And also create a system that attracts talent. Nobody wants to play in a system that is lucky to score three times a game and is unimaginative as eff.
Stop blaming the players… it’s the coaches
- Thread starter CatManTrue
- Start date
And also create a system that attracts talent. Nobody wants to play in a system that is lucky to score three times a game and is unimaginative as eff.
Yeah, well give us more 305 and 310lb linemen, especially 1st round draft picks.
Thank you
Truth is our OL and offensive play has gone south ever since we lost Larry Lilja. Effing dumbass woke progressives drove him off. Fitz should do the right thing by bringing him back. He's been so much a part of our previous success over multiple regimes. It wasn't right the way he left and it should be fixed, not just to fix our size and strength issues.
No woke progressives drove off Lilja. He did it to himself. And there’s zero chance he ever comes back.
Ultimately, yes, it is on the coaches, and at the moment they are failing. Sad, given what they are being paid. In most other realms, this would mean firing. But Northwestern is a balance between athletics and academics, and Fitz has done a great job balancing both. so give him the benefit of the doubt. Still, it is time to better than Michigan which also has good academics,
Then hire another S&C coach like him who actually played OL in the Big Ten and knows what it takes.
Hooten and Spanos haven’t gotten the job done to effectively beef up our trenches. So find a coach who will.
Did anyone else see the before and after photos of OSU linemen in the first season that Urban Meyer took them over? It was jaw dropping.
Strength coaches can only work with the players they’re given. We haven’t given them good enough players, or at least ones with enough physical potential.
It is the coaches and the players. Fans don't want to blame the players at all because "they are just kids", but anyone who has ever played knows that players usually bear most of the credit or blame.
Northwestern was one of the most experienced teams in 2020. In 2021, the Wildcats are one of the most inexperienced teams. This being a rebuilding season makes a lot of sense.
Northwestern was one of the most experienced teams in 2020. In 2021, the Wildcats are one of the most inexperienced teams. This being a rebuilding season makes a lot of sense.
The bizarre thing about this thread title @CatManTrue is that there's really not much more the coaches could do in a game like this.
Michigan just had a much better team today. That's it. Their players executed, and ours didn't.
There was much to point out about the defensive situation against Nebraska, Michigan State, and the first half of Duke, but it's hard to point out those kinds of coaching flaws today.
Today, our players just didn't execute at the same level that Michigan's did. There wasn't some glaring defensive scheme issues with Michigan just ripping off 50+ yard plays at will and our players either being confused or out of position or taking bad angles on many plays.
I'm not even sure what more Bajakian can do with our offense right now; Hilinski has to more accurately throw some of these passes. That's not really something the coaches can control.
This looked like the same team that beat Rutgers last week but just faced a team that's top 10 instead of bottom 20.
This team is playing at a reasonable level for the personnel that we have available in the past 2 games.
Michigan just had a much better team today. That's it. Their players executed, and ours didn't.
There was much to point out about the defensive situation against Nebraska, Michigan State, and the first half of Duke, but it's hard to point out those kinds of coaching flaws today.
Today, our players just didn't execute at the same level that Michigan's did. There wasn't some glaring defensive scheme issues with Michigan just ripping off 50+ yard plays at will and our players either being confused or out of position or taking bad angles on many plays.
I'm not even sure what more Bajakian can do with our offense right now; Hilinski has to more accurately throw some of these passes. That's not really something the coaches can control.
This looked like the same team that beat Rutgers last week but just faced a team that's top 10 instead of bottom 20.
This team is playing at a reasonable level for the personnel that we have available in the past 2 games.
I've seen this comment too much. THEY ARE NOT REBUILDING. there are a bunch of upperclassmen/transfers playing and a few already established underclassmen. For every Gallagher, there are two or three Clairs. I like our guys, but am only seeing a few poised to "breakout" next year.
Then earn your pay by recruiting better players. If it won’t ever be possible then dump the program, drop to a lower conference and sink the coach pay to reflect it.
But don’t keep paying P5 salaries for piece of **** performance. Pick a direction and commit.
The die was cast before the season began. Coaches recruit, develop and game plan. If they don’t have the horses, it’s their own fault. If you want to blame the institution, then that’s a permanent problem so stop wasting money on P5 coaches salaries.
Yeah, I said the same thing in the fan thread after the game. We have a lot of grads playing. This program will be in flux for at least a couple more seasons.
We just don't have the personnel right now.
Coaches have to work on fixing that this offseason and next.
Some of it is injuries, some isn't.
I take our program for what it is in stride. It represents the school well, and hopefully will be back to contending for the division sooner than later.
And I hope we can figure out a way to go bowling this year and next even as we work towards more.
I think we can accelerate if we take 3-5 transfer OL this cycle to bring that position group up to snuff.
It looks fairly obvious that we are a very soft program.
I doubt we practice full go as much as we should. The result is that we are pretty soft in september.
We also have a soft developmental program. Our OL have 16 inch arms. Michigan 23 inch. We do win on the mid section though.
I do not know what game you were watching but it apparently was not this one. The D was so much better in this game than the games prior to the bye. They were in position to make the plays but unfortunately they were unable to get off the field on 3rd down and that eventually wore them down.
