Diagnosing Michigan: It ain't all Carr's Fault

By now you are probably aware of the fact that the tradition-rich Michigan Wolverines have been dominated by Division 1-AA Appalachian State and the Oregon Ducks. The Mountaineers scored 34 points against the Wolverines while Dennis Dixon and the Ducks registered 39 points in just three quarters. Michigan's poor played has stunned the college football world as people wonder how the Wolverines got to be so bad.

Some critics place fault with the players for making many stupid mistakes while others have credited their opponents for simply outplaying the Wolverines. However, the majority of Michigan fans, students, and alumni, have selected Head Coach Lloyd Carr as the appropriate scapegoat with some even burning their daughter's Michigan gear.

While I have never been a big Lloyd Carr supporter, not of all the blame falls on his shoulders. Certainly, he hasn't done the best job of preparing his team for the first two games but there is only so much a coach can do.

The Wolverines' defeats stem from their severe lack of team speed, not from poor coaching. Michigan's defense is built for stopping Big Ten teams like Wisconsin and Penn State that emphasize the power running game. To properly defend against these teams, Carr and his coaching staff have gone about recruiting big, overpowering linemen that are capable of stopping the physical teams of the Big Ten during a snowy, windy, or rainy game.

In contrast, coaches like Urban Meyer of Florida and Les Miles of LSU have placed a special emphasis on team speed. Both Meyer and Miles have recruited some of the nation's fastest linebackers and defensive backs. Their talent pool at these positions is so great that they are capable of defending teams that utilize four or five wide receiver sets.

Michigan cannot defend teams that utilize the spread attack. They simply do not have enough speed guys in the secondary that can line up and stop some of these West Coast and Southern teams that line up in the shotgun on every play.

Due to their rich history, the goal of the Michigan football team is to win the Big Ten title and the national championship just about every year. If they are truly serious about this goal, than the Wolverines must either place an emphasis on recruiting faster players or stop playing some of the warm-weather teams. Since the second option appears less likely, Michigan better focus on team speed.

"Speed Kills!"