light the playbook on fire

is it over yet [ABC screencap]
Comment Count

227

Wisconsin 49, Michigan 11
Ace • November 14, 2020 • 11:17pm

If the season's going to be a blazing disaster, might as well see how high the flames can go.

The score somehow understates how humiliating a loss this was for a program that finds itself 1-3 for the first time since 1967. After the first quarter, Wisconsin held a 129-1 edge in total yardage; Michigan had twice as many turnovers as yards. On the opening play of the second quarter, Wisconsin's fullback plunged in for his second touchdown of the evening to make the score 21-0.

The ensuing possession ended when M running back Zach Charbonnet ran for three yards off tackle on third-and-eight. Only a pandemic prevented Jim Harbaugh from being subjected to a chorus of boos. The Badgers covered 74 yards in six plays to extend the lead to 28, which in most video game households means it's time to hand the controller to someone else. If only.

The Wolverines embarked on their best drive of the half—not a high bar, considering their first four went for two interceptions and two three-and-outs. After Chris Evans was ruled down just short of the goal line upon review, Joe Milton lined up in a shotgun formation that tipped a quarterback run. Wisconsin called timeout. Michigan came back out showing the same look and Milton got stuffed on a keeper.

At that point, the program seemed dead-set on becoming a meme, and not in a good way. A play initially ruled a Danny Davis catch and fumble looked suspect on first glance, which didn't stop the official team account from tweeting their ready-made turnover graphic, then having to issue an update:

​

The play was overturned. After losing the chance to put points on the board before the half, Michigan went into the tunnel down a historic number of points:

The official tweet was brief.

Getting the ball to start the second half, Michigan stalled out in Wisconsin territory, then seized the opportunity to be meme'd again:

Huzzah.

Michigan eventually saved some face with an impressive diving touchdown grab by Mike Sainristil, though he caught it from backup Cade McNamara after Joe Milton was benched with 98 yards and two picks on 19 attempts. Milton looked overwhelmed, though he didn't have much help; five Wisconsin ballcarriers finished with more yards than M's leading rusher, Charbonnet, who had 21 on three carries.

In fact, because the defense never figured out how to stop UW runs to the edge all night, the Wolverines finished on the wrong side of a Rushing Rutger: 49 Wisconsin points, 47 Michigan rushing yards. 

A fourth-quarter fullback trap when Wisconsin was killing clock went for 43 yards to set up a touchdown. This is Rutgers-level football from a program that has no business playing that way. Start the search, please. There's nothing left to explore here anymore except the depths.

Read More
anything else on [FS1 screencap]
Comment Count

259

Indiana 38, Michigan 21
Ace • November 7, 2020 • 4:00pm

1. Indiana had 254 passing yards—at halftime. Michael Penix Jr. completed nine passes of 15+ yards on the day.

2. Michigan's defense committed offside penalties on two Indiana touchdowns and at least three other plays, I lost count and so did the live stats.

3. The Hoosiers entered this game 6-for-23 on third down conversions in 2020. They were 9-for-17 this afternoon before kneeling out the clock.

4. IU beat U-M by one more point than they beat Rutgers last week.

5. U-M last lost to IU by double digits in 1959.

6. Ty Fryfogle set a career high with 142 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven receptions.

7. With sacks removed, U-M rushed for 33 yards on 15 carries (2.2 YPC). IU's previous two opponents, Penn State and (once more, for emphasis) Rutgers, ran for 414 yards on 80 carries (5.2 YPC).

8. Iowa beat Michigan State 49-7 this afternoon. The Hawkeyes entered that game 0-2 with losses to Purdue and Northwestern. I don't need to remind you what happened last weekend.

9. This screencap:

10. Jim Harbaugh had a 20-4 record at Michigan heading into the 2016 Ohio State game. He's 28-16 since.

11. The Wolverines are 10-8 dating back to the 2018 OSU game. The margins in those eight losses have been 29, 26, 23, 21, 19, 17, seven, and three points.

Jim Harbaugh, Josh Gattis, and Don Brown need to turn the season around in a way that's hard to foresee right now to avoid facing some very difficult questions about their ability to run this program.

Read More
Comment Count

365

Penn State 43, Michigan 40 (4OT)
Ace •


Eric Upchurch/MGoBlog

That was the stupidest f***ing football game I've seen in my life. The end.

Read More