Culture vs Winning

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BilldGopher

BilldGopher

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Listened to Coach on Sid and Dave this AM. Had a conflict last night so I only got to hear the start of game and saw long run at end of 3rd quarter. Probably will not watch the DVR.

Coach said this morning he would not sacrifice culture for wins.

I'm not a strong Xs and Os guy but do understand the game.

Straight question...What could the current staff be doing different that would get us one or two more B1G wins?

This is not a Kill-Claeys bomb being thrown...or Brewster or Mason or even all the way back to Murray.

Coach seems to know what this would be. Thoughts?
 

So, maybe I missed it somewhere, but did Richardson play last night or was he injured/suspended? Is that the culture/wins thing PJ is talking about?
 


1st - I do not pretend to understand exactly what Fleck means by "culture."

But, just to speculate - some things that might help win games but don't advance the culture:

playing guys who violate team rules (pretty straight-forward)
playing guys who "don't do things the right way" (harder to define - up to the coach's discretion)
changing offensive and defensive systems on a game-by-game basis (might help win a particular game, but doesn't advance the long-range plan for the program)
playing guys who are injured, or putting injured players back in the game (example Celestin not playing 2nd half vs Michigan)
pulling red-shirts off players late in season (let's say another O-linemen gets hurt - do you play Andries for 2 games or maintain the red-shirt for future seasons)

And then there are the more obvious or blatant aspects - cheating, paying players, recruiting violations, trying to knock the other team's QB out of the game, etc.
 

Richardson was in there, that I saw. But no one on the DL did anything last night that was highlight worthy. Maybe same could be said for the whole defense, minus Barber and Cashman (later on).

But you are right, usually when Fleck has said "I won't sacrifice culture" that is code meaning "I won't play a player who doesn't deserve to be in there simply because we want to win the game".


EDIT - there was one absolutely massive sack by Merrick Jackson. Crushed the guy. BUT ... he was unblocked. It was a foul up by the Michigan OL. But anyway ...
 


short ornery norwegian said:
1st - I do not pretend to understand exactly what Fleck means by "culture."

But, just to speculate - some things that might help win games but don't advance the culture:

playing guys who violate team rules (pretty straight-forward)
playing guys who "don't do things the right way" (harder to define - up to the coach's discretion)
changing offensive and defensive systems on a game-by-game basis (might help win a particular game, but doesn't advance the long-range plan for the program)
playing guys who are injured, or putting injured players back in the game (example Celestin not playing 2nd half vs Michigan)
pulling red-shirts off players late in season (let's say another O-linemen gets hurt - do you play Andries for 2 games or maintain the red-shirt for future seasons)

And then there are the more obvious or blatant aspects - cheating, paying players, recruiting violations, trying to knock the other team's QB out of the game, etc.
Click to expand...

Good summary. I agree with all of those, especially in the first year.
 


short ornery norwegian said:
1st - I do not pretend to understand exactly what Fleck means by "culture."

But, just to speculate - some things that might help win games but don't advance the culture:

playing guys who violate team rules (pretty straight-forward)
playing guys who "don't do things the right way" (harder to define - up to the coach's discretion)
changing offensive and defensive systems on a game-by-game basis (might help win a particular game, but doesn't advance the long-range plan for the program)
playing guys who are injured, or putting injured players back in the game (example Celestin not playing 2nd half vs Michigan)
pulling red-shirts off players late in season (let's say another O-linemen gets hurt - do you play Andries for 2 games or maintain the red-shirt for future seasons)

And then there are the more obvious or blatant aspects - cheating, paying players, recruiting violations, trying to knock the other team's QB out of the game, etc.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with this.
I think the underlined one is the most contentious on here.
 

Face The Facts said:
I'd agree with this.
I think the underlined one is the most contentious on here.
Click to expand...

If the types of basic offensive "changes" suggested by a vast majority of GH posters are not already being practiced and part the playbook, might be to question the OC's competence. I don't think that's the case at all, so it's definitely a head scratcher as to why adjustments are not happening in game.
 



Develop an effective short passing game and let Croft pass on the run sometimes.I'll take wins over culture any day. Gophers can't win in the B10 completing five passes in a game.
 

It should be developing a culture of winning.

How many times have you heard Captain Kirk, Urban, take your pick of successful coach - repeat this line?
 

Face The Facts said:
I'd agree with this.
I think the underlined one is the most contentious on here.
Click to expand...

What is contentious? There is no offensive scheme that they can play/execute to steal an extra win. The offense is that bad.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

To clarify - I'm not talking about tweaking the game plan - I'm talking about completely changing the system - more in the mold of what Brewster tried to do. "We're a spread team." "No, now we're a power-running team."

Within any offensive scheme, there are options when it comes to play-calling - but you're still using the same system.

It's not like the Gophers come to practice Monday, and the coaches say "here's a completely different system for the next game."
 



Did you not see the Michigan QB get a concussion and stay in the game? That hit was highlight worthy.
 

PMWinSTP said:
If the types of basic offensive "changes" suggested by a vast majority of GH posters are not already being practiced and part the playbook, might be to question the OC's competence. I don't think that's the case at all, so it's definitely a head scratcher as to why adjustments are not happening in game.
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I agree it is a head scratcher at times. The only theory I have for why we refuse to make adjustments in what seems to be obvious times to do so is that PJ is sending the message, "this is what we are going to do, so do it over (and over) and learn it". I could see some convoluted explanation on why that is "culture over winning" - but that is pure speculation as I don't understand most of what Coach says.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

GoldenGophers7 said:
Did you not see the Michigan QB get a concussion and stay in the game? That hit was highlight worthy.
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Yes, great hit by MJ93. With that said, our DL was absolutely eliminated in that game last night. I was at the game and may have witnessed the most one sided line battle of my life (on both sides of the ball, FTR).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Some times I wish we had a fly on wall to spy for Gopher hole. This way we could use this fly to zoom around to find out what exactly is going on behind the scenes. What are the players doing or not doing? What are the coaches thinking that we haven't thought of. Why are the coaches doing what they do? You could go on. I've got to trust Fleck in his first year especially and hopefully see some results/direction in year two. After that we should really see some direction.
 

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