The All-Hoke Team: Defense, Special Teams

Jake Ryan (image via MGoBlog)

I posted the offense yesterday (LINK), so here are the defenders and specialists. Since Michigan ran a 4-3 Under for three of Hoke's four years, I'm going with that look for my all-star team.

SDE: Ryan Van Bergen (2011)
45 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 fumble recoveries, 4 pass breakups
Van Bergen was a stalwart defensive end for Michigan as a senior, earning All-Big Ten Honorable Mention but helping the entire defense by getting consistent penetration and having a great game in the win against Ohio State.

NT: Ryan Glasgow (2014)
24 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
Glasgow made huge strides from his redshirt freshman to redshirt sophomore season, which propelled him past Quinton Washington for this spot. Glasgow was mostly able to hold his ground against double teams.

DT: Mike Martin (2011)
64 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks
Martin was named Second Team All-Big Ten for his performance in 2011, and he was consistently in the opponent's backfield. Opposing centers couldn't handle him one-on-one as a nose tackle, which allowed some young and/or mediocre linebackers behind him to make plays.

WDE: Frank Clark (2014)
42 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 pass breakups
I hesitated to put Clark on here because he was kicked off the team for an (alleged) domestic violence transgression. But just looking at the on-field results, Clark was a force. He achieved the above numbers in just ten games before being booted, and they would have been higher if Michigan's coverage in the secondary hadn't been so poor in the early part of the season.

Hit the jump for linebackers, defensive backs, and specialists.

Poll results: Which coach(es) should be retained beyond 2014?

Roy Manning (image via Maizeandbluenews.com)

Leading up to last week's game against Ohio State, I asked a question about which coach(es) should be retained after the season. Voters were allowed to pick multiple answers. Here are the results:

Roy Manning (cornerbacks): 51%

Greg Mattison (defensive coordinator/linebackers): 49%

Doug Nussmeier (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks): 18%

Mark Smith (defensive line): 18%

Fred Jackson (running backs): 7%

Dan Ferrigno (tight ends): 5%

Curt Mallory (safeties): 4%

Jeff Hecklinski (wide receivers/recruiting coordinator): 3%

Darrell Funk (offensive line): 2%

Brady Hoke (head coach): 0% (1 vote)

No coaches should be retained: 18%

Hoke has been canned, and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison reportedly cleared out his desk upon learning the news. So the 49% of people who wanted him back will be disappointed, and the one lonely soul who wanted Hoke to return is drinking a beer by himself. The other staff members could possibly be interviewed and retained, but it's unusual to keep on more than one or two guys from a previous regime.

Brady Hoke, Ex-Wolverine

This is the way I want to remember Brady Hoke.

As had been expected, Michigan chose to let Brady Hoke go on Tuesday afternoon. A team meeting was held at 3:00 p.m., where the 2014 team captains were announced before the news of the firing.

Hoke released a statement shortly after the news became public:

I feel very fortunate to have been an assistant and head coach at the University of Michigan. I will always support the University and this football program. This is a special place and one that Laura, Kelly, and I have enjoyed representing during our time in Ann Arbor. I want to thank all of the sons that played for our teams and appreciate the commitment that our coaches and support staff made to the program every day. I will miss the relationships that I've been fortunate enough to make within the university and community. I additionally appreciate all of the support that our fans, alumni, students, administration, and former players have provided our Michigan. I leave with fond memories of my time at Michigan. Thanks and Go Blue!

Hoke was hired in January 2011 (check out my introductory post on Hoke) after Rich Rodriguez was fired. Rodriguez was 15-22 from 2008-2010, incurred NCAA sanctions, and did not fit well with Michigan's established administration, but he did have increasing win totals (3 in 2008, 5 in 2009, 7 in 2010) during his career. As for Hoke himself, he had gone 47-50 during his head coaching career with Ball State and San Diego State, taking those teams from 4-8 in his initial years to 12-1 and 9-4, respectively, in his final season at those schools. Despite the losing record, he was considered to be a coach who could build a program.

Bucking his own established trend, Hoke led Michigan to an 11-2 in his first year, beating Ohio State and winning the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech. He followed that up with an 8-5 year that ended in an Outback Bowl loss to South Carolina. The 2013 season saw Michigan fall to 7-6 with a loss to Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. The Wolverines completed a 5-7 season this past Saturday with a 42-28 loss to Ohio State, dropping him to 1-3 against the Buckeyes - not to mention 1-3 against the intrastate rival Michigan State Spartans. Hoke finishes his Michigan career with a 31-20 overall record and at 18-14 in the Big Ten. That includes records of 12-13 and 6-10, respectively, over the past two seasons.

As for the reasons Hoke was fired, the problems were multiple. One of the biggest symptoms was the failure to develop a solid quarterback. Hoke inherited Denard Robinson in 2011, and while Robinson won a lot of games and had pretty good overall numbers, he regressed in the passing game. Due to injury, Robinson and Devin Gardner split time in 2012, when Gardner looked like a future star. Unfortunately, he also regressed in 2013 and then even more so in 2014. That seemed largely to blame on Michigan's offensive line, which was among the worst in the country despite having 1st and 3rd round NFL Draft picks as the bookend tackles in 2013. Some improvement occurred in 2014, but not enough and not quickly enough. Unhappiness was rumbling prior to this past season, and the calls for Hoke's head were exacerbated by anger at then athletic director David Brandon - which seemed to be aimed at Hoke and the team at certain points - and some very questionable in-game decisions that made Hoke look overwhelmed.

I have mixed feelings about Hoke's firing. Hoke was too often unsuccessful on the field, but he has been universally acclaimed for the relationships he builds with his players and the leadership he provided for them. Michigan improved their academic standing and generally kept players around under him, which was a huge problem during the Rodriguez administration. He liked to claim that 69 out of 69 seniors graduated during his tenure (although Frank Clark and his domestic violence situation might mar that perfect record).

Hoke also had some admirable personal traits. He was obviously elated to be hired by Michigan in 2011, saying he would have walked from San Diego to Ann Arbor. It's hard to find major faults in someone who is that unabashedly excited to be doing his job. Furthermore, he referred to his players as "sons" and genuinely seemed interested in seeing them succeed. He usually refused to wear long sleeves on game days, presumably because he wanted to lead by example in getting players to tune out the weather. Unlike some coaches around the country who berate players on the sideline or call them out in press conferences, Hoke kept criticism behind closed doors.

Ultimately, the goal at Michigan should be to win national championships. If not, then at least Big Ten championships. If  not, then at least beat Ohio State and Michigan State. Unfortunately, Michigan never won any kind of championship under Hoke and went 2-6 against those rivals. Hoke's time had come. It isn't fair, but it's the way the world works.

