The countdown to Halloween is on, and thank goodness we have a holiday on a Saturday to really get us excited for the day. Oh yeah, Michigan plays Rutgers, too!
In all seriousness, college football is great, but the way Michigan’s offense has looked this season…it’s just tough for me to get that excited about a matchup between one of the worst offenses going up against one of the worst defenses.
After an overtime loss to Indiana, many of us are asking similar questions about the coaching staff and
the team philosophy, so let’s get into some of the answers. Thanks, as always, for taking part in asking those questions. We post on The Feed every Monday, so keep an eye out next week, too.
On Michigan Football’s coaching staff
I’m going to start with a story. I was in high school when Michigan hired Rich Rodriguez. I remember the preseason buzz ahead of this flashy offensive install. Then I remember the conversations I endured with nearly every classmate about how terrible Michigan looked. That year, my dad spoiled the outcome of the 2008 Michigan vs Wisconsin game to cheer me up after my high school volleyball team got upset at Regionals. My favorite player on the team, wide receiver Greg Matthews, had four catches for 48 yards. It was an ugly win I watched all the way through, fast-forwarding past commercials on our TV with the built-in VHS player. It’s also one of the only positive memories I have from one of Michigan’s worst seasons in history.
This season feels similar to Rich Rod’s first season, except Kyle Whittingham doesn’t really have the excuse that the cupboard was left bare. While I can see the appeal in moving on from Whittingham quickly, and a loss to Rutgers certainly makes this season look a whole lot worse, I just don’t think it’s realistically an option. Who is going to fire him? The athletic department is still looking for a new athletic director. I doubt the new university president really wants to have firing a first-year head football coach at the top of the to-do list.
If Jason Beck’s job isn’t in jeopardy, I’d honestly be concerned about the program. For me, there’s no rhyme or reason to Michigan’s offense. It’s tough to argue they just don’t have the right players to fit a scheme when the scheme lacks a clear identity. Michigan doesn’t have a run-first mentality, but also doesn’t throw the ball well. Their only response is sticking an extra player on the field and saying, ‘trust us, it’s productive.’
Michigan could decide to put someone else in charge of calling plays for at least a game. Don’t get your hopes up, though; I’m pretty optimistic, but I think in this case, what we see is what we get.
Don’t know if you’re just kidding or serious, Adamsrocks, but I bet Tommy Carr could have done a decent job calling the plays on his own. My guess is Carr would’ve just gone ahead with a conservative run play on 3rd-and-goal from the one, but maybe I’m wrong. I lost faith in Beck as a play caller after Saturday’s game. It wasn’t just one play, but that one sure did hurt to watch.
On the matchup against Rutgers
Yes, I do actually think Rutgers has a chance to win this, though it’s not very high. They’ll be without their starting quarterback and star receiver KJ Duff. While Rutgers doesn’t have a good defense, Greg Schiano has been in the Big Ten for a while. If Rutgers wants to win, it will need its defense to step up and likely score on a turnover.
I don’t have an answer other than Rutgers isn’t very good. Still, Michigan’s offense isn’t playing with much gusto; I was a bit surprised to see the Wolverines favored by more than two scores. Honestly, I think our defense has a chance at scoring more points than the offense, but that’s probably an overreaction to Michigan’s offense against Indiana.
On Michigan’s future after 2026
This is a great question and really fun to think about, especially since this season feels like it’s already in the toilet. I’d be surprised if Whittingham wasn’t leading the season again next year, but if it still has Beck on the staff, I don’t think he’ll be around for a third season. He also risks losing running back coach Tony Alford if Michigan doesn’t better prioritize its backs. If he loses Jay Hill, I’ll spend at least one full day sobbing. If Michigan hangs on to Beck longer without making any changes to his role, I can see the negative effects of this experiment lingering for some time.
I’m worried we’ll lose some of Michigan’s best identity guys. Running back Jordan Marshall isn’t having a strong season, so it’s not like he’d go to the draft, but I’m worried he and other star players could enter the portal, but that’s any given year in college football nowadays. When it comes to players to pick up in the portal, I’d need to think more about which ones they’ll go after. If Beck’s still around, they’ll be looking for that elusive rhino that will magically make all things better.
Yes, I think that’s a fair assessment. I already said this in an answer above, but it seems unrealistic to make a change midseason when there’s no athletic director in place. Just because of where the university is at with an incoming president and an outgoing AD, there’s just not a quick way to go about things. With the lack of a spring transfer portal window and the desire for some consistency, it just doesn’t feel possible for Michigan to move on from Whittingham after one year.
