Is Al Borges Outsmarting Himself?

The dead horse regarding Denard Robinson's disastrous performance in Michigan's 13-6 gagfest on Saturday against Notre Dame has had the crap kicked out of it in the media, watering holes, and water coolers since the clock read 0:00 in South Bend to the point PETA may need to step in.  He was terrible indeed.  He looked more like a frightened freshman than a senior QB in his third year as a starter.  The finger should be pointed at him (and his 5 turnovers) as the biggest reason ON THE FIELD that the Wolverines lost the game.  But maybe another finger needs to be pointed at someone else as well.  That somebody is offensive coordinator Al Borges, and not just for the latest offensive clunker "Big Blue" displayed against the Irish.  In his 16 games calling the plays and developing the offensive game plans for the Maize and Blue, he's left me scratching my head on many occasions.

Let me introduce Exhibit A:  The Vincent Smith Interception.

I have no choice but to ask: Why?  Actually, what I would really like to ask is WHAT THE @#%$ WAS THAT?!?!?!?! 

You mean to tell me that after failing to capitalize on a huge early ND turnover in which you found yourself in a 1st and goal the previous drive (Missed a long FG after Denard was pulverized by sacks), the best option on the next possession on a 1st and goal is to run a halfback pass with a 5'6" RB on a short field?  Talk about a momentum swing.  Especially when the offense was humming along seeing Robinson go 5 for 6 to get them 70 yards down the field.  Why take the ball out of a hot hand 10 yards from pay dirt and destroy the offense's rhythm?  After missing out on at least 3 points minutes earlier, why not see if you can get close on a running play or a screen on 1st down then take a shot with a safe pass in the end zone?  You don't get in, you get a chip shot FG and seize momentum and the lead on the road and quiet the crowd.  Instead, a possible 14-0 lead early is 0-0 and the home team knows they just dodged 2 huge bullets.  I love Vincent Smith, nice player, but can you really expect him to make a touch pass in tight quarters that some QBs struggle with?  I know Brady Hoke defended the call but did you really expect him to say "my offensive coordinator made a bonehead call?"  I am sure the thought crossed his mind.  Funny how after that drive Denard and the offense never got that rhythm back and scored a meager 6 points the entire game.  As the kids say: "just sayin'."

This instance is scary similar to those we have seen previously from this offense.  I remember screaming multiple times at my TV last season when Denard and the offense's rhythm was interrupted and drives were stalled when Borges would decide to bring out the vaunted "Deuce Package" (Iowa) or run a reverse in the red zone and lose a big chunk of yards (Illinois) and miss golden opportunities.  This is not Tecmo Bowl!  If your offense is working stick with it!!  Stop being cute especially on the road in big games!  It is crippling your quarterback and the offense!

May I present to you Exhibit B: Tying Together "Shoelace's" Shoelaces.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Al Borges continues to make Denard Robinson a pocket passer and it just is not working.  When is he going to figure this out?  After the offense crumbles for a 5th straight time against the Michigan State defense?  Will that be enough to convince him that he has a QB that has a certain skill set and being a drop back passer who throws the ball down field 30 times per game is not it?  That approach didn't work again against ND, just like it didn't work against Alabama, Iowa, Illinois, VT, MSU, etc., etc., etc.  Teams are not going to let him run all over them.  Fine.  But where are the roll out passes?  Where are the short to intermediate passes that build confidence and move the chains?  Where are the throwback screens, the bubble screens, the QB draws?  When Denard runs this simplified attack he succeeds.  Borges figured that out against Nebraska and Ohio State last year and "Shoelace" ran a very efficient and explosive offense.  They won those games.  When he has been handcuffed as a pocket passer and forced to make decisions against a pass rush in the games aforementioned, he has continued to make poor decisions, take sacks, miss receivers, and turn the ball over.  He doesn't know when to take a sack.  He doesn't know when to throw the ball away.  He doesn't know when to simply tuck it and run.  If he doesn't know this now he never will.  It is not an indictment on him it is just not what he does or what type of quarterback he is.  Why force it?