Wherever Hoke ends up next year or in two years, I hope that Brady, his wife, and his daughter find happiness and success. His next team will be my second-favorite team.*

*Unless it's Ohio State or Michigan State

Ohio State 42, Michigan 28

Devin Gardner wishes good luck to J.T. Barrett after the Ohio State quarterback suffered a season-ending injury
(image via BR)

That was better than I expected. For the second year in a row, Michigan came into The Game with fans and analysts having low expectations. And for the second year in a row, Michigan made a game of it. I expected the Wolverines to keep it close in the first half, only to have the wheels come off late. The wheels certainly came off, but Michigan led the game for roughly half of the second quarter and they were tied until just over a minute remaining in the third quarter. Offensively, Devin Gardner turned it up a notch, Drake Johnson solidified himself as the best back available, and Doug Nussmeier unleashed some creative play calling that we had not seen for most of the year.

Drake Johnson is #1*. Of the runners available at the end of the season, I don't think there's any doubt that Johnson is the best option going forward. I hope De'Veon Smith got enough chances for fans and coaches to realize that he just doesn't have the speed to get the job done, and he's not the bulldozer that so many people thought he would be. Justice Hayes is a decent complementary or third down back, but Johnson (15 carries, 74 yards, 2 touchdowns) is quicker than the others and displayed some power on Saturday that might hint that he's learning how to run the ball in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, Johnson crumpled up on the ground when he scored his second touchdown, and it looked likely to be a torn ACL; Johnson also tore his ACL in the 2013 season opener, so it would be sad to see him have to go through the same rehab again. He ends the year with 60 carries for 361 yards (6.0 yards/carry) and 4 touchdowns. Out of those totals, 57 carries, 333 of those yards, and all 4 touchdowns came in the final five games against Big Ten opponents. He didn't have the chance to rack up huge amounts of yardage against Appalachian State and Miami, although he did have the advantage of running behind an offensive line that improved throughout the year.

I'm going to miss Devin Gardner. Gardner turned out not to be the best quarterback. He showed signs of improvement in the second half of 2013, and then he regressed this year. You can blame it on Brady Hoke, Doug Nussmeier, Al Borges, the receivers, the offensive line, playing wide receiver in 2012, Gardner himself, etc. There are any number of directions you can point. There are two big things about Gardner that I will miss. Much like Denard Robinson, I will miss Gardner's attitude and leadership. He was not the most vocal guy, but the kid took a beating behind Michigan's offensive line and never pointed fingers or complained about the guys in front of him. He also showed some sportsmanship when Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett broke his ankle, with Gardner coming out on the field to wish him well before he was carted off. The second big thing I'll miss about Gardner is his athleticism. The guy was one of the best athletes to play quarterback at Michigan, perhaps second-best behind his predecessor, Robinson. Gardner could run through tackles, juke defenders, outrun defenders, throw the ball deep, put touch on his passes, and make the game of football a beautiful thing to watch at times. I kept waiting for this guy to break out, but for all the reasons mentioned above, I'll always be left to wonder what could have been.

Clock management failure #1. At the end of the first half, Michigan's drive stalled with over two minutes remaining. The punt team was summoned. Rather than allowing the play/game clock to wind down under two minutes, Michigan snapped the ball with about 20 seconds on the play clock and 2:20 left on the game clock. Ohio State got the ball and calmly waltzed down the field to score with :07 seconds remaining. If you're Brady Hoke, what can you possible be thinking at that point? We know by now that Hoke's plan was not to get a stop, get the ball back, and run a hurry-up drive to score. Hoke isn't that aggressive. If Michigan did get the ball back, they would have run the ball until halftime. The only possible explanation is that Hoke wasn't paying attention or thinking that far forward, which is a pretty damning trait.

Clock management failure #2. Even with three minutes left and down three touchdowns in the final game of the year, Michigan still couldn't run a halfway decent hurry-up. They were huddling at times, they didn't know how to line up, etc. while the clock was ticking down. They had no urgency whatsoever. Gardner did lead a successful drive that culminated in a 3-yard touchdown pass to Freddy Canteen, but it left just 1:15 on the clock to get an onside kick, score, get another onside kick, and score again. I am usually a person who thinks that the game isn't over until the clock says 0:00, but Hoke managed to suck that out of me this year. Just like we know Hoke can't use his timeouts or manage the end of a half properly, we also know that running an offense with any kind of tempo is out of the question. More so than a lack of player development, these issues with game management (the clock, the timeouts, having the right personnel on the field, etc.) are the ones most damning if he wanted to make a case to keep his job going forward.

The lack of personnel development. As I mentioned above, the lack of anyone stepping up throughout the year is almost amazing. You can point to a few individuals who got better from 2013 to 2014 (Jourdan Lewis, Derrick Green, Joe Bolden) or who improved throughout the season (Jake Ryan, Drake Johnson), but the only unit to improve was the offensive line. No other position group seemed to take steps forward, except perhaps the running backs, whose performance is tied to the OL.

Holy cow, there has been a lack of takeaways. Michigan ends the 2014 season with 5 interceptions, their lowest total in at least 20 years. I looked at stats from 1995 onward, and I only stopped because I can't find a reliable source of information any earlier than that. Michigan got picks from Lewis (2), defensive tackle Willie Henry, defensive tackle Matt Godin, and linebacker Jake Ryan. The Wolverines are tied for 120th in interceptions and might end up lower after a couple teams play in bowl games. Michigan is #123 in turnover margin with -1.33 per game. In fact, it's almost amazing that Michigan is #10 in total defense and #28 in scoring defense with the inability to create turnovers and an offense that can't sustain drives. The lack of takeaways is obviously a negative for defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, but it says something that his scheming and Michigan's solid tackling have helped to prevent a total team breakdown.

I'm sad the season is done. This was one of those years where you see a bunch of talent on the field and expect big things, but big things don't happen. Michigan had a record-setting quarterback, a wide receiver who looked like a potential first rounder, a very good tight end, a 5-star running back, a solid kicker, a former All-Big Ten punter, and loads of talent on the defensive side of the ball. All that gets boiled down to a 5-7 season and a career for some of these seniors that ends with a thud.

I'm sad this is how it went down for Brady Hoke. I was not a fan of Michigan's hiring of Brady Hoke in 2011. He hadn't proven enough at a high enough level, and it showed that he was in over his head. However, I did hope that he would have success at Michigan. Not only because I'm a fan of the Wolverines, but because Hoke seems like a good guy, I wanted him to win and win big. There aren't enough decent guys winning national championships out there. Instead, there are people like Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher. Now it appears that Hoke's head coaching career is over at Michigan. Wherever he ends up in the future, I hope he can find success.

I still have high hopes for next year. Regardless of who the coach is, Michigan has a lot coming back in 2015. Devin Gardner is the only senior on offense to start, and Devin Funchess might declare for the NFL Draft. Meanwhile, Michigan has lost its best two players on defense (Jake Ryan and Frank Clark, the latter of which was kicked off the team, anyway), cornerback Raymon Taylor, senior kicker Matt Wile, and senior punter Will Hagerup. There are capable replacements for most of those guys, with the kicking job as the biggest question mark. This was a young team that should improve going into 2015.

