Coach's Corner: Here are some things I would like to see next season -- Part 1 -- Team
Team:
1) Needs to play with a giant chip on its shoulder.
Coach Bo always talked about an attitude that you did not want to be a team that played Michigan after a loss. Because we will be so p*ssed off, the other team will not know what hit it. If the last two seasons do not have this team, players and coaches as mad as hell, then in my opinion they should take up badminton.
2) There must be a consistent resiliency or ability to bounce back.
There will be bad plays and series in the game of football; hell teams have bad games where little goes right. What separates the good from the average is that good teams/players forget the last play or series (good or bad) and get the job done. Elite teams get downright upset and beat the daylights out of an opponent that just happens to be on the schedule at the wrong time.
Florida completely dismantled Cincinnati after being embarrassed by Alabama; Ohio State could have quit after the embarrassing Purdue loss. They not only came back, but also did so with a vengeance.
Our Michigan team was never the same after the second half of the Illinois game and I am not sure UM ever got over the back-to-back tough loses to Michigan State and Iowa. The fragile balloon went boom.
3) TEAM
I still have a feeling that the entire team is not on the same page. Some of the players who should have been leaders and playmakers just seemed disinterested at times. No proof, just an educated guess.
Sorry but if you are not 100% on board with the program, then leave. If you are unhappy with how Coach Rod and staff do things, get the heck out.
This (rebuilding effort and future improvement) will not work unless everyone is pulling together. In my opinion this will take care of itself as more and more of Coach Rod's recruited players see the field. Be 100% with the program, or be a manager or something.
Part 2 will cover the offense.
Written by GBMW Staff
Go Blue -- Wear Maize!
2 comments:
This is a very interesting analysis and I believe it is spot on. However, I would caution any sort of optimism when it comes to the character of this team on defense.
It's most effective leader and high-character player is leaving in Brandon Graham.
This team folded up its tent mid-way through the season and there is no indication that the current roster will do any different when the Big Ten season begins.
I agree, and I think the reason for the team's emotional break down is they are led primarily by youth, i.e., 70% freshman and sophomores. We know that you win with Juniors and Seniors. Michigan's Juniors and Seniors overall were not leaders, they are followers. They have to be the ones to encourage and pick up the team when things go wrong.
Brandon Graham tried to do it, but he couldn't do it by himself. Maybe RR needs to reconsider how he choses his leaders. They need to be vocal and lead by example. He has to recruit those type of players and develop that culture on the field and the locker room.
However, I also know is that true leaders are selected by their own group and so those guys that they respect will somehow come up through the ranks. If this is not happening, then maybe they don't have any of those guys on the team.
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