The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/402034
SHIFT THE FOCUS Dear The Wolverine: Coach Brady Hoke has consis- tently said "our goal is to win the Big Ten championship." In the years before the BCS, that might have been an appropriate goal. Nowa- days it is like saying we want to be champion of a second- or third-rate league. I assert that our goal should be restated as: Our goal is to go un- defeated in the Big Ten and play in and win the national championship. Why is this important? Recruit- ing. Imagine a recruit who is on the fence among Michigan (or any other Big Ten team) and an SEC team or Pac-12 team. Our recruiters and head coach say our goal is a Big Ten championship. The SEC or Pac-12 recruiters say they want to play for a national championship. Will our approach attract the top players? Absent any strong Michigan bias, if you readers were the recruit, what would be your choice? I grant that when the recruit is in The Fort, he will see the Heismans and national championship banners and will be impressed, but when the recruit leaves Ann Arbor and visits those other schools with simi- lar trophies and banners, what will the other recruiters most likely say? "Our goal is a national champion- ship." And probably follow that with, "Why would you want to go to Michigan and play for the champi- onship of a second-tier league when you can come to play here in a top- tier league and where our goal is to win a national championship?" Obviously there are many other factors in recruiting, but our second- rate goal has to play greatly to our disadvantage. I believe most all sports psychologists would agree. Frank F. Shipp Ballston Lake, N.Y. Couple of items on this one, Frank F. FROM OUR READERS One reader thinks Brady Hoke and Michigan should emphasize pursuing a national cham- pionship rather than saying the team goal is to win a Big Ten title. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN