Does Jim Harbaugh get fired before he gets on the Bus ???

[osubuckeye89]

RR's biggest problem was never being able to hire a defensive staff worth a damn, and the idea that we had to run a 3-3-5 (also, RR had a pretty terrible time recruiting top talent). If RR had a defense, he probably would have succeeded. Similarly, though, if Harbaugh could get a decent offense, he'd be doing fine. It shouldn't be this hard to succeed at a school with as much talent on the roster as we have. Finding a coach that doesn't have a major offensive or defensive blind spot shouldn't be as hard as we've been making it. We have the #1 QB in a class, throwing to the #1 WR in a class and we are struggling to score TD's against fucking Middle Tennessee? WTF.

I think your WRs are legit top end talents. HOWEVER. its hard to showcase that with QBs who have sputtered in development and a offensive line that struggles to protect said QBs in the first place.

The X's and O's aspect of the coaching seems off as well. Harbaughs hard on for not so greatly talented FBs and TEs still amazes me. He seems stuck in the 70s/80s when it comes to offensive play style.

Defense is starting to become a issue for yall as well. The clear lack of depth at Dline is mind boggling for a program like Michigan.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

I think your WRs are legit top end talents. HOWEVER. its hard to showcase that with QBs who have sputtered in development and a offensive line that struggles to protect said QBs in the first place.

The X's and O's aspect of the coaching seems off as well. Harbaughs hard on for not so greatly talented FBs and TEs still amazes me. He seems stuck in the 70s/80s when it comes to offensive play style.

Defense is starting to become a issue for yall as well. The clear lack of depth at Dline is mind boggling for a program like Michigan.

What was most frustrating, and it was on display last weekend, is when we started just passing the ball every down to Nico...it shockingly worked just fine. But running FB's up the middle out of a 3 wide set, or passing to TE's for 5 yards is just ridiculous in a game where you need to score fast.

Losing Solomon on the Dline was a really bad thing, we just didn't know it at the time. And with Dwumfore injured, it spells disaster. We're blitzing LB's to compensate, leaving huge holes in the defense. That's on harbaugh though for not recruiting more DTs.

 

[kburjr]

Well, Denard was basically our offense. That was part of the problem. Shut down Denard, shut down the offense. But ultimately, offense was never a huge issue under RR -- it was always the fact that our defense belonged in the B12.

Looking at last week...

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Looking at last week...

Yeah. That's easy to figure out though. Harbaugh didn't recruit enough DT's, we lost a five star to transfer over the off season and a starter got injured in Summer camp...so we're playing 250 pound converted FBs at DT and blitzing LBs to compensate. This was actually the reason behind my 40-14 prediction. I expected Wisconsins's 400lb OTs to destroy the center of our line, and Taylor to run all over us.

 

[osubuckeye89]

What was most frustrating, and it was on display last weekend, is when we started just passing the ball every down to Nico...it shockingly worked just fine. But running FB's up the middle out of a 3 wide set, or passing to TE's for 5 yards is just ridiculous in a game where you need to score fast.

Losing Solomon on the Dline was a really bad thing, we just didn't know it at the time. And with Dwumfore injured, it spells disaster. We're blitzing LB's to compensate, leaving huge holes in the defense. That's on harbaugh though for not recruiting more DTs.

Arm punt and let the WRs go up and try to get it might be your most effective play. With that Oline both Patterson and McCaffery are going to end up dead by the seasons end trying to run long developing pass plays.

Depth all around is a issue because of how Harbaugh has recruited. He hasent been able to bring in enough top end (at least by player ranking standards) talent to offset the number of reaches hes taken, especially in 17 and 18. 2020 isnt looking too bright either. When you have 1 top 100 player compared to 15 guys rated 300+, of course recruiting rankings arent everything, but when you are relying heavily on development of lower rated guys. Thats not a good thing. Especially at a bigger program where you are expected to win and crank out NFL players.

 

[ericd7633]

Well, Denard was basically our offense. That was part of the problem. Shut down Denard, shut down the offense. But ultimately, offense was never a huge issue under RR -- it was always the fact that our defense belonged in the B12.

Yeah I know. But your offense isn't good this year, with an unproven guy. Just an overall dumb hire by Harbaugh. My point is RR would have been a better hire.

 

[kburjr]

Yeah. That's easy to figure out though. Harbaugh didn't recruit enough DT's, we lost a five star to transfer over the off season and a starter got injured in Summer camp...so we're playing 250 pound converted FBs at DT and blitzing LBs to compensate. This was actually the reason behind my 40-14 prediction. I expected Wisconsins's 400lb OTs to destroy the center of our line, and Taylor to run all over us.

It was like your d-line was never coached up. Their technique was way too high and Wisconsin kept snowplowing them backwards on any short yardage plays

 

[7Samurai13]

Arm punt and let the WRs go up and try to get it might be your most effective play. With that Oline both Patterson and McCaffery are going to end up dead by the seasons end trying to run long developing pass plays.

Depth all around is a issue because of how Harbaugh has recruited. He hasent been able to bring in enough top end (at least by player ranking standards) talent to offset the number of reaches hes taken, especially in 17 and 18. 2020 isnt looking too bright either. When you have 1 top 100 player compared to 15 guys rated 300+, of course recruiting rankings arent everything, but when you are relying heavily on development of lower rated guys. Thats not a good thing. Especially at a bigger program where you are expected to win and crank out NFL players.