You want to actually win a meaningful road game this year against a good defense?  You want to beat MSU and have a shot at a B1G title?  If your answer is yes, Mr. Borges, then I suggest you come to grips with the type of QB you have and run the plays and schemes where he can succeed.  If you continue to be stubborn, and try to make him the QB you wish you had then you can forget all of those goals because he just cannot be that type of QB.  If you are hellbent on installing your offense that's fine too, just come out and say it.  Or, if you want a better passing QB, start Bellomy.  Just don't insult the intelligence of the fans.  We want to see you win games...not experiment.  Enough is enough.  Stop putting this kid in positions in which he will fail.  He deserves better as do the fans.

Al Borges is regarded as a very smart offensive coordinator.  An offensive guru if you will.  I am sure he has forgotten more Xs and Os and offensive plays that I could ever fathom.  I fully expect that in 2-3 years when he has his ideal QB/WRs/RBs at his disposal he will have the Wolverines among the best in the nation offensively.  However, in the here and now, he needs to take a step back and simplify things to adhere to his personnel, particularly Denard Robinson.  I understand these are not the players he recruited but if the goal is to win football games he has to suck it up and run plays that can maximize their skill sets.  I think he has a tendency to get too cute and it costs the team.  He must keep it simple and let his athletes make plays.  He has to stop confusing them with goofy formations, poorly-timed gadget plays, and complex passing schemes.  It's not in their DNA.  I just hope that he realizes that B1G play starts now and it is not the time to be cute, experiment, or over-think.  He is a smart offensive mind, maybe too smart, and if things don't change, he will think Team 133 into a mediocre 2012 season. 

GO BLUE!!

**This blog can also be found at www.thebighousereport.com. If you are a fan of the Wolverines, The Big House Report is a MUST-READ. GO BLUE!! **

Play Time Over For UM..Here Comes ND...Answers

"I want the truth!"

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!"

If that describes you as a Michigan Football fan then the upcoming road test against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame is not for you.  That is because Team 133 and us fans will find out for the first time this season how good Brady Hoke's team truly is in 2012.  The gray areas will be painted in black and white for the entire nation to see.  Is the offense a one-man show that can slowed to a halt like we saw vs. Alabama or is it the well-oiled, multi-faceted arsenal we saw against UMass?  Is the defense really as shaky as many feared it to be after getting bludgeoned by the Crimson Tide and dazzled by Air Force, or is it an improving group that simply is in the process of coming together as suggested by the performance against the Minutemen?  Contenders or pretenders?  Can they win on the road?  We've been asking these questions since the season started and, ready or not, here comes Notre Dame more than willing to provide us all with the answers in South Bend under the lights.

We all know how amazing Denard Robinson can be.  We also know the criticisms.  He wins the "September Heisman," he folds in big games, he can't win on the road, he can't throw the ball with consistency, he is ineffective against good defenses, he is Michigan's only offense, among others.  So far in his senior season, those perceptions have not changed.  I am not going to get geeky with statistics.  I am going to just lay it out there on the table in plain and simple English.  He's faced one very good (maybe the nation's best) defense against Alabama and was, well, not good.  He was Clark Kent.  As expected, the Michigan and Denard detractors, both local and national, came out in full force on TV, radio, Twitter, the press, etc.  In the last two weeks he has faced defenses with obvious inferior talent and he had his Superman cape flowing behind him as he flew to the end zone and delivered TD passes at will.  That was "proof" to the naysayers that "Shoelace" was all the offense Michigan has.  Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press went as far as labeling the Wolverines "The University of Denard Robinson."

