Michigan's rapid rise

[die hard gopher]

Everyone is giving Harbaugh all the credit, and it's ridiculous. They already had a very, very, very good team, and stellar defense. They needed competent QB play, and have been getting with the transfer in of Rudock. Nothing more. Harbuagh doesn't have some secret plan, he just struck gold. There are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of coaches out there who could easily have that team in the same position.

Harbaugh likely has Rudock playing a little better than he ever has before, but come on. Let's get a grip on what's really happening over there. They're back, but it isn't solely because Harbaugh strolled his arrogant ass onto campus.

That said, I think the Gophers should consider bringing in the big-time recruits for a different game this year...

They already had very, very good recruiting classes before Harbaugh got there. They did not have a good team before Harbaugh got there. The gophers beat Michigan last year because we had more talent than they did.

 

[Spoofin]

I know it's hard to cross-compare games. But considering how we performed against Northwestern...And what Michigan did to Northwestern. I'm nervous about playing Michigan to say the least.

By this theory Michigan State should be doing cartwheels since they don't have to play us.

 

[John Galt]

Remember when us GohperHolers had the Michigan game as an automatic win, and the Jug staying in Minnesota? (due to the fact we dominated them in the Big House last year). My how things can change quickly.

Not to mention that GHers were so excited that he would "elevate the B1G" and restore balance in the conference.

I wonder how many of those people will still be excited if Michigan beats us by 3 TDs... I don't want to hear them b*tch one bit, they have no right to.

All true Gopher fans know the best thing for our program would have been for Michigan to remain a dumpster fire for the next 40 years...but unfortunately the sleeping giant has been woken.

 

[DoubleAlum]

I think it's going to come down to two main things:

(1) Can Connor Cook carry Sparty on his back, like he (and his receivers) did last night vs. Rutgers? The guy has won a lot big games at MSU, and he'll need to be at his very best on Saturday to beat Michigan. I don't think Sparty will be able run the ball effectively vs. the Wolverines, so that means Cook's gonna' throw it 35-45 times.

(2) As suspect as Sparty's defensive backfield is, can their touted D-line stuff Michigan's run game, apply serious pressure, and force Jake Ruddock to beat them? If I'm MSU, I want Ruddock throwing the ball, not handing off.

Michigan has all the momentum and mojo going into this game, but the one major advantage MSU has is at the QB position. Ruddock has been solid for Harbaugh, but he's still an experienced QB that Kirk Ferentz discarded prior to his senior season. If Michigan beats MSU with Ruddock having a stellar performance throwing the ball, Sparty will just have to tip their cap to him. How Ruddock will perform in a big game is this game's biggest unknown.

Sparty looks mucho vulnerable this year. Not the same team as the last few years.

 

[jovs]

Not to mention that GHers were so excited that he would "elevate the B1G" and restore balance in the conference.

I wonder how many of those people will still be excited if Michigan beats us by 3 TDs... I don't want to hear them b*tch one bit, they have no right to.

All true Gopher fans know the best thing for our program would have been for Michigan to remain a dumpster fire for the next 40 years...but unfortunately the sleeping giant has been woken.

Being a cross over game it won't be quite as bad as it could be, they will play Maryland as often as they play Michigan, it makes this years cross over games very difficult though.

 

[DoubleAlum]

Respectfully, anyone who thinks Harbaugh hasn't made an instant and major impact on the Michigan program has their head buried in the sand. There's been plenty of talent there while they've been in their tailspin. Talent hasn't been the issue.

BINGO. Not rocket science here.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Sparty looks mucho vulnerable this year. Not the same team as the last few years.

Yep. So far they're winning largely because of 1st-half dominance, and because they clearly know how play in the clutch (and win). Eventually, though, even elite programs will get burned if they mess with fire every week.

Strange seeing Sparty without a dominant defense. Defensive backfield, especially, is a major trouble spot.

 

[gopher7]

As a side note, do any of you know if you guys have a Minnesota Media website like Michigan has with Mgovideo.com?

You can find archives of literally EVERYTHING related to Michigan football, both past and present, at Mgovideo.com if you're interested. Yes, even the 2014 butt-whoppin you guys gave Michigan in the Big House can be found there. Haha

I was just curious if you guys had a website that compiled Minnesota football highlights, full games, game-plan analysis, interviews and such?

Thanks everybody!

Good luck this week!

Gophersports Youtube channel is probably your best bet. Beyond this I don't know if anything organized.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8c0RvlxxfHbN74FEcTbTrg

Here is a site that lists all of our historical results.

http://ericthrall.com/gophers/football/

 

[stocker08]

Michigan has had more than enough talent the past few years. What they are doing now......with Harbaugh as the HC......is very impressive. You are kidding yourself if you don't think their turnaround has something to do with coaching.

Let's not forget the first couple recruiting classes that Brewster brought in. And he was NEVER able to put it together.

