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I'm enjoying rampant uninformed media speculation. Stoops and Meyer being trotted out is always fun (don't get me wrong--they'd be great, but they ain't coming).
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I hear Spurrier's name in rampant-internet-rumor-mongering about the Texas A&M job -- can we throw him in for the Michigan job too? Spurrier has a 0% of being hired by the Michigan AD (probably less than 0%), and we don't probably don't have the golf facilities and warm weather to keep him happy, but let's throw his name out there for [censored] and giggles, too.
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Not sure why Bielema's name is mentioned; nothing wrong with him but I don't see him as in the top tier of candidates, it's an in-conference move, plus he's kind of a meathead.
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I'm sure I'll anger the Michigan Hating Gods by saying this, who will likely spite us by having Wisconsin go on a long winning streak in our annual matchup, but I'm not that impressed by Bielema. Yes, they went 11-1 last year and won their bowl game impressively, but it was a soft schedule that contained 4 out-of-conference cup-cakes and no OSU. They had an equally soft OOC schedule this year. They did beat us, but we're pretty mediocre.
But 21-4 is a pretty good start, so I suppose I understand the speculation. If they go to the Capital One bowl and beat another good SEC team like Georgia or Tennessee, then I guess I'll start eating crow. I'm in the "skeptical" camp right now, though. Sorry if I've jinxed Michigan now for saying that.
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Please dear god not Kirk Ferentz. He's not awful or anything but he's a B candidate and very very boring. I'm not one of those hysterical people who thinks you can only win running the spread or something, but some adaptability on O would be nice.
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Exactly. I consider Ferentz one slight step ahead of DeBord on my "worst nightmare" candidates. It's not that Ferentz coached teams have boring offenses -- they were pretty potent when Banks and Clark and Gallery and Fred Russel were there; it's just that Ferentz coached teams frequently lose to vastly inferior opponents (see losing to Iowa State and Western Michigan this year, losing to Northwestern 3 straight years before 2007, etc). To use a Mike Valenti euphemism, his teams seem to pucker alot more than they ought to. I have to think there's some Iowa radio host broadcasting from a cornfield somewhere screaming
Pucker Pucker Pucker after last Saturday. I don't want Ferentz anywhere near the Michigan program.
Thank goodness, I haven't heard DeBord's name once as a serious candidate. If there's one silver lining to this season, it's that it probably sealed the fate of Lloyd's assistants and their chances at taking over for him.