I read about Michigan from all the usual suspects that aren’t exclusive premium member content. I pay for only 1 Michigan sports site for the straight dope, this one. But I do visit all the other College Football/Recruiting sites to read everything that doesn’t have a “Premium” or the “+” label on Michigan Football articles relating to Spring ball and the Spring Game. Obviously, there is a very small number that have the established access and provide the most information that Michigan does not let any local Detroit media reporter or national mainstream college football/recruiter expert see or hear anything about spring practice that the coaching staff doesn’t want them to see. All those leaks from all the faucets Schembechler Hall once had have been removed and their pipes plug welded permanently.
Of the dozen plus OS’ Michigan Spring Practice Summaries I’ve read concerning the “Qb Battle”, 10 out of 12 imply that Orji is the clear leader and the obvious candidate to be the QB1 for a Michigan team still loaded with talent despite losing all but a few starters from the 2023 National Championship senior laden starting 22 Wolverines. I’d say 8 out of the 12 are just repeating the same thing about Orji this spring - “Orji has had a quiet but good camp.” Which I interpreted as that’s what they’re being told by the coaches. Not blowing up camp, just solid play and execution of what the coaches are asking of him. It’s important to take into account that, since Harbaugh took the job in 2015, Jim and the whole staff were paranoid of practicing outside Glick due to the outside fields have no visual barriers to block multiple elevation levels vantage points from which bad actors could record Michigan’s full 4 hour practices and scrimmages with impunity, and many had been successful doing so in the past until Jim shut that sh*t down. Don’t know the real story of how he did it and don’t want to know. We saw a few small press stories of A2 and Campus Po-lice ramped up patrolling those optimum surveillance spots, but what they were doing is not a crime and neither is occupying public space without posted regulations established by the city DA, A2 Mayor, and both Police Departments, made more complicated because Campus Police are actually State Police and have to enforce laws by state regulations than the city.
Anyone who has attended any of the 50+ annual Hash Bashes in A2, know that getting that 25$ ticket from the City cops…(It amazed me that people actually actively tried to get one of those City Fines that they gladly paid for a memento that were professionally mounted and framed as a valued work of Art in their homes!)…is a far far faaaaar different experience when the Campus Police were involved. Michigan’s drug laws were draconian back in the day, and even less than a quarter of weed in your possession often resulted in a period of time incarcerated, a ridiculously high fine, and a serious stigma conviction on your record. From what I remember, Campus and the City Cops hated each other some 30 years ago. To get them to cooperate with local officials even on the smallest of issues was always a topic covered in the Ann Arbor News. Given those conditions, I doubt an initiative by the police was responsible for shutting down the filming of practices. But it did end, and Harbaugh is a guy who likes the rough stuff..just ask his older brother. Anything I say would be pure conjecture as I have not a single insinuation of what he did to stop it. I just know what I would have done. All you have to do is scare one scout into s**ting his pants. You can count on the story spreading like wildfire among that group that deals in gossip in their profession. Again, no idea how it stopped, but it certainly wasn’t by law enforcement.
I’ve never been to a practice, but I do know the program never shows much of anything other than basic stuff when outside in the spring, in summer camp, and often in the early games until the come up against an opponent that calls for them to use formations and plays nobody has seen before. Think back, have you ever read a spring practice report about players competing for the QB1 job where Josh or other reports wrote that a QB was just dominating practices with + plays and incredible off schedule monster throws since Harbaugh took the job? They all sound alike to me, especially about the player coaches already feel will be the guy. It’s no different than Orji. Why draw any attention to him or the QB competition by giving spicy takes and hyping up Orji so he’s on everyone’s radar all summer? It does nothing but hurt Michigan to do so.
Finally, addressing posts about Michigan looking for a couple QBs with lots of experience in the portal. I think that is a direct result of Tuttle not being healthy enough to be a viable back up. Then there is the specter of a QB entering the portal after Orji is named QB1. It only makes sense to bring in 2 experienced guys to 1). Provide insurance in case of injury, 2). Fill out the QB room with older guys who won’t block QB recruits coming in. 3). Push Alex every practice, every game, to lock in an play his best game. With no real threat in the QB room at present who could beat him out this year with this team, it would only be a positive to have a QB right on his heels, pushing to take the job from him if he doesn’t give max effort at all times. Nobody said to Alex it was gonna be easy and nobody said putting in work day after day was gonna be fun. Somehow I believe he knows all of this and is relishing the thought of taking his game to another level this fall. I’m very confident they’ll design the whole offense asking Alex his favorite plays and what comes natural to him.
