UM Football Recruiting - by WM Wolverine

[Da Geezer]

This year, Michigan goes as far as Gardner can take them.

Our misery today is because DeBorges took the ball out of Gardner's hands at the end of the game and during the overtimes. Michigan has done well in the red zone this year. Not getting a field goal at the end of regulation will go down as one of the worst bone-headed calls by a coaching staff ever. Trusting a poor kicker rather than Gardner during the overtimes was stupid to boot.

[lineygoblue]

I agree with you for the most part Geezer. If you truly trust your quarterback, you take at least one shot into the endzone, and throw a pass that is near the end line where its either a TD or its incomplete. Borges never allowed it.

And to be fair to Gibbons, he had made 16 FG's in a row, up until yesterday. The kicking had not been a problem this season, until yesterday.

No excuses for the kicks that Gibbons missed left or right. The one that was short was barely out of his range, and only attempted after Hoke failed to call a time out to avoid a 5 yard penalty. Add five yards to that kick, and it sneaks thru, and we don't even go to OT.

Getting back to recruiting .. if Hoke is fired this year, you may as well say good bye to Jabril Peppers, and Dashawn Hand, among others. Those kids committed to Michigan in large part due to Hoke and Mattison. Not to mention the transfers that may take place after a Hoke dismissal.

[Paul L]

Getting back to recruiting .. if Hoke is fired this year, you may as well say good bye to Jabril Peppers, and Dashawn Hand, among others. Those kids committed to Michigan in large part due to Hoke and Mattison. Not to mention the transfers that may take place after a Hoke dismissal.

Then so be it; it's blatantly apparent the ceiling with Hoke at the helm is 9-3, even with a plethora of talented recruits (with little to no development of the current ones, especially on the DL and D Green).

No thanks

[Jeff Buchanan]

And he shouldn't.

Got to figure out how to run the ball.

Who, if they haven't figured out how to do it by now, it's not going to happen this season. We're half way through it.

There is certainly a set of contributing factors to this reality. The issue that we are not going to be able to discern from our vantage point is what do you do to fix the problem.

I thought there was some progress in the Minnesota game with the switch at center and the guard postions but I had no illusions the problem was fixed. The gophers have notoriously bad DEs and LBs and we all knew that. I was fully prepared for what happened to the run game at Happy Valley saying I'll start believing in Hoke and company when they can put a team on the field that performs consistently. Epic fail there and, for me, not unexpected but surprised by its proportion.

IMO, the problems with the run game/OL were flamed by some of the worst play calling by Borges that I can recall seeing by any of M's past coordinators at the scale that it occurred. Who that was coming from, Hoke or Borges himself, we won't know.

I do think the observation that Hoke is nothing more than a figurehead with his coordinators left alone has substance and therefor believability. Regardless, if that is the culture by which the team is coached and run, the team is going to continue to fail because Borges has clearly demonstrated he is not any where near as good as he thinks he is....... see the results of his alleged QB coaching skills. See the results that his subordinate assistant OL coach Darryl Funk has delivered.

[Da Geezer]

Hoke won't be fired.

Frankly, I'd rather have a good recruiter than a good head coach, if I had to choose. I don't think UM should have put itself in the position of having to choose. I'm not even saying that Gardner should have passed the ball. I'm simply saying that he had gained over 100 yards on runs that started with pass blocking. Just dance with the girl that brung ya.

[WM Wolverine]

What JB said, this team can't run the ball against the softest part of it's schedule. The only thing they can do offensively is DG throw the ball when he's allowed too. They took the ball out of DG's hands and put the game in Gibbons's and Toussaint's hands once they went up 10 against PSU...

Huge mistake, you play to win the game and you step on your opponents throats when they are down.

[Da Geezer]

What is Lawrence Marshall's injury?

[Rocky Bleier]

Speight, Ferns, Canteen, and Watson all signed early enrollment letters. At least Speight has been a good recruiter.

[Chuck Mallory]

Michigan offers LB Tanner Muse a kid from Gastonia(South Point HS) just a few miles down the road from me. Clemson favorite.

Also a few weeks ago I went to my old high schools big rival game. WL vs Lincolnton. Michigan has offered Darian Roseboro a big defensive end for Lincolnton. First play from scrimmage kid slams our RB for a 5 yard lose. We have some talent round these parts!!

[Da Geezer]

With D. Hand saying he likes UM for Sports Management and Alabama for Engineering, I thought it might be interesting to look at the rankings of UM Engineering school.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering

UM is # 7 and Alabama is # 112. On Recruiting Nation last night, Hand was all agog about seeing an earthquake sumulator at UA . I honestly thought the kid was smarter than that.

[Chuck Mallory]

He's going to Bama.

[lineygoblue]

When did he announce that?

[Da Geezer]

He announces on November 15, but was highly favorable toward Alabama after his visit last weekend. Experts say he is still a Michigan lean.

[Optimus Prime]

It's pretty clear what Saban can offer compared to Hoke. Why join a D-line that will still be "rebuilding" in year 4 of Hoke?

Get blown off the ball by UConn and nearly suffer a humiliating defeat on national tv or roll Texas A & M, couldn't be clearer IMO.

[Jeff Buchanan]

It's pretty clear what Saban can offer compared to Hoke. Why join a D-line that will still be "rebuilding" in year 4 of Hoke?

Get blown off the ball by UConn and nearly suffer a humiliating defeat on national tv or roll Texas A & M, couldn't be clearer IMO.

Mattison.

That card is still a pretty good play for a guy like that.

Alabama's draw is, without any question, a bag full of cash, and I'm not implying it's coming from Saban. Not to mention frequent play on the national media stage ..... not a big drawing card for M these days.

Reality.