How has the Sherrone Moore era gone so far for Michigan and can he keep Michigan on top? This is a question posed to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast. Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman discuss Moore’s situation, the difficulty of picking up where Jim Harbaugh left off, the reality of winning at Michigan, the NCAA infractions hanging over the program, life after Connor Stalions, and much more.

Can Sherrone Moore keep Michigan at a high level? Perhaps, but how high is considered good enough?

Rundown

Michigan football’s offseason under new head coach Sherrone Moore. 0:01
- Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss Michigan football’s offseason under new head coach Sherrone Moore.
- They analyze Moore’s busy offseason, including staff assembly, player retention, and recruiting.
- Orr: Lack of continuity and talent loss under Moore
- Gerdeman: Michigan’s championship momentum difficult to maintain
Michigan Wolverines’ football team’s offseason struggles with quarterback depth and portal additions. 4:53
- Tony discusses Ohio State’s national championship in 2014 and how it relates to Michigan’s current offseason.
- Michigan has had two commitments in the offseason, including Top-100 recruit Nate Marshall.
- Tony: Michigan faces challenges in bringing in portal players due to coaching staff changes and limited talent availability.
- Tom: Michigan’s quarterback room lacks depth and experience, with only Alex Orji, Jack Tuttle, and Davis Warren as real options.
Michigan football’s quarterback situation and concerns about accuracy. 9:30
- Tom and Tony discuss Michigan’s transfer strategy and its impact on the team.
- The hosts express reservations about Michigan’s quarterback situation.
Michigan football’s future under new coach Sean Moore, with potential NCAA sanctions looming. 13:27
- Analysts believe Moore can keep Michigan competitive but not reach historic heights.
- Tom discusses Michigan football’s recruiting struggles and potential NCAA sanctions.
- Orr believes sanctions are likely, given the school’s recent history and current investigation.
Michigan football’s recent success and controversy surrounding cheating allegations. 17:40
- Tony discusses Michigan’s recent success, including three years in a row finishing in the top 10 of the AP poll.
- Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith is asked if there should be an asterisk next to Michigan’s wins over Ohio State, given rules violations.
- Michigan fans and media downplaying the Wolverines’ cheating scandal.
College football coaches’ responses to scandals. 22:12
- Big Ten took unprecedented steps to warn teams, punish coaches.
- Jim Harbaugh uncooperative with investigation, NCAA rules may apply.
- The hosts discuss college athletics administrators avoiding controversial topics, especially when it comes to player eligibility and transfer rules.
- Gene Smith’s silence on the matter last year is seen as a strategic move to avoid making waves and dealing with media fallout.
Bo Schembechler’s views on cheating and rule breaking in college football. 27:54
- Tom shares personal anecdotes about Bo Schembechler and Ohio State’s hypothetical cheating.
- Orr recounts a 2004 incident where Ohio State brought out bomb-sniffing dogs before a game against Michigan.
- Tom believes Bo Schembechler would not have tolerated a Connor Stallions-like program at Ohio State, based on his moralistic views and limited interactions with him.
The impact of Connor Stalions on Michigan Wolverines’ success. 32:12
- Tony discusses Jim Harbaugh’s coaching record with and without offensive coordinator Connor Stalions.
- Tony and Tom discuss the impact of Conor Stalions on Michigan’s football team, with Gerdeman suggesting that Stalions’ presence helped the team win games, and Orr agreeing that there is a strong correlation between Stalions and Michigan’s success but unable to say with certainty that Stalions was the only factor.
- Orr acknowledges that Stalions played a significant role in Michigan’s success over a three-year span but cannot say with 100% certainty that he was the only factor, and Gerdeman agrees that Stalions’ impact is difficult to quantify.
Michigan football’s chances with new coach Sherrone Moore. 38:45
- Gerdeman believes Michigan will be an underdog in three games this year, but could still be a legitimate power if they win all non-toss-up games.
- Tom and Tony discuss Michigan football’s chances of making the college football playoff under Moore.
- They speculate on how many of Moore’s first four years at Michigan will result in playoff appearances.
- Orr believes that splitting the next four games against Ohio State and making the college football playoffs twice is probably fine for the bulk of the Michigan fan base.
- How likely is Michigan to make the playoffs over the next four years?
- Tom Orr discusses potential NCAA sanctions on Michigan football, their impact on roster limits and scholarships.
- Tony Gerdeman shares theories on how to handle scholarship sanctions, including sponsoring walk-ons and partnering with car dealerships.