A Look at What Might Have Been: The Nussmeier Offense

Will delete if this is VIP, but I didn't see the mark indicating it is:

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2014 looked to be a year of transition for the Michigan offense with the removal of Al Borges and the hiring of former Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.

Instead, after four games, the unit has actually looked like its regressed when playing opponents with a pulse. A few quick numbers to digest when looking at Michigan's performance against Notre Dame and Utah, the two legitimate opponents they've faced so far.

3: 3 is the number of points Michigan has put up in seven-plus quarters of play against Notre Dame and Utah. That's on a field goal from Matt Wile in the first quarter of Utah, on the first drive of the game. Besides that, the Wolverines have scored zero points offensively.

Seven: 7 is the number of points the Michigan defense has put up in seven-plus quarters of play against Notre Dame and Utah. The Wolverines scored a defensive touchdown in the second quarter against Utah on a Willie Henry interception return to the end zone.

Zero: Zero is the amount of times the Wolverine offense has entered the red zone in those two games. That means the offense has never entered inside the 20-yard line. What's more discouraging is that Michigan leads the country in red-zone scoring percentage at 100%.

Six: Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner turned the ball over six times in seven quarters against Notre Dame and Utah, including four turnovers against the Irish. He was removed in the fourth quarter against Utah by sophomore Shane Morris.

75 yards: Michigan completed twelve passes to nine different receivers against Utah for a total of 75 yards. That's a very paltry average of 6.25 yards per catch. Devin Funchess alone had four receptions for 82 yards. That's the definition of a "check-down" offense, allowing defenses to be more aggressive with their front seven.

5.7 No, that's not Michigan's rushing average, that's the yards-per-attempt for Devin Gardner in the passing game against Michigan's two tough opponents. 7 YPA is considered on the low end of good, and anything below that is what most would say is poor. 5.7 could be labeled as "very poor" and a number that makes it difficult for teams to succeed offensively.

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Nuss doesn't have a fraction of the talent at Michigan than he did at Bama. That being said, those are pitiful numbers against fricking Utah and Notre Dame.

Kiffin is the best hire Saban has made. Couldn't be happier that Saban saw a change needed to be made, and he made that change without hesitation. There were tons of doubters about that hire, but Saban gave zero fricks.