Wolverine Wednesday: Getting Back To Good

Matchbox 20 has a song called Back 2 Good.  Here are a couple verses from the song:

Everyone heres to blame, everyone here
Gets caught up in the pleasure of the pain,
Everyone hides
Shades of shame, but looking inside were the same, were
The same
And were all grown now, but we don't know
How
To get it back to good


That is the challenge for the Michigan coaches, getting back to good.   Michigan has played 3 decent football teams and has lost 2 of them.   We saw the signs in the Sugar Bowl and that play as continued on this year.   This should not be a shock to anyone at Schembechler Hall.  Everyone heres to blame.

The focus of my finger pointing has been at Big Al Borges.   He has known who Denard is now for 17 games and continues to use Denard like a child learning to use a new remote control car on Christmas.   I would recommend an offense like Mike Shanahan is using in Washington with RG3; short safe passing routes, running plays, and then taking a few shots down field.     Big Al said yesterday he has spent the bye week reviewing every offense play with Denard since he has been at Michigan, only plays from the past 17 games.   That is a good idea and a stupid one.   Football coaches are a pretty confident bunch, they pretty much feel they know all aspects of the game and what will work and what won't.   That is a great thing when your leading young men between the ages of 18-23.   It's a terrible thing when you are a leader of any organization.   Yes, Al is the leader of Michigan's offense and from what I can see Brady Hoke doesn't get in his way too often. 

The problem with Big Al only looking at the snaps Denard has taken the last 17 games, limits Denard's body of work in Al's mind.   He is missing all the great things he did in Rich Rod's offense and how easily that could be incorporated into this years game plan.  I will give you one example:  Do you remember that play in RR's offense where Denard would take the shot gun snap, take one step like he was about to run and then hit a wide open Roundtree on a slant play?  Where has that play been the last 17 games?  Something easy and effective but not in the game plan.   I wonder how many times that would have worked against ND's aggressive LB's?  I know RR's offense doesn't get much respect from Big Al and the other Michigan coaches, but not to look at what worked and what didn't in Denard's first two years is foolish and huge set up for failure. 

I am all for the coaches working with Denard's footwork and decision making in practice.  But we have seen Denard play football for this team for 42 games and he is what he is going to be.   Do some research and call plays that leverage his talents.    You have to find a way to get it back to good.  

If not, it could be a very long trip home from West Lafayette this weekend and a waste of Denard's senior year.