Michigan @ Indiana, 10/14/17, Noon ET, ABC/ESPN 3

[THE_WIZARD_]

He's a hip dude!

[WingsFan]

As in I. M. Hipp ?

[THE_WIZARD_]

You sir...are NOT hip.

[THE_WIZARD_]

....oh...you meant this cat...

[WingsFan]

efz

[THE_WIZARD_]

My bad.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Jeff your posts show what happens when one retires and has too much time on his hands. ......

I do, here's some more less than encouraging news. Tom Allen, IU's HC, has an interesting background. Before coming to Indiana as Kevin Wilson's DC, he was the DC at South Florida of the AAC; quite successful there. He likes Don Brown and runs a similar defense with a bit of a twist - his is a 4-man front that works like a 3-3-5. It appears that in 2017 Allen's got the dudes to have his current DC run HIS defense effectively. Most know that Allen, when serving under HC Kevin Wilson as his DC, brought IU's D out of the dumps in 2016. I't running at a high level in 2017.

Fi-Fi-Fo Film at mgoblog discusses the aggressive style of Indiana's defense and that they can get away with it because IU has 1.5 really good CBs that play man coverage and 2 really good Ss who can handle deep and sideline to sideline pass coverage while helping to clean-up on run plays inside or out. IU is hard to run against and the skill levels of their Ss make the typical stuff to combat aggressive LB and S stuff, run screens, slants and crossing routes over the top of them, doesn't work that well it appears. IU covers it well.

We've been talking (or at least I have) about how M needs to scheme on offense to beat IU. I think the important thing to remember is I DO NOT think M will dumb down the run offense. As I posted elsewhere, there might be some changes in blocking schemes that feature less zone - small stuff; nothing big. I'm really hoping, perhaps naively, that M is really close to getting Harbaughffense to click. When things click, Harbaughffense is a bitch to contain.

The reason for that is that the run game is built off of the concept that you're trying to force the D into misreading keys. I guess this is what people are bitching about it being too complex. I disagree with that but what do I know. Aggressive defenses are much more prone to being fooled than those that sit back in zone and keep stuff in front of them and the pay-off if you do fool the opponent's D can be huge. Anyway, instead of complaining about how horribly bad Michigan football is, I'll be watching for improvement in the run game. I'm not going to lose it if that doesn't happen.

I'm hoping this week's critics following the MSU loss will recognize that being able to create an offense like this - Harbaughffense - takes time, patience and skillful development of all 11 guys playing within it. I'm not going to harp on what shitty QB'ing or OL depth, skill and experience issues have on M's offensive efficiency. If you haven't come to grips with reality here, you won't and you'll continue to bitch about how bad Michigan is and what a bad coach Harbaugh is. As you know, IMO, it's not coaching (80/20). Your mileage may vary.

The road game at IU was my early THE WTF loss this season but since MSU has already claimed that spot, things don't look good. If M loses this game, 7-5 becomes more likely than 8-4 and 9-3 or better will have such a low occurrence probability as to not be worth considering at all. I think M can win this game but it is only going to win it if Harbaughffense starts to click ..... and while that statement sounds like, well, thank you Mr. Obvious, if you think that, there's a good chance your look and feel for M's offense is superficial.

[Rocky Bleier]

With a nod to Led Zeppellin: The Song Remains the Same.

One small substitute that fits so well...

I'm hoping this week's critics following the MSU loss will recognize that being able to create an offense like this - RichRod offense - takes time, patience and skillful development of all 11 guys playing within it. I'm not going to harp on what shitty QB'ing or OL depth, skill and experience issues have on M's offensive efficiency. If you haven't come to grips with reality here, you won't and you'll continue to bitch about how bad Michigan is and what a bad coach Rodriguez is.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I believe you're saying that, like RR with his Spread And Shred offense in his 3rd season where some were suggesting be patient, suggestions to be patient with Harbaughffense in JH's 3rd season are similarly unjustified. Do I have that right?

[Rocky Bleier]

Nice try. :smile: I'm saying we've been patient from 2008 to the present. We just keep hearing "be patient," and it has gotten really old. I do believe that Harbaugh is a much better coach than both Rodriguez and Hoke, but I only have about 30 years left on this earth.

[THE_WIZARD_]

STAY THE COURSE MAN!!!

HARBAUGH!!!

[Jeff Buchanan]

I'd say that having patience with Rodriguez's Spread and Shred offense would only have been appropriate if he had not made so many other missteps. Denard Robinson, who RR recruited and brought to M out of FL, should be included among the best players that ever wore the Maze and Blue. As much as I personally wanted RR and his offense to succeed, he was a poor fit at M personality wise. Bill Martin didn't do his home-work and LC and his crowd never offered their support. Patience with him was not a good option.

Brady Hoke was a terrible hire...... and so was past AD Dave Brandon who brought Brady in as M's HC in relief of RR. It only took two seasons to figure that out. Even after Hoke's first season where he won 11 games and got a Sugar Bowl victory over VaTech, things never felt quite right. Brandon was the worst AD M has had in probably it's history. The next two terrible years, following Hoke's 11-2 initial season, with those two in charge of football proved that sentiment correct. Again, patience was not appropriate and student's revolted against Brandon. That, in one sense, forced the U's new President, on the advice of the regents, to fire Brandon. Jim Hackett was hired and he ultimately brought Harbaugh aboard.

