Wolverine Wednesday: If It's Broken It Better Get Fixed

USAToday

I know coaches have to protect kids and support their team during the season.  So when Jimmy said, they were very confident in John O'Korn going into the OSU game, you know he was doing just that. 


Michigan had three glaring issues after the embarrassment in the Outback Bowl:

1. QB
2. Offensive Line
3. Team was not strong enough

Hopefully, Jimmy fixed the first problem by getting a 5 Star QB to transfer in.  (of course we are still waiting on a NCAA decision if he is eligible or not).   The second problem we believe is more coaching than talent.    It took some time but Jimmy fixed that by moving out Drevno and hiring offensive line guru Ed Warriner. 


Now it has been confirmed that Jimmy is doubling down on the offensive line coaching.   He has hired Detroit Lions Offensive line coach Ron Prince (and former head coach of Kansas State) to a analyst role and former Tennessee Titans defensive assistant with offensive line coaching experience Brandon Blaney to the same analyst role.  As I'm sure most of you know, these positions are not "on the field coaching" but can help with game strategy, scouting, and film review with the players. 


“Ed Warinner and Ron Prince who’s now working with us as an analyst,” said Harbaugh regarding the voices now charged with shaping his offensive line. “Brandon Blaney is coming over from the Titans, who also coached offensive line at Iowa State in his career.  We’ve got some tremendous coaching and a bunch of guys that need to get coached really well.”


So that position group is getting plenty of attention, which of course it needs.  So what about the new S&C guy and the new workout center that just opened?

Did you know Michigan was outscored in the 4th Quarter 23-0 against Wisconsin, Ohio State and South Carolina?  All three games were winnable and that is just a crazy stat. 

Ben Herbert was hired from Arkansas to fix that problem and make Michigan a stronger better conditioned team.  Ben is big into accountability and nutrition to get the results on the field that he has been successfully doing for Hogbacks and Badgers.  Here is one approach that Ben has used in the past from the Land of 10 site:

The story goes that he went to a local Home Depot, purchased a couple of giant house plants, stuck a nametag on one and called it “The Governor” and did the same with another, calling it “The Deacon.”The Governor was fed a diet by the book and tended to regularly. The Deacon was given beer, whiskey and Doritos. (or what college kids usually eat and drink)



It didn’t take long for players to see the difference in the two plants. Or to get the damn point.

Every Badgers workout ended with the players grabbing hands and forming a large circle. If you were late for a workout or a test, you couldn’t join in and were forced to stand in the middle as your teammates surrounded you. No shock, the circle got larger as time went on, and the head count inside started shrinking, too. One circle. One page. One goal.


So we know Herbert is big into accountability. And greens. His sundae bar at his last gig with Arkansas included kale and avocado as mixers for the energy drinks. In 2014, the Razorbacks trotted out the heaviest offensive line in FBS, with an average of 328.4 pounds per blocker.


You can love or hate the story above, but the approach is different and new to the Wolverines and that is exactly what they need, as the past approach has not been effective. 


I tip my hat to Jimmy and his wiliness to change to get the results we are looking for.   Yes, it took a little longer then we liked and Yes, Pep is still on staff and Jimmy did hire the failed Florida coach, but big changes were needed and it seems Jimmy has made them.

• Reports are that Ole Miss got the packet on Shea Patterson's eligibility from Michigan, but it officially has to come from the NCAA and the 10 day review period doesn't start until it arrives from the NCAA.

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2018/03/wolverine-wednesday-if-its-broken-it.html