All Things SkunkBear

[IrishLax]

Brandon's Blog: Hoke is the Right Leader for Michigan Football - MGOBLUE.COM - University of Michigan Official Athletic Site

This is the saddest, most desperate thing I've ever seen put out by an AD. Only about 15% of the content remotely resembles logic.

Nick Saban's 4th year where he finished "4th in his division"? Finished 10-3 and ranked #10 in the country... 3 top 10 wins (at time of the game), and played EIGHT ranked teams, lost to #22 South Carolina, #8 LSU, and eventual national champ #1 Auburn. This year was sandwiched between two national championships.

Stanford was building from 1-11 and showing steady improvement each year... not getting progressively worse from year 1 onward. It was also STANFORD who at the time had ZERO talent and had never been relevant.

Nice comparisons, Brandon. The world is laughing at you and your team that can't compete in the worst conference in the country.

 

[NDinMich]

Brandon's Blog: Hoke is the Right Leader for Michigan Football - MGOBLUE.COM - University of Michigan Official Athletic Site

This is the saddest, most desperate thing I've ever seen put out by an AD. Only about 15% of the content remotely resembles logic.

Nick Saban's 4th year where he finished "4th in his division"? Finished 10-3 and ranked #10 in the country... 3 top 10 wins (at time of the game), and played EIGHT ranked teams, lost to #22 South Carolina, #8 LSU, and eventual national champ #1 Auburn. This year was sandwiched between two national championships.

Stanford was building from 1-11 and showing steady improvement each year... not getting progressively worse from year 1 onward. It was also STANFORD who at the time had ZERO talent and had never been relevant.

Nice comparisons, Brandon. The world is laughing at you and your team that can't compete in the worst conference in the country.

Think this is a response to Jabril Peppers' comments?

 

[IrishLax]

Think this is a response to Jabril Peppers' comments?

100%. The entire thing reads like Brady Hoke went to Brandon complaining about losing recruits because they have no faith that he will be around, and so Brandon put out this "vote of confidence" letter to try to stop the horrible trajectory of everything.

Note how much of the letter is dedicated to recruiting. It's a total joke:
"However, the only threat to our continued success in recruiting is the same old, tired tactic being used by some who wish to see us fail -- to try and scare young recruits into believing that our coach "is on the hot seat" -- which simply isn't true."

"Our coaches are recruiting nationally from New Jersey to California..."

"Right now, this year's team is counting on 11 freshmen or redshirt freshmen in the trenches. Not to make excuses, but to point out the obvious, this shows how much we are investing in young talent that will make huge contributions to our future success."

--

But aside the ridiculous comparisons to Alabama and Stanford... this gem had me rolling:
"There have been speed bumps along the way and unforeseen obstacles that have hindered our progress this season, but the resiliency of this team has been remarkable."

What obstacles!?!? Outside of an injury to Jake Ryan that he came back from in time for their Big Ten slate, they've been pretty darn injury free. They also play a laughably easy schedule. And they somehow convinced Lewan to come back to school. So I ask again... what obstacles? What resiliency? This isn't ND with 25ish injuries... or Florida or Georgia... come onnnnnnnnnnn....

 

[Redbar]

I am sooo glad we will never see that swill from Mr. Swarbrick.

 

[IrishLax]

Also "11 freshman or RS freshman in the trenches" is both inaccurate and makes zero sense. 5 OL + 3-4 DL = 8-9 total players in the trenches. So wtf?

ND is/was playing 3 RS or true frosh on the OL, and Jones is a RS frosh playing next to a true soph and a junior... I doubt that's really less youth than Michigan is rolling out there.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Also "11 freshman or RS freshman in the trenches" is both inaccurate and makes zero sense. 5 OL + 3-4 DL = 8-9 total players in the trenches. So wtf?

ND is/was playing 3 RS or true frosh on the OL, and Jones is a RS frosh playing next to a true soph and a junior... I doubt that's really less youth than Michigan is rolling out there.