 

[John Galt]

I don't know how anyone can knock Harbaugh... he has to be considered one of the top 5 coaches in either pro or college football. Other than Belicheck or maybe Nick Saban, who has accomplished more?

 

[TruthSeeker]

I don't know how anyone can knock Harbaugh... he has to be considered one of the top 5 coaches in either pro or college football. Other than Belicheck or maybe Nick Saban, who has accomplished more?

Carroll, Coughlin, and Meyer.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

It's crazy what Michigan has done this year. I keep waiting for them to come back down to earth but it's not happening. Hopefully MSU can beat them up a little bit and at least knock them off their high horse.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Assuming they continue along the way they have to this point it is shocking to me that anyone would not be willing to admit that the number one factor in their rapid rise is coaching. Without being able to drastically change the roster Harbaugh has taken talent that finished with back to back 3 win Big Ten seasons and has them on the verge of being a legit conference title contender and if they keep on winning he might even get them into the Playoff discussion.

The wheels could still come off in Ann Arbor before the season is done but right now they are destroying people. Their only loss was by 7 on the road to the team currently ranked #4 overall and in their last 3 games they haven't allowed a point. And two of the teams they played in that stretch, BYU and Northwestern, were in the top 25.

I am not a huge fan of the guy but it is hard to argue that the turnaround to this point in Ann Arbor has been nothing short of amazing.

 

[50PoundHead]

hmmm, he inherited a team with a ton of talent that wasn't very good last year. now they're dominating. i think it's fair to say it's all about the coaching. lots of folks refuse to believe how much coaching can impact a team. from schemes, to attention to detail, to recognizing how and where to play people, to how and when to exploit weaknesses in situational defenses, i.e. timing of play calls, to motivation, to attitude and intensity.....it seems to me coaching makes all the difference in the world. obviously there's a limit to how far you can coach up your given talent, but even Kill agrees it's all about confidence and mindset. lots of confidence derived from the right coaches and belief by players in their coaches' systems.

Looks like you need to brush up on your reading comprehension. I said "not solely." I didn't dismiss Harbaugh's contributions. The guy can coach. But Michigan had a couple of pretty good recruiting classes under Hoke that never really performed, which was probably attributable to Hoke's inability to put them in a position to succeed. Harbaugh inherited that talent and is putting them in positions to succeed, so Harbaugh deserves a lot of credit. Point out where I said he doesn't deserve some credit.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

Respectfully, anyone who thinks Harbaugh hasn't made an instant and major impact on the Michigan program has their head buried in the sand. There's been plenty of talent there while they've been in their tailspin. Talent hasn't been the issue.

Correct and to further that point, look at Colin Kaepernick without Harbaugh. This is all on Harbaugh. Look at what he did at Stanford. He won at USC in his first year, coming off of a 1-11 season and an 0-3 start, and won the game as a 41 point underdog. Let me repeat that, a 41 point underdog.

 

[DoubleAlum]

Looks like you need to brush up on your reading comprehension. I said "not solely." I didn't dismiss Harbaugh's contributions. The guy can coach. But Michigan had a couple of pretty good recruiting classes under Hoke that never really performed, which was probably attributable to Hoke's inability to put them in a position to succeed. Harbaugh inherited that talent and is putting them in positions to succeed, so Harbaugh deserves a lot of credit. Point out where I said he doesn't deserve some credit.

Oops, I quoted the wrong poster. Meant to quote the guy above you. My bad and I apologize. I was responding to the guy who said giving Harbaugh so much credit was "ridiculous".

 

[50PoundHead]

Oops, I quoted the wrong poster. Meant to quote the guy above you. My bad and I apologize. I was responding to the guy who said giving Harbaugh so much credit was "ridiculous".

And I apologize for sounding like a self-righteous pr*ck in my response.

PS--I think the Michigan situation is not an either/or. It's a both/and in that they have talent and they now have an excellent coach. They may stall a few times this year, but I don't doubt that Harbaugh will put the shine back on the Wolverines' helmet status.

Hoke was a surprisingly terrible coach. I remember when he was at San Diego State that the college football commentators thought he was the mid-tier candidate who would most likely succeed at a helmet school. He turned out to be a bit Brewter-esque in that he seemed to be able to recruit, but couldn't figure out how to get the talent to produce. In fairness to Hoke, he inherited offensive players for a system he didn't want to employ, but things really disintegrated quickly for him and it wasn't just a system issue. The Morris situation during last year's game against us was one of the most embarrassing things I've seen in college football as far as a coach not having control of his team.

 

[1983]

I was going to start a thread on this topic, but looks like Bleed beat me to it. Michigan looks like the real deal. Huge game vs Michigan State next week for the Wolverines. And I realize it's very early, but the winner of Michigan vs Michigan State next week has a decent shot at making the CFB playoff. Only ranked team either team plays the rest of the season is Ohio State - Michigan gets them at home and Michigan State plays them in Columbus.

