Before we get started, this is not a "fire Sherrone" post. I like Sherrone and he needs to continue to work his way into this job.
The biggest risk in hiring Sherrone as the Michigan Football Head Coach is that he didn't have any head coaching experience. That is a big leap for anyone. Michigan is a final destination job in college football and the top of the ring for many coaches. This job is too big for most coaches. It was too big for both Rich Rod and Hoke who had lesser head coaching jobs prior to Ann Arbor. If we go back a few years you can add Gary Moeller to that list. There is no honeymoon period for this job. Even when Harbaugh was struggling, I knew this job was not too big for him.
Michigan's Basketball program is another example. Michigan hired a legendary former player that learned from one of the best head coaches in the NBA. The Michigan job was too big for Juwan. In fact, every coach since Fisher it has been outside of Coach B and hopefully Dusty. Remember Brian Ellerbe? I think he left basketball all together after his time in Ann Arbor.
Sherrone might turn out to be a great head coach or he could be a great coordinator. This year has to be a whirlwind for him: National Championship, Harbaugh and staff leaves for LA, and now gets the keys to the castle.
Michigan right now has some fundamental issues that falls on Sherrone's desk.
- Running an offense that was built for JJ and Blake. You have to reboot your playbook every year to match your roster. That clearly hasn't happened.
- If your not going to reboot your playbook, you have to find a transfer QB that can run it. Michigan has the largest and richest alumni base in the nation. There has be a way to find a QB that fits your system.
- Your staff seems like a deer in headlights during games. No adjustments on anything. Every coach has to be better on game day.
- Complete miss on Donovan Edwards. I love Big Game Don, but he should be used like Reggie Bush at USC or the way the Ravens uses Dax brother Justice Hill.
- The only reason to hire Wink is he was the original designer of this defensive system. The guy was not hireable in the NFL and left a long line of teams not wanting him. HE WAS FIRED BY A HARBAUGH. I hope he is renting a house in Ann Arbor.
- Orji is the QB for two reasons, 1 - to run the ball and 2 - to not turn the ball over. He ran for a total of 12 yards on Saturday (2 good runs). 20 yards if you remove the sacks. He is so scared to make a mistake in the passing game, he is not throwing the ball accurately. Something he never has done successfully not even in high school.
I have a hard time believing this was the plan going into the season. We have to be missing something, right? Was Tuttle expected to be the starter? If it was Orji, where are the running plays designed for him? Also very few offenses drive the ball down the field in the passing game. It's a bunch of dump offs and 8 yard crossing rights. I assume Orji can complete those.
I dd see some new formations on Saturday. I like having both Edwards and Mullins in the game at the same time. I'm still sick on that pick, when Edwards is all alone running down the sideline and Orji throws it right at the safety. Michigan should have won that game by 21 points on Saturday.
I don't know if this football travels. The defense and special teams will have to continue to win games if it does.
Too Early Look at Washington
Record: 3-2
Last game: Loss to Rutgers 21-18
Best Win: Northwestern 24-5
Pass: 296 Yards (24th)
Run: 173 (61st)
Score: 27 (84th)
Give up: 12.4 (10th)
This is a National Championship rematch and I'm not sure these teams will recognize each other after only playing a few months ago. 2 new coaching staffs and 2 completely different programs. Michigan will be playing a head coach from the Harbaugh tree in Jedd Fisch. Washington has a transfer QB in Will Rogers and a Belichick running the defense.
Game time: 7:30 NBC
Line: Wash -2.5
- Is Nico the best WR in the NFL?
- Michigan somehow moved up to #10 in the country.
- Harbaugh lost a close one to The Super Bowl Champs
- Will J. Stewart and Will Johnson be ready for Saturday?
- Ever see a conference make a business decision on a replay call? The ACC did that on Friday night.
- Alabama and Georgia played a classic on Saturday night.
- Is Indiana good? Worried about that road trip.
- Purdue fires its OC Graham Harrell
11 comments:
Wink Martindale is a very good defensive coordinator. All the negative comments about him are from dolts. Michigan's defense is what has made Michigan 4-1...not its offense.
Alex Orji seems like a great guy...but he's a terrible passer, he cannot read defenses, he has difficulty finding (even wide) open receivers, AND he's not a good runner or scrambler. He cannot anticipate open receivers and when/where they will get open with the play/defensive scheme. Why he is still seriously considered the QB is beyond my understanding.
I like Sherrone Moore. Yes, he has a learning curve to achieve, but he'll do it. His clock management was egregiously bad and Joel Klatt made that abundantly clear. Also, the team HAS to adjust at halftime; it's clear the opponents are and we are doing very little. I'm not a big fan of PJ Fleck, but he's very competent as a coach and he made adjustments...Michigan did not.
