Every week, Sam Webb of TMI and Al Borges, a former offensive coordinator for Michigan, get together for the Michigan offensive breakdown, which is a thorough examination of the previous week’s game that delves deeply into game strategy and analysis. Borges discusses the most important lessons for the Wolverines going forward using his decades of coordinating expertise. You can see the latest episode in its entirety by clicking the play button on the linked video below.
Sam Webb: Yes, I get what you’re saying regarding the national championship game being [the Bama game]. However, I thought they were superior to both. Bama, Michigan committed mistakes, which is why the game was tight. Not that we’ll be televising it, but consider the two mishandled punts they made in that contest, the field goal that was missed, and the extra point that was missed. I mean, I wonder if Bama is run off the field in the game if those things don’t happen. The Huskies were very nearly run off the field in this Washington contest. Because of the fourth down call, I believe it was a little misleading. I’m curious as to your thoughts on it. Al, from the perspective of a play call. due to the fact that on third and seven, they ran a split zone. I was thinking, “All right, this must be… he’s running it here and he feels like if he gets close enough he’s going to go for it on fourth down,” after reviewing the split zone on third and seven. When they gained four yards, I told them to punt. All well, then. And since it’s not close enough, they both stated the same thing. Subsequently, they modified it. They said it’s close enough after having a change of heart. And that ultimately kept Washington in the match, so I was curious about your thoughts on that particular scenario.
Al Borges: What they did is fine in my opinion. They ran the double stick during the fourth down. This indicates that two players will run quick outs and the two inside players will go stick routes measuring around six yards. I take it that’s just enough yardage for the first down? And JJ responded to it really quickly once the Washington safety noticed the quick out. And he simply protected it by jumping the hell out of it. The play was excellent. Really, congrats! I don’t think twice about going for it. They did a decent job of defending the play, so I don’t really question the call.
Al Borges: You won’t be able to get every fourth down if you go for it. Additionally, they will constantly bring up the ones you don’t. Alright? They won’t discuss the ones you do nearly as much. Overall, I don’t feel like I made a mistake by buying that, and I’m working to close the split zone. It’s likely that they intended to get it closer than it was, but Sam has seen them do that before. That is not at all rare. Split zones on third downs are no longer news. The past few years have shown us that. Correct? So I don’t know that the strategy was that bad. It just didn’t turn out exactly the way they wanted it.
Soon, Sherrone Moore, the offensive coordinator for Michigan, may assume the position of head coach of a collegiate football team. Industry sources speculate that Moore may succeed Jim Harbaugh should Harbaugh decide to leave for the NFL. In an interview with 247Sports on Sunday, Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider stated that upholding “The Michigan way” must come first. If need be, there’s a straightforward choice to be made.
“The next best option (if Harbaugh signs an NFL contract) for preserving the culture is hiring Harbaugh’s no. 1 assistant, and that’s Sherrone Moore,” Webb stated. Sherman has spent six years at Michigan, rising through the ranks from offensive line coach to coordinator to tight ends coach. Two consecutive years, his team won the Joe Moore trophy under his coaching. Not merely as a stand-in, he was the one under fire at the end of the season.
“When his offence was unable to stop the Nittany Lions’ pass rush, he had to make split second decisions on the road against Penn State, and he successfully altered the game plan.” Then, against Ohio State, he made bold, game-winning choices two weeks later.”
Ahead of the College Football Playoff national championship, Chris Hummer conducted a feature on Moore and spoke with players and a variety of coaching sources about his ascent in the business.
LaDarius Henderson, a first-team All-Big Ten left tackle for Michigan, said to 247Sports, “We saw some high-level football thinking from him, from like a chess match standpoint,” regarding Moore’s contribution to the Wolverines’ victory over Penn State this season. “The play’s performance was incredibly complex, in addition to the play’s calling. “This guy might be the smartest college football coach,” I thought to myself.
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