Monday, December 10, 2018

Michigan Monday: Let's Start Pulling This Onion Apart

What it must be like sitting in the Heisman Trophy ceremony waiting to hear if your star QB won the Heisman trophy or not.  Being on top of the football world again.   Team is #1 again, in the playoffs again, almost lost the SEC Championship but had another 5 star QB on the shelf to save the day.

That is the life of Nick Saban, like you didn't know.  He is the guy that gets his lake house mortgage paid off when Texas has an opening.  His top competition in the coaching ranks,  Urban Meyer has retired for the 3rd time (he retired twice at Florida) and his star QB who just had surgery a week ago is expected to ready to play in 3 weeks.

It's good to be Nick Saban.  So good, that you can sit in NYC at the Heisman Trophy Ceremony and pick up two of the best defensive back in the country that were committed to other places.

Yes, one of those places was Michigan.  Dax Hill Michigan's highest rated player in the class surprisingly flipped from Michigan to Alabama on Saturday night.  The other program that got robbed was Texas A&M.

I stay pretty close to recruiting news and there was nothing in the "wind" about Hill having second thoughts.  It's very common that one of the top players in the class would still be getting recruited by everyone, but usually when a player starts to have second thoughts, its common knowledge.

After the de-commit I learned that Alabama's DB coach visited Dax on Thursday.  That is not uncommon either.  It's also not uncommon for players to want to play for Alabama.   What I find unique and uncommon is this:

Georgia puts up 450 yards on Alabama's defense late on Saturday afternoon and a week later, two top DB's  prospects in the nation with Alabama offers who picked other schools, suddenly decide to flip to Alabama on the same night, two weeks before signing day.   With Nick sitting in NYC.   I don't believe in coincidences.

The UM Internet nation will say, it was because of the "train wreck in Columbus".  I don't believe that for a minute, I don't believe elite players make decisions off one game.   I also believe elite players think, " it will be different when I'm on the field."    

When it comes to recruiting, Michigan is playing chess and most everyone else is playing checkers.   Coach B gets away with it, because all he has to do is pick 2 or 3 under the radar guys each year.  He then develops the hell out of them and makes Final 4's.

Jimmy has a much harder job, he needs to find 25 players that are elite on the field and in the classroom.  That also doesn't want or need a new car or money for their families.   Think back to being 18 and somebody drops off a new truck or car and hands you the keys.  

Some of these "bag man" are so good at this, it will never be tied back to the program that the player just committed to.   Who's going to say anything anyway?  Getting a new car isn't hurting anyone.

Is it fair to Michigan?  No, it isn't.  But as long as we want this program to be squeaky clean, we are going to have to deal with losses like this weekend.

  • Jimmy made it very clear again that he is staying at Michigan and that he is tired of this old song and dance before signing day every year.  

  • The Michigan Basketball team took its record to 10-0 with another win this weekend over South Carolina.  Michigan struggled in this game with the athletic Gamecocks.  Michigan Basketball does seem to struggle with athletic teams that have length.   FSU last year during the tournament was another example.  Still a win is a win and its great to see Poole getting his shot back. 

  • Shea and Chase said they are playing in Peach Bowl and Jimmy said he would let other players announce their intentions.   Which leds you to believe others will be sitting out. 

  • The mystery OT that visited this weekend was Tennessee commit OT Chris Akporoghene who plays at IMG.  He is rated as a 3 star. 



from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2018/12/michigan-monday-lets-start-pulling-this.html

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