GoBlueNavyNuke
Well-Known Member
My concern is he won that BCS game with Rich Rod's players after failing to get to the B1G Championship Game. And that he had a whole offseason to get ready for Alabama and they looked lost. Notre Dame was missing 5 players and still made it look easy. I think Hoke is over his head.
I keep thinking back to the end of last season when he swore that no changes would be made to the staff and a week later he canned AL Borges and hired a new O-Coordinator. He seems to lost and player development is just not happening.
I challenge that notion that he won the Sugar Bowl "with" Rich Rod's players. Outside of the notable exception of Denard, the work horses of that team were almost all the seniors, the class of 2007. Which was Lloyd Carr's last full class. Even other players like Martin and Kroger, while technically signed in the class of 2008, which was Rich Rod's "first," they were offered by Lloyd and committed under Lloyd. So would have Rich Rod offered or even secured their services? As for failing to get to the Big Ten Championship Game, remember how close they were? They got robbed in the Iowa game and made a valiant attempt against MSU (which was during a trash-nado, and our already weak passer of QB fighting a staph infection in his throwing arm). But most notably, that was the last time he had a strong senior class.
I know, the "youth and inexperince" excuse is getting old, but seriously, they have a true freshman starting at left tackle for the first time in the history of Michigan! And only 9 seniors, only 4 of which were returning starters. How can you not say that youth isn't a problem any coach would face given those conditions?
I get that last game was bad, really bad. Ain't no way to candy coat that. But if he was way in over his head, how come they had such a great game against Ohio State last year? Or against South Carolina the year before? Of the 41 games Michigan has played with him as the head coach, I can count the number of times they got dominated on one hand. Given they there were (and still somewhat it) transition mode, that's not bad.
I know, this isn't what we expect of Michigan, and Michigan fans haven't been here since the 1960's. But every program goes through rough patches.