This loss is hard to take. I thought I would feel a bit better the next day, but I don’t. In terms of emotional devastation, it’s worse than the 2021 loss and in the same category as the 2006 Florida and the 2016 Clemson losses. But I do want to inject some rational thinking into the aftermath of this loss. 

A. Offense can be fixed with a mobile quarterback

I don’t think there is anything wrong with Day’s scheme and play calling, but with a quarterback who would not run, we are at a distinct disadvantage. Day did a good job running balanced offenses with JT Barrett (2017) and Fields (2019, 2020), but his offenses with Haskins (2018) and Stroud (2021, 2022) were inconsistent.  A mobile quarterback can derail a perfectly-called defense and stop the defenses from keying on RB in short-yardage situations. 

B. Ask the QB to put everything on the line

I don’t blame Stroud at all for our offensive woes. He is not the coach. For the last two years, the tail has been wagging the dog. Stroud is not interested in running, and Day has taken QB runs (except for two plays vs. NW) out of the playbook. The offenses take on the personalities of their QBs. A QB who would not take 4-5 yards because he is afraid of the contact can’t lead a team to big wins. Even Bryce Young, with his slender build, is willing put his body on the line every single play. Fields took a helmet to his ribcage against Clemson but did not leave the game despite being in pain. Again, I don’t blame Stroud; Day never coached the fear of taking hits out of him. With the next QB, it must start from the very first game. Once the habits (of not running) are formed, they are hard to get rid of.

C. Teach discipline and not just toughness

In all seriousness, I don’t know why we keep using the term “soft.” This term makes no sense. Our players are tough, and they play hard. All the missed tackles and bust coverages where there was no defender within five yards of the receiver were due to a lack of discipline and poor technique. Day needs to stop overemphasizing the “toughness” part. Players have been forced fed the dose of “toughness” all season, and it has not helped. Players need to be coached proper technique. Yesterday, I also realized that Knowles is a little bit of a riverboat gambler, more so than Don Brown. Against Michigan, he called an overly aggressive game knowing all too well that we are not a good tackling team. If he wants to be this aggressive, he better builds a disciplined team that is fundamentally sound otherwise these game-killing chunk plays will keep happening. Next year, the focus should be on fundaments and not just toughness.

D. Give credit to Michigan

Tressel and Meyer get a lot of credit for owning Michigan. Meyer had a few close calls that could have gone either way, but he came on top. We all compare Day’s performance against Michigan to those of Tressel and Meyer, but Day is dealing with much better Michigan teams. The last two Michigan teams are the best two teams under Harbaugh. What changed the trajectory of Michigan and Harbaugh in 2020 remains a mystery. Was it the hiring of Biff Poggi who supposedly changed the culture, was it the hiring of DCs with NFL background who know how to slow down the vertical passing game, was it going back to Harbaugh’s game-control offense, or was it something else? We do have an advantage over Michigan in terms of recruiting and we should not be losing to them consistently. But we also have to recognize that Day was going against a legit top-four team in Michigan. This 2022 Michigan team is better than their 2016 and 2018 teams.

There was a time when Harbaugh’s teams were poorly coached and would lose to any team with a pulse. If he can turn it around, so can we. I hope this offseason, Day gives up this rah-rah of toughness and scars and focuses more on fundamentals and team chemistry, and this all starts with picking a QB who is ready to put everything on the line for the team.

So what should be the first step in righting the ship? Are there any thoughts other than "fire Day"?

P.S. here are a few additional points raised in the comments below.

E. Attack the transfer portal

Apart from the WR room, we don't have much talent compared to the other elite programs. Stealing a CB or two would go a long way in improving the secondary. Day should care less about hurting the feelings of existing players and get the players he thinks can help.

F. Navigate NIL-fueled egos.

NIL has changed the game. Some programs (e.g., Clemson and OSU) have regressed in recent years. Is it NIL-related? It's hard to say, but managing the egos of players who are already earning decent money is a new challenge that some programs are managing better than others. There is also a fear that if a coach pushes a player too hard, he will transfer.