Maryland 23, Michigan 16

Joe Kerridge

Goodbye, Brady Hoke. I thought Hoke's fate was sealed a few weeks ago, but this was Hoke's chance to redeem himself in front of a home crowd that had to brave a late start, some cold weather, some rain, and some ugly football. The sloppy way in which this one played out was indicative of Michigan's last couple seasons. The only real question at this point is whether Michigan fires Brady Hoke this week, or whether they allow him the dignity of finishing out the season before dropping the guillotine. I don't see a reason to let him go right now. Michigan doesn't have a suitable replacement on staff, recruiting wouldn't be affected in a positive way, and there's no home game next week for which to please ticket buyers. Furthermore, through it all, I think Hoke has been a class act and seems like a good guy. I think Michigan should let him coach out the week and fire him next Monday, but I still wouldn't be totally surprised if he got the Will Muschamp treatment.

Big gaffes. Michigan made some stupid plays and decisions down the stretch to seal their fate. Unfortunately, this has become the 2014 team's modus operandi. A punt return touchdown was called back for a pointless block in the back. A field goal turned into a touchdown when cornerback Jourdan Lewis took out the kicker, giving Maryland an automatic first down. (Regardless of what some bitter Michigan fans say, it was clearly a roughing the kicker penalty and worthy of 15 yards, whether you think Maryland kicker Brad Craddock exaggerated or not.) Worst of all was Brady Hoke's clock management at the end of the game. Michigan's drive stalled with roughly four minutes remaining in the game, and Hoke waited most of that time before calling his one timeout. By the time he did, the Terrapins just had to run one running play before allowing the final 34 seconds or so to run off the clock.

Speaking of bitter. Maybe I'm bitter, too, but how was Maryland head coach Randy Edsall allowed to do what he did at the end of the game? With a little over 30 seconds remaining, he rushed out onto the field. When the officials stopped him, he turned around, threw his headset in the air, and started celebrating in the middle of the field. I fail to see why a coach is allowed to celebrate on the field before the game is over, but maybe I'm just old-school.

Joe Kerridge fun time. Redshirt junior fullback Joe Kerridge had himself a pretty good game. It's not often that fullbacks get attention, so here's some for him. Kerridge has turned into a solid blocker. He also has good hands - as evidenced by his one-handed catch for 7 yards. The most memorable play of his career so far, though, is probably the fake punt run from the first quarter. Michigan was set to attempt a quarterback sneak on 4th-and-1 when running back De'Veon Smith inexplicably false started (seriously, a running back false starting on a quarterback sneak is among the dumbest things you can do on a football field). On 4th-and-6, Michigan would surely just punt the ball. Instead, they snapped it to upback Kerridge, who plunged through the line and then got to the left sideline on his way to a 52-yard run. He couldn't quite get past the punt returner for the touchdown, but that play got Michigan inside the 10 . . . so they could settle for a field goal.

This is the Devin Gardner I like. I can't say that Gardner played a brilliant game, but this was the best he has looked since the first few games of the season. His ankle finally looked somewhat healthy, which allowed him to use perhaps his best asset - his ability to tuck the ball and run. He ran the ball 14 times for a net of 82 yards (5.9 yards/carry), including a 24-yarder and a 15-yard touchdown. Passing the ball, he was 13/24 for 106 yards and 1 interception. He looked decent throwing the ball at times and was victimized by a few drops, including a Freddy Canteen drop that would have been a touchdown, a Jake Butt seam route that may have been a touchdown, a near-catch by Bo Dever that turned into the interception, and your standard Devin Funchess drops. Remember in 2011 when Michigan's receivers - mainly Junior Hemingway - bailed out Denard Robinson on numerous occasions? This year is the opposite of that.

Devin Funchess isn't really trying. Funchess and Blake Countess are the two biggest disappointments this season, but at least Countess seems like he's trying out there. Funchess, on the other hand, seems lackadaisical most of the time. For being 6'5" and 230 lbs., he doesn't have a great desire to dominate people who are smaller than him. It's the same mentality that got him moved away from tight end. He didn't try very hard to block, so the coaches moved him to wide receiver. Now he doesn't try very hard to catch the ball, and when he does, he goes down way too easily. I don't think I can say this about any other regular during Hoke's tenure, but Funchess looks lazy and too often self-centered. (I know there is the occasional  effort to, say, snatch the ball away from a Penn State safety or chase down a Northwestern safety who dared to intercept the ball - but those plays just hint at what he can do if he does that whole "trying" thing.)

I'll give Funchess a pass on his last "drop." Maryland safety Jeremiah Johnson pretty clearly interfered with Funchess when Michigan was trying to drive the ball for a game-tying touchdown near the end of the game. Johnson's left hand got to Funchess's left hand when the ball was still a few feet away. The big guy may very well have dropped it on his own, but he never really got the chance.

Walk-ons. Fans complain when starters are out there on special teams, so I hope they're not complaining today. Dennis Norfleet finally returned a punt for a touchdown only to see it called back because walk-on safety A.J. Pearson blocked a Maryland player in the back for no good reason. The Maryland player wouldn't have made the play, anyway, but that's kind of the point. Walk-ons are walk-ons for a reason. Sometimes they overreach because they're trying to prove themselves, and sometimes the game just moves too quickly for them. Of course, starters are capable of committing penalties, too, but they don't have those things working against them. Meanwhile, Bo Dever's failure to reel in a catch resulted in a William Likely interception. The ball was thrown behind Dever, but he still got both hands on it.

Speaking of Bo Dever, why Bo Dever? Wide receiver recruiting/development has failed in a big way if this is what Michigan has to throw out there. I have been supportive of wide receivers coach Jeff Hecklinski the past few years because of the work he has done with Junior Hemingway, Roy Roundtree, and Jeremy Gallon, among others. But this season has been ridiculous. Let's take a look at Michigan's contributors at the position:

• Devin Funchess (Jr.): Recruited as a tight end, couldn't block, moved to WR, generally lackadaisical, too many drops, physical specimen
• Amara Darboh (RS So.): Recruited as a wide receiver, mediocre speed, mediocre route runner, great hands
• Dennis Norfleet (Jr.): Recruited as a kick returner/running back, can't block, can't catch anything other than a screen pass
• Jehu Chesson (RS So.): Recruited as a wide receiver, best blocker at position, questionable hands, seems to play less and less
• Freddy Canteen (Fr.): Recruited as a wide receiver, decent speed, has done zilch
• Bo Dever (RS Fr.): Not recruited, slow, supposedly decent hands
• Da'Mario Jones, Jaron Dukes, Maurice Ways don't play at all
• Drake Harris is injured

Two of Michigan's early-season starters (Funchess, Norfleet) weren't recruited as receivers, a large contributor wasn't recruited at all, and three able-bodied guys are mired on the bench. Meanwhile, nobody in the receiving corps is exceeding expectations.

