Michigan Football, Team 140, 2019 Season

[Jeff Buchanan]

Two things -- Brown is not concerned. They know they can find good guys. The bigger concern for HARBAUGH!!! is what happens if Don Brown bolts for a HC gig? That's still up in the air.

Second, everyone is coming after M Defensive coaches. No one is coming for M Offensive coaches. That ought to add to the mountain of concerns you already have with the M offense.

On your first point about Brown. You note elsewhere that football is a brutal business. I feel pretty good, actually, that JH has hiring contingencies up on his chalk board. The NFL, a place he is fond of going for coaches - has yet to play out it's season. Once that is done, I think we'll see replacements, for whatever positions have been vacated, filled.

On your second point, absolutely. Still, you don't watch Dabo's offense shred Alabama's D - and I'm pretty sure Harbaugh was watching - and not believe he's thinking, I better get on the stick here. So, I feel OK but not great about M's offense evolving.

Again, my M slappy side says, it's good. However, if Pep is still hanging around on Jim's staff by the 1st of March and there are no signs Harbaugh is looking for someone, even under him, to revive M's moribund offense, I'll be voting with my feet and not renewing season tickets.

[iam416]

I wouldn't be interested in our DL position coach, but I would be interested in our LBs coach and DBs coach.

I dunno, there were some good coaching things about your DL. Not great, but good. In any event, Washington coached LBs and is immediately better than Billy Davis, who allegedly coached LBs for OSU. I prefer to term sabotaged, but I can't confirm actually effort on his part.

However, if Pep is still hanging around on Jim's staff by the 1st of March

Not sure what M has left for recruiting in the 2019 class, but visits and recruiting start back up this weekend. The goal for most schools would be to have that shit taken care by then. For HARBAUGH!!! the only reason to wait is if he's plucking an NFL guy from a team that is still playing. So, I think Pep is probably back.

I'll also warn you -- don't let Warriner leverage his good OL coaching into play-calling shit. DO. NOT. LET. THAT. HAPPEN.

[Rocky Bleier]

Mattison would have been leaving soon anyway. I know Al Washington is a good recruiter with ties to Ohio, but I don't know his value as a coach. I'm sure Brown knows other guys from the east coast. Harbaugh needs to assure Chris Partridge of his future at U-M. He's our best recruiter. I wouldn't mind Brady Hoke coming back, but I wonder if he'd be willing. I know he said he's crawl over broken glass etc., but could he work for his successor?

[Jeff Buchanan]

I'll go with HARBAUGH!!! waiting to pluck an NFL guy for Pep.

Alternatively, and this fits with Pep staying and finishing off any recruiting duties, Harbaugh brings in a rising star in some capacity to work with himself and Pep to improve M's offense.

I think it's important to re-state, this is Harbaugh's offense, not pep Hamilton's. Patterson is a product of Harbaugh's QB coaching philosophy and approach, not Pep Hamilton's. It reamins a fact, Harbaugh has to evolve or M will remain an also ran. He's done some interesting things bringing in various assistants that appear to play nominal roles, e.g., Bush senior, Ed Warriner and Jim McElwain, that would appear to produce good outcomes. Dunno for sure but JH does this. I can see the same thing with him bringing in someone to bring M's offense, as Jim wants to fundamentally run it, up to speed.

That we haven't seen Harbaugh making a move to hire a hot OC means, not surprisingly, Jim IS THE OC and, even if he has offered some high profile offense guys looking to advance their careers, they're not going to come under the proviso that they don't have complete control of the offense down to assistants. That JH probably wants to retain complete control favors a lesser role for lesser known offensive minds.

Anyway, that's my M slappy side talking. Given M's submarine approach to any news, the scale of outcomes range from one big shit sandwich to continued middling performance to a stunning surprise hire that launches M football in 2019 to an NC.

[iam416]

to a stunning surprise hire that launches M football in 2019 to an NC

Is M going to hire a squad of elite hitmen to kneecap Trevor Lawrence, Tua and Justin Fields? If so, then I guess that's technically possible and, I confess, that WOULD be STUNNING.

[hack]

I don't think Michigan's defensive line position coaching was a disaster, but you cannot deny that things got a little bit worse every year, the line didn't show up in big games, and Gary was the same guy the whole time. I dunno. B or B-. Not C+ or A.

[iam416]

That's probably fair. I thought they were very successful with some kids, and unsuccessful with some others. On the whole, I didn't think it was a weak spot on the defense or unsound.

You have to understand, I'm coming from the point of view of OSU LB play, which bordered on, as I said, outright sabotage.

[Jeff Buchanan]

talent ....... Tonya Harding comes to mind.

[iam416]

talent ....... Tonya Harding comes to mind.

Heh.

Oh, btw, I wanted to comment on M's offense being HARBAUGH!!!!'s offense. That was also the case for UFM at OSU. Whether it was Tom Herman or Warriner/Beck or Wilson, they ran the power spread stuff that UFM wanted to run. They tried Cardale out, but the weren't committed to really changing UFM's offense to work for him long-term. They didn't make any real changes to UFM's offense until this year when Ryan Day was given the keys.

IMO, I think UFM would still start 2017 JTB in a Power Spread over 2018 Haskins in more of an Air Raid Spread. The former is what UFM knows and wants to do. It took a lot for him to get to Day's version of the offense. A lot. It strikes me so similar to HARBAUGH!!!! that it's worth posting. I mean, UFM is one of the all-time greats and he was wed to an offense that was almost identical in results to HARBAUGH!!!!'s -- throttle overmatched teams, but against even or better talent, they were up against it without a truly dynamic running threat at QB (i.e., Braxton).

It may be that Andrew Luck was HARBAUGH!!!!'s Braxton and Shea is HARBAUGH!!!'s JT Barrett. The analogy is strained, but the overall point about HCs -- even the greats -- being fixed in what they want to do and, perhaps most importantly, what they KNOW -- that's germane.

[iam416]

If I were sailing aboard the SS Hannibal, I'd probably wonder how on earth Ohio State convinced Mattison, of all people, to head South AND Al Washington. Was it simply a matter of money? MAYBE with Mattison, but I'm guessing M would have paid Washington FMV. That's probably the best case scenario for M. If it's something more then you boys may be in some real trouble.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Fuck that ..... locker room speculation. Nothing to see here. Move along. Heh.

[iam416]

That's what I would say if I were aboard the SS Buchanan M Slappy!

[Rocky Bleier]

Washington officially to OSU. He and Mattison must really love Zach Harrison.

Washington: "Hey, Z, you may as well go to State. Me and Matty'll be joining you there soon."

Harrison: "Truth, Matty?"

Mattison: "Fuck Michigan!"

[iam416]

He's a generational talent, you know. Runs the 200 in 21 and change. The 200! And plays defensive END!

[Rocky Bleier]

When he was leaning to Michigan you emphasized his raw but unpolished talent. He was a project. Now he's generational.