WTKA Roundtable: The John Navarre of WTKA Roundtables
Wolverine Historian
Things discussed:
- Piped in music: Let the band play!
- Speight: It’s a mental physical correctable mistake. Expect a rollercoaster ride again.
- UFR, he wasn’t that bad. It’s too late; he’s John Navarre to the fanbase. He’s already better than John Navarre.
- Ed isn’t going to question Harbaugh; is going to question Shaw
- Is Michigan trying to get out of the home-and-home with Washington?
- Harbaugh’s Moe Wagner disease: refs just don’t like overzealous puppies? This game was really bad—and lopsided bad—from a crew who’s usually alright.
- Kinnel is pronounced Kinnel like Kinnel not Kinnel also his +3 tackle was a star safety’s play.
- What about Air Force? Score more than 22.
- What’s up with JT Barrett? His OL sucks. Craig says Ohio State is disqualified from the Final 4.
You can catch the entire episode on Michigan Insider's podcast stream on Audioboom.
Segment two is here. Segment three is here.
THE USUAL LINKS
September 15th, 2017 at 9:06 AM ^
+1 for Navarre highlights.
September 15th, 2017 at 2:59 PM ^
Navarre was rushed in before he was ready because of Henson.
But Senior Navarre was a much different guy that Freshman Navarre.
Senior Navarre beat Ohio state by 3 touchdowns and won the Big Ten outright.
He gets a bum rap he does not deserve.
September 15th, 2017 at 4:57 PM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 9:18 AM ^
As an alum of the MMB myself, I've always felt Michigan has contentedly left a lot of dedication and passion and effort withering on the vine. The band goes through an exhausting summer camp, daily scheduled practices, and the expectation that they practice on their own time. Not as much as the football team, of course, but they're there to do what they do.
But back when I was in it we only played a small handful of pieces from the stands (consider what level of repetition it takes to get someone who bleeds maize & blue to say, if I never have to play "Let's Go Blue" again I won't complain), and these days it's piped music.
I don't regret my time in the MMB at all, but my lament is that back then and today, we are capable of so much more. The MMB is such a tragic waste of youth and energy and resources relative to what they can offer, and it's sad to see them get slowly marginalized.
September 15th, 2017 at 3:48 PM ^
September 15th, 2017 at 9:35 AM ^
I think Craig is right in spirit about OSU being eliminated from the playoff. While the comparison to the VaTech loss en route to the championship is relevant, I speculate that MSU's and OSU's blowout, shutout losses in the playoffs hurts the Big Ten's rep at least a little with the committee. Even if OSU runs the table from here, we pretty frequently see 0- or 1-loss champions from the rest of the Power 5. Given those embarrassing losses, if the ACC, SEC, B12, and Pac-12 all have 0- or 1-loss champions, I would anticipate OSU being the team left out based on recent history and the ugly OU loss. (I actually suspect U-M may not be penalized the same way as a 1-loss Big Ten champion because they haven't been to the playoff yet.)
I like when Brian brings up his HenneCharting to rationalize the QB discussions. I think he could push that a bit more just because it adds so much credibility (but hopefully QB isn't even a topic of concern again!).
Also, thanks for calling Sam out on being flat wrong about U-M always honoring the band and tradition first. Sam is great, but that was a "company man" kind of statement, and we shouldn't pretend U-M is tradition-first on the gameday experience given the current music arrangement.
September 15th, 2017 at 9:55 AM ^
The loss to Oklahoma certainly hurts them but I'll never count out the committee to pick OSU.
Of all the 1 loss teams in 2014, OSU had the worst one on their resume. That Virginia Tech team went 7-6. One week after winning in Columbus, they lost at home to East Carolina.
OSU needs to lose one more time for me to be absolutely confident they won't be in the playoff.
September 15th, 2017 at 10:06 AM ^
I think what really saved them was the 59-0 beatdown on Wisconsin in the B1G title game. Say they even win that by 20, they probably are passed by either Baylor or TCU, however that clusterfuck would have shaken out. And unlike that VT year, with OSU starting a freshman QB who then turned them around to basically blow everyone out, this team doesn't look remotely talented enough offensively to do that, and it's just as likely that teams force Barrett to beat them through the air and for them to scuttle. But yeah, OSU has gotten to that Alabama level where I assume they need to lose about 4 games before they don't get invited.
September 15th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^
Good points. However, at that time, Urban was still the hottest thing in coaching. I think the Clemson loss is a pretty big stain on his resume and removes some of the benefit of the doubt he got in 2014.
September 15th, 2017 at 11:43 AM ^
...re: the band and re: OSU. OSU, coming off in a shellacking in the FF and now getting creamed at home by OK, I don't see their prognosis as very good. UM, PSU, Wiscy still alive.
Band is being wasted in deference to 3rd rate piped in Muzac.
September 15th, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^
Watching the Navarre highlights and then listening to the Roundtable, yeah Speight is probably as good as Navarre was at some points - especially on the mental side of the ball making checks and good reads. And I know it's "highlights" of Navarre, so we don't see some of the turfed balls he threw and bad decisions he made (nor his goofy attempt at moving around sometimes), but jesus the guy was physically more impressive than Speight. 20 yard post in between the CB and S - ball is on a rope and hits Avant right in the face for a TD. His deep shots were on point and he could really drive the ball.
Speight's passes leave something to be desired a lot of the time. 20 yard posts/digs are usually a little high (Florida INT that Crawford should have had and the Perry TD from last week was only 10 yards but still a foot or two above Perry's head) or take a little while to get to their intended target, and he deep shots are moonshots that seemingly flutter up there for a while.
Not saying Speight is bad (even though I haven't been a huge defender of him) but Navarre and Henne - 2 big, kind of dopey guys with cannons that don't move well, just reminds me what Michigan had back in the day versus what Harbaugh and Co are seemingly trying to work around right now. Is Speight a Harbaugh kind of QB? No. But I feel like Harbaugh could have gotten a ton out of similar guys (physical mobility wise) like Henne and Navarre.
September 15th, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^
Haven't been able to listen to podcast... but what's up with us maybe trying to get out of the home-and-home with Washington? I'm hoping that doesn't materialize because it'd be a quality opponent and a fun opportunity for M fans to hit up Seattle.
September 15th, 2017 at 1:11 PM ^
to read the laudatory comments about Navarre here in the context of Speight, given that the amount of abuse Navarre got from alleged Michigan fans and UM students even during his senior season was mind-boggling. How he was able to keep his temper under check in the face of all that crap is something I'll never understand. I sure as hell wouldn't have been able to.
September 15th, 2017 at 1:34 PM ^
geez, i forgot how good he was.
September 15th, 2017 at 2:11 PM ^
MORE Band LESS Piped in Music
September 15th, 2017 at 2:24 PM ^
Every time Ed Feng speaks it's really annoying.
September 19th, 2017 at 3:32 AM ^
...but his content always comes across as myopic.
September 15th, 2017 at 9:33 PM ^
I thought that was just a dream
September 19th, 2017 at 3:27 AM ^
OF COURSE we all know that Brian knows who The Killers are and the song "Mr. Brightside." And OF COURSE his comment was that he was surprised that the current students know the song let alone sing alont.
BUT, not for one second do I believe that Brian doesn't know who Randy Newman is.
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