Ohio State Open Thread

Thanksgiving is Thursday. Let's all be thankful that this nightmare of a season is nearly over.

Do I have to suffer here by myself now??

At least that's fun...

The swiftness of the shutdown was outstanding! LOL!

As much as this hurts, it will feel just as good when the tables turn.

hollow. Nuke Ohio.

And some OSU fan taking a dump in his cooler, I think RR will hate buckeyes as much as anyone after this...

Is beanie going to come back? Maybe I'm crazy but Pryor really doesn't scare me..

RR feel the power of the dark side of the force build up inside you...

...is so freaking good, Two Hearted Ale right now. It makes me feel happy on the inside.

Is Tressel trying for another touchdown just so he can go for two?

for OSU to end up in the RB vs USC?

It doesn't get any worse than this.....does it?

in the end zone with the MMB. We haven't heard them play once. We didn't even hear The Victors after the Michigan touchdown. Did the buck_ucks confiscate their instruments?

Standing throughout this game must be agony for those kids. Ugh.

BRING ON 2009!!!

GO BLUE!

I have been a Michigan fan since I was five years old and even after todays travesty I am still going to continue cheering for this team but I have to say to those out there who have the same love for Michigan football that I do I fucking hate being a goddamn Michigan fan this year. Like most people who love sports I like an asshole put emotional stock into a thing completely out of my control and with this team that used to be a safe bet but now it seems no longer. I grew up in Ann Arbor I love my state and I love my team but with the employment rate at 10 percent and the uncertainty that surrounds all of our financial futures having one of the thing we can turn to in times of distress suck like this makes me want to punch a goddamn infant. This post has no point its just a flurry of run on sentences and poor punctuation but I live in England and no one here give of fuck about American football so I needed a rant and there it is.

I really appreciate the Live Blogs all year. I'm not in Michigan, so it feels great to have someone that I'm sort of watching the game with.

That said, I am glad the season is over and am looking forward to Season 1 of a new bowl streak. Also, no more walk-ons throwing passes will be fantastic.

Go Blue.

Junior tailback Brandon Minor, who scored Michigan's only touchdown, said: "You can't really blame Rich Rod because everybody on the team did not buy in like they're supposed to. We have a couple of guys not going hard. We'll correct that most definitely. That ain't going to happen on my watch as a senior."

We held Pryor to -7 yards rushing...I think that's pretty huge. Stopping a running QB out the spread is something we had yet to do. RR's staff has brought some speed to this defense.

This could probably be a blog entry, but this game gave me far more hope for the future of this team than even the win over Minnesota or Wiscy. In those games, everything seemed to go right and the other team was more overrated than their record showed. Minor looked solid today against a stout defense, Shaw looks like a real player, and the defense played better than I expected. Of course, the DL is going to be weaker next year, but Graham, Martin, and the new kids, plus some LBs who can apparently tackle, means the drop won't be as bad as I think some people foresee. Perhaps most importantly, though, was that this team played with heart. They could have walked into this game already beaten, accept their butt whipping, and put a nail in a horrible season. Instead, they kept it close with the #10 team in America, on the road, with the equivalent of a high school quarterback at the helm, for 3 quarters. I know the media loves to bury RR, but this team gave a crap until the very end, and you couldn't always say that about Carr's last few seasons.
As sad a season as it has been, I still feel a chill whenever I see a block M on the streets or someone mention UM in a restaurant. I know I'm just rambling right now, but this school, this team just becomes a part of you, perhaps moreso when you don't live in the state any more and you can only nab pieces of the experience through websites like MGoBlog. I've never cared more about a season than this one, and maybe that makes me a glutton for punishment, but I will wear my M hat proudly tomorrow because the only other option is to cower and whine, and there are enough fan bases who already do that. I never want to go through a season like this one again, but if it means that I can still care about my school the way I do now, then so be it.

The only positive? I don't live in Ohio anymore and have to be around the Ohio State crap. Terrel Pyror doesn't scare anyone? He only had maybe four good passes all game, but three of four of those good passes went for TD's. The other he looked like Troy Smith as he dodged Jamison and Graham and whoever tried to tackle only to heave the ball down field to a receiver.

Rodriguez seems to only have four plays the stretch option/zone read (1)left or (2)right. The (3)RB hitch/screen pass, (4) the fake RB hitch/screen pass. I guess the stretch option zone read could be two plays left or two plays right because the QB can run himself or handoff. Regardless this playbook doesn't seem to be all that big.

In 2007 the Red Wings played Calgary in the playoffs. The Flames were completely outmatched and to save face they started unneccessary fights and if it were the UFC not NHL the Flames would've won handily. My point is Michigan looked like the 2007 Flames or Michigan State under John L. Smith couldn't quite tell. The emotion and energy wasted by Michigan trying to start fights and trash talking was pretty classless, and proved this squad is pretty insecure to the point they have to resort to this to help get themselves motivated.

Also, what was with the John Thompson almost fighting one of the assistants?

We can only hope either Forcier or Beaver can have a freshmen season like Pat White did at West Virginia where he led them to a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

The only positive? I don't live in Ohio anymore and have to be around the Ohio State crap. Terrel Pyror doesn't scare anyone? He only had maybe four good passes all game, but three of four of those good passes went for TD's. The other he looked like Troy Smith as he dodged Jamison and Graham and whoever tried to tackle only to heave the ball down field to a receiver.

Rodriguez seems to only have four plays the stretch option/zone read (1)left or (2)right. The (3)RB hitch/screen pass, (4) the fake RB hitch/screen pass. I guess the stretch option zone read could be two plays left or two plays right because the QB can run himself or handoff. Regardless this playbook doesn't seem to be all that big.

