The Problem with Michigan Football that No One is Talking About

This past spring, after a 17-7 victory for the Maize team in Michigan Football's annual spring game, Sherrone Moore was pulled aside for a post game interview. He answered a couple questions about how he was proud of his team's effort and looking forward to getting better everyday before calling Donovan Edwards over to take his place. In a classic Jim Harbaugh move, Moore drew some chuckles before saying "this program has always [been] and will be about the players, regardless [if it's] coach Harbaugh or me".

Everyone who has followed Michigan football the past few years knows that the dramatic turnaround since the 2-4 2020 season was due in large part to the culture change that occured. And a large part of that culture change was due to the players themselves. Not to discredit the incredible coaching Michigan had the past few years, but the '21, '22, and '23 versions of this football team were player led teams, something that hadn't been the case previously under Harbaugh. Players were given more responsibility and ownership of the team. Harbaugh established a player leadership council to serve as a bridge between players and coaches during the 2021 fall camp.

It was players like Cade Mcnamara, Aidan Hutchinson, and Josh Ross- who eventually gave way to J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, and Mike Sainrastill- who helped turn the trajectory of Michigan football around. They were tremendous leaders and veteran players. They had experienced one of the lowest seasons in Michigan football history, and as a result, knew what it would take to get to the top.

Everyone wants to talk about the coaching and talent that this team lost from a year ago. What people don't acknowledge as much is the player leadership that this team lost from a year ago. That's not to say that Sherrone Moore or other members of this coaching staff aren't capable leaders, but the blueprint for success that has been established is to lean on the players, letting them take responsibility and ownership of the teams success. When you have a player led program without veteran experienced players, that creates a problem.

To be clear, there are some good leaders on this team -- guys like Donovan Edwards, Myles Hinton, and Will Johnson. But a lot of players are being asked to step up into very expanded roles. And success within those new expectations doesn't happen overnight. I think players like Davis Warren and Semaj Morgan have tremendous leadership potential, but not the experience yet. Ultimately there are just too many guys who don't have the experience and confidence to fill the roles they're being asked to.

Sherrone Moore has to think about the future

How does Sherrone Moore fix this going into next year? It starts with getting some younger players experience in the final two games. Cade McNamara had a chance to play in four games during 2020- then get an entire offseason to grow and develop from that experience. Sherrone Moore also has to reward hard work and commitment with playing time. This season doesn't have much left on the line. Short term success can't come at the expense of building a foundation for the future.

It's easy to talk about getting more talent or coaching adjustments because they are very tangible pieces that can be improved. But culture is so elusive and intangible it gets very hard to define and critique especially when we're not the ones in that building every day. When Sherrone Moore took over as head coach one of the key pillars he talked about was proccess over prize. It's easy to reward effort and process when things are going well. But when you're facing mounting pressure to win and growing uncertainty around your future it becomes much more difficult to invest in the future at the risk of present success. But right now is the time that Sherrone Moore has to really lean into what he talked about to find those leaders and establish the foundation for success in the years to come.