Let's go right to the hot subject shall we?
(FWIW I doubt we'll get Old Butthead out of Arkansas)
Fun Times in Cleveland: If you're in a certain radius of Cleveland you're probably seeing this ad I made last week linking to a January 12 MGoEvent. That's because the Cleveland Alumni Association is having Brian, myself, John U. Bacon, and former player Thom Darden at the Winking Lizard in Bedford to talk football and hoops, then watch the college football NC game. You get zero points for pointing out one of those speakers isn't likely to be as interesting as the rest.
CC: We probably don't need to keep labeling things with the "Coaching Change" tag, since it's pretty on-topic. Then again, it's useful so I guess keep it up. Also useful: all the reader content on candidates. Eye of the Tiger keeps ranking the top 12, which is as good a starting spot as any. He also continued his CC roundups with the fringe guys, getting only as far as Bob Stitt before getting into the jokes (Schiano, Chryst, Butthead, and Lane Kiffin). ReadYourGuard (a guy who played with Harbaugh by the way) recapped the firing process from Concussionaganza to today.
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| But what if Mullen is actually just like his old boss except fiercely ethical, and we get another 10-year war before Urban assaults a Clemson player? Did you think of that? [AP via NBC] |
The other guy who's been providing consistent content on coach candidates is alum96, who went through the Football Outsiders stats on Dan Mullen, comparing him to Kevin Sumlin's star last year and suggesting the MSU (NTMSU) success comes from schedules with very few comparable teams:
12.5 months ago Mullen was sporting a 4-6 record with 2 games to go in year FIVE of his regime. Those 4 wins were over baby seals Alcorn State, Troy, Bowling Green,and soon to be 2-10 Kentucky. He did beat 3-9 Arkansas and won the Egg Bowl over 8-5 Ole Miss to finish off the year 6-6 before the bowl. So his regular season included 1 win of note...in year 5. Bret Bielema has done better in year 2 of his regime at Arkansas IMO in terms of upsets.
Miss State seemed to play a lot of really awful teams (which they beat) and a lot of really good conference teams (which they almost always lost to). The gist of the concern here is it may take Mullen four years to build a winner, by which time Michigan will have found enough reasons to run him out of town like we did the last two dudes.
I don't think it will take so long. Brady Hoke has left a team in relatively good shape; in the years to come we'll be talking about the devastating 2015 class (which fell apart because Hoke didn't win in 2013 and 2014), quarterback, and the safety and defensive line depth charts, the latter of which is another losing-related thing. As for the offensive talent, these guys were actually kinda good at running zone by the end of the season; you can absolutely teach them to do that in a spread offense. Also offensive line starts happen to be one of the better predictors of offensive success, and Michigan returns a ton of them in 2015 and 2016.
Shane Morris would probably fare better in a spread because the decisions are way easier, his legs are good enough to be something defenses have to account for, and his arm is more than adequate to be scary downfield. Malzone's talents are best used in a passing spread.
Etc. CLord on the karmic relevance of OSU maybe missing the playoffs for JT Barrett's injury. Basketball stats so far. Best and Worst. Inside the Box Score. Coach Schiano muses about stuff while waiting for the splosions.
[Jump for, well, more CC]
Best of the Board
CC THINGS THAT SPILLED
Jim Mora Junior isn't a bad idea, but Gus Malzahn is just cumong: the not-even-remotely-leaving thing isn't the only thing; what happens when we demand the sweater vests stay in the South? I'm willing to bet all of the Cowherd-like "this agent is talking to this AD" stuff is just agents poking around potential raises for guys going nowhere. I don't know if Stoops qualifies as one of those.
Butthead turned down Nebraska; if Gary Moeller had to leave for being drunk and inappropriate in Excalibur, I doubt Michigan wants to test our patience with a dude who'll want to record Michigan Replay from Scorekeepers.
I do subscribe to the rumors of an actual Wolverine. You can't tell me he just surfaced in the middle of the most popular national park in America! Dude's angling for a position where his intensity will make him loved. Or perhaps a frozen carcass. Good news: we're both!
Put a gun to my head and here's the likelihoods:
- 35% we get Harbaugh
- 15% they hire Miles
- 10% they get Mullen
- 6% Stoops happens
- 5% Mora comes
- 4% They go for Herman
- 2% Narduzzi
- 1% Stitt
- 22% Split among <1% candidates
- If you don't like those numbers point the gun elsewhere. Ron Utah is tracking your votes, with Les Miles at 49%, Mullen at 25%, Herman at 9% and everyone else into deep "other."
- Also Steve Sharik, one of the coaches we lean on for X's and O's around here, asks that we not do the Peanut Butter Jelly Time thing for the new guy. On that: that's a 2007 meme that was cool in 2007, which is seven years ago. In 2007. Also it was a reaction to the whole Sailboat Willy odyssey of that coaching search for ending on what appeared to be the "Chuck it up and Hemingway comes down with it" of results. Sharik wants Narduzzi. Defensive coaches gonna defense.
- ETC. The imbalance is old, Mr. President. Space again, bitches. Roasting Woody Hayes. Michigan in the Onion. They're replacing the Brandon guy who couldn't replace Bruce Madej. #HIREDOOLEY
Your Moment of Zen:
From the favorite moments of the Hoke era thread:
