Washington 27, Michigan 17

[klondike]

It will be interesting to see if the draft players just bail early after a few more losses. Don't blame them.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Gulp. Quiet in here.

[Tom W]

With all the new starters and the hole at QB, they've got a lot to overcome.

Sure, but EVERY decent CFB team has to face massive attrition. Reloading instead of rebuilding is the difference been CFB and the NFL.

[THE_WIZARD_]

It's a different age. You must adapt. M hasn't as of yet but I'm sure they eventually will.

[lineygoblue]

Right now the goal should be to try and finish over .500, and hope that some help can come during the off season via the portal. It appears that for this season, the team will probably go as far as Jack Tuttle can take them. I don't really fault him for the turnovers, since the guy hasn't played in a real game in over a year. But he's probably the best real QB on the team, so anything good offensively is going to have to come from him.

There's a bye week now, so Tuttle should be getting two weeks worth of first team reps. Maybe that can help get him ready for the Biting Illini in Champaign. After that, Sparty comes to town, all full of piss and vinegar, as usual.

Six wins is the goal, to get into the post season.

[lineygoblue]

It's a different age. You must adapt. M hasn't as of yet but I'm sure they eventually will.

The rumor of the week is that Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports contacted Sherrone Moore and asked if he could help with NIL to bring in a top QB for Michigan. The rumor continues that Moore gave Portnoy one name. That hasn't been made public yet, but the speculation is that Portnoy is going to go after Bryce Underwood.

I've seen the kid play in person, and to me, I didn't see what all the hub bub was about. He reminded me a lot of Devin Gardner. I guess LSU is hot on him though ...

If all that turns out to be true, and Underwood flips to Michigan, that could mean that we'd lose Brady Hart. He won't want to sit behind Underwood.

[iam416]

This roster is completely on HARBAUGH!!!! He couldn't recruit. And next year's roster isn't going to be any better. And HARBAUGH!!!!'s recruiting mediocrity was well before NIL.

SHERRONE!!!! is probably in over his head. But, he's not working with a particularly good roster. I mean -- by CFP standards it's not good.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Dark times will return. I mean that seriously. People I'm talking to see continued decline in the quality of play of M football. It's going to affect how fans will view the value of showing up for games. High game ticket prices, the exorbitant total costs of getting to Ann Arbor, parking and high concession prices, put taking a family of four to a home game out of reach financially for many.

Affecting the quality of M football itself, there are several forces in play: (1) Talent is absolutely correct about M's deficient recruiting under Harbaugh. You cannot win CFB games without talent at the offensive skill positions. Other units are also vulnerable to lack of talent/player development. (2) I can't blame Harbaugh for gutting the coaching staff on his departure to the Chargers. But what he left and what Moore has assembled isn't looking good through 5 games. You cannot win at the elite CFB level without elite coaches. Aside from the quals and experience of individual coaches, the break-up of organizational structure - one of JH's strengths and key to the 2023 NC - seems to be having an impact. (3) Chaos in the portal and NIL. The negative impact on CFB has been beaten to death. It's affecting every CFB team to some degree. Those that adapt and benefit will do well, those that don't will suffer - M is currently in the later group.

I'm weighing the cost benefit of continuing to participate in the pool of our dwindling number of M fans that make up our tailgate group. We share the cost of game tickets. IVO the trajectory of M's football team and the lousy 2025 home game schedule, It's unlikely I'll buy my share of 2025 home game tickets and my son, Sean, will probably not buy his share either. I've participated in this group for close to 15 years so, it's a tough pill to swallow.

[lineygoblue]

I'm weighing the cost benefit of continuing to participate in the pool of our dwindling number of M fans that make up our tailgate group. We share the cost of game tickets. IVO the trajectory of M's football team and the lousy 2025 home game schedule, It's unlikely I'll buy my share of 2025 home game tickets and my son, Sean, will probably not buy his share either. I've participated in this group for close to 15 years so, it's a tough pill to swallow.

I wish I could have gotten together with you guys over the last two home games. Doug invited me, but things didn't work out for me to be there. I miss those days. And we're losing the Scio Church Road lot. One gut punch after another.

I think I'm sadder about these days than I ever was during the Richard Rodriguez days.

[jacksonite22]

I don't share the "sky is falling" narrative here. I think Tuttle looked way better than what we've seen previously, and if he gets the amount of practice reps with the first teamers in the coming two weeks he could be decent enough for M to finish 8-4.

[klondike]

I don't share the "sky is falling" narrative here. I think Tuttle looked way better than what we've seen previously, and if he gets the amount of practice reps with the first teamers in the coming two weeks he could be decent enough for M to finish 8-4.

But what bothers me more is the high school type coaching. There is nothing innovative about anything they do. It's one thing to be bad. And another to be boring while being bad. You lose interest fast.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Oh, I think M will go to a bowl but now the ceiling is 8-4, not 9-3 like it was before traveling to Washington and losing. M will likely vie for a spot in the lesser bowls with a NYD Bowl being wishful thinking.

What I'm talking about is the decline in what was elite football during Harbaugh's last 3 years at M. A repeat of a proud tradition of great M football teams, now and beyond, having an unmistakable trend to also-ran status. Given that, the question for a lot of M fans has to be is the money I'll spend to travel to Ann Arbor for a home game or travel to an away site to see M football teams lose? They're headed to 4-6 losses each season, out of the FBS play-off and NC chase, having become a sad replica of teams that won championships in the most recent and also the distant past.

Add to that what I believe all of us think about NIL and the portal, it's wild west character, and how M will do there - not good - along with it's wider impact on the CFB game itself. The sky isn't falling but if one likes the idea of M football in decline where, going forward, it will not be competing for the BT title, have at those $1000+ weekend adventures.