Move over Red Sox fans, a new curse is upon the sports world. It’s victims are wearing maize and blue and still not ready to go back to the Big House of Horrors.
(Sorry for the sensational lead-in, but I’m auditioning for a role over at ESPN.)
Ridiculousness aside, Michigan is in trouble. I’m not a big John Edward fan, nor do I mess around with a Ouija board, but something cannot be ignored about the Wolverines’ recent struggles: Michigan hasn’t won a football game since the passing of Bo Schembechler.
I don’t actually believe Bo is somehow manipulating results from beyond the grave. Even if he could, he wouldn’t have a motive for negatively affecting Michigan football. Instead, Schembechler’s passing is symbolic for the end of an era for the football program. Bo-ball will not win in modern college football. They need to recruit speed, open up the playbook and most importantly jettison the overly-conservative coaching style and stubborn approach to the game.
This Saturday, that team was so cautious that they played scared, which would undoubtedly cause the legend to rise from the grave to take revenge if such a thing was possible. Let’s just say Chad Henne’s most serious lower-body injury has nothing to do with his legs. When they interviewed the Appalachian State players after their Week 1 shocker, they openly said they “saw quit” in the eyes of the Michigan players in the third quarter. These kids have zero confidence in their coaching staff and their gameplan. That mistrust leaves them with an erosion of confidence in themselves. Frankly, the spread offense is the least of their problems.
On top of that, they never adjusted to Oregon’s gameplan because of Lloyd Carr’s unwillingness to adapt. You’d think after the Appy State debacle they would’ve spent the entire week figuring out how to defend the Spread, especially with a more talented group of players coming to town. ABC can make excuses for Carr until Bob Griese’s ’72 Dolphins lose a football game, but it cannot cover up how poor a coaching job he’s doing. He may be classy, but he’s single-handedly killed this football team over the last 4 games (I mean, how can you NOT have a better plan at backup QB than a Freshman that doesn’t know the playbook?).
If the University wants to fix the program, they need to ask Carr to resign now, effective at the conclusion of the season, and clean house. They need to bring in a big name from the outside to be Head Coach, preferably with an offensive pedigree, who can change the scheme and bring in the players to match it. Thankfully, virtually all of the Big 10 is just as backward in their philosophy as Michigan. This season may be a long one, but the future remains bright if they swiftly embrace change and move decisively to rebuild their program from the ground up. But of course this is Michigan football, so they’ll probably just hire the ghost of Bo Schembechler along with a medium and commence running it into the gut.
Note:I’m not a Michigan guy. My attachment to the team is strictly due to the anguish of my in-laws, whom I adore. I just hate to see such great people suffer with a maddening football team.
My condolences on the Blogger Invitational this past weekend. It wasn’t personal.
I too have failed to win a college football since Bo Seatbuckler passed away.
College football game that should read. It’s because I’m not smart.
You talk about bringing these power conferences into the new millennium and it reminds me that I can’t wait to see how the rest of the Big 12 reacts when Dan Hawkins comes in with Colorado and runs that crazy ish he peddles.
Maybe someone can do that for the Big 10.
Carr will “resign,” and they will offer the job to Les Miles. And he’s take it. And then I’ll have a reason to hate Michigan.
Really well-written piece… You would have deserved to get that spot at ESPN, if you would have correctly used “its” instead of “it’s”. OK, that’s nitpicking.
But seriously, very interesting stuff. I like Lloyd Carr, but for the good of the program I think he needs to take a hike. He’s done some great things there, but Michigan is in obvious need of a change of pace.