Did Michigan miss Frank Clark? Yes, I think they did. His replacement, Mario Ojemudia, had an okay game (5 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, 1 pass breakup), but Ojemudia is not a match for Clark. Clark was consistently overpowering offensive tackles, and he had reached a point where he was not committing the immature mistakes that plagued him early in his career. Ojemudia lacks the same strength, and there were a couple times where he ran too far upfield and allowed Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown to take off and run. I think Clark would have slowed down the running of Brown (18 carries, 87 yards, 1 touchdown). Obviously, it's nobody's fault but Clark's - I respect Hoke for booting him immediately, and I think Ojemudia did what he's able to do. It just sucks for Michigan and for his (alleged) victim that he's such a moron.

Can Michigan beat Ohio State and go to a bowl game? Yes. Ohio State lost earlier this season to a Virginia Tech team that is currently 5-6 after a double-overtime loss to Wake Forest by a score of 6-3. Ohio State almost  lost to a 3-8 Indiana team yesterday, but they pulled it out with a 21-point fourth quarter. There are some chinks in the Buckeyes' armor, particularly defensively. Indiana running back Tevin Coleman had 228 yards rushing on 27 carries, including touchdowns of 90 and 52 yards. Unfortunately, Michigan hasn't had a running back like Tevin Coleman in a very long time. Even so, Drake Johnson has shown a decent burst (14 carries, 94 yards yesterday), and a healthy Devin Gardner gives you a chance on offense. The Buckeyes will be the overwhelming favorite, especially when they're playing for a chance at the playoff, but anything can happen.

Michigan State 35, Michigan 11

Devin Gardner (image via MLive)

Farewell, Brady Hoke. The last four games of the season can be considered Hoke's farewell tour. I had maintained that he could save his job by winning out or perhaps going 5-1 in the second half of the year, but this was the final nail in the coffin. Whatever happens from game nine onward doesn't matter. Michigan played uninspired football yet again, they looked disorganized, and they looked poorly coached. The guys on the opposite side were the opposite. Class of 2015 tight end commit Chris Clark might as well decommit now, because there's no point in pretending that Hoke has a shot at returning next year.

Coaching tip #1: Stop punting. If you're down by 25 points in the fourth quarter and you have a 4th-and-3, it doesn't really matter where you are on the field. You don't punt. Brady Hoke punts, though.

Coaching tip #2: Recover the onside kick. After scoring a touchdown to narrow the score to 28-11, Michigan elected to onside kick. Matt Wile kicked a pretty decent onside attempt, but Michigan's players barely seemed aware of where the ball was going. Their heads were down and looking at the Spartans' return team. Granted, you usually have guys designated to take out the returners and guys designated to get the ball, but everyone needs to be aware of the ball's location. Nobody was even close to challenging MSU wide receiver Tony Lippett for the ball.

Coaching tip #3: Stop calling so many timeouts. The number of timeouts Michigan wastes because of disorganization is mind-boggling. They wasted two early timeouts in the second half yesterday, which meant they only had one remaining late in the game when MSU was running down the clock. It really isn't that difficult to get the right people on the field and get them lined up properly. If you have so many problems with it, then you're either not coaching it properly or you're making personnel changes/formations/play calls too complicated.

Let your play do the talking. For some stupid reason, Michigan junior linebacker Joe Bolden stabbed a stake into the "S" in the middle of the field before the game. Much like Rich Rodriguez's homage to Josh Groban, it was a completely tone-deaf move by Bolden. Michigan is in the middle of a stretch of being dominated by the Spartans. They don't need to be incited further. When I was watching the game, it seemed like Bolden was the target of quite a bit of extra pushing, shoving, extracurricular activity, etc. in the pile. Once this news came out after the game, it didn't surprise me. And you know what? I don't blame the Spartans. Good for them. They were defending their own turf, and they were letting Bolden know that he was a moron for that move. Even going back to Mike Hart's "little brother" comments after the 2007 game, I hate it when players and coaches think their words are more important than their actions on the field.

Mark Dantonio is a pompous tool. He and Bret Bielema are the two coaches I hate most in college football. Dantonio commented going into halftime that running back Josh Langford "had to score twice" and "It doesn't get better than that" after the original touchdown run was ruled down at the half-yard line. Just play the game and don't be a smart-ass, especially when you're wrong.

Spartan fans are special. After MSU backup linebacker Chris Frey was ejected for targeting Amara Darboh on a punt return, Frey proceeded to get a standing ovation on his way to the tunnel. Only in East Lansing does one get a standing ovation for nearly decapitating an opposing player.

The wide receivers are ew. For a few years, I thought wide receivers coach Jeff Hecklinski had the best track record of player performance. He was a guy who developed Junior Hemingway into a clutch receiver, Jeremy Gallon into a record-setter, and several other guys in an upward direction. Then 2014 came along. Michigan dropped at least five catchable passes in this game, including 3 by #1 jersey wearer Devin Funchess and redshirt sophomore Amara Darboh. Funchess lacks concentration, drops too many passes, and doesn't seem to have broken a single tackle since the Appalachian State game. Meanwhile, Darboh runs crappy routes on a weekly basis and gets zero separation. No offensive position group is playing well, so I can't blame everything on the receivers, but Devin Gardner is getting no help.

Speaking of Devin Gardner, can anyone say "Notre Dame 2013"? The guy looked as clueless as he did 1.5 years ago. His mechanics are consistently screwed up, like they were on the R.J. Williamson pick-six that he floated in the middle of the field. And he consistently makes terrible decisions, like the shovel pass to no one that was intercepted by linebacker Taiwain Jones. Unfortunately, Gardner is the best quarterback on Michigan's roster. He finished the game 13/28 for 121 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He also carried the ball 4 times for -18 yards.

Why Shane Morris for one snap? Late in the game, Gardner was yanked for one play. Hoke said in the post-game press conference that the coaches were going to make a change, but then they thought better of it because Gardner is a senior. Morris threw one incomplete corner route before being pulled. That just shows once again that the coaches are clueless and indecisive. You have an MSU possession to decide who your quarterback is going to be on the next drive, you decide on the backup, and in the 25 seconds it takes for him to run a play, you change your mind.

Some Notes on Concussions

AS A COACH
To offer some perspective, I hope it might be helpful to relay the concussion protocol in my school district. Coaches are required by the state to take concussion awareness training prior to each and every season. The training includes medical explanations, symptoms to look for, actions to take, and protocol for allowing players to return. I am not qualified to diagnose a concussion, but sometimes it's obvious. However, a large part of the obviousness is in that I know my players' mannerisms, how they react to hard hits, where they look when returning to the huddle, how they walk, how quickly they move, etc. That is one advantage that I have when watching my own players. Any player who shows concussion-like symptoms is automatically sent to an athletic trainer for an evaluation. He is not allowed to return to practice unless the trainer determines that he does NOT have a concussion. The initial test - which I have been present for numerous times - typically includes questions about symptoms, some long-term questions (Who's the president? When's your birthday? What's the date today?), some short-term questions (repeat this sequence of numbers or items to me), and an examination of eye dilation/focus (How many fingers am I holding up? Can you follow my fingertip with your eyes?).