Being patient with Jim Harbaugh is a whole different ball-game but I do appreciate your sentiment and that of others. I'm in the same boat. In the pre-season, I posted here that Harbaugh HAD TO BEAT MSU and osu for this to be a good season. That's not going to happen - frustrating, I know and this is not going to be a good season for me because of that black mark ...... and that is a whole different discussion.

But beyond that, I've spent more time this season trying to drill down on the problems with the offense than any time in the past and that's becasue I have time. A lot of them have already been discussed so no use listing those again.

I will say that I DO NOT think the offense is "too complicated" and needs to be simplified (per Baumgartner of the Freep). The player interviews and folks that I talk to see this as strictly an execution issue and dependent on the skill, maturity and vision of the 5 guys on the OL. I don't think play-calls, for the most part (I do have a couple of quibbles) or coaching is a major problem. I've said before what I think MIGHT be a systemic issue (communications). Anyway, here, with JH, I believe patience is called for.

OTH, here's the reality that fans have to deal with:

(1) We've got 3 data points on JOK and the trend is downward. He may surprise at IU this weekend but he's not the answer and it seems pretty obvious why Speight won the starting job. I can't find a good reason to blame JH for this despite the QB Whisperer history. JOK was a high risk take in an otherwise shitty QB situation that does not look like it's going to work out.

(2) The right side of the OL is going to be a huge problem that every defense M faces here on out will exploit. IMO, and I've said so, this is on JH and the coaching staff involved in OL recruiting from the git-go. But, it's water over the dam.

On the positive side, I've got every reason to believe that the coaches will give O'Korn and his receivers and RBs plays out of existing play-book that they do well with. It will be up to the players to execute and not turn the ball over. After 5 games, we know some of what works and what doesn't:

Works:

(1) Stretch plays and power runs with man-up, not zone blocking*.
(2) Crossing routes to the WR's esp. Perry.
(3) Most TE passing routes (there are at least a dozen of these)
(4) Screens, esp. v. aggressive defenses.

* Just from my perspective, I think M, who runs both man-up (or gap) and zone blocking schemes does better at the former. This was their primary blocking scheme in 2015/16 and the attempt to improve the fun game with zone improved zone blocking does not, so far, seem to be working well.

Doesn't work:

(1) Most deep outs or sideline passes.
(2) Fades, fades, fades and more fades.
(3) Jet sweeps unless these are called as a well set-up counter (and this goes for a lot of the stuff that Harbaughffense runs like this.
(4) IZ and OZ runs - too often don't seem to work are well defended.*

*Here's the thing with IZ/OZ runs. These are supposed to be easier on offensive linemen and RBs to execute. The margin for error is bigger. But M's OL and the RBs seem way too often to not able to make these work. Greg Frey was brought in to see to it that the linemen know how to zone block on runs. It's got to be very frustrating for Drevno and Frey, not to mention JH, to see these plays routinely get stuffed because one or two guys whiff. I don't think this is a coaching issue. It is an execution issue founded on a lack of vision, maturity and experience. Those things come with time.

When Harbaughffense is working, IZ is your go to 1st down play. If you don't get at least 4y, the series is behind schedule and, more often than not, it will result in a punt in that particular series. Since it's not working, one can see why M has passed more on first down in the last 3 games.

My believe is that one of the scheme changes we'll see v. IU is more man-up (gap) blocking on power inside and outside runs. The goal is to get 4 or more yards on first down. At that point, you've got the defense guessing on what your second and 6 or less play is going to be. If that fails, on first or second down, we'll see the higher risk passing approach for JOK to get 4+ yards - quick outs, for example, and I don't think the staff likes that.

I also don't think the staff thinks the receivers can consistently catch the ball on the deep sideline routes or fades in the end zone. We should see less of that and more runs (if those are working) or more passing if they aren't ..... with those passes being ones JOK and his receivers, TEs and RBs are doing well in practice.

Patience..... reality dictates 2017 is not going to be a good season and there are many factors for that. Jim Harbaugh being a bad coach, needing to be held accountable, being told to fire coaching staff, lacking desire are not among them.

[WingsFan]

This is the game your pumped up about Jeff - DeBord vs Drevno - How exciting!

Stay the course.

[Jeff Buchanan]

This is the game your pumped up about Jeff - DeBord vs Drevno - How exciting!

Stay the course.

No, not pumped up about Drevno v. Debord because the season for me was beat MSU and osu and that's obviously not going to happen. At this point, I'm looking for improvement in OL rung blocking and pass-pro for the IU game and for the team as a whole to be competitive in all their remaining games.

But it would shock me if M didn't lose 3 of the next 6. I'm prepared for that outcome.

[froot loops]

Every coach wants his players to execute.

I've seen Baumgardner talk about simplifying, when I saw him talk about it, it was more get rid of the plays that aren't working and focus on the ones that are working. Seems sensible.