Season Outlook - 6 games down, 6 to go
This is a simple-man's look at the remaining portion of the schedule to provide some stats and insight about where the team might end up. Stats come from espn.com (http://espn.go.com/ncf/conference?confId=5) and sometimes I use them in my predictions and sometimes I don't.
Note: Some of the Stats have not been fully updated on ESPN.com
Note II: I know that the stat boxes cut and paste funny, I couldn't remedy this in the short amount of time I had before my wife told me to give it up (yes, I'm whipped)
Update Note III: (haha, I snuck away while my wife was giving the daughter a bath!). I am providing this to show that, despite all of the nay-sayers out there, Michigan has a solid chance at finishing the season with a great record (based on actual, prior performance based statistics from its future opponents). At the beginning of the season telling me that we would be 4-2 going into Delaware state would have made me very happy.
Michigan
Offense:
Ttl Yds Yds/G Pass Pass/G Rush Rush/G Pts Pts/G
2259 |
376.5 |
1143 |
190.5 |
1184 |
197.3 |
198 |
33.0 |
Defense:
Solo Tck.Asst. Tck. Tot.Tck. Sacks Yd. L PD INT YDS Long td
220 |
228 |
448 |
8.0 |
54 |
21 |
7 |
74 |
40 |
1 |
Win/Loss:
Conf. Ovr. PF PA Home Away
MICH |
1-2 |
4-2 |
198 |
147 |
4-0 |
0-2 |
Now, to the Competition:
Vs. Delaware State
Offense:
Ttl Yds Yds/G Pass Pass/G Rush Rush/G Pts Pts/G
120 |
1060 |
265.0 |
617 |
154.3 |
443 |
110.8 |
57 |
14.3 |
Defense*:
Int. Yds. TD
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
136 |
0 |
2 |
* = All I could find on espn.com
Win/Loss:
Conf. Ovr. PF PA Home Away
DSU |
1-2 |
1-3 |
57 |
63 |
0-1 |
1-2 |
In comparing this to Michigan’s, Delaware state seems to have an ineptitude at moving the ball. From the limited stats it appears Delaware State may have a ball hawking defense but if they cannot move the ball on offense, two defensive touchdowns will not carry the day.
Bold Prediction: MI win (MI: 5-2, 1-2)
Vs. Penn State
Offense:
Ttl Yds Yds/G Pass Pass/G Rush Rush/G Pts Pts/G
2565 |
427.5 |
1472 |
245.3 |
1132 |
188.7 |
187 |
31.2 |
Defense:
Solo Tck.Asst. Tck. Tot.Tck. Sacks Yd. L PD INT YDS Long td
174 |
249 |
423 |
15.0 |
87 |
20 |
7 |
110 |
70 |
0 |
Win/Loss:
Conf. Ovr. PF PA Home Away
PSU |
1-1 |
5-1 |
187 |
61 |
4-1 |
1-0 |
Penn State can move the ball. They can also do so efficiently, balancing their passing and rushing attack. Michigan, though, hasn’t had too much problem defending against balanced attacks (i.e. Iowa, MSU) but Michigan has had issues with teams that know how to exploit their weaknesses (i.e. Iowa, MSU). This is a home game, giving a slight edge to MI, but Penn State is rock-solid when it comes to getting pressure on the QB.
