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WTKA Roundtable 10/4/2018: Brian's Mercedes Comment Count

Seth October 5th, 2018 at 7:44 AM

Things discussed:

  • Down 17-0 coming off a bye week?
  • Skill positions erratic play: not sharp, balls dropped, not sitting in zones
  • Niko you are not a slot receiver.
  • Frustrated by Shea: not seeing open guys in front of him, had to pull out a few plays that were already there for him.
  • Northwestern did a good job anticipating what Michigan was going to run: playcalling allowed them to anticipate what to do with their linebackers.
  • Where were the smoke screens? Iso plays were a good wrinkle.
  • Northwestern got by thinking there's no such thing as a Michigan zone read, M been preserving QB health?
  • Give it to Ben Mason on any 4th and short. That's why you got the Big Big Boys.
  • The defense: Unfortunate to give up 17 points on 200 yards.
  • Winovich's Elite Day, the young DL stepped it up. Carlo Kemp dissuaded a throw to the TE
  • Glasgow was fine in Hudson's stead.
  • Cornerbacks: keep calm and don't grab a guy named flynn nagel
  • The slants: good strategy, some bad play, still only gave up <5 YPC. M plays zone about 1/3rd of the time
  • NFL talk: Pat Mahomes for MVP?
  • Maryland: the insane stuff. Their offense is not the kind that works against Michigan's team speed.

You can catch the entire episode on Michigan Insider's podcast stream on Podbean.

Segment two is here. Segment three is here.

THE USUAL LINKS

First of all Brian is just mad the cigar lighter on his Mercedes doesn't work so he can't smoke his stogies

Comments

evenyoubrutus

October 5th, 2018 at 11:09 AM ^

I wonder if the reason Michigan did not pound Mason on those goal line situations is because they wanted to put some doubt in Wisconsin and Michigan state's minds. All it takes is 1 or 2 guys to hesitate and he is running in free for a touchdown.

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dragonchild

October 5th, 2018 at 1:49 PM ^

No, that would be crazy.  Down 17 points in a conference game isn't the time to be thinking ahead.  Anything in the cupboard should've been out there.

The only thing I can think of (aside from Harbaugh channeling his inner Borges)  is that something inside Ft. Schembechler made him uncomfortable.  An injury, or something in practice that wasn't going well.  We know Harbaugh will avoid calling a play if he's not comfortable with the team's ability to execute it, and that goes double on the road.  I mean, we've seen past offenses throw screens and run FB dive.  It's not like he hates these plays.  But I think Harbaugh would rather run Higdon -- whom he trusts -- into a stacked box than invite disaster with a play he feels the offense has repped enough yet.

If you remember Chesson's Indiana-beater, the story is that Fisch had to fight with Harbaugh and all but stake his job on it, because even though it was a play they'd repped, it wasn't one they'd repped that week.

Folks 'round these parts think Fisch is some sort of genius, but I think what the offense misses most is that he was willing to challenge Harbaugh's risk-averse tendencies to call game-winners.  Last time we saw that kind of play-calling was O'Korn vs. OSU, but I think that's because he couldn't execute anything so eff it, why not call what beats the defense.

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