Wow, lot of information in Bob's post. Bob painted a gloomy picture. Not saying his points aren't valid, they are, but this UM team is exactly what I expected when you have everybody new (coaches AND players).
Interesting note- It was in Sherrone's contract that he became Michigan's Head Coach after Harbaugh leaves. How ? Why? Would any A.D. give someone such a ridiculous stipulation in their contract?
Last point of interest- Michigan will have $23.5 million in revenue sharing to pay its players next year, if they choose to devote all of it towards football. Not sure why this isnt getting more attention. This is a HUGE advantage for Michigan.
This coaching staff has to make some changes to win. I personally think the QB should be either Davis or Tuttle with Orji and Mullings in the backfield and Edwards in the slot. Orji can help but not as a QB.
So what makes Wink such a good coordinator? He was let go in both Baltimore and NY and none of the other 30 NFL franchises came calling. Is the D better than the O? Absolutely, but the D has 3 All American in Graham, Grant and Johnson. If he's not going to miss to many games you can add Stewart to that list. Wink had no answers against Texas. He never stopped Texas, Sark called off the dogs. Was USC a good game? Looks like, but lets see where USC ends up at the end of the season. I will say this, Wink is a better DC when his front 4 are getting pressure on the QB and he doesn't need to blitz, but that's goes for ALL DCs.
Bob won't say it, but I will. Moore and the staff need to go. Michigan is not a program where you learn on the job. The expectations are high from day 1! the fact that he didn't customize the offense for the guys he had or go get guys that fit his system is a firable offense in my book!
Moore will be here. He is not going anywhere during the season. After....who knows. But changes have to be made on the offense now. Play calling is a joke. Players are not utilized to best advantage. Orji should be a running back along with Mullins. Edwards belongs on the field as a slot on every down. He is a threat just being thrown to or not.
Thom, I'm not saying an in-season firing, but 2025 needs to be with a new staff. Not trying to be hyperbolic, but if Moore is allowed to stay, he could dig a hole bigger than the one RichRod dug! As far as this year, I don't think they are capable of changing things on the fly. They should of just named Orji the starter, and re-did the entire offense. QB power, QB iso, more read options, RPOs. the fact they didn't do it before the season leads me to doubt they can do it now. Moore was a decent OC, not so much HC. Campbell might of been an ok QB coach, he's way over his head as an OC.
Brady don't really care about his contract other than the buy out $5M. that's chump change! If Michigan's alumni base and boosters can't pony up $5M, then shut the program down as we're Mickey Mouse. SEC schools come up with 2, 3 and 4 times as much to get a bad hire to walk away. Don't want to hear about student athletes, that ship sailed a while ago. College athletics, particularly football is BIG business and BIGGER money. Warde: line up the donors to buy out Moore and start the back door maneuvers to bring in an elite HC. In the immortal words of Brady Hoke: "this is Michigan!"
From what I seen in the games Orji has started he is in way over his head as a QB. I don't know if he is able think on his feet as the play develops in front of him. He looks like a deer caught in the headlights. If everything stays the same in regards to coaching and play calling...."turn out the lights, the party is over"
A lot to unwrap here. Salvi....Wink is a good D Coordinator, but that might not mean for college. Several reports say he's tried to implement schemes that might be too advanced for this level. He's promoted scheme over fundamentals and we see players missing tackles more than they have in recent years, and the defense getting worn down in 2nd half. Remember when UM was always considered a 2nd half team? not now. Harrel got fired by Turdue cuz Walters needs a scapegoat. He inhereted the B10 West champs and has had a losing record ever since. Another story of a Coordinator who isn't necessarily head coaching material. Speaking of that, the jury is still out on Sherrone. But it's not looking like he's owning the job. He's not making the best use of his current tools, he's trying to make them something different. Not sure Newsome can coach O Line either as they have taken a huge step back with guys that are talented and had snaps under their belt. Bellamy is supposed to be a recruiter but is he a WR coach? The WRs can't create separation. Speed is a matter of talent, but separation is coaching. Why would a WR recruit want to play in this offense! Sherrone will be judged on his recruiting ability and that doesn't seem to be looking good this fall. Not a bad class but some are starting to bail as they see the play of this team. Last but not least, this year is another testimony as to why we can't listen to the media or "insiders" at UM. They sold us that this team "might even be better than last year's". That's like the insiders telling us Biden was still sharp as a tack....until we got to see him and there was no denying he is walking dementia. These UM insiders get too cozy with the staff and players and lose their ability to diagnose what is really happening on the team. It took JH several years to build that team to a Natti champion. We were kidding ourselves thinking it was our new normal. I've tempered my expectations to; bowl eligible, beat Sharty and play respectably against Suckeye U.
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