Notre Dame will provide the perfect opportunity for Denard and the offense to quiet their critics.  The Irish are 3-0 and coming off a very impressive 20-3 undressing of MSU in Spartan Stadium.  Their front seven proved to be legit by completely shutting down the Spartans' vaunted running game (50 total yards) and forcing Maxwell and his inexperienced receivers to beat them through the air which they were unable to do.  Well, that exact game plan is the same one that has been implemented successfully against Denard and the Wolverines by Alabama, MSU, Illinois, and VT.  It's the type of defense that supposedly exposes the UM offense as a one-man crew incapable of beating a team by passing the football.  Well, here's a chance to prove everyone wrong because the Irish will be stacking the box and forcing Robinson to beat them with his arm.  We'll see if he has truly grown as Quarterback after Saturday. 

Notre Dame is not very strong in the secondary.  Even more so after losing yet another starter in senior safety Jamoris Slaughter for the season with an injured Achilles.  A converted red shirt WR will be taking his place in an already injury-plagued secondary.  It will be up to Denard to make the right reads and find the open receivers and not to force throws into coverage.  It will also be on the receivers to get open which is something the Spartan receivers could not do.  It will take a team effort offensively to score points in South Bend, not just the heroics of "Shoelace" and his world class speed.  One thing is for certain, the ND defense will be looking to get in his face all game.  Just ask Andrew Maxwell who was sacked 4 times and seemingly running for his life every time he dropped back.  Denard's decision-making, the play of the offensive line, and the ability for the receivers to find the open areas will be under a microscope Saturday night.

The Michigan defense, particularly the defensive line, has looked to be the team's weakest link thus far.  We knew this may be the case with the departures of seniors Martin, Van Bergen, and Heineger.  They were manhandled by Alabama's mammoth offensive line, did not get very much push vs. Air Force, and were not able to completely dominate an inferior UMass offensive line.  Brady Hoke called this group out every week, especially Will Campbell.  There is no need to rehash "Big Will's" career struggles at UM.  It's been talked about ad nauseu.  But he is being looked upon to finally live up to his potential as a senior and provide a consistent presence in the middle.  So far he has been inconsistent.  He and his mates will need to play a lot better against ND to win this game. 

Frank Clark, however, has been the the one constant horse since returning from suspension against Air Force.  He was a MONSTER against UMass by practically living in the Minutemen backfield, providing pressure, batting passes, etc.  The Wolverines will need him to provide pressure on Golson and contain the outside.  He could really have a massive national coming out party with a big game against ND.

The big uglies for Notre Dame were outstanding against MSU's supposed world-beater defense.  They provided protection for Golson allowing him to pass for 178 yards without a sack, paved the way for 123 yards rushing, and helped put up a 20-spot on one of the nation's best defenses.  We are going to find out exactly how good or bad this Wolverine Defense is on Saturday.  If they resemble the defense we saw against Alabama or Air Force, the one that was out of position, constantly blown off the ball on the line, missing tackles, and blowing coverages, it is going to be a long and ugly night in South Bend.  Greg Mattison has been saying that as long as they play with great technique consistently they will be just fine.  There would be no better time than Saturday for that to start happening.

Saturday will also be Team 133's first road test of the season, and it's a doozey.  Last year they finished 2-2 away from the Big House dropping their biggest tests against Iowa and Michigan State.  Denard has not had his best games on the road either.  They don't get a warm up here.  They will be thrown right into the fire against a very formidable foe.  It will be interesting to see if they can go on the road and beat a quality opponent under the lights with the nation watching.

I think the point has been made pretty clear that after Saturday, we will know a lot more about the 2012 Michigan Wolverines.  We will see if this offense can score points on a big and athletic defense.  We will see if this defense has enough play makers and enough on the line to make enough stops against an offense that can score on the ground and through the air.  We will see if Team 133 has the intestinal fortitude and the leadership to go on the road, in a hostile environment, under the lights, against a highly-ranked team and pull out a W.  Are they tough enough?  Are they technically sound enough?  Are they strong enough?  Are they contenders or pretenders?  After Saturday, we won't have to ask those questions anymore...the answers will be presented on the national stage for us all to observe.  It won't be for the weak-hearted so if you can't handle it, I suggest you either stay away from a TV on Saturday night or watch reruns of Seinfeld.  It's gut check time!  GO BLUE!!!