AS A FAN OF MICHIGAN
I watched the game on television, and the fact that Shane Morris was still in the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter was extremely frustrating. Not only was he ineffective, but in the middle of being ineffective, he sprained his ankle. And not only did he sprain the ankle in the middle of being ineffective, but Michigan also had a better option waiting on the sideline the whole time in the form of Devin Gardner. When Morris originally took the hit from Minnesota defensive end Theiren Cockran, I said, "And now our quarterback just got killed." Upon a closeup review of the play, however, I noticed a couple things. First of all, the initial force of Cockran's helmet hit the bottom bar of Morris's facemask, which snapped his neck back. Secondly, the majority of the blow seemed to be taken by Morris's upper left chest area. Is it possible that a concussion occurred from the blow to the helmet? Yes. Is it also possible that a concussion could occur from a hit to the chest/shoulder? Absolutely. Not all concussions require a hit to the head. Knowing that Morris had a bum ankle, his stumble into Ben Braden did not necessarily indicate to me that he had a concussion. Furthermore, the deep breath of air taken and released by Morris on camera did not seem consistent with concussions I have seen. I have seen concussions that ended high school seasons and careers, and breathing deeply is not something I associate with the injury. That looked more to me like a guy who may have had the wind knocked out of him and was trying to gather his breathing back together. When Morris finally retreated to the sideline, his behavior while sitting on the bench and being examined also did not indicate to me that he had a concussion. Again, people react differently, and I am unqualified to play doctor from my living room, but I'm just comparing it to what I have seen in my daily life.

AS SOMEONE WHO HAS RESPECT FOR BRADY HOKE
I believe much of the heat he has taken has been unwarranted. First, we have seen his staff remove players for various injuries in the past, such as Taylor Lewan last season. Numerous players have missed time due to injuries of all kinds, and I have never seen or heard him challenge players to man up or play through injury. Just this season, players like Devin Funchess, Jarrod Wilson, Jabrill Peppers, and Raymon Taylor have missed significant time with injuries. Despite a strong need for Jake Ryan and Jake Butt, the Michigan staff has held to their plan of working them slowly back into games by using a predetermined number of snaps. Second, what would Hoke gain by keeping Morris in the game despite injury? Morris is not the best quarterback on the roster, and he had been playing terribly. Literally every other player listed above is/was more valuable to this team than Shane Morris is this season, so it's nonsensical to believe that Hoke would put Morris in serious harm's way while being cautious with Peppers, Butt, Ryan, etc. Third, this overwhelming vitriol directed toward Hoke does not support what we have seen on a regular basis from him. While many have questioned his ability to coach the sport of football, it has been widely acknowledged that he's a man of high character who cares about his players. What sense would there be in risking his players and his reputation in order to keep his backup quarterback in the football game at that point? Fourth, this whole discussion would not have reached such huge proportions if not for Michigan's current record. If Michigan were 5-0 or 4-1, Michigan fans would have let this incident slide already. It would have been a footnote or a follow-up question at a press conference or maybe an issue that would die soon. In its current state of disarray (a 2-3 record, a paltry offensive output, a quarterback controversy, dwindling attendance, etc.), the Michigan program has invited widespread criticism. But with issues like this, I think it's important to think about "What would this look like if Michigan were winning?" and then calibrate accordingly.

TO THOSE WHO SAY "IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER MORRIS HAD A CONCUSSION OR NOT"
I say that's hogwash. It absolutely does matter. As I mentioned above, coaches know their players. Just like you know your coworkers and your mom and your son and your wife, coaches spend hours upon hours with their players in very difficult situations. I could tell by the way my dad walked in the door whether he had a good day or not. I can tell by watching my players if they have a slight hamstring pull. When they walk in the locker room, I can sometimes tell which player it is just by the sound of their footsteps. There were numerous players and coaches watching the game, and whether the two main guys (Hoke and Doug Nussmeier) saw his behavior or not, some people thought Morris was okay to continue. When Morris came to the sideline for a short stretch, he was still deemed ready to return for an "emergency" play when Gardner had to be removed. Fans and people watching on television thought he was concussed, but the people who know him best - the people on the sideline - thought Morris was okay to go. If the as yet unreleased medical results show that Morris was indeed lacking a concussion, then there are some people who owe Hoke an apology. According to Monday's press conference, Morris would have practiced on Sunday if not for the ankle injury. That indicates that his head is not a hindrance to him playing at this time.
UPDATE: Dave Brandon released a statement revealing that Morris was evaluated during and immediately after the game, and no concussion was detected. A third test has determined that he indeed has a mild concussion. So it took three tests for medical professionals to determine that he had a concussion.

THE TAKEAWAY
At this point there are too many people shooting first and asking questions later. People are smearing Hoke's reputation and/or pleading for his firing when there's at least a decent chance that what he did was completely fine. However, I do believe Michigan has mishandled the press up to this point. Athletic director Dave Brandon has failed to step forward with any authoritative take on the situation, and Hoke himself has been evasive. The easiest way to handle this would have been to release a statement saying "Shane Morris does not have a concussion." Whether Michigan is trying to stick to its own policy about discussing injuries, trying not to violate HIPAA laws, or simply misjudging the public response, they are losing in the court of public opinion. The University of Michigan's response has been subpar. As for Hoke himself, perhaps he should be fired. Michigan's win total has been declining from 2011-2013, and it does not appear they will improve on their 7-6 record from last year. The offense is inadequate. Special teams and overall player development have been questionable. If you want to say that a 9-9 record over the last 18 games is unacceptable, that's someone's prerogative. I can't make a good case for Hoke remaining at this point, even though I'm not exactly in favor of firing him right this moment. But I also believe the Shane Morris incident should not be the deciding factor, especially if Morris is not concussed.

Minnesota 30, Michigan 14

Should we go with the guy who was bestowed with Tom Harmon's jersey, or the guy with zero career touchdowns?
(image via 247Sports.com)

End the Shane Morris experiment now. We have seen Shane Morris play a fair amount of football now that we're five games into his sophomore season. In 2013 he played a respectable number of snaps against Central Michigan, Michigan State, and Kansas State; this year he has seen an appreciable amount of time against Appalachian State, Utah, and Minnesota. What have we learned? He's not good at football right now. He can't progress through his reads quickly, he's careless with the football, and he's not accurate, especially when throwing to his right. He finished the game 7/19 for 49 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception (returned for a touchdown), and 3 fumbles (1 lost). He now has a career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 0-to-5. The kid should have redshirted in 2013, or maybe even this season. He's not even to the point where he should be an option for a big-time program like Michigan right now.

