A-Maize-n BLUE

Yes, it's been a LONG time since I've posted on this or any board...!  (Given my signature "mannerisms", one of which manifests itself later, NOT LONG ENOUGH, eh?)
But the job, personal biz, etc. have taken much of my time the past few years. Still--if EVER a time to return to the Michigan Football board, it's NOW!  (No explanation necessary). Though I do return to A-squared annually for the BH5K, and definitely will this April 21...

As we revel in the glory of OUR national title...whether people in Lincoln think they can bamboozle Rev. Osborne to come out of retirement for a day or not...let me set down a few rambling afterthoughts on Team 144 overall, and our beloved program moving forward...

(1) Least pleasant---I have little choice but agree with those who say Jimbo is a'goner...the man is, my take, an even more intense competitor than his COACH during his mid-80s U-M playing days.  And he's been a winner everywhere, at every level, he's coached (not to mention a solid "Captain Comeback" NFL playing career). He transformed a bottom-feeder Stanford program into a big victor over then-defending NC Southern Cal and a 10+ win season; took the 49ers to wthin ONE POINT of a Super Bowl title; took over his downtrodden (2008-2014) alma mater, and almost immediately returned them to national revelance, save for the OSU series; made all the changes (coaching, and above all, CULTURE) after the COVID disaster and put the bucknuts in their place; and now, that he's raised the bar as high as it can go, he wants another crack at the NFL---and most likely, he'd like another shot at Big Bro' !!!  (BTW---that thing with John and his parents after the game Monday was simply BEAUTIFUL!!)

(2) Though I can't stand Paul Finebaum (as cannot any of you), whom, I can't decide, is more unpleasant to the nerve or to the eye, I was taken 3600000 degrees ABACK to hear him say how dead wrong he was about Harbaugh and Michigan.  The SEC arse-kisser saying this!!!   Sheesh, do miracles ever cease???

(3) Speaking of the SEC, you've all no doubt heard all the crap about "Georgia is really the best team, yoda yoda..."  To be open and honest here, folks, MAYBE (note emphasis) they are, maybe not. But---WHAT DOES IT MATTER?  They had their chance against Bama, at home in effect (Atlanta)...and were beaten to a man.  By the same Bama team we manhandled (the Jimmy way---in the trenches).  And we did NOT blow our chances at a natty. If your World Series champion has a losing record against a divisional rival during the regular season, but finishes first AND wins the postseason, does that erase THEIR world title?  Same for the Super Bowl winner?
As I say---opining is everyone's privilege, but when it comes to who is the CFP king, what do OFF-the-field opinions mean??  Absolute zilch.

(4) (This one will really give me away): Proposal for OSU, so many of whose idiotic fans want their "1-and-3-vs-TTUN" head coach replaced (despite his record otherwise): Three coaches who are now available: Frank Cignetti (PITT), Warren Ruggiero (WAKE) and Phil Longo (WISCY). Noting the common ethnicity, one of them would seem the logical choice if OSU really does plan to let Ryan DAY GO...

(5) So interesting to see what the program, the B-infinity (er, 18), the BCS playoff, and college football will become in September. We lose much of our talent, but with our staff's expertise in the portal, and the boost our recruiting will reap from the natty, I'm not too concerned.


Let me give out by saying I may visit here again, time-to-time, to hear YOUR takes, on any of the above, or anything Michigan.  But I definitely will be in Ann Arbor 4/21/2024, if any of you living not too far are interested...

Mike

Mike, I'm so happy to hear from you and hear your reflections!

michmike wrote:

Yes, it's been a LONG time since I've posted on this or any board...!  (Given my signature "mannerisms", one of which manifests itself later, NOT LONG ENOUGH, eh?)
But the job, personal biz, etc. have taken much of my time the past few years. Still--if EVER a time to return to the Michigan Football board, it's NOW!  (No explanation necessary). Though I do return to A-squared annually for the BH5K, and definitely will this April 21...