In 2007 the Red Wings played Calgary in the playoffs. The Flames were completely outmatched and to save face they started unneccessary fights and if it were the UFC not NHL the Flames would've won handily. My point is Michigan looked like the 2007 Flames or Michigan State under John L. Smith couldn't quite tell. The emotion and energy wasted by Michigan trying to start fights and trash talking was pretty classless, and proved this squad is pretty insecure to the point they have to resort to this to help get themselves motivated.

Also, what was with the John Thompson almost fighting one of the assistants?

We can only hope either Forcier or Beaver can have a freshmen season like Pat White did at West Virginia where he led them to a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

The only positive? I don't live in Ohio anymore and have to be around the Ohio State crap. Terrel Pyror doesn't scare anyone? He only had maybe four good passes all game, but three of four of those good passes went for TD's. The other he looked like Troy Smith as he dodged Jamison and Graham and whoever tried to tackle only to heave the ball down field to a receiver.

Rodriguez seems to only have four plays the stretch option/zone read (1)left or (2)right. The (3)RB hitch/screen pass, (4) the fake RB hitch/screen pass. I guess the stretch option zone read could be two plays left or two plays right because the QB can run himself or handoff. Regardless this playbook doesn't seem to be all that big.

In 2007 the Red Wings played Calgary in the playoffs. The Flames were completely outmatched and to save face they started unneccessary fights and if it were the UFC not NHL the Flames would've won handily. My point is Michigan looked like the 2007 Flames or Michigan State under John L. Smith couldn't quite tell. The emotion and energy wasted by Michigan trying to start fights and trash talking was pretty classless, and proved this squad is pretty insecure to the point they have to resort to this to help get themselves motivated.

Also, what was with the John Thompson almost fighting one of the assistants?

We can only hope either Forcier or Beaver can have a freshmen season like Pat White did at West Virginia where he led them to a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

The games are over (mercifully) but there's a lot to do in the off-season.
Will Scott Scafer be back? How about Rod Smith?
How many kids leave the program (which is a shame. I believe those kids will regret their decision later in life).
Has McGuffie played his last game for us?
Can we get either freshman QB into school early and participating in Spring ball?

Brandon Minor's comments are one of the most disturbing things I've heard this season:
"You can't really blame Rich Rod because everybody on the team did not buy in like they're supposed to. We have a couple of guys not going hard."
Although, I think you CAN blame RR a little. Did HE alienate his players by MFing them in practice all year long?

A player and coach getting into a skirmish on the sidelines looks bad......very, very bad (picture Babu from Seinfeld wagging his index finger from side to side).

WTF was Brandon Harrison doing on Beanie Wells' first long TD run? Why would he come up to support the run and stand DIRECTLY behind the LB? That's horrible football instincts.

It's gonna be a long 9 months.

Defense is the problem.

Rich Rod is an offense guy, and I believe he will get that fixed, especially when he has a quarterback.
Besides, they scored plenty of points to win against Purdue, Toledo, et al.

It was the D that cost us several games.
The icing on the cake was the sideline screaming and timeout in the opening stages of the OSU game. These defense coaches do not have their act together.

The defense this year had great personnel on the D-line, who were screwed by the coaches in playing a 3-3-5 set in the Toledo game. Afterward, they had to tell the coaches to go back to the 4-man line. You would think the coaches would have done it at halftime, and won the game!

The defensive backfield had decent, not great, personnel, but their play has been awful all year. Every time an opposing quarterback stepped back and looked deep, you just had to cringe.

Next year the defense loses most of its linemen.
If the coaches do not learn from this year, it will be real ugly.

Another thing: I think Schaefer should be on the sideline, leading his troops. Not hiding up in a nice, warm, isolated booth somewhere.

I'm hearing alot of Lloyd Carr left the cover bare with talent. With the amount of freshmen that played that is probably the case somewhat. However, they had six tight ends remember and they didn't use them every down. Next year there will be what five tight ends? And Sheridan is now on scholarship right? They kept calling him a former walk-on on the broadcast. Which will make at least five tight ends and six scholarship QB's for next year. That is 11 out of 75 scholarships where only one guy, whoever the QB is, out of those 11 will be on the field at most times.

Oh and not to mention two fullbacks that didn't seem to be used as much as we thought they'd be. Plus, Kevin Grady not being used hardly since his costly fumble vs. ND.

I'm hearing alot of Lloyd Carr left the cover bare with talent. With the amount of freshmen that played that is probably the case somewhat. However, they had six tight ends remember and they didn't use them every down. Next year there will be what five tight ends? And Sheridan is now on scholarship right? They kept calling him a former walk-on on the broadcast. Which will make at least five tight ends and six scholarship QB's for next year. That is 11 out of 75 scholarships where only one guy, whoever the QB is, out of those 11 will be on the field at most times.

Oh and not to mention two fullbacks that didn't seem to be used as much as we thought they'd be. Plus, Kevin Grady not being used hardly since his costly fumble vs. ND.

I'm hearing alot of Lloyd Carr left the cover bare with talent. With the amount of freshmen that played that is probably the case somewhat. However, they had six tight ends remember and they didn't use them every down. Next year there will be what five tight ends? And Sheridan is now on scholarship right? They kept calling him a former walk-on on the broadcast. Which will make at least five tight ends and six scholarship QB's for next year. That is 11 out of 75 scholarships where only one guy, whoever the QB is, out of those 11 will be on the field at most times.

Oh and not to mention two fullbacks that didn't seem to be used as much as we thought they'd be. Plus, Kevin Grady not being used hardly since his costly fumble vs. ND.