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| M.C. Barao |
There's a section that was removed (but posted on The Den) where Smith talks about how he thinks things would have been different if Rich Rodriguez had stayed. Considering the trajectory of the defense, things probably would have been worse for the program. For Smith, who knows? Personally, I think Al Borges used him about as well as possible in 2011, when he had a career high in receiving yards and yards per carry. Smith wasn't a feature back, and it seems that he still doesn't realize that. After the season Fitzgerald Toussaint put up one year later, you would think that Smith might say, "Well, we had another pretty good back on the roster." I think Smith did some great things at Michigan, but he was an ideal bit player who got a starting role because of a weak roster and/or some poor coaching decisions on Rodriguez's part. I hope Michigan is past the era of such a paucity of running back talent.
Let's hope they are passed it. Smith and/or Green will hopefully change all that.
ReplyDeleteThe worst coaching decision Rich made was coming to Michigan where the old blue boneheads were ready to rip him as soon as he got off the plane.
ReplyDeleteRich Rodriguez! Vincent Smith! I just don't know what I think!!! Let's discuss...
ReplyDeleteDon't know how the defense ever could have been worse than it was in 2010. The secondary was a wreck after injuries and other attrition - Rogers, Avery, Vinopal, Kovacs. Blame GERG and Rodriguez all you want, they sucked at coaching defense, but Nick Saban wasn't going to win with that crew.
The 2011 team returned every useful player (other than Mouton) and it added Countess, Floyd, Woolfolk, Morgan, Ryan, Beyer, etc. They would have been better just by being older, even if they didn't receive a single practice worth of coaching. Would they have been as good as they were with Mattison - I really doubt it. But to sit back and say they got worse from 2008-10 therefore they would continue to do so in 2011 is ridiculously simple-minded.
As for offense - the trajectory there was very positive and with everyone returning, Toussaint healthy, I think it's fair to say they would have been better too.
No one knows if they would have been 11-2, worse, or better, but I'd feel pretty comfortable saying they would have been a far better team than the 2010 team. That team won 7 games and with a far easier schedule in 2011... well, everyone's already made up their mind.
I read the link and don't see a single inflammatory statement from Smith. He says "things would have been different" and " overall, it all was for the best." Why do you say he "doesn't realize" he's not a feature back - maybe I missed something.
I don't have the feeling that Smith is delusional and don't see why you perceive this so negatively.
As for Rodriguez, he put the best back he had out there. He just didn't have any particularly good ones.
Vincent Smith! Rich Rodriguez! I just don't know what I think!!!
I don't think what he said is inflammatory. It just seemed to me that he thinks he would have played more if Rodriguez had stuck around.
DeleteYou taking unfair potshots at Vincent and me defending him -- feels like old times.
DeleteI don't see any unfair potshots.
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