As we revel in the glory of OUR national title...whether people in Lincoln think they can bamboozle Rev. Osborne to come out of retirement for a day or not...let me set down a few rambling afterthoughts on Team 144 overall, and our beloved program moving forward...

(1) Least pleasant---I have little choice but agree with those who say Jimbo is a'goner...the man is, my take, an even more intense competitor than his COACH during his mid-80s U-M playing days.  And he's been a winner everywhere, at every level, he's coached (not to mention a solid "Captain Comeback" NFL playing career). He transformed a bottom-feeder Stanford program into a big victor over then-defending NC Southern Cal and a 10+ win season; took the 49ers to wthin ONE POINT of a Super Bowl title; took over his downtrodden (2008-2014) alma mater, and almost immediately returned them to national revelance, save for the OSU series; made all the changes (coaching, and above all, CULTURE) after the COVID disaster and put the bucknuts in their place; and now, that he's raised the bar as high as it can go, he wants another crack at the NFL---and most likely, he'd like another shot at Big Bro' !!!  (BTW---that thing with John and his parents after the game Monday was simply BEAUTIFUL!!)

(2) Though I can't stand Paul Finebaum (as cannot any of you), whom, I can't decide, is more unpleasant to the nerve or to the eye, I was taken 3600000 degrees ABACK to hear him say how dead wrong he was about Harbaugh and Michigan.  The SEC arse-kisser saying this!!!   Sheesh, do miracles ever cease???

(3) Speaking of the SEC, you've all no doubt heard all the crap about "Georgia is really the best team, yoda yoda..."  To be open and honest here, folks, MAYBE (note emphasis) they are, maybe not. But---WHAT DOES IT MATTER?  They had their chance against Bama, at home in effect (Atlanta)...and were beaten to a man.  By the same Bama team we manhandled (the Jimmy way---in the trenches).  And we did NOT blow our chances at a natty. If your World Series champion has a losing record against a divisional rival during the regular season, but finishes first AND wins the postseason, does that erase THEIR world title?  Same for the Super Bowl winner?
As I say---opining is everyone's privilege, but when it comes to who is the CFP king, what do OFF-the-field opinions mean??  Absolute zilch.

(4) (This one will really give me away): Proposal for OSU, so many of whose idiotic fans want their "1-and-3-vs-TTUN" head coach replaced (despite his record otherwise): Three coaches who are now available: Frank Cignetti (PITT), Warren Ruggiero (WAKE) and Phil Longo (WISCY). Noting the common ethnicity, one of them would seem the logical choice if OSU really does plan to let Ryan DAY GO...

(5) So interesting to see what the program, the B-infinity (er, 18), the BCS playoff, and college football will become in September. We lose much of our talent, but with our staff's expertise in the portal, and the boost our recruiting will reap from the natty, I'm not too concerned.


Let me give out by saying I may visit here again, time-to-time, to hear YOUR takes, on any of the above, or anything Michigan.  But I definitely will be in Ann Arbor 4/21/2024, if any of you living not too far are interested...

Mike

I've been quiet on this for the current year, actually I do not frequent this place much anymore because of the idiots, but I pretty much agree with you on Jimmah being gone. He is a competitive a-hole like me (he's just far more successful at it). My call before the Natty was that he was gone 60/40. After winning the championship I'm up to 75/25 he's gone. My thoughts are complex on this one. However, I still think he wants to get his Big Brother back by winning a SB. Jimmah is a drama queen, we all know thus. Part of me thinks that he likes all of the crap going on surrounding the investigations. But think about it, would he really want to deal with the press any further about it? My UM athletic ticket connection says that he honestly doesn't know what Jimmah will do. He put the odds at 50/50 although he did stress that Jimmah AND HIS FAMILY love Ann Arbor. He offered the question, "Would Harbaugh be willing to fly back-and-forth every week from the West coast just to have an NFL job again?" My thoughts on that question alone are no, he would not as that means at best being with your family for 36 hours a week. Harbaugh isn't your regular person though.

