the opponent in these bowl games that seems to be more prepared? What is Michigan doing with the run up time to the game? Its obvious to me that TCU was using the time to get ready to beat Michigan. Was Michigan sipping coffee and eating doughnuts? They looked like they just recycled the pages from playbook they used for OSU, and figured it'd work against TCU. And its not just this year. It goes WAY back into the Schembechler years. Michigan figures they can just show up, and use the same stuff that EVERYBODY knows about, and expects it to work. Nothing innovative, nothing different, nothing to make the other coaches think. Just the same old stuff.

I understand Hanni's frustration. I guess if you're going to be a Michigan fan, you have to live with this. Its what they do.

[Hannibal]

Moeller and Carr at least mostly met expetations. From the late Bo years through the end of the Carr era we were 12-9 in bowls Could have been a lot worse.

[klondike]

At least in Bo's days it was mainly about winning the Big 10 and the Rose Bowl was sorta glamorized exhibition game. Much different now with the Play-offs and possibilities of facing OSU 3 times (future) so the first time around may not make that much importance. Anyway, it's sad to see a first timer like TCU just waltz in and to the Championship game.

Go back to the drawing board H' and find way to get to the next level.

[Sanders Fan]

That was as good a shot as anyone is going to take to beat Georgia and they dodged a bullet.

[Cody_Russell]

M is 3-13 (last 16 results) in bowl games since I started being a sports fan. Kinda depressing to end most seasons with a disappointment. Can’t explain it. Fall semester exams too difficult during the several week bowl layoff? Is it the snow or cold weather in Ann Arbor during this time period? Bizarre to be THAT bad in bowl games.

At least the record vs Ohio State has improved to 3-15 in the last 18. Progress there with the 2 game winning streak in the series.

[maxreturn]

Lesson learned (besides the turnovers and missed opportunities in the red zone); the modus operandi of coming out flat for an entire 1st half against winning teams will not work. They barely got by some lesser teams with that "strategy" and were fortunate to beat OSU.

[hack]

1. Anyone seen anything on Edwards' health? He did not look right from the waist down. I wasn't convinced on him as an every down move-the-chains back, but to hardly give him a chance all game, and for him to be so tentative, makes me wonder. I wonder if Michigan just couldn't be itself yesterday.

2. This was brutal. As much as the refs put their thumb on the scale for TCU, two things can be true and the coaching staff didn't do particularly well here before game day and then on game day. But the fact that the team rallied also reflects well on the coaches. So, well, yeah. I think Harbaugh, even the best version of him, is a bit jittery on gameday. Not a particularly disciplined thinker. That came up for me in the '16 OSU game, and it hasn't mattered since then, really. But it mattered yesterday. IMO if they didn't think they could mash it in from the 2 on that first drive then you kick the FG. They outthought themselves on that play and were off-kilter for the rest of the first half. And, of course, even though Roman Wilson scored a TD, you had a chance to do 4 QB snakes from the 1 with the country's best OL. Harbaugh got way too cute.

3. Wow they must be really down on Stokes right now

4. Point the NIL money cannon at Corum and LFG. Next year's team can and should be better. This wasn't our last/greatest chance at it.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Joe Klatt's review of M's loss:

• Credit to TCU, great game plan by a great team
• UM seemed overconfident
• UM coaching staff very good but assistants are young and underperformed in this game, they will learn from it
• UM will be good, probably better next year
• Red zone issues cost UM and OSU their games
• Got to be able to win a shootout to win in the playoffs
• Officiating, specifically replay, is totally broken
• No way UM's touchdown should have been overturned
• Definitely targeting on final play
• Nationalize officiating, not regional

Pretty spot on and except for the butt-hurt posted here this seems to be consistent with responsible post game analysis.

Fucking refs (YMMV and will) ..... I can accept non-game changing, low leverage, fuck-ups but both of these missed calls (IMO, YMMV) affected the character of the contest in high leverage situations. Would M have won if both calls were made correctly in M's favor? I don't know. I thought TCU played it's ass off and deserved to win (Dykes game prep >>> Harbaugh's). In that regard, M didn't and poor scouting/pre-game planning, early coaching errors and a host of dumb, costly player mistakes sealed M's fate. But M fought and when you have calls that change the course of the battle like those did, somebody in charge at the conference or NCAA level needs to insist officiating be nationalized then work toward the goal of hiring and developing full-time, pro-refs.

[Dr. Strangelove]

There's also a report from The Athletic claiming if Harbaugh gets offered an NFL job he's almost certain to take it.

Report: Denver Broncos reach out to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh (detroitnews.com)

[lineygoblue]

There's also a report from The Athletic claiming if Harbaugh gets offered an NFL job he's almost certain to take it.