How about now? Devin Gardner has been the starting quarterback since 2012 for a reason. He is one of the best athletes in the country at his position, he has good (not great) arm strength, and he has the ability to put the team on his back for entire games (for example, last year against Notre Dame, Indiana, and Ohio State). He certainly has flaws - the interceptions, the fumbles, the ill-advised throws from his own endzone - but that's not the point. The question Brady Hoke should be asking himself on a weekly basis is this: Which quarterback gives this team the best chance to win right now? The answer to that question is Gardner. The switch to Morris should never have been made in the first place. Sometimes you have to tell fans and media to suck an egg, that you're going to stick with your guy. It's okay to be Grady Little once in a while. In another dimension, Pedro Martinez held onto the lead.

Michigan should have recruited a quarterback in 2012. This doesn't have much to do with this game in itself, but I just feel the need to point out that the Wolverines whiffed on a couple quarterbacks in the 2012 class and then said, "Eh, who cares? We've got Shane Morris in the pipeline." I care, and I said so at the time. I was appalled that Michigan didn't go after another signal caller, and that mistake is rearing its ugly head as the Wolverines are trying to field a competent starter and/or backup. This exact situation is evidence that a quarterback should be recruited in every class. They want to bench their fifth-year senior, the redshirt junior was terrible, the sophomore is in over his head, and the freshman is probably maizeing his pants in fear of playing behind Michigan's offensive line.

Coaching tip #1: Put your damn helmets on. In the fourth quarter, Shane Morris was knocked out of the game with one or more injuries (more on that later). Devin Gardner was inserted for a couple plays, upon which his helmet came off and he was forced to sit out one play. Third-string quarterback Russell Bellomy, caught totally unaware, had no clue where his helmet was. He tried on one that didn't fit, then another that didn't fit, then turned to all his friends and said, "No, guys, don't you remember Nebraska?!?!?!" Then everyone nodded and gently nudged the (allegedly) concussed guy out there for another play.

Coaching tip #2: You can't punt when you're down by 16 with four minutes left. I don't give a hoot if it's 4th-and-36 from your own 1-yard line. If you're down two scores with roughly four minutes remaining, you go for it, especially with only one timeout left. Minnesota is a ball control offense who can certainly run the ball and keep the clock running for the remainder of the game. And that's exactly what they did. That showed me that Brady Hoke didn't want to win the game, and it also showed that he didn't have faith in his team to make a game of it. He was trying to save face and prevent the team from giving up 37 points. If they don't get the first down, everyone in that locker room knows that the final seven points wouldn't really matter. There's no discernible difference between a 37-14 loss and a 30-14 loss. At least if you go for it, you show your team that you believe in them and will keep clawing for victory until the end.

Shane Morris may or may not have been concussed. I know there's a lot of hand wringing about concussions these days, and I know Morris took a nasty shot from Theiren Cockran (that should have resulted in an ejection, by the way). I have seen a fair number of concussions, and I have to say that Morris did not look concussed on the sideline. I know people saw him stumble and nearly collapse on the field, but I got the vibe that it was because of the obvious pain in his left ankle. The kid could barely put pressure on his left leg from the third quarter onward, and I'm sure the hit from Cockran was not pleasant. Morris's demeanor on the sideline afterward appeared to be that of a coherent young man who needed an ice bath, a massage, and some pictures to make him feel better. I could be wrong, and there's no way to play doctor from my seat on the couch, but that was my interpretation of what I saw. . .

[Note: Before anyone jumps on me for my thoughts on Morris, I should state that I am extremely cautious as a coach when it comes to concussions. Standard protocol is to remove a kid's helmet if there is any suspicion of a concussion, until such time as he is cleared to return. I have forced several kids out of practice/games for precautionary reasons when they complained of head pain, only to find out that it was dehydration, a blow to the nose, etc. At the very least, Morris should have been examined by a trainer.]

However, Morris should have been removed from the game permanently. On top of the fact that he never should have started the game in the first place, Morris twisted his ankle and/or knee early in the third quarter. He was limping noticeably. It seemed to affect his play negatively. He then took a couple more hits and came up limping even worse. In my years of sports experience, people who limp are generally worse at sports than those who are not limping. If that weren't the case, Verbal Kint would be in the Hall of Fame. Michigan fans can rest easy knowing that a sixth year of Brian Cleary eligibility is still a possibility.

What about Minnesota, though? They're not bad. They have a very good offensive line, they have some hard-running backs, they have a quarterback who fits their system, and they have a fundamentally sound defense. Other than running back David Cobb (32 carries, 183 yards), nobody wowed me. Cobb is just a guy who refuses to go down on first contact, and he has some burst that a guy like De'Veon Smith lacks. Tight end Maxx Williams might be able to squeeze into that category of "wow" guys, too, but he wasn't a game-changer in this one. When a guy - whether it's a star or a scrub - makes a diving, one-handed catch like he did down the sideline while being well covered by safety Jeremy Clark, you just have to tip your hat and acknowledge that there are other guys who can make plays, too.

Who starts at quarterback? It has to be Devin Gardner. Even if Shane Morris travels to Elysium and gets back in time for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition  on a Sunday night in 2003, Gardner should be the starter. Always and forever. He's wearing the #98 jersey for a reason. (The reason is that Dave Brandon is a greedy bastard; I didn't say it was a good reason.) Unless he re-breaks his foot or tells everyone in the MUG to "f*** her right in the p****", Gardner should be the one fumbling Michigan's season away.

Who starts at head coach? I don't know. I think every coach hits a point where you say, "Yeah, this just isn't going to work out." For whatever reason, I think Rich Rodriguez's moment was "You Raise Me Up," even though his defenses sent up warning flags. This game may have been Hoke's moment. I'm not saying that I think he'll be fired on Monday (who would you promote to interim head coach?), and I'm not saying that a 9-3 finish (hey, it's possible) couldn't save Hoke. But the handling of Gardner, the handling of Morris, and curling up into the fetal position at the end of game is a potentially lethal combination. If Doug Nussmeier or Jeff Hecklinski is the head coach sometime soon, I will not be surprised.

We're totally going to beat Rutgers. This was all a ploy to sucker them in, like a McDonald's with free wi-fi. They step inside, check their e-mail, order a sweet tea, and BOOM! That's right. The cashier gave you herpes. Oh, and diabetes. You gotta watch out for that diabetes sneaking up on you like an, I dunno, Mitch Leidner bootleg. Wait, what was I talking about?

Rutgers has herpes.

Video: Brady Hoke talks after spring game

Video: Hoke talks linebackers, freshmen, spring practice

Video: Hoke talks spring ball, offensive line, and quarterbacks

Brady Hoke announces new coaching responsibilities

The football program announced new coaching responsibilities yesterday, and most of the changes come on defense, where nobody has the same responsibility he had last year. The only change on offense is the hiring of Doug Nussmeier to replace Al Borges's duties.

