Michigan Monday up at The Ozone
Michigan Monday is up for the Illinois game. "The Calm before some more calm." Gerdeman continues to be a good read. Here are a handful of quotes.
The Wolverines were never tested in this game, just as they have never been tested by any of their lesser opponents. Even when they have been tested by Colorado and Wisconsin, they responded with every necessary answer. And they are only getting more confident and more selfless and more united in what they are doing.
I really have no idea how Ohio State is going to defend Michigan's tight ends. I don't expect them to do it very well. Jake Butt caught three passes for 40 yards and a touchdown, and Tyrone Wheatley Jr. caught two passes for 27 yards and a touchdown.
It means that Michigan has yet to play down to an opponent this season and it would be a huge surprise if they do so at any point in 2016. A wrecking ball doesn't slow down for smaller buildings, and Michigan doesn't slow down because Illinois is lined up in front of them. The Wolverines do not discriminate. They do not have remorse. They do not feel pity. If Michigan is going to be beaten by any Big Ten team this season, it will take that team's best effort of the year because they are going to get the Wolverines' best effort. More than anywhere else, this is where Jim Harbaugh excels. He's basically an extreme couponer regarding talent -- he gets every last cent out of his guys.
October 25th, 2016 at 10:00 AM ^
As a matter of fact, I would say they were more fortunate than PSU in this game. They got a muffed punt against PSU and somehow miraculously recovered a muffed punt of their own and a Weber fumble in which I still don't know how he recovered it. This was not a game where the pointy ball just went PSU's way through good fortune. OSU lost this game in my opinion because of offensive playcalling and making a decision to kick a FG at the end of the game. If they just kneel that ball down on 4th down and give the ball to PSU at the 30 yard line, there is no way PSU scores. I believe I saw a stat that PSU only had 70 something yards in the 2nd half.
October 25th, 2016 at 10:10 AM ^
It's weird to lose a game you lead at halftime and only surrender 70 second half yards.
October 25th, 2016 at 9:05 AM ^
Yes that's true. And if you take all that into account, the score would have been closer. Like 39-10.
October 25th, 2016 at 9:35 AM ^
We beat them by 39. Having all of their linebackers healthy wouldn't have had that much more impact on the score.
October 25th, 2016 at 5:42 AM ^
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October 25th, 2016 at 6:25 AM ^
"MSU is capable of that stuff"
To quote everyone's favorite politician: "Wrong."
October 25th, 2016 at 8:32 AM ^
don't happen when the favorite plays well. Don't kid yourself, most teams are capable of pulling off a big upset. It doesn't take an MSU. It takes an opponent unprepared for a tough fight. One that loses discipline in the face of adversity. Coaches that don't know how to adjust on the fly or lack the capability to change their team's psyche.
True upsets are the fault of the losing team. I don't find that worrisome (anymore).
October 25th, 2016 at 8:52 AM ^
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October 25th, 2016 at 9:15 AM ^
Harbaugh is the second coming of Bo...better than Bo because he wins bowl games!
October 25th, 2016 at 9:08 AM ^
I recall that game in 1998 when MSU beat OSU. OSU sleep-walked through that game. MSU did not get their attention until late in the 4th quarter.
After last year, MSU has our undivided attention.
October 25th, 2016 at 10:29 AM ^
Similar game in the sense OSU had a big lead slip away late and there wasn't enough time to recover.
October 25th, 2016 at 9:24 AM ^
1998 MSU was much better than 2016 MSU. They were 6-6 overall (4-4) and they lost two games by one point each (Perdue and Minnesota). They were coached by Nick Saban and were one year away from 10-2.
October 25th, 2016 at 9:29 AM ^
Before that 1998 game OSU won 5 straight over them including a 37-13 win in East Lansing in 1997. This Michigan team is hyper focused and coming off of 3 straight losses to MSU. There will be no let down.
October 25th, 2016 at 6:05 AM ^
Vaughn, who rushed the ball seven times, got 45 of his 43 yards on a single carry!
October 25th, 2016 at 7:52 AM ^
we should start on OSU monday here. a diary by some dedicated mgoblogger.
October 25th, 2016 at 9:21 AM ^
Fuck OSU
October 25th, 2016 at 7:57 AM ^
BS from my OSU fan coworker yesterday. I was stunned and wasn't sure how to reply. After a few seconds I said, you do know that we destroyed Penn State, right?
He's pretty sure that we're going to win the game this year. I should have bet him money before the season.
October 25th, 2016 at 8:19 AM ^
plus ... I was told that we play all our games at home. HAHAHA
Go Blue!
October 25th, 2016 at 8:29 AM ^
Hell, Jabrill Peppers came to Michigan as a luxurious three-ply player, but being the cheapskate that Harbaugh is when it comes to wasting talent, he peeled those three plys and put one on offense, one on defense, and one on special teams.
....and still each individual ply is extremely useful and durable on its own, making you wonder what the three-play was like. Never mind, we know because we see it each week and it is awesome.
Anyway, I chuckled at that line, but it was a very expressive way to say what we already knew - Jim Harbaugh maximizes talent like few other can.
October 25th, 2016 at 9:09 AM ^
Gerd knows it's coming and it can't be stopped. Go Blue!
October 25th, 2016 at 9:17 AM ^
Thanks Stephen I always wonder about this on Mondays then the thought passes until someone links it!
October 25th, 2016 at 9:25 AM ^
"And they are only getting more confident and more selfless and more united in what they are doing."
The Team, The Team, The Team...
October 25th, 2016 at 9:25 AM ^
Win with Cruelty
October 25th, 2016 at 9:25 AM ^
So, he points out, our D gave up 4.5 yds/play -- 172 yds on 38 plays. Doesn't sound all that great.
But let's peel that back a bit. U of I had the 43-yd TD, and the 47-yd run. On all other plays in the game, they averaged only 2.2 yds/play. So basically, the D locked them down, but gave up two big plays -- only one of which led to points.
Basically, the number of sustained drives against our defense is really tiny (at least when games are in doubt). UW scored on one long play on a shortened field. Colorado had only one score after the 1st quarter, that 70yd bomb. UCF's only points of the 1st half were on that 80-ish yd run. Illinois continued that trend.
October 25th, 2016 at 9:51 AM ^
Michigan only played 38 snaps on defense
Just let that sink in. The Illinois offense only had 38 bloody snaps.
Also:
but then Michigan's defensive line comes along and completely obliterates that ideal world with an asteroid of realism and sorrow
October 25th, 2016 at 10:47 AM ^
Gerdeman is "becoming the mask", like Jake in Avatar.
Sent here to spy on us, he is slowly learning the beauty of our ways.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BecomingTheMask
October 25th, 2016 at 10:24 AM ^
"He's basically an extreme couponer regarding talent"
October 25th, 2016 at 10:45 AM ^
Rewinding and pausing an Illini football game is like putting Jackie Kennedy in front of a telestrator and having her diagram JFK's assassination and asking her to add in an emphatic John Madden "Boom" at the exact moment of impact. It's just cruel and nobody should have to be put through that.Brutal and hilarious.