Top 5 questions and answers with ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit chatted at Big Ten media days in Chicago on Monday, answering questions from reporters and giving his thoughts on expansion, Nebraska, Michigan and the conference in general.
Q: (Paraphrased) Do you think Michigan and Ohio State should be in the same division and play every year?
Kirk Herbstreit: "This game has built up a reputation over the last 100 years because this game means so much. In my opinion, you have to get back to Michigan winning games. It’s a matter of time until they get it back and recruit the kind of the players that they need to become an elite program. I think, if you look at the splitting of the two, if they are on the other side or the same division, there is nothing you can do to ever take away from Ohio State and Michigan. It’s still going to be special if they play in a championship game a week later and it’s still going to be special.
"I’d prefer to see them in the same division, much like Alabama and Auburn, so you have that game at the end of the year and whoever wins will more than likely go on to the championship game and whoever loses is out and settles for a second-tier bowl and gets ready for the next year."
Q: What do you think Michigan needs to do to get back to that kind of status?
KH: "I think, obviously recruiting. I did their Iowa game last year, and sitting there looking at their secondary and it just doesn’t seem like Michigan football. I don’t know all the details as far as the scholarship numbers and where they lost players but I know when Lloyd (Carr) left, if Lloyd had come back that next year, they still were going to struggle. A coach is as good as his personnel, and for people to assume Rich Rodriguez has forgotten how to coach after his success in Morgantown is crazy.
"But he needs players and this is such a tough year, you go through everything they have been through the last three years and look at all their problems off the field and that’s unprecedented in Ann Arbor, and all of a sudden it’s not just about winning. He almost has to get to 10 or 11 wins it seems like for this thing to subside and everyone to relax. But as far as what does Michigan have to do, they have to go back out there and recruit. I think they have been fighting too many negative battles in recruiting to go out there and get those players that you guys expect to have on an annual basis."
Q: Is that unfair, 10, 11 wins?
KH: "I mean, I say 10 or 11 but I don't want the headline saying 'Former Buckeye' ... All I’m saying is that they need to get to a Jan. 1 bowl game, that’s not me saying that, but that seems to be the feedback I get from a lot of Michigan people. Whether that is fair or not, it is what it is and I think any coach would tell ya whether you are starting out or in your fifth or sixth year you want to get to a Jan. 1 bowl game, BCS bowl game and if you don’t do that, look at Ron Zook, two, three years ago he’s in Pasadena and two losing seasons later, if he doesn’t have a winning season, that’s the way it is. These coaches know that when they sign on to take these jobs, whether it is fair or not, it is kind of the way it is and I think all the coaches understand that."
Q: When you look at realignment, what is the most important aspect?
KH: "Everybody has talked about how they split it up. I think that you have to hold on to some of the obvious traditions with some of the great rivalries that we have in the Big Ten and start some new ones and not be afraid to split it up and do some things and you’re probably going to have a lot of people frustrated and concerned of why would they do this and be willing to go to uncharted territory. You throw Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, obviously Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan, and to me you don’t take a back seat to anybody with the league top to bottom. Let alone Michigan State and Purdue and Northwestern and these others. You hold on to the tradition, the obvious matchups you can’t ever do away with, and start some new ones."
Q: How much have you talked to Bo (Pelini)?
KH: "I just played golf with him a couple weeks ago. I don’t know if people in the Big Ten understand how big of a deal this is to have Nebraska coming in, because it is one of the best fan bases, if not the best fan base, in the country, as far as how rabid they are about their team. Imagine seeing the white helmet with the red ‘N’ on it in all these Big Ten stadiums, it creates so many new traditions and so many new matchups, it’s going to be exciting. I talked to Bo, and Bo gets worked up the way it he does, imagine Nebraska-Michigan, Nebraska-Ohio State in a late season game, those are classic matchups that every single week you’re going to get some great games in the Big Ten."
Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.
