Michigan Football, 2021 Season

[Jeff Buchanan]

M can do OSU style man-ball ..... not as well but it can do that.......with a reboot and getting rid of Brown isn't going to do that.

It was fairly obvious that Clemson's D was flat out getting whipped at the LOS. Some of that is talent but most of it is great coaching and great play calling. OSU's play calling involves working plays that Fields is good at not making Fields do things he doesn't do as well. That is CRD's strong suit. OSU has some exploitable weaknesses on D involving the back end but, guess what, OSU adapted to that as far as I could tell. After CLemson's first drive and a few Taylor Lawrence flashes of greatness, nada.

Michigan under Harbaugh has been the counterpoint to how OSU runs it's football program. Both the M O and the D have been hamstrung by what appears based on what goes on in a game as bad coaching and more importantly forcing systems on players who may or may not be good at playing that way. That gives rise to player discontent, resistance and downward spiraling performance.

[iam416]

Michigan under Harbaugh has been the counterpoint to how OSU runs it's football program

As a very specific contrast, Ohio State was able to "hold" Clemson to 28 last night because they have bad ass DTs. I mean, legit NFL-caliber DTs. M plays MAC-level DTs. Literally.

For those that wanted HARBAUGH!!!! gone (and he still may depart), playing OSU this year might have made it impossible to keep him. Covid may have gifted you another season of HARBAUGH!!!!

[AlabamAlum]

Last night was eye-opening. TOSUC would rush 3, THREE, and in LESS than 2 seconds Trevor would be running for his life. The TOSUC lines manhandled Clemson.

[iam416]

Well, yeah -- at the end of the game when Clemson absolutely had to pass. Ohio State's DL has actually played really well most of the year. They haven't produced the sacks, but teams have been throwing on three steps all year. Even Indiana was mostly just "get the ball out quick and chuck it deep every now and again." What a fucking bullshit game.

[lineygoblue]

Football, especially at the college level, is mostly a game of match ups. If your team can win the majority of the match ups, especially in the trenches, you'll win the ballgame. OSU did that last night, and they seemed to have a bit more fire in their eye than Clemson did. I think Clemson looked at OSU's 6 wins, and didn't think much of them. They felt they could beat OSU with just a routine "Clemson style" effort. They were wrong.

Bringing this back to Michigan, a couple things seem to be going on. The rumor of Harbaugh to the Lions seems to be gathering steam. Its all rumor so far, but rumblings are that the Lions are getting ready to offer Harbaugh a Gruden-like contract to come to Ford Field. We'll see how reliable those rumors are.

Competitively, Michigan is in danger of becoming the 4th of 5th best team in the Big Ten East. Nobody is going to beat OSU out of the top spot in the next 10 years, so everyone can forget that. Then Penn State showed that they still own Michigan this year, and now Indiana has shoved Michigan to the side. If Mel Tucker brings the Spartans back, that drops Michigan yet another step down. Rutgers and Maryland have made significant coaching moves, and want to move up. So what all this means, is that Michigan is quickly approaching the desperation point. They better get competitive, and soon, or they're done as a football program. Another year of Harbaugh could bury the program.

Maybe its time we all become Coach Howard fans. Or Coach Hutch fans.

[iam416]

M's handling of the situation is quintessentially M. I guess they want to handle it the "M way." From my perspective, it's a fucking disaster. However, if they end up actually cleaning house and bring in a new HC then maybe it works. But, right now it's clear that HARBAUGH!!! is hanging by a thread and they need to hire a new DC. And who in their right mind is going to come coach with someone who may not be there next season.

I dunno. I mean, I love it. But it's also spectacularly incompetent (IMO).

[lineygoblue]

There's supposed to be some sort of announcement early next week (Mon-Tue) regarding Harbaugh's future at M. Either he's going to announce that he's signing the extension, or he's going to announce that he's moving on.

If there is any seriousness in this program about being a competitive football program again, they need to first decide who the head coach is.

I still don't see any real concern about becoming a solid football program again. School leadership is content with middling status, and that's what they'll be from now on.

[Tom W]

School leadership is arrogant enough to assume that they are immune from "get woke, grow broke". They are not.

It is going to be amusing to see them proven wrong.

[Cody_Russell]

It feels strange to me because of how quiet the M administration has been with the future of the program. Seems like Harbaugh will be back, but with Auburn and Texas dumping their HCs recently... IDK. Maybe M parts way with Harbaugh.

[Mike]

It’s a rudderless ship. It’s almost as if they’re not paying a guy in excess of a million dollars a year to run the athletic department.

[WingsFan]

Harbaugh through 2026, I say it again I like JH. Didn't matter a new HC or some hot shot DC/OC 8-4, 7-5 maybe 9-3 on a good year. Nobody is going to to better IMO and he's a good guy. Oh and he's loyal.

[Cody_Russell]

It’s probably as close to official as it gets then. Bruce Feldman was correct today when telling people that Sark did NOT turn down the Texas job.

So at least another year of Jim Harbaugh. He has a lot of work to do to correct the issues of the 2020 team. Hiring Will Muschamp as DC would be a good start IMO. Perhaps some changes on the offensive staff. Give JJ McCarthy some playing time in 2021. ... maybe even name McCarthy full time starter!

[WingsFan]

Buyouts and incentive clauses are the $$ details that matter, and both sides likely will have more flexibility.

[iam416]

Smart. STC.

[Mike]

If I were a little dumber, fatter, and lazier, I might qualify to be the AD at Michigan.