**This blog can also be found at www.thebighousereport.com. If you are a fan of the Wolverines, The Big House Report is a MUST-READ. GO BLUE!! **

After 2 Weeks, Little Known About UM

After getting steamrolled by Alabama and squeaking by Air Force, there seems to be way more questions and unknowns about Team 133 than there are answers and definitive conclusions.  Are they truly a contender in the B1G?  What is their offensive identity?  What's up with the offensive line?  Where is Roy Roundtree?  How good or bad is the defense?  Will Avery or Taylor replace Countess?  These are just a few things that we really don't know at this point.  And though many will say they have the answers to these questions, I don't think you can after playing maybe the best team in the nation followed by a team that runs an offense that always gives the big boy teams fits.  We won't get many answers this week either as they will play a team in its first year at the division 1 level in UMass.  The Wolverines SHOULD win this game easily while playing it pretty vanilla on both offense and defense and continue to work in a lot of freshmen.  We will have to wait until next week when they travel to South Bend to face the Irish on the road under the lights to find out what kind of team the Wolverines are in 2012.

Against Alabama, they faced a defense loaded with NFL-calibre talent at every position.  They stacked the box and forced Robinson into being a pocket passer (allegedly), their DL dominated the OL giving Michigan's RBs (who were without Toussaint) nowhere to run, their DBs blanketed UM's pass-catchers, all of which added up to a nonexistent Michigan Offense.  Playing probably the best defense they will see all year did not, nor should it, provide any indication as to how effective the offense will be this season.

In Air Force they faced a team that was over matched physically, especially in the trenches.  Of course they focused on stopping Robinson on the ground.  They failed miserably allowing him to rush 20 times for 218 yards including 2 biggies for 79 yards and 58 yards.  By looking to stop his ground attack it opened up the passing game (minus Roundtree who was once again invisible) for Denard who also threw for 208 yards and 2 TDs.  The only group that struggled was the RBs, specifically Toussaint, who in his first game back from suspension ran 8 times for 7 yards which was good enough to be the team's second leading rusher for the game.  Was it because the Falcons' defense was so focused on the run that only the superhuman efforts by "Shoelace" could exploit it or were the running backs just that bad along with the offensive line that dwarfed the Air Force DL physically?  Was Fitz just rusty?  Will the offense be a one-man show?  I honestly can't tell you.  Please check back with me after the game against Notre Dame where we will truly find out where this team is offensively.  The two defenses they have faced so far simply cannot provide us with definitive answers.

The defense faces even more uncertainty.  Alabama was simply bigger, faster, stronger.  Okay, okay, A LOT bigger, A LOT faster, and A LOT stronger.  Their O-Line of All-Americans demolished Michigan's inexperienced D-Line which allowed their talented backs to run through and around defenders.  Again, that will be the biggest and most talented all-around offense they will face all year.  Especially up front.  Yes, there were a lot of missed tackles and blown assignments, but I think the gap in talent level was much larger than it will be for the rest of the year to the point we can't make any conclusions.

Air Force runs a triple option offense that most teams, Michigan included, never sees.  It is incredibly tough to prepare for and because of that, they regularly give the big teams they face fits (see Oklahoma a few years ago).  They did just that.  They gave Michigan's defense all they could handle posting 419 yards of total offense and 25 points.  Michigan managed to sneak out with a 6-point victory by making a few big plays at the end.  This offense had the Wolverines so baffled, they were mixing personnel all game including playing as many as 6 true freshman at one time.  They struggled to be blunt.  The silver lining is that Michigan will not see this type of offense the rest of the season, and possibly ever again.  They will face more conventional styles of offense that they typically can stop.  Will they stop them is the question that is on all of our minds.  Again, I can't answer that.  The offenses they have played so far give us no glimpse into the future of the season.  I am concerned that so many freshmen are playing which could be a huge problem later in the season.  It definitely gives you a clear picture of the overall depth in the program as of now.  Did they play more because these players were simply were better suited to play against this unconventional offense?  Did they play more because they are better than the veterans?  Once again we will not find out until they face Notre Dame.  That will have to be the measuring stick.