I would be interested in hearing other GH'ers thoughts on Michigan, particularly their thoughts on how the Gophers match up or how the Michigan/U of M game on Halloween will play out. FWIW I think Michigan will likely beat us because our offense will struggle to move the ball against Michigan's defense. I think it'll be a good game, but realistically we'll need a couple huge plays or bad Michigan turnovers to have a chance to win. 27-17 Michigan.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Harbaugh is a good coach. His flame runs out fairly quick... Can he keep his players juiced for the rest of the season? They will be ready for primetime here and so will we. It will be a great game but I am not yet convinced they are as good as their latest run seems to indicate, we certainly are not as bad as our play has shown.

 

[DougMN]

As said above- Harbaugh burns hot and flames out quick. As long as he wins- his arrogance and quirkiness will be tolerated by the Boosters and fans. But just like Hoke- if they lose a few games or a have an off year- they will turn on him. That's if he even sticks around. He's left teams before during their success. He has always seemed like more of an NFL Coach to me and his personality could end up hurting his ability to recruit. His first year recruiting class was ranked quite a bit lower than Hoke's last- not sure if that means anything though. As long as he wins- who knows what will happen and we will continue to have Michigan Football shoved down of our throats by the National media and Big Ten Pundits.

 

[Gopher07]

I actually disagree, I think his style works better in college than it does in the pros. In the pros, his players had to deal with him for a longer period of time than they do in college. In college, the guys are there for 3/4/5 years and gone, with an entirely new batch of 20-30 players coming onto the roster each year, plus other things going on outside of football (classes, spring and summer semesters). Pros, you have 53 guys spending every hour on football and many of them are the same for a large chunk of years. Much higher chance for his personality to grate on them IMO.

Now, it's very possible he will anger boosters and establishment given his style, but if any place is going to give him a long leash, it's Michigan, since he has attained favored-son status and their recent decade of failures are fresh in everyone's mind in Ann Arbor.

And I wouldn't worry much about his recruiting, Michigan is in the top 10 classes nationally for 2016. His first class was weird because they didn't recruit a lot of players (just 14), but the caliber of those players was high (if you go by average star rating they had the fourth-best class in the B1G last year, with 9 4-star players).

I don't wish to see Michigan rise to national prominence again - it only makes things more difficult for the Gophers - but it's not a stretch to look at what Harbaugh is doing in year one, look at what he did at Stanford and what he did at San Francisco, and see potential for a national-title-contending team in the next 2-3 years.

 

[bemidjigopher]

Carroll, Coughlin, and Meyer.

Plus his Brother

 

[bemidjigopher]

I think the rise of Michigan can be attributed to two things. One having a coach that could figure out how to put some talented pieces together with "enthusiasm unknown to mankind" But I would say competent quarterback play has really been the biggest difference, Ruddock is no super star, but he's good enough to manage the offense and allows their talented WR, TE and backs to do their jobs. Morris couldn't hack it, and Gardner was like fitting a square peg into a round hole. They had good defenses under Hoke, they just couldn't figure out the offense. Harbough figured out the offense. It'll be interesting to see how coach Kaki's does with his own recruits there, but he's fixed the short term issues. As for our game with them, both teams get two weeks to prepare for it. Last year we played Iowa coming off the bye and the squad looked like a whole new team, I imagine will get a lot of healthy bodies back and come out with a great game plan. I think our defense matches up well with their offense, so I expect a drag it out slug fest where the winning team ill probably be the team with the ball last

 

[1983]

I think the rise of Michigan can be attributed to two things. One having a coach that could figure out how to put some talented pieces together with "enthusiasm unknown to mankind" But I would say competent quarterback play has really been the biggest difference, Ruddock is no super star, but he's good enough to manage the offense and allows their talented WR, TE and backs to do their jobs. Morris couldn't hack it, and Gardner was like fitting a square peg into a round hole. They had good defenses under Hoke, they just couldn't figure out the offense. Harbough figured out the offense. It'll be interesting to see how coach Kaki's does with his own recruits there, but he's fixed the short term issues. As for our game with them, both teams get two weeks to prepare for it. Last year we played Iowa coming off the bye and the squad looked like a whole new team, I imagine will get a lot of healthy bodies back and come out with a great game plan. I think our defense matches up well with their offense, so I expect a drag it out slug fest where the winning team ill probably be the team with the ball last

+1

 

[NoDakGopher]

I haven't been able to understand why people are so surprised by Michigan's turnaround. Hoke was such an incompetent coach that Brewster probably could've had the same results at Michigan. They've had pretty good recruiting classes so they obviously had good talent. I figured they would be better than Minnesota for sure this year, and right behind MSU and OSU. Honestly, it seems like they might be better than both of those teams, which does surprise me a little. But there was no doubt in my mind they would immediately be a good team once they had a competent coach

 

[SelectionSunday]

Gotta' give it up for the Michigan students

nm