Comments
PortageLkBlu
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 6:44 a.m.
OSU I believe Captain Kirk did Michigan a favor if he did indeed have any effect on Les not coming to Michigan. GoblueinPenn, I am consistant, if you paid attention instead of your own rhetoric you'd understand what I predicted, improvement. I'm not predicting wins or scores but improvement and that comes in all shapes and sizes. You see I'm not dismissing you I'm responding to your absurd statements which again is complaining. I don't necessarily dismiss your kind of statements as much as I find them ludicrous and non supportive which is why I don't get on other kids sites it's a waste of my time and just vindictive to say the least. I found in my life if you can't be constructive don't waste my time and that is why I label non constructive people as complainers. The key to Michigan's improvement is the QB. Notice I said improvement boys and girls let's keep it consistant.
OSUbeBetter
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 3:51 a.m.
InsideTheHall - ".....Always remember, Herbie NEVER beat Michigan......" Jaxon Boyfriend - ".....And remember the story he made up, "Reliable sources (2008) told me Les Miles has signed a contract and will be the next Michigan Coach....." Gentilmen, What Mr Herbstreit did as a media guy was much better than what he did on the Field. Remember that fateful night, Kirk anounced to the world that Les miles was going to be the new coach at michigan, on the eve of the national championship game. Les Miles was cornered, and was forced to do some real quick damage control. in the face of the biggest game of his life he came out and said the only thing he could posibly say, that he was not leaving, and that he was not going to be the next coach at michigan. Basicly Herbstreit Outed Michigan and threw a wrench into their plan of stealing Les miles away from LSU. I guess we all know how the rest of the story unfolded. Haha, I thought is was a genius move, almost as good as Tressel's "No Vote" that kept Michigan out of a rematch in the National Title game, and right up there with Terrelle waiting and waiting and waiting before bailing on Michigan and leaving them without a Quarterback for the 08 season.
Jaxon5
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 7:25 p.m.
amzack - Too late. It already fell and now we're stuck amid the rubble. It's going to take years to clean it up.
Jaxon Boyfriend
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 4:27 p.m.
I think that fact that Kirk got humiliated by Michigan football when he attempted being a player sure shows in his attitude and attempt to be a sportscaster. And remember the story he made up, "Reliable sources (2008) told me Les Miles has signed a contract and will be the next Michigan Coach" - right Herbie, voices you hear in your brain are your sources.
GoblueinNE_PA
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 4:07 p.m.
You're right Portage, none of do know what's going to happen this season, or next for that matter. The problem is that in your own statements, you make the proclamation that RichRod will definitely be back next year and out right dismiss the rest of us that believe otherwise. You need be consistent. Personally, I'm with 3 & out, had LC stayed, we'd have certainly finished much better in 2008 than we did under RR. It's not even questionable. The number of returning full time and part time starters were close to the number we have coming back this season. The talent exodus happened between the 2007 and 2008 seasons. You lost that great group of seniors and Manningham would have left as well regardless. The rest of that group of kids that went to the NFL early, transferred, or just quit is what devastated the team. We also have to remember we lost a few key recruits when RR took over. Look, this isn't necessarily RR fault, you'd have seen some movement of players no matter whom we'd have hired. The problem that I have, and I think many others here, is that there is NO WAY we should have ever ended up in a situation where we only win 3 games, no matter how many kids we lose. What we had left was at least as good as what Toledo, Illinois, NW, MSU, and Purdue had on their rosters. Good coaching would have figured out how to win most of those games. Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, Bob Stoops, and Mac Brown all took over floundering, underperforming programs and turned them into winners. They didn't complain about not having their guys. Heck, Saban had done it 3 times. It's possible to win right out of the gate. This wasn't a catastrophic situation 3 years ago. It is now though.