The only things we really know are that Denard can be electric, both lines need work, Norfleet will provide the Wolverines a true weapon in the return game, and Hoke is not afraid to play freshmen.  We can't say the offense is either very good, very bad, or somewhere in between yet.  We can't completely freak out about the defense until we see them face, for lack of a better term, a normal offense.  We won't know answers to either after UMass because the Wolverines simply will be a mismatch at every single position on the field and will not need to open up the playbook to win.  You would think that the game will be out of reach at some point in the second half and the reserves will be worked in.  If this is not the case, if they struggle again, then maybe some of the answers we are seeking will present themselves.  I just don't see that happening.  Am I impressed with Team 133 at this point?  No.  It's hard to feel real good about what I have seen to this point.  Do I think they still have potential to be a pretty good team that will contend for the B1G title?  Yes, but improvement is definitely needed.  I just think that due to the opponents they have faced up until this point we really have no clue as to what type of team the Wolverines have in 2012.  The true litmus test will be in week 4 against the Fighting Irish.  Until then, let the experts say what they want.  Let opposing fans poke fun.  Let the fans who are freaking out continue to do so.  We just have to wait another week after Saturday to see if the naysayers, Wolverine-haters, worry warts, and Negative Nancys are right about Team 133.  I am not being a homer, a slappy, or a Michigan apologist.  I am simply saying to  breathe a little and let things play out over the next 2 games before jumping to conclusions.

 

**This blog can also be found at www.thebighousereport.com. If you are a fan of the Wolverines, The Big House Report is a MUST-READ. GO BLUE!! **





Borges Must Let Denard Be Denard

Denard Robinson is not Tom Brady.  He is not Chad Henne.  He is not Elvis Grbac.  He is not Scott Dreisbach.  We have known this since his first start as a QB at the University of Michigan and we were all brutally reminded of that on Saturday in the "Cowboy Classic Massacre" against Alabama.  Hopefully Offensive Coordinator Al Borges will not be needing anymore reminders as to what type of QB he has for the rest of the 2012 season because this team will only go as far as "Shoelace" can take them.  He is not a pro-style signal-caller who can sit in the pocket and pick apart defenses.  In that role, he is basically useless, if not a detriment, to the offense.  However, he is one of the most, if not THE most, dangerous and dynamic offensive weapon in college football when he uses his legs and is on the move while passing and/or running.  It's that simple.  Like almost every football player he has strengths and he has weaknesses/limitations.  It is time to admit the latter and play to the former.

Look, I get the fact that he should not have ran 30 times versus an Alabama defense that was stacked against the run.  It would be suicide on many levels.  I also get that Alabama has maybe the best defense and best team in the nation.  However, I also cannot fathom how a Heisman hopeful only had 2 rushing attempts in the 1st half and was regulated to sitting in the pocket throwing to an unproven and somewhat inexperienced group of WRs/TEs without the services of his top RB.  At the very least, roll him out and create the option of him tucking the ball and running to keep the defense honest.  The game plan implemented by Al Borges neutered Robinson and the offense and set them up for failure.  If you felt you were over matched then why not get creative?  Making your best player who runs a 4.3 40-yard dash a sitting duck, forcing him to be the type of player he unquestionably is not, and running a 5'6" tailback into the middle of possibly the best defense in the country is head-scratching.  I am not sure I buy the notion that they made the game plan scared with the objective of simply getting Robinson out of there alive, but I will say that it raises the question of "What the #$&% were you thinking?!"  To not even try to allow your best player do what he does best and make a play or two is asinine.  It's like bringing a knife to a gun fight.  There were other ways to utilize his legs other than designed runs.  He was handcuffed and neutralized even before the first snap.  Even the biggest die hards (I am one of them) have to question the game plan when being honest with themselves.

