Michigan Wolverines Football: Ask Karsch

Detroit sports talk radio host and Michigan sideline reporter Doug Karsch handled the fastballs in this “Ask Karsch” session.

Here’s Karsch, on…

4thCoast: Assuming OSU is cancelled, are we still tracking to play the seventh game? Bowl Game?

Karsch: “I would imagine, yeah. But look, every Big Ten school that has cancelled one game has cancelled two, with the exception of Ohio State. Wisconsin missed out on two games. Maryland missed out on two games. Minnesota missed out on two games. And if this game isn’t played on Saturday, Michigan will have missed out on two games.

“Nobody has missed out on three. The only one that missed one game and came back is Ohio State. I imagine that Michigan will probably follow the pattern of the other schools and be back in time for that final crossover game.”

A2Jim: What the heck is going on inside Schembechler Hall? Extension? No extension? Delayed announcement regardless?

Karsch: “I don’t know what’s going on with Jim’s [Harbaugh] contract. It feels to me like if he was going to get extended, there’s no reason not to announce it.

“Having an agreement and not announcing it does not help the program. There are kids that are supposed to sign letters of intent a week from Wednesday that want to know who their coach is. And why would you ever hold back on announcing it?

“Even if you were still crossing ts and dotting i(s), the sooner it gets out there and is announced, the better it is for the program, short term. That’s why I have some real reservations about what’s happening.”

cml21: In case we do play this weekend, and we march down to Columbus without [redshirt freshman quarterback] Cade [McNamara] or [redshirt sophomore quarterback] Joe [Milton], can you predict the final score?

Karsch: [Laughs] “I mean, you’re looking at probably 35-3, 35-10. It’s a huge ask, to try and stay close to Ohio State with a third-string freshman quarterback, or a converted wildcat quarterback.

“You play the game and do your best, but I don’t envision it going well for Michigan. That could get really ugly.”

michfn1: If you had to guess, what changes does Jim Harbaugh need to make going forward into next season and does he need to make radical staff changes?

Karsch: “I would think the staff would need to be shuffled, yes. You take all things into consideration. From that position’s ability to produce on the field, to a coach’s impact on recruiting, to maybe the need for a different voice, and also maybe the positions that have been impacted worse than others, based upon injury.

“There are multiple ways you can go to get Michigan back closer to the top of the Big Ten. But it’s hard for me to imagine a way that doesn’t include some staff changes.

“Harbaugh has changed staff before. He’s moved on guys who are friends, guys who have worked with him for a long time. In the open market, Harbaugh has got a lot of connections. There have already been some interesting coaches let go. Derek Mason, Gary Andersen, just to name a couple.

“He’s got to decide who is really at fault here. The defensive staff, unfortunately, has been working shorthanded. You’ve got guys who are already probably stretched thin. Is that fair to cut anybody a break? Every defense has been way better than this one. Now you’re one coach down — that could come into consideration.”

lcb1982: In your opinion, what kind of job has Ed Warinner done historically at U-M, and this season specifically? If you were the head coach and were making wholesale staff changes, what you do with him?

Karsch: “It’s a great question. I work with three offensive linemen every game, so I hear a lot about line play [laughs]. This year’s been rough, but I think they’ve had five different offensive line configurations used, including three players getting their first significant playing time.

“I think it’s been a tough year on Ed Warinner. But by all accounts, he’s a pretty good line coach. He just put four kids in the NFL, and given time, he’ll have similar results with this group. Suffice it to say, I would keep him.”

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