Columbus Dispatch

[RABID]

Herbstreit interview: "Keep an eye on Michigan"

Wednesday August 14, 2013 5:26 AM

Michigan?s candidacy as a national sleeper this fall continues.
ESPN analyst and former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit is bullish on the Wolverines ? especially early in the season
?They play Notre Dame early, and they?re at Penn State the middle of October,? he said on a conference call yesterday previewing the 2013 season with play-by-play voice Brent Musburger. ?You can make a really strong case they have a pretty good shot at being 7-0 as they get ready for a very, very challenging November, where they?re at Michigan State, have Nebraska, at Northwestern and Ohio State. The team could be better, but we?ll see how they?re able to navigate through that November.?
Herbstreit?s primary reason for optimism centers around an offense he said could be ?really, really good.?
?If they can find a tailback ? and I know the health of Fitzgerald Toussaint and the health of Derrick Green will be two big things ? but how can you not like Devin Gardner?? Herbstreit said. ?He?s 6-4, 215 pounds, (and) he fits perfectly into what (offensive coordinator) Al Borges wants to do.
?I think Al Borges, to his credit, did the best that he could a year ago in a very, very difficult set of circumstances with Denard Robinson. Denard will always be hailed and remembered by Michigan fans as being a hero. But when you?re Al Borges and trying to run a West Coast-style offense, it?s hard to make that spread, running-style quarterback work in your system. The future of Michigan football with Brady Hoke is more like (former coaches) Lloyd Carr, Bo Schembechler and Gary Moeller: winning with defense, running the football with Tom Brady, Elvis Grbac-type of quarterbacks. That?s really what Gardner is going to provide for them. If the running game can go along to take some of the pressure off the passing game, then I think Gardner can have a great year.?
Herbstreit?s concern is more about Michigan?s defense.
?I still feel they need to upgrade the athleticism on that side of the football ? I think they had 22 sacks last year,? Herbstreit said.

 

[Michchamp]

the Columbus Dispatch reporter should mention that just to get the interview he had to travel to the fortified compound in Kentucky where Herbstreit was forced to move his family after the ohio fans went after him.

 

[tinselwolverine]

A lot of people assume Herbstreit is anti-Michigan - my impression is it's just the opposite - I think Michigan is his second favorite team.

Herbstreit's dad coached under Bo Schembechler (pretty sure at Miami, and also maybe Ohio State; Bo maybe was upstream of him in the chain of command there) and Bo and his dad stayed close when Bo came to Ann Arbor.

Herbstreit has told the story on TV about how, when he started being scouted by colleges, Bo would ask him when the families would get together "do I have a shot at ya? Do I have a shot at ya?" - and Herbstreit, although he was pretty sure he would end up going to Ohio State, nevertheless did consider Michigan, and met with Bo, for the experience of having been recruited by Bo.

Herbie told this story the day Bo died; but I'm pretty sure I've heard him tell the story at other times.

 

[Michchamp]

A lot of people assume Herbstreit is anti-Michigan - my impression is it's just the opposite - I think Michigan is his second favorite team.

Herbstreit's dad coached under Bo Schembechler (pretty sure at Miami, and also maybe Ohio State; Bo maybe was upstream of him in the chain of command there) and Bo and his dad stayed close when Bo came to Ann Arbor.

Herbstreit has told the story on TV about how, when he started being scouted by colleges, Bo would ask him when the families would get together "do I have a shot at ya? Do I have a shot at ya?" - and Herbstreit, although he was pretty sure he would end up going to Ohio State, nevertheless did consider Michigan, and met with Bo, for the experience of having been recruited by Bo.

Herbie told this story the day Bo died; but I'm pretty sure I've heard him tell the story at other times.

I did not know that. maybe we should send him a fan letter.

 

[tinselwolverine]

I did not know that. maybe we should send him a fan letter.

We could.

 

[Michchamp]

We could.

we should call him "Kirk Blerbstreit" and if he gets offended, claim it was a typo.

 

[tinselwolverine]

we should call him "Kirk Blerbstreit" and if he gets offended, claim it was a typo.

Let's do that.

 

[Michchamp]

feel free to edit:

"Kirk Herbstreit
ESPN
Bristol, Connecticut

Dear Mr. Blerbstreit:

We here at the Detroit Sports Forum board, specifically the Michigan alumni and fans who post on the board, admire your work. We understand you're as even-handed in your treatment of both teams as could be expected of a former quarterback who played for one of them.

We have forgiven you for that time in December 2007 when you claimed to have "inside info" that Les Miles would be our next coach, forcing him to go on television and deny it, at a time when he was preparing for the national championship game with your ohio buckeyes. While some would speculate you did this solely to receive an advantage in the game, we do not believe you would ever stoop to such tactics.

We were sorry to read you had to sell your house and move away from Columbus. We think it's unfortunate, and wish you had played for a more grateful program. You deserve better.

Best wishes for the future,
Detroit Sports Forum"
​

notice I spelled his name correctly in the address. that'll give creedence to our claim that the misspelling is a typo.

 

[redandguilty]

feel free to edit:

"Kirk Herbstreit
ESPN
Bristol, Connecticut
​

Wait, I thought Mr. Kirk lived on Herb St.​

 

[tinselwolverine]

feel free to edit:

"Kirk Herbstreit
ESPN
Bristol, Connecticut

Dear Mr. Blerbstreit:

We here at the Detroit Sports Forum board...

We have forgiven you for that time in December 2007 when you claimed to have "inside info" that Les Miles would be our next coach, forcing him to go on television and deny it, at a time when he was preparing for the national championship game with your ohio buckeyes.from Columbus...


Best wishes for the future,


Detroit Sports Forum"
​

notice I spelled his name correctly in the address. that'll give creedence to our claim that the misspelling is a typo.

Yeah, the letter is good...I condensed it for utilitarian purposes.

He was actually preparing for the SEC Championship game against on the day Herbie broke the story...with two losses, neither he nor anybody expected LSU to get into the BCS title game...a series of suprising upsets led to the fluke of a two loss team in the title game.

 

[hungry]

Churbstreet

Anyway, he hasn't been right in the head since he got those concussions against Michigan

"herbstreit concussion" if u want the video

 

[Michchamp]

Yeah, the letter is good...I condensed it for utilitarian purposes.

He was actually preparing for the SEC Championship game against on the day Herbie broke the story...with two losses, neither he nor anybody expected LSU to get into the BCS title game...a series of suprising upsets led to the fluke of a two loss team in the title game.

okay, then we have to revise that section to state that some speculated he did that just to sabotage the coaching search for us, not gain an advantage in the title game.

 

[tinselwolverine]

we should call him "Kirk Blerbstreit" and if he gets offended, claim it was a typo.

Hey I just thought of something, how would we know if we offended him by "accidentally" calling him "Blerbstreit?" Do you think he would respond to let us know?

 

[TheVictors]

buckeye fans have long since abandoned him for not hating Michigan in the media and for objectively criticizing (esp Tressel) OSU.

 

[erg57]

Wait, I thought Mr. Kirk lived on Herb St.

You're thinking of Herb Enmeier. He lives on Kirk St.