Don't forget Rochelle was getting a lot of time before he got injured, and using Brandon's math, since Jaylon Smith plays close to the line the entire game, he's another freshman 'in the trenches'.

What an embarrassing email...

 

[nvirish]

Can't wait to see them get smoked by Urban at 11am Saturday. He is going to go for 2 at least once.

 

[phork]

Spread inching toward 17 now. That is crazy.

 

[Emcee77]

I would take OSU for sure at -17.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Fuck Michigan

That is all

 

[Rack Em]

I would take OSU for sure at -17.

Really? I took meatchicken at +14.5

A few things that went into my decision:
1) O$U's defense isn't a worldbeater. Illinois put up points on them in the 2nd half when they opened up the playbook
2) Hoke tends to perform well at the big house
3) I kinda want meatchicken to win this game - it would help pacify the fan base with regards to Hoke (we need him around a long time to drive the program into the ground)

 

[tko]

It's a shame Gardner won't have the all-time greatest game against OSU like he had versus ND. OSU will win by 24+, mark it down. Urban Liar will have his boot on Hoke's turkey neck.

 

[gkIrish]

If Michigan plays their best game and OSU plays their worst, OSU should still win by 10

 

[dublinirish]

OSU will aim to run it up i could see a 40-10 blowout for them

 

[rtrn2glory]

only thing that ann arbor has going for them is that they are at home and this is the best rivalry in college football...we'll find out how much guts they got tomorrow b/c i've been a live eye witness to an upset much more big than it would be should ann arbor win tomorrow

they ruined a very realistic chance for a national championship for the suckeyes back in 1996

 

[IrishLax]

Really? I took meatchicken at +14.5

A few things that went into my decision:
1) O$U's defense isn't a worldbeater. Illinois put up points on them in the 2nd half when they opened up the playbook
2) Hoke tends to perform well at the big house
3) I kinda want meatchicken to win this game - it would help pacify the fan base with regards to Hoke (we need him around a long time to drive the program into the ground)

I agree with all of this, except for point 3. Hoke will be around next year no matter what and I'd love for him to have as little momentum as possible with '15 targets we're both after. I want them to get embarrassed at home and have a half full stadium by the 4th quarter so all the visiting recruits see how bad their program is.

I don't think OSU is very good. I really, really don't. ND... even with all of the injuries... would probably be undefeated up to this point with similar margin of victory against their laughable schedule. Their defense sucks.

With that being said, if Michigan plays their typical don't-block-anyone style of offense, they should get blown out. Gardner will have to play a miraculous game of avoiding pressure and making tight throws like he did against ND.

 

[rtrn2glory]

the only thing that worries me about ann arbor getting railed is how long til we start to lose momentum in recruiting to urban with the crazy start he's having since getting to cbus?

 

[chubler]

Sadly, I think there might be something to the scUM fans' youth refrain. Regardless of RB's and QB's, if their OL develops as it ages, they'll be able to destroy people by blowing them off the ball.

 

[palinurus]

Really? I took meatchicken at +14.5

A few things that went into my decision:
1) O$U's defense isn't a worldbeater. Illinois put up points on them in the 2nd half when they opened up the playbook
2) Hoke tends to perform well at the big house
3) I kinda want meatchicken to win this game - it would help pacify the fan base with regards to Hoke (we need him around a long time to drive the program into the ground)

I agree with all of this, except for point 3. Hoke will be around next year no matter what and I'd love for him to have as little momentum as possible with '15 targets we're both after. I want them to get embarrassed at home and have a half full stadium by the 4th quarter so all the visiting recruits see how bad their program is.

I don't think OSU is very good. I really, really don't. ND... even with all of the injuries... would probably be undefeated up to this point with similar margin of victory against their laughable schedule. Their defense sucks.

With that being said, if Michigan plays their typical don't-block-anyone style of offense, they should get blown out. Gardner will have to play a miraculous game of avoiding pressure and making tight throws like he did against ND.

