MGoPodcast 9.12: [Audible Sigh]
What was your mom doing, was she up in Ace’s mentions?
This was recorded at the Residence Inn Ann Arbor in one of their TEN conference rooms.
We Couldn’t Have One Without the Other
We can do this because people support us. You should support them too so they’ll want to do it again next year! The show is presented by UGP & The Bo Store, and if it wasn’t for Rishi and Ryan we’d be sighing to ourselves.
Our other sponsors are also key to all of this: HomeSure Lending, Peak Wealth Management, Ann Arbor Elder Law, the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, the University of Michigan Alumni Association, Michigan Law Grad,Human Element, Lantana Hummus and new this week introducing Ecotelligent Homes
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Offense
starts at 1:00
The Big Ten thing happened. Excuse! Michigan really had this game until Hornibrook started dropping dimes one drive. Hornibrook just does thought: he throws into coverage all the time. Newsome injury counterfactuals: there is no worse injury for this team than a two-year one to a left tackle. What was with the empty wildcat formation? A lot of youth.
Defense
starts at 24:30
Held up until Hornibrook made his perfect throws, some terrible pass interference calls went against them. Held Taylor in check until the game was pretty much over. JKP didn’t have the speed to keep up with an outside receiver; he wasn’t Lavert Hill. This defense’s weakness is inch-perfect balls that are caught with one hand. When’s the last time Michigan got a break against a non-Indiana or Northwestern? Under the Lights. Sheeeesh.
Special Teams and Don’t @ Me, Mom
starts at 39:12
When you’re in a 1950s game rules apply on 4th and 6 but Michigan has to stop putting those in the end zone. The PR touchdown was just a total fluke due to an uncalled penalty. What would it be like if Brian unmuted everybody? Ace dreads the 90 people who write him saying “must” and “can’t” and “gotta” and “unacceptable.”
Around the Big Ten with Jamie Mac
starts at 56:38
These games were all terrible and would have looked worse if anyone had watched Nebraska score 20 points after the game was turn-offable. Ohio State versus Non-directional Illinois. Brian argues with a person who’s not there about Scott Frost. Brian Lewerke completed 2 passes. Justin Jackson has 31 carries for 166 yards. Kirk Ferentz makes the correct decision to go for two early, confounding Matt Millen. We can find a reason to watch Iowa-Nebraska, even though Mom already got called out.
MUSIC:
- “The High Road”—Broken Bells
- “Hurt”—Kermit the Frog
- “How it ends”—DeVotchka
- “Across 110th Street”
THE USUAL LINKS
November 20th, 2017 at 8:29 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 8:43 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 8:49 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 9:44 AM ^
...everyone thought that 8-4 was the likely outcome before the season began. And that was when it was widely assumed that the QB situation was going to be a slightly improved version of a 3rd Team All-B1G returning starter.
So 8-4 with an all-but-flaming tire fire at QB has to be considered a minor success, right?
November 20th, 2017 at 9:48 AM ^
I don't think people thought the schedule would be such trash. But more to the point 8-4 was the floor, not expected outcome. Most people predicted 9-3 with a ceileing of 10-2. I don't think a team has ever had a smaller range of outcomes than this team did coming in.
But 8-4 without being competetive against psu or osu and losing to a mediocre msu team at home coming off a bye can only be looked at one way, and this is dissapointing.
I just don't understand why there is so little creativity to try to create easy offense in big games. Its not like the practice reps are resulting in our guys being able to exectute the basic things well against any team with a pulse. Might as well work on some funky stuff that might break. When is the last time we threw a tunnel or bubbel screen in a big game? Had a reverse or running back or wr pass? We should have looked at this game offensively like purdue did to us. Driving the field isn't going to happen so when you get a shot to score you break out the weird stuff.
November 20th, 2017 at 10:01 AM ^
...outside of four games, they just had one of those four games wrong (MSU instead of UF).
November 20th, 2017 at 10:27 AM ^
Bottom line is this is about what I expected. I was predicting 8-4 but in my mind we'd lose a "head scratcher" to Indiana or Purdue but then beaten one of the "tougher" teams in PSU or Wisconsin or Ohio State. Basically the definition of a young but talented team.
November 20th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
It's not an important thing with respect to the big picture of how the season has gone, but the notion that "everybody thought we'd go 8-4" is complete revisionist history bullshit that's easily debunked by simply looking up preseason prediction threads on MGoBlog.
I understand the motivation behind trying to pretend that "everybody thought we'd go 8-4"—it makes the season seem less disappointing—but it's not reality.
November 20th, 2017 at 11:26 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 11:35 AM ^
The reason we cannot be creative is obvious. Our lack of experienced players is the reason, and it is not a trivial problem. With limited practice time, Harbaugh's coaches have hard choices to make. They do not believe practice time is best spent installing a few "funky" plays, given our current personnel. You can do more of that with veteran skill players and QB who are able to internalize their assignments quickly.
I agree with Harbaugh's assessment, although it sucks that it is necessary. We cannot make our players more experienced by closing our eyes and wishing it were so.
Given where we are, I'd actually like to see an MGO Article about how fast young QBs improve with playing time, and what that process looks like. For example, last year Hornibrook was a RS FR and looked a lot like Peters does for us now. In year two, he's able to make enough plays to win games.
Peters gets better each week, but not fast enough to put 24 on Wisconsin.
November 20th, 2017 at 9:04 AM ^
Don't let the unacceptable crowd ruin the small joys of this season.
Michigan's star MLB enjoys piggyback rides for cryin' out loud.
November 20th, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 9:48 AM ^
...I can't think of a player on the roster that was more indespensible than Grant Newsome.
November 20th, 2017 at 11:46 AM ^
I'm kind of sick of Wisconsin crippling our key players.
November 20th, 2017 at 4:03 PM ^
that was against Wisconsin. Bastards
November 20th, 2017 at 9:34 AM ^
Sorry for the @ on Saturday, Ace.
Disappointment and alcohol is a dangerous combination.
As is loneliness and cheeseburgers.
November 20th, 2017 at 9:49 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 9:55 AM ^
The frustrating thing to me was being unable to capitalize on dominating the first 2 and a half quareters. We should have been up like 17-7 or 20-7. A two score lead would have ended that game and just couldn't get it done with a healthy peters and multiple short fields.
November 20th, 2017 at 10:00 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 10:39 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 11:53 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 10:46 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
Dave Brandon was the AD when Rodriguez was fired. I always viewed it as a net positive that he did not hire Harbaugh at the time because there is no way that doesn't end terribly. Regrettably, Devin Gardner's Michigan career was underdeveloped as a result
November 20th, 2017 at 11:04 AM ^
November 20th, 2017 at 1:04 PM ^
Completely agree about the "excuses" crowd. There are reasons why you win or lose a game. They don't just flip a coin and give one team a loss.
November 20th, 2017 at 1:31 PM ^
worsterest.
Concussions that result in the person being knocked unconconscious often take 3-4 months to recover from.
November 20th, 2017 at 1:40 PM ^
Just wanted to say I really appreciate Ace's tweeting during the game. Circumstances are such that I don't usually have anyone who knows football to watch the game with, and having the chatter of a sensible person also following the game is a huge plus for me.
November 21st, 2017 at 8:53 PM ^
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