PortageLkBlu
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 1:35 p.m.
ah come on boys and girls you all know the score, Michigan will be better this year and probably much improved next year and becuase they will show substantial improvement this year RR will continue and next year we're back. RR could very well win more games this year but improvement means give all the big boys in the league a run for their money and I think that will substantiate improvement and RR's coaching career at Michigan. Michigan does not want to fire this man if they don't have to and at this point none of us has the answer as to how Mich. does this year at least not simply based on last year you all know college ball is an ever changing landscape and that can mean from bad to greatness in the span of a season. Kirk is just posturing for the camera and remember he is an Ohio State boy so anything he says about Mich. take with a grain of salt. Kirk is knowledgeable far and beyond anyone on this blog but the all important thing here is this, RR is the coach and not one game has been played yet in the 2010 season okay, now what did I just say? RR is the coach of the Michigan Wolverines and not one of us knows how Michigan will do this year becuase they have not played a down.
RWBill
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 9:45 a.m.
I spoke with Chris Landry about this as well. He flat out said the Michigan recruiting classes were bare when LC left leaving Michigan substantially below the talent and physical level of Ohio State, and that's obvious. They started two walk-ons on defense in some games last year. Don't expect substantially better results this year as the defense must improve dramatically.
NoBowl4Blue
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 6:51 a.m.
Carr struggling is 8-4 while Rich Rod finishes in LAST PLACE in Big Ten......THAT is struggling.
InsideTheHall
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 6:42 a.m.
Always remember, Herbie NEVER beat Michigan.
amzack
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 2:17 a.m.
Jaxon5: The sky is falling! Run!
HailToASquared
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 11:51 p.m.
u say 8-4 like that is anything special. ohio state isn't losing 3 and 4 games like Michigan was starting to do under Carr.. not to mention Lloyd got smoked by Tressel every year but the first (IIRC). Sure, 3 or 4 losses would be good right now, but then that wasn't supposed to be the case. ESPECIALLY with all the experienced seniors they had in key positions. Also, Kirk said Carr would struggle the next year.. but he didn't say they would be below.500.
3 And Out
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 11:27 p.m.
Herbstreit is typically wrong again. Lloyd walked away from a 9-4 bowl winning team vs. the defending national champs. Most of the O line was returning, 2 experienced backs, 2 NFL wide receivers, starting TE and a QB coming in to his soph year that had experience as a starter. The defense would have returned 8 starters including a first rounder in Graham and several other NFL current players. For Herb to assume that Lloyd would have "struggled" with this foundation as well as the foundation of 40 non losing seasons behind him... is fallacious. He is FLAT out wrong about that. Why has it not worked under Rich Rod? why does he continue to lose and his teams play undisciplined and sloppy football on both sides of the ball? The Answer is Simple: Coaching.
Jaxon5
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 9:58 p.m.
Kirk pretty much said Lloyd didn't recruit during his last couple of seasons. That's what he implied by saying Lloyd was going to struggle if he had not retired. I say the losses are not due to recruitment, but coaching. Whenever you throw out a winning system and replace it with an unknown, you are rolling the dice. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. Michigan gambled and lost, big time. It will be a decade before they may approach what they had; and then again, they may never get there in our lifetime. I'm not kidding, this is serious stuff.
heartbreakM
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 9:20 p.m.
I think Kirk is very smart when it comes to understanding football, and I agree with most of what he says. But I do disagree when he talks about recruiting. Many programs do not have "top 20 " recruiting classes and do well. (Utah anybody?, Uconn, Northwestern, Iowa). The players that are here are who are here--and they need to be coached to do things, and when you see same mistakes over and over again, like line movement, like late substitution, etc--that is coaching. Poor footwork on the line? Coaching. No team leadership? Coaching, via the stupid change to no captains until the end. I think that Kirk has given RR too much of a pass. How is that all other coaches can do it with what is there?
azwolverine
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 9 p.m.
10 or 11 wins? Well, for the Terry Starr's of the world, that should be a positive sign that there's nothing to worry about.