Report: Denver Broncos reach out to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh (detroitnews.com)

So long.

Next.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Anything is possible but this comes up every season. After the shit-stain that was the 2020 season, he did look seriously at leaving for the Vikings (among possibly others). Turns out the Vikings didn't want him and subsequently he gave assurances to Ward that he was going to stick around so, I find it hard to believe he'd leave for the Broncos. There are strong attachments to Ann Arbor within JH's family. I think Harbaugh has baggage as far as NFL owners are concerned. The real story in SF when he was HC there and his quarrels with management wasn't pretty and got papered over with all the excitement of the Harbaugh hiring by Jim Hackett.

[lineygoblue]

If he wants to 'chase a Super Bowl win", then fine. Go try with the Broncos. Or the Bears. Or the Colts. Or Team Du Jour. Whatever.

If the NFL is his dream and goal, then fine. Go. So long. Thanks for the last two years. Nobody should be serving in the HC office on State Street that doesn't wholeheartedly want to be there. If he has longings to be elsewhere, then sayonara. Good luck.

Find a successor who can take the current situation on State Street and handle it like a relay race. Pick up where it is now, and go further. Nothing needs to be changed/fixed. Pick up the baton, and move on. Find that guy, and go all in with him.

I have no idea who it should be.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Terry Malone is sitting by the phone awaiting The Call

[Jeff Buchanan]

Fuck that ..... and do not talk to me about Mike Debord or any of the more recent coaches that JH brought on board (not talking about the last two years - before that, e.g., Don Blitz Brown) that were dismal failures.

[lineygoblue]

And finally, speaking as one of the butt hurt people in here, let me make one final post on the situation and I'll move on.

I became an official when as a coach in youth football, I was constantly riding the officials in games my team was playing. Every week at coaches meetings, I would gripe about the officiating. Someone in the meeting said I should stop complaining, and become an official, if I felt I could do better than them. That was in 1992. In 1993, I stopped coaching, and became an official. I realized in my first game, how wrong I had been to be so tough on the officials.

That being said.

I went to officials clinics to learn the on field mechanics. I spent hours in rules meetings. I spent hundreds of dollars on uniforms, travel, and association fees over the years. I decided I was going to be the best official I could be. When I made bad calls that I knew were bad, I determined that I was not going to make the same mistake again. I was always was a "big" guy, so I had to work twice as hard, because "fat" officials are instantly looked down upon and considered incompetent. I didn't let that stop me. Every time I stepped on the field, I gave 100% of whatever I had. I expect nothing less of the officials that work today, no matter what level they are. NCAA officials are supposed to be one step away from the NFL. They're supposed to be REALLY GOOD. But, they are not. Too many cases continue to rear their ugly heads where incompetence and laziness determine the outcomes of games. That is inexcusable.

When it comes to instant replay. It was NEVER intended to be a method to micro officiate a ballgame. It was intended to be a means where obvious mistakes were corrected. It was never intended to take a play, and nit pick it to death to make a different ruling than what was called on the field. That is what this has become. Its about taking every angle possible, look at every blade of grass (artificial or otherwise) and try to find a different ruling than what was called on the field. That was NEVER the intent of replay. If they can't use replay for what it was intended, then they need to do away with it. Let the on field officials make the call, and move on. Its absolutely stupid to continue with replay if its not going to be used to correct mistakes or errors. Stop using it to nit pick. Fix mistakes. Thats it.

And finally, targeting. Basically the same thing. If you're not going to call it, then do away with the rule. Just call it unnecessary roughness, walk off 15 yards, and be done with it. I've always hated coaching that teaches players to use their helmets to punish an opponent. I'll always hate that kind of coaching. Yet, its obvious to me that coaches are still doing it. There are way too many tackles where tacklers lead with their helmets (heads) and the intent is to inflict pain and punishment on the opponent. IMO, that has no place in any level of football. Either call it, or let them have at it. Enforce the rule, or do away with it. If they ever do away with it, I hope nobody gets killed.

And one final point about the game itself. Michigan deserved to lose. They were not coached up well enough to be ready for what TCU brought to the game. TCU used the "they don't respect us" mantra that Lou Holtz used for years at Notre Dame, and it worked. They watched film, they were prepared, and Michigan was not. That's on Michigan's players and coaches. The officials incompetence only added to the problem, but could have been overcome with better game preparation by Michigan.

Great season. Lots of good players coming back, and if Harbaugh can once again ignore the siren song of the NFL, there's a decent coaching staff coming back as well. 2023 should be another fine year.

/// rant