I have been fighting this battle for years. I admit the last few years -- my main argument was based on faith in Harbaugh's stellar track record throughout his career and recognizing we had major glaring personnel weaknesses he was trying to scheme around, especially at QB and OL. "Wait til he has a real QB." Then this year happened. Yet still, even during yesterday's game and after, some posters are still spewing out this same stuff.
My son keeps telling me to just let it go. From the mouths of babes.... Yet, here I am on a beautiful Sunday with our Wolverines on the brink of the college playoffs still frustrated at this. So here are some thoughts to alleviate my frustration, and maybe cause some of the continuing critics to re-think and give our coach the benefit of the doubt:
1. Harbaugh coaches winning football. He has proven that his entire career. At the very highest levels against the very best in the business. It's why many educated folk still think he is one of the ELITE coaches in all of football at any level. It's why as soon as he is successful, he vaults to the very top of the who is going to coach X NFL team discussions. And even if you aren't able to muster up the faith to believe that he is still that guy when we aren't winning on the field like we all want despite clear personnel deficiencies -- hopefully he at least has your faith again given what he is doing this year.
2. No offensive scheme is perfect. All have different strengths and weaknesses. If you are set the conclusion that Harbaugh is a stubborn, overly conservative, simplistic offensive mind -- you are going to tend to overlook the plays where his schemes work and every time a play doesn't work, you are going to reinforce your belief. A lot of prejudice in the world works like that. All I ask you if you are still hyper critical of Harbaugh is to try to come at this with an open mind. Look at his success. See posts like this. If you come with an open mind, I'd bet the farm your views on him may temper a bit. There may still be play calls and tendencies that frustrate you. But appreciating what he is doing well and why may reduce some of that angst. And I ask you also to keep in mind that more wide open offenses have their downsides when they don't execute -- you see that every week with other teams.
3. Have the humility to recognize that we know barely a sliver of what Coach Harbaugh (and his stellar acclaimed staff) know about football, as well as this particular team and the opposition they are facing.
4. Coach Harbaugh is coaching real players. Each with strengths and weaknesses. He sees them in practice and has more data informing his decisions that you or I could ever fathom. For example, if he sees in practice Shea throws a pick 9 out of 10 times on a particular play -- that may lead him to choose to not call that play unless he feels like he needs to. And despite the great advances our OL has made this year, part of that is still Harbaugh scheming in a way to maximize their success and minimize the number of times they say miss a stunt on an obvious passing plenty. He is coaching real players who he knows better than anyone.
5. We have a GREAT D. He is coaching in light of that. He has faith in them making stops if we don't score on a particular drive. He is putting a premium on not turning the ball over and putting our D in bad positions. Especially given some of Shea's natural tendencies. He is making our D even better by limiting the time the other team's offense gets on the field and by giving our D time to rest and hopefully stay as healthy as possible. And psychologically, it is brutal for the other team to constantly face needed to go the length of the field against our team to score. And when they get impatient and force things -- you get turnovers like we say yesterday. Ask our D how much this approach is helping them be their best this year. Harbaugh is coaching holistically.
6. If you say our offense is simplistic, I challenge that. Yes, we have a more conservative general approach. But that doesn't make it simplistic. I have gone back and watched every game on offense this year, trying to test myself and see if I was blindly supporting Harbaugh. And every game makes me more convinced at how complex this offense actually is. Look at all the different formations, personnel packages, motions, double and triple fakes, plays setting up other plays later on, etc. There are things you'll see that simply make you say: "Genius."
7. Our success in the 4th quarter is a direct result of running the ball throughout the game beforehand. Once again, Harbaugh is thinking holistically and coaching for the entire game. Not just for one particular play or series.
8. Winning the time of possession battle. Consistently getting in 3rd and manageable situations. Beating the crap out of the other team, physically and mentally. Wearing the D out so they make mistakes even on routine runs late in the game. Lulling them in with the run and hitting on big open play action passes you've set up. Especially when you have a great D like ours. That is textbook winning football. It's absolutely sound. And over the span of times if you are able to look past a particular play or series -- Harbaugh knows what he is doing.
9. There are lots of reasons why a particular play may not work. Yeah, some calls in retrospect aren't great. That happens to EVERY coach. But once again, go back and watch the games. Lots of times, it is lack of player execution (key missed blocks, Shea making a bad read, a WR not coming back to the ball when Shea is flushed or not finding the holes in a zone, etc.). Sometimes, it's just a great play call or play on the other side. But if you just get super mad every time Harbaugh runs a play and doesn't work out and you just immediately chalk it up to Harbaugh being overly conservative or "bad route trees" -- you very well may be missing what is really happening.
10. Harbaugh still has a bunch of plays up his sleeve. Players have said that and we have seen it from game to game. He will bring them out when he wants to and needs to. A waste and unneccesary risk bringing them out now before that. He isn't out to win the style points war in a particular game. He is out to run the table the rest of the way if possible. He has a plan. And he is getting his team ready to throw more if/when needed.
Once again, I am not saying Harbaugh is perfect. No coach is. But the proof is in the pudding. Look at his career. Look at this season. Look at what we did to a very good PSU team yesterday. That is Harbaugh ball. That is man ball. That is winning football when you have a great D and when the offensive players execute. We are SO fortunate Harbaugh happens to love UM and is coaching our team. Because he's one of the very very best in the business. So happy he finally has the players to silence many of the critics. And hopefully we can all continue to hugely support him and our team. And if you are in the vocal minority still going after Harbaugh's offense -- I just ask you to consider that maybe he's still playing chess while others are playing checkers, and that he has a plan that can position us to win at the highest levels.