Incidentally, the ohio fans do not consider their coach as 1 and 3 against Michigan, only 1-1 as we "cheated" but yes, they still want day gone. John Cooper 2.0, I've been saying it for over a year now.

This may come as a shock to many here, but I'm very slightly leaning towards JJ coming back (only 51/49). I think it ultimately comes down to what Harbaugh does. With NIL he's still making money, not as much as he would in the league but he's still bringing in 7-figures a year. You know he's not just blowing it all away either. It's making more money for him while he's in college. JJ also knows that he's simply not ready for the NFL. He absolutely dominates against lesser competition but has pedestrian numbers against the larger guys (granted much of that is due to Michigan's style of play). He wants to play, he wants to dominate, can he do that at the next level? Maybe, maybe not but it's "possible" that he'll put it off to have fun and develop further in Ann Arbor.

Everything that I previously said, other than my ticket guys guess is purely speculation on my part. I honestly don't know.

What a wonderful time we’re living in

I kinda disagree on both points:

1) I don't think that Jim is a "drama queen" at all, at least not how I understand the term. He is unique, no question but instead of seeking the attention and glory, he deflects this more than any other coach I have ever seen, to both his players and to his assistant coaches.

2) All QBs have gaudier stats against weaker defenses than they do against strong defenses, but the unfair comparisons made against JJ this year, often in the BS context of "before and after Conor Stallions," completely ignores that he played in spite being hurt against Purdue, then aggravated against Penn State. This is in part because we covered up the extent of his injury for obvious strategic reasons. Now we know that at half time of the Maryland game he was almost crying because of the pain, and that he he couldn't plant solidly on his left leg to make throws. Still he stayed in the lineup and made plays when he had to and now we are national champs.

He may or may not go pro and as a a fan I selfishly hope he comes back, but I don't doubt for a minute his ability physically and mentally to be successful in the NFL.

If we’re lucky, $3-4 mill of NIL will keep him.
Columnist in NY Times said Harbaugh to pros would be a loss for college football because of all the good he has done for the players regarding finances and freedom to move.

This decision will be based on if he still covets that Super Bowl trophy plain and simple … this has nothing to do with the money never has !!!

dwoody wrote:

If we’re lucky, $3-4 mill of NIL will keep him.
Columnist in NY Times said Harbaugh to pros would be a loss for college football because of all the good he has done for the players regarding finances and freedom to move.

I'll take "Why does the NCAA hate Jim Harbaugh" for $2000 Alex

I also Believe Jimmy is gone I do not agree he is an Egomaniac. I just think he did what he cae to do , make Michigan relavent again , I also believe that being a college coach is tougher than being an NFL coach espessally now with the NIL, in the pro you can't hurt a guys feeling and watch him leave he's under contract and you have his ass for 3 to 4 yrs. But in college you say something to him , and boom he's off to another school , plus every couple of years you have to retool your team. Much easier just coaching and not worring about recruiting, the NCAA, college AD and administrators.

the artist formally known wrote:

I also Believe Jimmy is gone I do not agree he is an Egomaniac. I just think he did what he cae to do , make Michigan relavent again , I also believe that being a college coach is tougher than being an NFL coach espessally now with the NIL, in the pro you can't hurt a guys feeling and watch him leave he's under contract and you have his ass for 3 to 4 yrs. But in college you say something to him , and boom he's off to another school , plus every couple of years you have to retool your team. Much easier just coaching and not worring about recruiting, the NCAA, college AD and administrators.

I agree on most of your points except the one where the player is under contract so he has to do what you say. In the pros the players make more than the coaches. A coach is a little fish in a huge pond. In college you are the man. In the pros if you lose for 2 years they fire you. No questions asked.

Also people have this notion that NFL coaches get the summer off. Coaching is a 12 month a year job no matter where you are.