[Editor's note: Too long for a tweet, too short for a full blown post, but this has been kicking around in my head all week and I needed to get it out.]
There are time where I firmly believe I am an inverse conspiracy theorist, which is to say I see hidden in the world positive conspiracies, ones designed to benefit rather than to hard.
Brady Hoke could teach a class in football coach media misdirection. Denard on the kickoff return team last Saturday was a prime example of this.
1). Hoke knew someone would spot it. If Michigan lost, it probably wouldn't come up, but if it did, it would change the discussion. If Michigan won, it probably would come up and Brady would give the media just enough to make them think it's something that wasn't a mistake or a one shot deal, but it also might not be anything.
2). Local sports media, largely consumed with the Tigers World Series bid, has no real desire to talk about a meh 12-10 game last weekend, but when someone asks about Denard on the kickoff return team at Brady's presser on Monday, it becomes a note. By Wednesday's presser, it's a thing and a thing. People are debating and discussing the merits and potential flaws in the plan, but they're talking about Michigan.
3). They are not, however, talking about Michigan's game plan for this week against Nebraska, they're not looking at Nebraska's rather potent offense, not looking at the difficulties of playing at Memorial Stadium. The questions stay on Brady's interesting choice.
4). It's on tape, which means Urban will see it. Urban will now need to consider the possibility, which steals away maybe just one or two cycles of processing from Meyer's staff. Maybe it ends up being nothing, but what if they head fake lets Dennis Norfleet break one?
Again, this could be nothing. It could be a tempest in a teapot. But I think it's a calculated move on Brady's part to focus on the ephemera and not the big stuff that the players might worry about. If so, well played Coach Hoke.
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