Watch out for Michigan’s offense this fall. It will be based on Harbaugh’s philosophy, but everything else will be different from last year.
Of the dozen plus OS’ Michigan Spring Practice Summaries I’ve read concerning the “Qb Battle”, 10 out of 12 imply that Orji is the clear leader and the obvious candidate to be the QB1 for a Michigan team still loaded with talent despite losing all but a few starters from the 2023 National Championship senior laden starting 22 Wolverines. I’d say 8 out of the 12 are just repeating the same thing about Orji this spring - “Orji has had a quiet but good camp.” Which I interpreted as that’s what they’re being told by the coaches. Not blowing up camp, just solid play and execution of what the coaches are asking of him. It’s important to take into account that, since Harbaugh took the job in 2015, Jim and the whole staff were paranoid of practicing outside Glick due to the outside fields have no visual barriers to block multiple elevation levels vantage points from which bad actors could record Michigan’s full 4 hour practices and scrimmages with impunity, and many had been successful doing so in the past until Jim shut that sh*t down. Don’t know the real story of how he did it and don’t want to know. We saw a few small press stories of A2 and Campus Po-lice ramped up patrolling those optimum surveillance spots, but what they were doing is not a crime and neither is occupying public space without posted regulations established by the city DA, A2 Mayor, and both Police Departments, made more complicated because Campus Police are actually State Police and have to enforce laws by state regulations than the city.
Anyone who has attended any of the 50+ annual Hash Bashes in A2, know that getting that 25$ ticket from the City cops…(It amazed me that people actually actively tried to get one of those City Fines that they gladly paid for a memento that were professionally mounted and framed as a valued work of Art in their homes!)…is a far far faaaaar different experience when the Campus Police were involved. Michigan’s drug laws were draconian back in the day, and even less than a quarter of weed in your possession often resulted in a period of time incarcerated, a ridiculously high fine, and a serious stigma conviction on your record. From what I remember, Campus and the City Cops hated each other some 30 years ago. To get them to cooperate with local officials even on the smallest of issues was always a topic covered in the Ann Arbor News. Given those conditions, I doubt an initiative by the police was responsible for shutting down the filming of practices. But it did end, and Harbaugh is a guy who likes the rough stuff..just ask his older brother. Anything I say would be pure conjecture as I have not a single insinuation of what he did to stop it. I just know what I would have done. All you have to do is scare one scout into s**ting his pants. You can count on the story spreading like wildfire among that group that deals in gossip in their profession. Again, no idea how it stopped, but it certainly wasn’t by law enforcement.
I’ve never been to a practice, but I do know the program never shows much of anything other than basic stuff when outside in the spring, in summer camp, and often in the early games until the come up against an opponent that calls for them to use formations and plays nobody has seen before. Think back, have you ever read a spring practice report about players competing for the QB1 job where Josh or other reports wrote that a QB was just dominating practices with + plays and incredible off schedule monster throws since Harbaugh took the job? They all sound alike to me, especially about the player coaches already feel will be the guy. It’s no different than Orji. Why draw any attention to him or the QB competition by giving spicy takes and hyping up Orji so he’s on everyone’s radar all summer? It does nothing but hurt Michigan to do so.
Finally, addressing posts about Michigan looking for a couple QBs with lots of experience in the portal. I think that is a direct result of Tuttle not being healthy enough to be a viable back up. Then there is the specter of a QB entering the portal after Orji is named QB1. It only makes sense to bring in 2 experienced guys to 1). Provide insurance in case of injury, 2). Fill out the QB room with older guys who won’t block QB recruits coming in. 3). Push Alex every practice, every game, to lock in an play his best game. With no real threat in the QB room at present who could beat him out this year with this team, it would only be a positive to have a QB right on his heels, pushing to take the job from him if he doesn’t give max effort at all times. Nobody said to Alex it was gonna be easy and nobody said putting in work day after day was gonna be fun. Somehow I believe he knows all of this and is relishing the thought of taking his game to another level this fall. I’m very confident they’ll design the whole offense asking Alex his favorite plays and what comes natural to him.
Watch out for Michigan’s offense this fall. It will be based on Harbaugh’s philosophy, but everything else will be different from last year.
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