Bold Prediction: PSU win (MI: 5-3, 1-3)
At Illinois
Offense:
Ttl Yds Yds/G Pass Pass/G Rush Rush/G Pts Pts/G
1708 |
341.6 |
970 |
194.0 |
838 |
167.6 |
85 |
17.0 |
Defense:
Solo Tck.Asst. Tck. Tot.Tck. Sacks Yd. L PD INT YDS Long td
201 |
152 |
353 |
3.0 |
17 |
25 |
3 |
119 |
78 |
0 |
Win/Loss:
Conf. Ovr. PF PA Home Away
ILL |
0-3 |
1-4 |
85 |
143 |
1-3 |
0-1 |
Illinois is struggling this year. They cannot seem to get much together and with the Juice Williams debacle at QB, Zook may have lost this season and lost this team. Defensively IL has not put much up by way of numbers and Michigan will take advantage of it with its Tate the Great attack. Michigan, going 1-3 so far in conference play has a chip on its shoulder (as well as a memory of what happened last year to us at home):
Bold Prediction: MI win (MI: 6-3, 2-3)
Vs. Purdue
Offense:
Ttl Yds Yds/G Pass Pass/G Rush Rush/G Pts Pts/G
2461 |
410.2 |
1644 |
274.0 |
871 |
145.2 |
171 |
28.5 |
Defense:
Solo Tck.Asst. Tck. Tot.Tck. Sacks Yd. L PD INT YDS Long td
285 |
136 |
421 |
13.0 |
87 |
15 |
6 |
23 |
22 |
0 |
Win/Loss:
Conf. Ovr. PF PA Home Away
PUR |
0-2 |
1-5 |
171 |
183 |
1-3 |
0-2 |
1) It’s Purdue
2) Michigan Remembers that Purdue spoiled its chances at a bowl game last year
3) Danny Hope will lose all hope
Bold Prediction: MI win (MI: 7-3, 3-3)
At Wisconsin
Offense:
Ttl Yds Yds/G Pass Pass/G Rush Rush/G Pts Pts/G
2534 |
422.3 |
1382 |
230.3 |
1204 |
200.7 |
188 |
31.3 |
Defense:
Solo Tck.Asst. Tck. Tot.Tck. Sacks Yd. L PD INT YDS Long td
198 |
138 |
336 |
14.0 |
77 |
19 |
8 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
Win/Loss:
Conf. Ovr. PF PA Home Away
WIS |
2-1 |
5-1 |
188 |
154 |
4-0 |
1-1 |
Much like the Purdue game for MI, Wisconsin will have a memory of what happened to them last year at the big house. Wisconsin will definitely have some motivation coming into this game. Wisconsin has also looked pretty solid up to this point (noting that absent errant QB throws and poor special teams play, they may have given the buckeyes more of a run for their money). However, by this point Michigan should be clicking on all cylinders again and Tate will have much more experience behind him from the prior games. At this point the offensive match-up favors Wisconsin in yardage but Michigan in defense. Going into OSU next week, Michigan may be thinking about the sweater vests and Bielema may be coaching for his job again:
Bold Prediction: WIS win (MI: 7-4, 3-4)
Vs. OSU
Offense:
Ttl Yds Yds/G Pass Pass/G Rush Rush/G Pts Pts/G
2030 |
338.3 |
1054 |
175.7 |
1040 |
173.3 |
178 |
29.7 |
Defense:
Solo Tck.Asst. Tck. Tot.Tck. Sacks Yd. L PD INT YDS Long td
167 |
166 |
333 |
12.0 |
90 |
12 |
8 |
92 |
39 |
2 |
Win/Loss:
Conf. Ovr. PF PA Home Away
OSU |
3-0 |
5-1 |
178 |
72 |
3-1 |
2-0 |
I hate to even have to look at this numbers without bias. OSU was dreadful against USC and only has inflated its numbers based on beating up the likes of Toledo and Illinois (granted we got WMU and EMU, but it’s different…it’s Michigan!). No doubt OSU will be pumped for this game as they will probably be playing for national respect and a chance at the BCS (assuming that they knock off the Hawkeyes). Michigan will want to prove it can beat OSU and Michigan will deploy an aresenal of looks to do so. Plus, the d-line is going to have a target on Boren’s chest. Michigan is at home, in front of 110,001 and finally gets the monkey off of its back.
Bold Prediction: MI win (MI: 8-4, 4-4)
October 11th, 2009 at 8:59 AM ^
October 11th, 2009 at 10:55 PM ^
...and our bye week next week will help us a ton.This is disgustingly disrespectful to our opponents, you'd think of all fan bases we'd know better.
October 12th, 2009 at 11:00 AM ^
October 11th, 2009 at 9:06 AM ^
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October 11th, 2009 at 2:44 PM ^
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October 11th, 2009 at 6:49 PM ^
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October 11th, 2009 at 11:23 AM ^
October 11th, 2009 at 6:53 PM ^
October 11th, 2009 at 6:55 PM ^
October 11th, 2009 at 7:03 PM ^
October 11th, 2009 at 8:54 PM ^
October 12th, 2009 at 12:00 AM ^
October 11th, 2009 at 10:37 PM ^
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