Michigan-Illinois

[M Club]

I'd still much prefer a 28-14 type game, but hey - in the end - the team with the most points wins.

er, i'd rather have a 45-14 type game. not that hard to find a competent defensive staff and a couple middling three-stars to keep the other team from scoring 40 every time out.

[TheJON]

Michigan doesn't need to fire DickRod. They need to fire Greg Robinson and get a fucking defensive coordinator that knows what the fuck they are doing. His career is going the same route as Bill Calahan at Nebraska. People forget that the Huskers were scoring like crazy but they had that idiot (shit, his name escapes me right now.....former Wisconsin DC) at DC.

I also think they should go to a 2 quarterback system. Make defenses prepare for 2 talented QB's that are completely different. Either that or put D-Rob at WR/Wildcat and give the job back to Forcier. Robinson won't be able to walk by the time he is a senior if they keep him full-time at QB in this system.

I just find it really hard to believe the only problem with the defense is the players. Are they really this untalented? They seem to at least have some athleticism. Seems maybe if someone could just teach them how to tackle and cover a little bit, they could form into quality players.

That said, please keep Greg Robinson. I think he's doing a fantastic job!

[M Club]

I just find it really hard to believe the only problem with the defense is the players. Are they really this untalented? They seem to at least have some athleticism. Seems maybe if someone could just teach them how to tackle and cover a little bit, they could form into quality players.

prevailing theory about scheme is that dickrod's defensive assistants insist on teaching the 3-3-5 stack, a niche defense robinson isn't too familiar with. either dickrod needs to bring in a DC familiar with the 3-3-5 or he needs to let his DC select his own assistants.

lots of reasons the defense sucks, though attrition/injuries in the secondary and our subsequent reliance on freshman who should be redshirting right now is what hurts most. dickrod has recruited two five-star corners (justin turner and demar dorsey) and inherited another (donovan warren), but turner was fat, unmotivated, and eventually transferred; dorsey wasn't even admitted into school; and warren left last year so he wouldn't be drafted. dickrod also won a recruiting battle against ohio state for vlad emilien to play safety but he blew his knee out and hasn't really recovered. then our best corner (troy woolfolk) blew his leg out in fall practice not to mention we used to have a four-star corner (cissoko) who was robbing his teammates, pizza deliverymen, and anything else that bothered moving in ann arbor and is now in jail. plus, it turns out that guy was actually 20-years-old or something when he graduated high school, which explains why he was about as good as a high school corner while playing at michigan. and just for good measure we lost the best CB standing (jt floyd) to a freak injury in practice.

the starting DL is above average but there's not much depth (considering the 5-star DT dickrod pulled a couple years ago just moved to OL because of the suck), but the linebackers are putrid, which is exacerbates the lack of experience in the secondary, which except for a shitty azz senior corner consists entirely of freshman and sophomores.

we have good young linebacker talent right now that's redshirting, and presumably the issue with the secondary is experience/issues with the coaching staff, so maybe they'll be average next year. but since you're right about greg robinson we'll just have to listen to a fourth consecutive year of "this is statistically the worst michigan defense ever."

[WolverineSteve]

dickrod has recruited two five-star corners (justin turner and demar dorsey) and inherited another (donovan warren), but turner was fat, unmotivated, and eventually transferred; dorsey wasn't even admitted into school; and warren left last year so he wouldn't be drafted. dickrod also won a recruiting battle against ohio state for vlad emilien to play safety but he blew his knee out and hasn't really recovered. then our best corner (troy woolfolk) blew his leg out in fall practice not to mention we used to have a four-star corner (cissoko) who was robbing his teammates, pizza deliverymen, and anything else that bothered moving in ann arbor and is now in jail. plus, it turns out that guy was actually 20-years-old or something when he graduated high school, which explains why he was about as good as a high school corner while playing at michigan. and just for good measure we lost the best CB standing (jt floyd) to a freak injury in practice.

This is a perfect storm that would be impossible for any team to overcome. Maybe you could say that RR should not be recruiting the Dorsey's and Boubacar's of the world....but everyone was on them. I'm glad that the program did the right thing and tossed the thief and didn't admit the hoodlum....but the barrage of injuries is tough to comprehend.

[M Club]

well, greg robinson is part of that perfect storm, but otherwise, yes.

[WolverineSteve]

What if, as you said, GR is being force fed the 3-3-5? Why not let GR play his defense?

[M Club]

that's just the prevailing theory that i've come across. another is that he plain sucks. when he first came in he was lauded for his approach to fundamentals. i'm obviously not watching the little things down in the trenches, but i have noticed no one knows how to tackle. some of the pursuit angles are pretty iffy as well.

[Screw_Michigan]

Bring back Scott Schafer!

[WolverineSteve]

Bring back Scott Schafer!

That's my boy!!