UM Football Recruiting - by WM Wolverine

[iam416]

Transfer rules operate to limit free agency. It's a matter of understanding that a verbal commitment isn't binding, especially from a 2015 kid. Under a "sign and be bound when you're 16" regime, Campbell would have never signed. And in understanding this, the real question is how your program handles verbals, namely do you nudge verbals out the door if you can get something better. If you're not willing to at least consider some variation of this approach, it's a one-way street where kids have a ton of power. Now, for a 2015 kid, it's so far from NLOID that it doesn't matter. But if he were a 2014 kid, this would be a massive hit.

As to buying recruits, I don't think there's much that can be done. FWIW, I don't think that money is the reason Campbell decommitted. I do think that Campbell could end up making a lot of money, but I don't that's why he decomitted from M. If he's looking at FSU, Clemson and M as a superstar WR, and doing it right now with fresh eyes, few would be surprised if M finished 3rd in that race.

Also, he's not a lifelong M fan like Peppers or Harris. As far as I can tell, ol' Hokey needs to keep hoping there's superstar M lifers out there so that he can keep OSU within in view.

[Mike]

As far as I can tell, ol' Hokey needs to keep hoping there's superstar M lifers out there so that he can keep OSU within in view.

And this is why we don't need Sparty routinely kicking our ass, winning 11+ games and going to conference title games.

[Hannibal]

Also, he's not a lifelong M fan like Peppers or Harris.

Not many of those left under 18 anymore. And even the big fans sometimes don't come here. RichRod lost at leat a few that I can remember.

Bah. Hoke is an A- recruiter. Unfortunately, it takes an A+ recruiter to recruit at a high level after going 15-10 and the team, in general, looking like an embarrassment. Our 2015 class is going to be a disaster. I'll bet my balls that Damien Harris won't be a part of it, and we're not going to get any of the other blue-chippers that we're after. It will be like the 2010 class except smaller. In fact, I'll go on the record with a prediction right now -- unless we make a miracle hire in January who does a bunch of wonderous last minute recruiting, the 2015 class will be the first M class ever that is unranked by rivals.

[hack]

Frightening, but as long as there's a silver lining...

[jaadam4]

I'm not sure what forum is more depressing to read right now. On one hand you have the Lions forum which is always about spreading playoff (sarcasm) holiday cheer for all to hear and on the other you have Big Blue who's turned into The Little Engine That Can't in 2 sports.

The sad thing is that both teams have the same need and it points to the coaching staff. The sadder thing is that the Leo's are sitting in a better spot right now with talent. It's going to be a tough couple years for Big Blue.

Do the impossible. Hire Tressel. Seriously

[WM Wolverine]

Basketball team is in a better spot, young talent is there, it's just not quite as good as we thought or as ready as we hoped. I think the basketball team will be much better in February than what we've seen so far. If GR3 leaves early, he will be easily replaced...

Staukus, Spike, Walton, LaVert, Irvin all look like 3-4 year players, this team will be around awhile. Chatman comes in next season.

[WM Wolverine]

Football team I'm less optimistic, schedule is favorable enough for 9+ wins next season. Defense doesn't lose much; just 3 starters. They should be one of the better B10 units next season...

Offensively they don't lose much either; Toussaint, Gallon, Lewan & Schofield... Darboh from what I've heard was DG's favorite target in practices, 7-on-7's and imo is good bet for breakout candidate to replace Gallon... Lewan and Schofield will be difficult to replace but you hope that you can find five 'solid' guys on the line next season, they have enough talent and they should be ready to play at a B10 level... DG will only be as good as his offensive line allows him, he makes the OL issues worse by his scrambling and throwing 'prayers' when pressured.

I'd be a lil' more hopeful if M had an offensive coordinator that understood the concept of using short pass plays when you can't run the ball, and short pass plays to setup the big play (or run even). Play-calling will be an issue, M can't run into 8-9 in the box and be successful unless they are running a triple option.

[Ghengis Jon]

Play calling has been the biggest issue in my book. At times its been beyond criminal, just plain felonious. This year has made some of the worst games of the Carr era look like masterpieces.

[Jeff Buchanan]

On the need for a short passing game ......

Not giving Borges a pass because he had his share of WTF plays called but Gardner invited zone looks that turned into cover 0 and odd man rushes off the corner or in the A gaps. He, the RBs and the interior line didn't handle these well when the short pass was the primary call.

Under that kind of pressure, Gardner was a good bet to throw an INT. Thus, I think the offense in general was somewhat limited. You can only run so many bubble screens, straight screens and counters, when you can't run the base short passing play effectively. The poor run game didn't help either.

I'm much less worried about the offense as a limitation to advancing the interests of the football program and it's supporters and fans than I am in the huge cracks that are beginning to appear in the dike that Brandon manages.

[WM Wolverine]

Winning on the field cures almost everything, or at least it masks them...

If M did better on the field this season, say win 2 of their close losses PSU, Nebraska, Iowa & Ohio; they'd likely have a lot more momentum heading into this off-season even if they were playing a South Carolina or LSU in a NYD Bowl game. Just win 1 of those and I think we'd see a whole lot less of those with pitchforks in hand...

re: Dave Brandon... He's doing his job, fund raising from the big money boosters. He's trying to make the M 'brand' more valuable while attempting to get as much revenue from the revenue sports as possible, all while building up all the rest the athletic programs (and their facilities) in the athletic department. I'd agree there is collateral damage done, e.g. pricing a lot of fans out of games but that is going on everywhere else too; not just M... Supply/demand, if demand goes down, the prices for those tickets will drop too.

[Ghengis Jon]

Supply/demand, if demand goes down, the prices for those tickets will drop too.

As illustrated by the one way (up only) "dynamic" pricing policy. No, even basic tenets of the free market are ignored so long as the money continues to roll in. Idiotic decisions will continue to be made if the numbers are black at year's end. This won't stop until the damage is irreparable and the lemmings realize that its not a pleasant breeze they're experiencing but a freefall from going over the cliff.

I take issue with a lot of Brand-On!'s so-called decisions (not all monetary ones). What offends me the most is his scorched earth policy. Economic Darwinism at the expense product quality, uniqueness and marketability. DB is Wal-Mart-izing UM. Higher pricing and lower quality in a one way relationship.

[Mike]

At least at Wal-Mart you pay lower prices for your crap.

[lineygoblue]

... except for gasoline. For that , they charge the same as everyone else ...

[*JD*]

I'm not sure what forum is more depressing to read right now. On one hand you have the Lions forum which is always about spreading playoff (sarcasm) holiday cheer for all to hear and on the other you have Big Blue who's turned into The Little Engine That Can't in 2 sports.

The sad thing is that both teams have the same need and it points to the coaching staff. The sadder thing is that the Leo's are sitting in a better spot right now with talent. It's going to be a tough couple years for Big Blue.

Do the impossible. Hire Tressel. Seriously

You can spend more time in the Pistons forum. The light at the end of the tunnel is in view!

http://detroitpistonsforum.com/forums/index.php?styleid=13

[WM Wolverine]

The light at the end of the tunnel for the Pistons is a good team without that high of an upside. A team like Grant Hill's Pistons, they could win ~50 regular season games but I don't see that team doing much in the postseason. (e.g. winning the East)