After watching the Alabama game and hearing Borges' rationale for the game plan (defense stacked against the run, forcing him to pass, etc.) I am nervous as to what lies ahead for the remainder of the season.  I know the Wolverines will not face a team nearly as good as the Tide in their remaining games but they will face some pretty good defenses who also are big, fast, agressive, and athletic, most notably Nebraska, Ohio State, and Michigan State.  These teams without question will follow Alabama's blueprint against Denard.  MSU has already implemented an almost identical scheme against Robinson the last two years and have embarrassed the Wolverines in the process.  If Borges will be adamant/stubborn on not being creative and tying to force a square peg in a round hole against such defenses then the offense will be behind the 8-ball and will sputter in those games.  Particularly against the Spartans who have one of the best defensive fronts in the B1G and the country and a very good secondary to boot.  Good luck going into that game with a similar scheme that was implemented against Saban's group.  It's very early to speculate as to what the offense will look like in these games but my point is that they will face a few more teams that will play to stop the run and they will need to be a little more um, DYNAMIC to have any success offensively.

I am also not oblivious to the fact that Robinson was not recruited by the current coaching regime.  I am fully aware that Al Borges needs to instill his pro-style West Coast Offense in the program to build for the future.  But right now, their starting QB was recruited as a Spread Option QB.  He does not have the skill set to efficiently run a precision passing offense.  As long as "Shoelace" is under center, Borges must find a way to utilize his strengths while implementing principles of his offense.  Last year, when Michigan ran a hybrid offense which had elements of both the Spread and the West Coast offenses, particularly against Nebraska and OSU, they looked incredibly efficient and explosive.  That has to be the plan going forward for the remainder of the season.  As long as the personnel still has more of a Rich Rod feel to it, Borges has to play to their strengths if they want to have a win total close to last year.  At times he has done this very well and the results have been favorable on the field.  At times he appears to be stubborn almost to the levels of Rich Rodriguez in 2008 and the offense has been grounded almost to a halt.  If the staff wanted a true passer at the helm to completely implement their scheme, they should have told Denard from the start that he will be moved to another position where he would still get plenty of touches and be a difference-maker while finding an adequate game-managing QB to run a more conventional offense until you brought in your future stud (Shane Morris hopefully).  Forcing Denard to be a pocket passer is the equivalent of Rodriguez making Steven Threet run the Spread Option.  It just doesn't work.  At least not against any decent defenses.

 

Am I panicking for the season?  No.  Do I feel like Al Borges is a bad offense coordinator?  Absolutely not.  His track record proves otherwise and I feel in a few years he will have a heck of an offense.  I understand the coaching staff is in a tough situation inheriting players, most notably their starting quarterback, not suitable for their system.  But until they have a QB CAPABLE of running their offense then they must adapt and play to Robinson's strengths which are his speed and play making ability.  He is most effective using the run to set up the pass.  Not the other way around.  If they are truly playing for a B1G Championship and a Rose Bowl birth then this is the only way to go.  If they are more concerned with fully installing their offense of the future, then start Bellomy at QB and use Denard the way Florida used Percy Harvin a few years back and hope for the best.  Ignoring the fact that Denard is not a conventional QB and forcing him to become one does the team no good.  It's time for Al Borges to decide what he wants out of this season.  It's time to go poo poo or get off the pot.  It's way too early to say this offense will not come together and be very good.  But a lot of big games are coming up.  The biggest one being the showdown vs. the hated Spartans is roughly 6 weeks away.  That's how much time they have to figure out how to utilize "Shoelace" correctly against a tough, fast, aggressive defense.  If they continue with game plans similar to last Saturday, it will be awfully tough to beat the Irish under the lights in South Bend, beat the 'Huskers at night in Lincoln, or most importantly, end MSU's streak at 4 and have a shot at winning the Legends Division.  Al Borges is supposed to be an offensive guru.  The clock now starts ticking, at least for this season, for him to show it.  GO BLUE!!