Head coach: Brady Hoke
Offensive coordinator, Quarterbacks: Doug Nussmeier
Running backs: Fred Jackson
Wide receivers: Jeff Hecklinski
Tight ends, Special teams: Dan Ferrigno
Offensive line: Darrell Funk
Defensive coordinator, Linebackers: Greg Mattison
Defensive line: Mark Smith
Cornerbacks: Roy Manning
Safeties: Curt Mallory
Offensive grad assistant (tight ends): Kevin Koger
Offensive grad assistant (offensive line): Michael Switzer
Defensive grad assistant (defensive line): Ernie Lawson
Defensive grad assistant (linebackers): Jerry Milling

Kansas State 31, Michigan 14

Quarterback Shane Morris got his first career start and did a solid job.

Shane Morris looked halfway decent. Don't get me wrong - I've always had pretty high hopes for Morris. But I expected him to look a little more high-strung in this game. Offensive coordinator Al Borges did a smart thing by starting Morris off with a bunch of screen passes. Unfortunately, by the time Borges thought about pushing the ball down the field, it was because Michigan was down and Kansas State knew it. One point about screens is that you want to suck the defense up and eventually throw over the top, but Borges wasted the opportunity. Morris finished the game 24/38 for 196 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception, plus he had 4 carries for 43 yards. You could tell his timing just wasn't there with the receivers and the offense. Some of his throws were late, some screens were slightly off target, and some of his passes were thrown too hard to give his receivers much of a chance to catch them. All in all, he played well enough that Michigan might have been able to eke out a win if they had semblance of a running game.

No semblance of a running game. Oh, yeah. About that. Well, despite what I think is a mediocre group of interior defenders, Michigan couldn't get any push up front. The young offensive linemen weren't whiffing on blocks like they were early in the season, but the Kansas State defensive tackles were controlling the line of scrimmage and letting the linebackers and safeties clean up. Michigan's coaching staff seemed to realize their struggles up front, and despite having a fair amount of success with the fake bubble screen draw in the previous couple games, the play was basically abandoned for a couple straight-up inside zones and a bunch of reverses, sweeps, touch passes, etc.

Rich Rodriguez stopped by to coach the defense. I like defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, and since I'm not an idiot, I don't think Mattison should be fired. But I thought this was a pretty dismal effort for what is actually a solid defense. The players just didn't seem inspired to dominate, and the game plan was poor. The guy you must  stop on Kansas State's offense is Tyler Lockett, and he abused Raymon Taylor time and time again (plus Blake Countess at least once). When he was singled up early in the game, I saw the formation and said "Slant." And there it was. When he was singled up later on the same drive, I saw the formation with Raymon Taylor lined up inside and said "Slant and out." Sure enough, Lockett beat Taylor by faking the slant and then beating Taylor with an out route. Lockett needed to be bracketed, and the corners needed safety help over the top. Elsewhere, guys like Cam Gordon were losing contain on the passing quarterback, as if they didn't know he could run a little bit. When I was watching film leading up to the bowl game, I saw Kansas State as a mediocre power running team with one good receiver, and they were still able to impose their will on Michigan.

Tyler Lockett is good. After seeing Lockett's highlights from the other twelve games and then watching him in this one, I think Lockett (10 catches, 116 yards, 3 touchdowns; 2 kickoff returns for 74 yards) could play for any team in the country. It was frustrating to watch him beat a fairly good duo of corners in Taylor and Countess, but you have to tip your cap to a player like that. Lockett's going to get his yards, but you can't let the other players beat you. Unfortunately, running back John Hubert (15 carries, 80 yards, 1 touchdown), quarterback Jake Waters (21/27 for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, plus 12 carries for 42 yards), and the defense beat Michigan, too.

Ryan Mueller is just a guy. I mentioned this before the game, but I was not impressed with what I saw from Mueller on film. The Big 12's Defensive Lineman of the Year had just 1 tackle against Michigan despite playing against the Wolverines' second-best offensive tackle and chasing a freshman quarterback.

The running back situation. Redshirt sophomore Justice Hayes earned the nod at running back and turned in a nondescript performance. He caught 3 passes for 22 yards and had 1 carry for -1 yard, the latter of which seemed to be him just tripping and falling to the turf of his own volition. I believe Michigan's game plan involved trying to get the edge against a team that the coaching staff felt was too stout up the middle for the interior offensive line to handle. Unfortunately, Michigan has mainly recruited inside runners during Hoke's tenure (Derrick Green, De'Veon Smith, Thomas Rawls). Without a good tailback option, Borges tried to hit Gallon on jet sweeps and reverses, Devin Funchess on a double reverse, etc. When your pocket passer of a quarterback leads the team in rushing, and your running backs combine for 8 carries and 13 yards, that's a terrible recipe for success. It didn't matter whether it was Hayes, Green, Smith, Rawls, or Toussaint running behind that line, though - there was just nowhere to go.

No hurry-up offense. Michigan didn't really go to a hurry-up offense until their final drive, which was extremely frustrating. Would it have made a difference in the final outcome? Probably not. But it seemed like Borges and head coach Brady Hoke had basically decided to give up and try to develop the kids for next year. Maybe they just didn't feel their freshman quarterback could handle running a two-minute drill for such an extended period, but at least give it a shot. Even if you chuck the ball deep and it gets intercepted, at least you tried. The only play where Michigan truly attempted to go over the top was on a pass to Jeremy Gallon where he got interfered with after it seemed like Morris and the receivers thought they had a free play when a Kansas State player jumped (he didn't cross the line of scrimmage). When your quarterback is known for his cannon arm, you would think at least three attempts downfield would be warranted.

Head(s) should roll. Hoke and athletic director David Brandon need to make some tough decisions this offseason, and at least one staff change needs to take place. Hoke is a loyal guy, but I think Brandon will insist because he's a business-oriented guy and needs to make donors happy. Running backs coach Fred Jackson isn't the problem, but he might retire whether he's asked to or not. Offensive line coach Darrell Funk would seem to be the easiest guy to axe, because his position group was the worst on the team. Offensive coordinator Al Borges does things like score 41 points against Ohio State and call plays that result in record-setting performances (Gallon's game against Indiana, Gallon's season receiving record, Gardner's statistics against Ohio State and Indiana, etc.), so he's a tougher choice. I also think a guy like wide receivers coach Jeff Hecklinski might be miffed if he gets passed up for a new offensive coordinator. Rumors are that secondary coach Curt Mallory has been looking for a head coaching job at a smaller school, too. There could be a lot of staff upheaval in the coming months.

Congratulations to Jeremy Gallon. Gallon surpassed former Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards for two records in this game. Gallon caught a pass in 39 consecutive games (Edwards was at 38), and he also set the single-season receiving yardage record with 1,373 yards (Edwards had 1,330 in 2004). He had 9 catches for 89 yards in this game, 1 carry for -5 yards, and a pass to Justice Hayes for a two-point conversion, hearkening back to his high school days as a single-wing quarterback at Apopka High School.