If you want to challenge the O, I do not have a problem but the D was in good position which they were not in the first few games
And half of them having to retire from FB before they see the field doesn't help either
This year MIch went back to their roots and has focused on running the ball. They have been pretty successful at it all year The scheme was good and guys in position to make plays unlike the first half of the season, They were actually playing pretty well till they got run down by being on the field too long. I look at this loss more on the lack of O than the D
We got that PK in this year's transfer portal. Gee... maybe that guy should get a chance to play. Just sayin.
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This Michigan team is way overrated and they still dominated us.
Who have they beaten? A 3-4 Washington team? A mediocre Wisconsin team? They beat what will ultimately be a losing Nebraska team by 3. Sure; that Nebraska team destroyed us but has looked bad otherwise (by getting blown out, we probably saved Frost’s job for another season though!).
That Michigan team will battle another overrated MSU team and the media will fawn over it. But they’re going to get wrecked again by OSU. And then again in the bowl game by whomever they face from the SEC.
Meanwhile I have a bad feeling about this Minnesota game. Hopefully Marty can ride in again and save the day.
I watched a TCU team with OL of 265-275 destroy a good Wisconsin team in a bowl game a few years ago. NU has to recognize that a change in scheme is necessary. Last year Ramsey bailed out NU despite terrible OL play. If your OL is inadequate, don't rely on a power running game. The first few plays against UM seemingly were designed to avoid this problem but execution was poor
Yes better. Good enough to beat Duke, good enough to lose but not have gotten humiliated by Neb. Not sure good enough yet to hold the remaining opponents in check, but all of those teams are up and down, so... maybe
I think Michigan has always been a run-first team under Harbaugh. Gattis at OC has mixed things up more and made them a bit more balanced with a combination of quick stretch passes to the perimeter and deep shots mixed in, but philosophically they've always wanted to run the ball like this. It's just that this year they have the proper personnel to do it effectively - at least against the opponents they've played thus far. Will be interesting to see how that approach holds up against MSU, PSU, and OSU in the coming weeks.
You’re talking about the 2011 Rose Bowl. TCU did not destroy Wisconsin by any means.
They won 21-19, and ran for a total of 82 yards. Their leading rusher was QB Andy Dalton with 28 yards. Wisconsin rushed for a healthy amount but missed a 39 yard field goal before halftime, and TCU made a lot of timely plays on a defense led by Tank Carder.
Agree. This is the most factual statement in the entire post. Don't think they are not already working on it!
I suggested we should have done this after last season on the Rock and was told off.
So why didn’t we do this starting in January?
Because the OL Coach told everyone that he was good and would stand pat with his guys. It looked like like we would snare an incredible incoming class, but frankly we did not. He miscalculated.
This was another thread. I wanted to say that it would be even better if the guys paid $100k+ or better could do so. Sad that the unpaid folks around here do about the same level of accuracy in identifying talent. But you can’t fire the fans..until you hire and pay them. Now those guys that are pay handsomely to accomplish this same task…
but let’s not hold them to any level of accountability. It’s not the fitz way. Misdirect, redirect, point to graduation rates, blame admissions, etc. Them coaches are simply well deserved, highly compensated babysitters overseeing an after school activity as they push these young men towards graduation and careers.
Pursuit of a competitive program run by competent professionals is only for those lower ‘factories’ like Duke and Norte Dame and Stanford…
No one of note, except Oregon is pretty good. It’s just the fact that OSU has owned Harbaugh.
Ohio State didn't beat Oregon.
Listen, I fully expect OSU to beat Michigan again this year, but I also don't think it would shock me if this is the year Michigan finally gets them. That said, Michigan needs to get out of East Lansing first. That is going to be a great game.
1. Our coaches must find etc. players who pass the Fitz fit test. Good luck with that. It’s a very strict test. You need some players on the prick side of that line too. Then it’s up to the coaches to make it work. Happens with success everywhere.
2. We are still paying the price for the Cushing decade. That too is on Fitz. Huge - game changing mistake to retain him at a critical position where NU can and should do very well. Ditto at TE.
3. You want play makers on offense? Why would any RB or QB with options want to play behind the OL we’re known for? Refusing to take more than 3 OLM in the Skoronski class and using the Fitz fit test to say no to Stanford signees last year is giving Anderson too little to work with. Especially when he’s still carrying the dead weight Cushing left behind. Another critical mistake on Fitz.
4. Our LB recruiting has fallen off a cliff. Too many whiffs. Very similar to the Cushing OL recruiting … at another position where we can and should do very well.
5. The program appears to have no specific plan on how to win more recruiting battles with Stanford, ND and Michigan. We only need to win a few more, not even half, to close the gap. Figure it out Fitz. That’s your targeted area for improvement. You are paid to figure it out.
6. If I have to watch a certain DB from Fla. prance around in self celebration when he’s getting successfully targeted for abuse every Saturday I’m going to vomit. Fitz needs to reel that in. Everybody on both sides of the LOS knows he can’t walk the walk.
Fix the fixable Fitz.
Rant over.