Mailbag question: Starting to have doubts about Coach Rod?

GBMW,

For the first time, I’m starting to have doubts about Coach Rod. Not having enough talent is a poor excuse which everybody can fall back on. It seems that the really good coaches manage to win — one way or another. And his going for it on fourth down is starting to get old, mainly because they rarely seem to get the first down or score. (I never thought I’d pine for the old days when fourth down guaranteed the kicking team showed up.) Also, the trick plays are starting to get embarrassing.

Is Coach Rod too committed to the spread to be a truly innovative coach? It’s fine to want a certain system and get the players to run it, but that can also be a fool’s dream — you’re never going to get a perfect team. I think he should be able to make more with what he has to work with — spread or no spread. The team doesn’t seem to have improved much from the beginning of the season, in fact, it looks like they’ve regressed.

Frankly, the team doesn’t look like a well-coached, disciplined team, which has nothing to do with talent.

What do you guys think?

— Q

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Thanks for the question.

We have made no secret that we prefer a more diversified offense than the one Coach Rod runs.

Well a week or so ago we had a similar question in regards to innovated offense. As the coaches told us for two years at the Michigan coach’s clinics that their offense is a pretty basic offense, but when it is run right will give defensive coaches heartburn. When it doesn’t run right sometimes it looks very basic and very predictable. They count on players executing the plays and making the right reads.

We have also made it clear that we prefer a pro style offense that incorporates parts of the spread philosophy in it. We think that is the best of both worlds and you can adapt to your personnel and the kids your recruiting instead of targeting a smaller group and pinning yourself to a certain type of player.

If you can get great players to your football team you can play any system you want, but the problem is when other teams are adapting while your passing on kids because they do not fit your system this is where talent issues sometimes comes into play.

This team right now the lack of discipline especially on defense is going from annoying to starting to p*ss us off.

Linebackers over flowing and not maintaining proper leverage after being at Michigan for a couple of years now. Yes they are in a different system for three straight years, but it seems like they are still making the same high school type of mistakes that do not get fixed or corrected.

Defensive line overrunning plays and giving up cutbacks for huge plays.

Safeties and Cornerbacks letting wide receivers behind them.

Entire defense not staying home on boots and play action. The defense has to play better if Michigan is going get to 6-6 and bowl eligible this year.

Did any Michigan player get even close to Purdue’s pooch kick, and have you ever seen worse clock management then Michigan the last 28 seconds?

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