Ohio State 42, Michigan 41

Freshman tight end Jake Butt caught this touchdown pass to tie the game at 35 (image via MLive)

And that's why this is such a great rivalry. When Michigan was 8-3 last year going up against an 11-0 Ohio State, it took some late field goals for the Buckeyes to win 26-21. When Michigan was 7-4 this year going up against an 11-0 Ohio State, it took a botched two-point conversion for the Buckeyes to escape with a 42-41 victory. Michigan has a very talented, capable football team. When they execute and play up to their capabilities, they can hang in there with just about anyone.

Devin Gardner played his behind off. Gardner must have had the adrenaline flowing early in the game, because he looked like a different player out there. The guy has looked bruised and battered for the past several weeks, but this week didn't show it until late in the game when he tweaked his ankle. He finished the game 32/45 for 451 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions; he also ran 9 times for 10 yards and 1 touchdown. That's arguably his best career performance, even though it came in a loss. His numbers were a little better in this year's Notre Dame game, but that game also featured an ugly interception thrown in his own endzone. If he can stay healthy, this is the type of player Gardner should be every week.

The two-point conversion, Part I. I was critical of Brady Hoke's decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 against Northwestern, so I'm not being a Hoke slappie when I say that I think going for two was the best decision at the end of the game. Michigan was the underdog. While they were playing better than they have in weeks, the defense wasn't up to par (no James Ross or Jarrod Wilson, Carlos Hyde and Braxton Miller ran for a ton of yards, etc.) and Gardner was gimpy. If you extend the game there, you run the risk of having to slug it out for the extent of overtime with your most dynamic performer hobbled or potentially knocked out of the game. Hoke is a fairly aggressive coach when it comes to decision-making, and while it didn't work this time, I think he usually makes the right call.

The two-point conversion, Part II. What I didn't like was the play call. Maybe Ohio State was expecting it, but I was fully ready for Michigan to roll Gardner out to the right, where Drew Dileo had motioned into a trips look. And while that seems like an obvious call, it puts [an admittedly hobbled] Gardner on the edge, where he can make a play with his feet - or it puts him in an easier throwing situation with a rub route, a shovel pass, etc. On a critical play like that, I like to put my players in a situation that makes them  comfortable, regardless of what the other team might do. Yes, Ohio State may have been expecting a rollout, but that doesn't mean they could have stopped it.

The brawl. I would love to sit here and say that the Buckeyes started it and they're clearly the enemy, but that was instigated by a crew of Michigan players who were intentionally crowding freshman returner Dontre Wilson after the play. Wilson needs to be smarter and not let stuff like that get to him, but the Michigan guys lit the match. I was glad that more players weren't ejected, but there probably could have been a couple more if the referees wanted to really take control. As it turned out, things worked in Michigan's favor, since all they lost was special teamer Royce Jenkins-Stone; the Buckeyes lost an integral part of their offense and special teams in Wilson and a starting offensive guard, Marcus Hall, who proceeded to give two middle fingers to Michigan's crowd as he went to the tunnel, all the while stomping and throwing things in a childish temper tantrum. Hopefully that will result in a suspension for Hall.

Michigan was in a bad place defensively. I have made no secret of not being a fan of Josh Furman's abilities at safety, and he was the culprit on a couple big plays, including a 53-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith. Starting safety Jarrod Wilson was supposedly in a cast on the sideline, so I guess he wasn't an option, but Furman just isn't up to snuff as a safety. Despite very good speed, he doesn't recognize routes or read plays very well. It looks like he'll be in line to start next to Wilson next year, since both Courtney Avery and Thomas Gordon graduate, so hopefully his extended experience this season helps him improve. Meanwhile, the Wolverines were missing leading tackler James Ross after he got injured against Iowa last week. As far as I know, Ohio State was at full strength on defense, but the Wolverines' loss of two key players defensively - and the absence of placekicker Brendan Gibbons, who might have nailed a field goal instead of forcing Hoke to go for it on an ill-fated fourth down - could have made a difference.

Devin Gardner's fumble wasn't a fumble. His knees were down when the ball came out. Replay should have overturned the fumble. At the very least, the call should have "stood" but the referee said replay "confirmed" the fumble. Of course, that last sentence is pretty inconsequential.

The running backs are good? Freshman De'Veon Smith led the team with 7 carries for 57 yards, including a 38-yarder. His lack of breakaway speed was apparent, so hopefully people will stop saying that he's fast just because he ran away from a bunch of tiny kids at Warren Howland; but he did break a solid tackle attempt on that 38-yarder, so that's something. Senior Fitzgerald Toussaint had 5 carries for 33 yards and 1 touchdown, along wtih 4 receptions for 48 yards. Freshman Derrick Green had 12 carries for 47 yards. Overall, those guys combined for 24 carries, 137 yards, and 1 touchdown, which is a pretty solid day.

The offensive line is good? Hahahaha, just kidding, guys. No, the offensive line isn't good, but it has improved over the past few weeks. Michigan State and Nebraska were the nadir of the line, and now it has progressed to a mediocre level. I've said for a couple years that I think 2014 is where the offensive line starts to get it together, despite the losses of Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield, the latter of whom has never particularly impressed me. However, those running backs mentioned above were tackled for a grand total of zero  losses, a clear improvement from weeks past. The line still allowed 6 tackles for loss thanks to 3 sacks of Gardner, a couple Gardner runs, and a Devin Funchess run.

Al Borges and Darrell Funk are saved? Boy, oh boy. If you're an Al Borges hater, this performance might have been the worst thing for you. If Michigan came out and laid an egg offensively, I think Borges would have definitely been out the door after the season. He still might, but this makes it a tougher call. The same goes for Funk, the offensive line coach. Of course, Hoke and athletic director David Brandon are paid to look at things objectively, not just in the aftermath of one of Michigan's best offensive performances this year. The overall product on the field has been subpar for the majority of the year. I like that Borges eventually capitulated to running bubble screens, the bubble screen draw, and various other screens, but it took too long for Michigan to get away from running power and iso this year. The Wolverines had a heyday with screens to Funchess, Gallon, Toussaint, and Butt in this game, and for good reason.

This was a great game. Even without Michigan's final touchdown, this was a great game. Michigan could have pulled off a whopper of an upset, and even though they lost a heartbreaker, they should be proud of the game the played. Stepping back from the "Michigan should be winning these games more often" mindset that a lot of entitled fans have, this particular team was overmatched in every single phase of the game. Ohio State's closest win this season was a 7-point victory against Wisconsin, and their Big Ten wins this year have averaged a score of 47-20. When I did my game preview, I felt that Ohio State was better at running the ball, throwing the ball, stopping the run, and stopping the pass . . . and the statistics backed that up. On top of those categories, the Buckeyes had momentum and a championship-winning head coach on their side. All those advantages added up to a one-point victory. Regardless of what teams 1 through 133 accomplished, team 134 should be proud of its effort and execution yesterday.

Video: Brady Hoke press conference

Video: Brady Hoke press conference

Brady Hoke Press Conference 8-5-2013 by mgovideo

Video: Brady Hoke spring game press conference

Video: Brady Hoke press conference

Video: Hoke press conference

Video: Brady Hoke press conference