I take a backseat to no one in my contempt for Ohio State. This contempt accounts for my inability to avoid watching them whenever they are televised, so I have watched them a decent amount this year; I completely agree: this is not a good defense and not a particularly good team. Miller is overrated, too; Hyde is pretty good. I think Michigan can hang with them for three quarters, unless Gardner self destructs. After that, who knows. I'm guessing Ohio State by 7-10 but I always lean underdog in rivalry games.

Looking ahead to the OSU bowl game, my contempt aside, Meyer is a pretty good coach and I think given enough time, he can prepare his team to hang with most anyone. I don't think they'd beat Bama, but it wouldn't surprise me if they hang, and I bet they could beat FSU, though it would be close. Just my amateur opinion....

 

[GoIrish41]

I take a backseat to no one in my contempt for Ohio State. This contempt accounts for my inability to avoid watching them whenever they are televised, so I have watched them a decent amount this year; I completely agree: this is not a good defense and not a particularly good team. Miller is overrated, too; Hyde is pretty good. I think Michigan can hang with them for three quarters, unless Gardner self destructs. After that, who knows. I'm guessing Ohio State by 7-10 but I always lean underdog in rivalry games.

Looking ahead to the OSU bowl game, my contempt aside, Meyer is a pretty good coach and I think given enough time, he can prepare his team to hang with most anyone. I don't think they'd beat Bama, but it wouldn't surprise me if they hang, and I bet they could beat FSU, though it would be close. Just my amateur opinion....

FSU would score 50-plus on OSU, and they have the defense to stop Miller/Hyde. I think FSU would destroy OSU.

 

[palinurus]

FSU would score 50-plus on OSU, and they have the defense to stop Miller/Hyde. I think FSU would destroy OSU.

I hope you are right. I would love to be wrong about this.

 

[phork]

Sadly, I think there might be something to the scUM fans' youth refrain. Regardless of RB's and QB's, if their OL develops as it ages, they'll be able to destroy people by blowing them off the ball.

I don't buy it. I do not think that Morris is going to be the QB they think. Their running game leaves a lot to be desired. Plus when they fire Borges it'll be all new again. I'll lose my mind if we lose to them next year. Of all the teams we play they always seem to have our number and it sucks. We owe them more than a few 38-0 beat downs.

 

[koonja]

I'm just glad that Gardner doesn't seem to be panning out, and they burnt Morris's RS this year, and Gardner is coming back next. So Morris will be there for 4 years and only playing for 2. That's not too bad.

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

Word on the street is the stadium should be 70-30 UM O$U tomorrow, maybe worse. Michigan fans are giving their tickets away. I got offered two today for $60 FOR BOTH - obviously declined.

 

[TheRealLynch51]

Word on the street is the stadium should be 70-30 UM O$U tomorrow, maybe worse. Michigan fans are giving their tickets away. I got offered two today for $60 FOR BOTH - obviously declined.

If I lived close to that whore of a city, I personally would pick those up. It would be fun to go to game that is considered one of the best rivalries in sports. Also, I'd be okay with either team winning for different reasons, so I think it would be a fun time

 

[phork]

I couldn't decline. I am going for the pure joy of watching legal child abuse.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

MSU will beat OSU, mark it down. That will be the ultimate shame for Michigan fans. What do they call MSU, "little brother?"

 

[Buster Bluth]

Word on the street is the stadium should be 70-30 UM O$U tomorrow, maybe worse. Michigan fans are giving their tickets away. I got offered two today for $60 FOR BOTH - obviously declined.

I sold my ticket back in 2010 for $50.

In 2006 I paid $650 for a ticket to the #1 vs #2 game. Times have certainly changed.

 

[rtrn2glory]

msu will play urban tougher than anyone all year, but in the end the final score will be 34-17 or something representing a comfortable victory.

 

[DillonHall]

msu will play urban tougher than anyone all year, but in the end the final score will be 34-17 or something representing a comfortable victory.

You didn't watch them play Northwestern, I'm guessing