I watched the 60min version of the game last night and Wisconsin was teeing off on the QBs all night, most of the time it was legal too. (The first targeting was BS)

 

[osubuckeye89]

I watched the 60min version of the game last night and Wisconsin was teeing off on the QBs all night, most of the time it was legal too. (The first targeting was BS)

Any team with a somewhat decent oline and dline is going to dominate the trenches against them unless something drastic changes.

Rutgers and Illinois are probably the only 2 remaining teams incapable of this (They both suck all around)

Maryland and Indiana are iffy

Iowa, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan State & Ohio State have big big advantages in both those areas

 

[ericd7633]

Any team with a somewhat decent oline and dline is going to dominate the trenches against them unless something drastic changes.

Rutgers and Illinois are probably the only 2 remaining teams incapable of this (They both suck all around)

Maryland and Indiana are iffy

Iowa, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan State & Ohio State have big big advantages in both those areas

At MD is definitely a tricky spot for Michigan IMO. After the away PSU and ND home game and before the MSU game.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Arm punt and let the WRs go up and try to get it might be your most effective play. With that Oline both Patterson and McCaffery are going to end up dead by the seasons end trying to run long developing pass plays.

Depth all around is a issue because of how Harbaugh has recruited. He hasent been able to bring in enough top end (at least by player ranking standards) talent to offset the number of reaches hes taken, especially in 17 and 18. 2020 isnt looking too bright either. When you have 1 top 100 player compared to 15 guys rated 300+, of course recruiting rankings arent everything, but when you are relying heavily on development of lower rated guys. Thats not a good thing. Especially at a bigger program where you are expected to win and crank out NFL players.

His recruiting is fine. It's not comparable to OSU, but better than every other team in the B10. Not tons of top 100 guys, but tons of top 250 guys. Certainly should be competent on both sides of the ball with the amount of talent on the team. In 2019 Michigan took 16 four/five star players, compared to 10 three stars. Even in our 2018 class we took 7 four star kids, and in 2020 we already have 11. Talent isn't the issue anymore. Sure, OSU still has more but ultimately you have to win to get the kind of talent OSU pulls in. It's the depth issue at positions like DT and RB that are Harbaugh's fault. It's not a talent problem, it's the fact that he didn't recruit enough of them. We have a walk-on in the 3 deep at RB. We're playing a 3 star converted FB at DT because we don't have enough bodies. That's a problem that shouldn't exist year 5.

Meanwhile, Harbaugh has yet to develop any QB on our roster. Patterson has regressed. Mccaffrey looks around for a second and then just runs the ball himself. We're talking about two QB's who ranked top 5 at their position coming out of HS.

I don't know man. I just hope it gets fixed, whatever the solution is. I'm just tired of watching bad football.

 

[kburjr]

Any team with a somewhat decent oline and dline is going to dominate the trenches against them unless something drastic changes.

Rutgers and Illinois are probably the only 2 remaining teams incapable of this (They both suck all around)

Maryland and Indiana are iffy

Iowa, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan State & Ohio State have big big advantages in both those areas

Illinois does have a decent run game and Peter's just might be a little motivated. That game may be fairly decent.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

It was like your d-line was never coached up. Their technique was way too high and Wisconsin kept snowplowing them backwards on any short yardage plays

They were too small. We had LB's playing on the line because we don't have DT depth. Then we committed extra bodies to try and fill those holes, which just bogged up the middle and left holes for Taylor to scoot around the ends.

 

[7Samurai13]

Any team with a somewhat decent oline and dline is going to dominate the trenches against them unless something drastic changes.

Rutgers and Illinois are probably the only 2 remaining teams incapable of this (They both suck all around)

Maryland and Indiana are iffy

Iowa, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan State & Ohio State have big big advantages in both those areas

MSU’s oline is pretty wretched. Almost worse than our QB play.

 

[osubuckeye89]

At MD is definitely a tricky spot for Michigan IMO. After the away PSU and ND home game and before the MSU game.

MD is bi polar as hell though. Whack Syracuse then go out and lay a huge egg against Temple (who went out to get handled by Buffalo the next week)

 

[batchaps4me]

"RR's problem was"
"Hoke's problem was"
"Harbaugh's problem is"

Has it ever dawned on you that they're just not great head coaches?

They were great coaches just before being hired at Michigan. Just sayin.

 

[7Samurai13]

They were great coaches just before being hired at Michigan. Just sayin.

Well not Hoke so much...

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

If you dive deeper into the recruiting, it really has not been that great. Hes landed some high rated players here and there but hes ended up with way more reaches and not enough top end guys to compensate for that.

Also doesn't help that his higher rated players seem to end up not contributing more often than not.

Player development is a problem as well.

That’s the issue, and THAT is on the coaches.

 

[Wamu]

25 years ago today Kordell Stewart & Michael Westbrook stunned meeeechegan at the big shit house.

 

[belcherboy]

I'm glad they didn't abandon Harbaugh, although I could understand why even some Michigan fans were ready to abandon him at this point. It really is a great success story! (I'm biased, I'm a Michigan fan)