GO BLUE!
My son keeps telling me to just let it go. From the mouths of babes.... Yet, here I am on a beautiful Sunday with our Wolverines on the brink of the college playoffs still frustrated at this. So here are some thoughts to alleviate my frustration, and maybe cause some of the continuing critics to re-think and give our coach the benefit of the doubt:
1. Harbaugh coaches winning football. He has proven that his entire career. At the very highest levels against the very best in the business. It's why many educated folk still think he is one of the ELITE coaches in all of football at any level. It's why as soon as he is successful, he vaults to the very top of the who is going to coach X NFL team discussions. And even if you aren't able to muster up the faith to believe that he is still that guy when we aren't winning on the field like we all want despite clear personnel deficiencies -- hopefully he at least has your faith again given what he is doing this year.
2. No offensive scheme is perfect. All have different strengths and weaknesses. If you are set the conclusion that Harbaugh is a stubborn, overly conservative, simplistic offensive mind -- you are going to tend to overlook the plays where his schemes work and every time a play doesn't work, you are going to reinforce your belief. A lot of prejudice in the world works like that. All I ask you if you are still hyper critical of Harbaugh is to try to come at this with an open mind. Look at his success. See posts like this. If you come with an open mind, I'd bet the farm your views on him may temper a bit. There may still be play calls and tendencies that frustrate you. But appreciating what he is doing well and why may reduce some of that angst. And I ask you also to keep in mind that more wide open offenses have their downsides when they don't execute -- you see that every week with other teams.
3. Have the humility to recognize that we know barely a sliver of what Coach Harbaugh (and his stellar acclaimed staff) know about football, as well as this particular team and the opposition they are facing.
4. Coach Harbaugh is coaching real players. Each with strengths and weaknesses. He sees them in practice and has more data informing his decisions that you or I could ever fathom. For example, if he sees in practice Shea throws a pick 9 out of 10 times on a particular play -- that may lead him to choose to not call that play unless he feels like he needs to. And despite the great advances our OL has made this year, part of that is still Harbaugh scheming in a way to maximize their success and minimize the number of times they say miss a stunt on an obvious passing plenty. He is coaching real players who he knows better than anyone.
5. We have a GREAT D. He is coaching in light of that. He has faith in them making stops if we don't score on a particular drive. He is putting a premium on not turning the ball over and putting our D in bad positions. Especially given some of Shea's natural tendencies. He is making our D even better by limiting the time the other team's offense gets on the field and by giving our D time to rest and hopefully stay as healthy as possible. And psychologically, it is brutal for the other team to constantly face needed to go the length of the field against our team to score. And when they get impatient and force things -- you get turnovers like we say yesterday. Ask our D how much this approach is helping them be their best this year. Harbaugh is coaching holistically.
6. If you say our offense is simplistic, I challenge that. Yes, we have a more conservative general approach. But that doesn't make it simplistic. I have gone back and watched every game on offense this year, trying to test myself and see if I was blindly supporting Harbaugh. And every game makes me more convinced at how complex this offense actually is. Look at all the different formations, personnel packages, motions, double and triple fakes, plays setting up other plays later on, etc. There are things you'll see that simply make you say: "Genius."
7. Our success in the 4th quarter is a direct result of running the ball throughout the game beforehand. Once again, Harbaugh is thinking holistically and coaching for the entire game. Not just for one particular play or series.
8. Winning the time of possession battle. Consistently getting in 3rd and manageable situations. Beating the crap out of the other team, physically and mentally. Wearing the D out so they make mistakes even on routine runs late in the game. Lulling them in with the run and hitting on big open play action passes you've set up. Especially when you have a great D like ours. That is textbook winning football. It's absolutely sound. And over the span of times if you are able to look past a particular play or series -- Harbaugh knows what he is doing.
9. There are lots of reasons why a particular play may not work. Yeah, some calls in retrospect aren't great. That happens to EVERY coach. But once again, go back and watch the games. Lots of times, it is lack of player execution (key missed blocks, Shea making a bad read, a WR not coming back to the ball when Shea is flushed or not finding the holes in a zone, etc.). Sometimes, it's just a great play call or play on the other side. But if you just get super mad every time Harbaugh runs a play and doesn't work out and you just immediately chalk it up to Harbaugh being overly conservative or "bad route trees" -- you very well may be missing what is really happening.
10. Harbaugh still has a bunch of plays up his sleeve. Players have said that and we have seen it from game to game. He will bring them out when he wants to and needs to. A waste and unneccesary risk bringing them out now before that. He isn't out to win the style points war in a particular game. He is out to run the table the rest of the way if possible. He has a plan. And he is getting his team ready to throw more if/when needed.
Once again, I am not saying Harbaugh is perfect. No coach is. But the proof is in the pudding. Look at his career. Look at this season. Look at what we did to a very good PSU team yesterday. That is Harbaugh ball. That is man ball. That is winning football when you have a great D and when the offensive players execute. We are SO fortunate Harbaugh happens to love UM and is coaching our team. Because he's one of the very very best in the business. So happy he finally has the players to silence many of the critics. And hopefully we can all continue to hugely support him and our team. And if you are in the vocal minority still going after Harbaugh's offense -- I just ask you to consider that maybe he's still playing chess while others are playing checkers, and that he has a plan that can position us to win at the highest levels.
GO BLUE!
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