2014 Football Road Record

Submitted by Tuebor on

What do you think the road record will be for Michigan next season?  Hoke is 6-8 on the road at Michigan and 1-2 (hopefully 2-2 by next season) at neutral sites. This averages close to 2-3 on the road each year.  With next seasons brutal road schedule 2-3 might be the ceiling.  I feel like if i put the +/- at 1.5 safe money is on the over and at 2.5 safe money is on the under. 

 

@ Notre Dame - Loss, their last game against us with Everett Golson back.  Early season let down.

@ Rutgers - Win, (5-6 AAC) This is likely a win against an inferior opponent, knock on wood.

@ MSU - Loss, Their defense takes a step back but is still Al Borges kryptonite.  We do score an offensive touchdown though.

@ Northwestern - No idea, should be a win but the Pat Fitzgerald improbability drive could have other plans.

@ OSU - Loss, They lose Hyde but can we stop Braxton Miller?

YaterSalad

December 3rd, 2013 at 9:37 AM ^

I think the concept of "road woes" is a myth for the most part ... Each year involves too many variables - new players, coaches, stadiums, fans, momentum. Two prime examples are ND (Denard had the worst performance of his career against them and we still had a chance) and Nebraska (Denard gets hurt). Things like that happen that skew the road record problem. Those same things can happen at home and losses ensue.



That being said, I think we correct some of our history this next year. I see us going 3-2 or 4-1. I think we beat ND and Sparty. But the loss is OSU is a definite maybe.

GhostOfPosBang

December 3rd, 2013 at 9:46 AM ^

One could easily make the argument that Denard had the worst performance of his career BECAUSE it was on the road.  If that game's in the Big House, we probably win.

Besides, players and coaches getting rattled in front of hostile crowds and unfamiliar ground is a very real concept.  You can't deny that.

Tuebor

December 3rd, 2013 at 9:50 AM ^

I'm with you.  We have had 4 solid (as in we put the game away, not that they were great victories) road wins in the Hoke era.

2011 - @Northwestern and @Illinois

2012 - @Purdue and @Minnesota

The other road wins are from 2013 - a squeaker @UCONN and the luckiest field goal in the history of football @Northwestern.

 

This staff has not shown the ability to win big games on the road.

HipsterCat

December 3rd, 2013 at 10:27 AM ^

"This staff has not shown the ability to win big games on the road" is such bullshit. it's easier to win at home than on the road thats a fact. Is it hoke and borges fault denard threw 5 picks against notre dame last year? or got hurt against nebraska? or that TE missed the block against state on the 4th down conversion and then denard threw a pick the next drive?

sometimes the other team makes the plays and our plays dont its not always the staffs fault. against Iowa this year funchess gets the dropsies and cant catch anything stalling drives, morgan and ross both get hurt so iowa gets in the game and then gardner fumbles on the last drive when we are down 3 to lose it. sometimes especially on the road players make mistakes because they are kids. Most of these road games are close and the coaches and players put themselves in position to win but just couldnt quite get that last play they needed. It's not ncaa 14 where you can just quit and try again if you screw up and throw too many picks or you can just exploit the glitches in the AI and run the same plays down the field while the computer derps around. sometimes our players dont make the plays that they need to.

Tuebor

December 3rd, 2013 at 10:37 AM ^

Here you go again with the execution argument.  It is Borges' fault for making Denard throw so damn much @ND in 2012.  We were moving the ball well on the ground.

 

Also the ability to win big games on the road is proven by winning them.  Not by blaming poor execution and injuries.

HipsterCat

December 3rd, 2013 at 11:05 AM ^

we rushed 41 times for 161 yards, 3.9 a carry with a fitz long of 31 and a denard long of 20, take those out and we were averaging 2.8yds a carry, i dont see any of that as a successful rushing attack. denard threw 24 times and had 4 picks but averaged 5.75 yards an attempt. thats a heavily run based attack but i guess borges should have gone all georgia southern and only thrown the ball like 3 times...

DealerCamel

December 3rd, 2013 at 12:26 PM ^

The thing is that for a lot of the game he was eviscerating Notre Dame's secondary with throws.  Big throw, big throw, big thr - oh crap, interception.  "Okay Denard, don't do that next time."  "Sure coach, no problem."  Big throw, big throw - crap, another pick.  And so on.

I don't blame the staff for making him throw it that much, honestly.

Tuebor

December 3rd, 2013 at 11:21 AM ^

Debbie Downer or realist?  I need to see more from this staff to build confidence in road games.  The breaks go for you and the breaks go against you in a season.  At the end you are what your record says you are.

B1G_Fan

December 3rd, 2013 at 4:53 PM ^

 Notre Dame lost 1 starter off their defense last year and we went from 9 points to 41 this year they lose alot more including Nix and Truitt. The only two time we lost in ND stadium the last 10 years or so we had a total of 13 turnovers. Richrods first year we had 7 and Denard senior year we had 6. Lets say i'm happily optimistic about our chances in south bend.

 With the exception of MSU and OSU road games our schedule is a creme puff.. come on seriously, we're at Rutger, at maryland and at Northwestern even at our worst this year we're 2-1 or 3-0 vs this.

 The funniest comment where about Everett Golson coming back. the last time we faced him at Notre Dame stadium he was pulled from the game for Tommy Reece. I'm expecting our defense to be much improved considering the ammount of true freshman and true sophmores we played this year.

Brandon_L

December 3rd, 2013 at 9:39 AM ^

Well I predict a loss at Notre Dame as they will be better. MSU loses a lot and I expect to win this game because our defense will be better and likely stop their power attack. Ohio Predict Ohio loses Miller to NFL, Their OC hermann Leaves for new job. They have to replace 4 offensive lineman and carlos hyde, Jordan Hall, Kenny Guiton are all gone. Ohio will be 50/50 and we have a great shot to beat them.

Victor Hale II

December 3rd, 2013 at 12:11 PM ^

ND has been recruiting very well, so they might be able to plug some of those holes without too much of a problem. 

 

Totally with you on Golson.  He's a 2nd year starter, coming in after a year off from football, and he plays the most critical position in sports.  I like our chances there, especially with our D returning most of its contributors and maybe even adding a few more.

swan flu

December 3rd, 2013 at 9:40 AM ^

I'm oddly optimistic about next season.  We replace starters Thomas Gordon and Jabril Black on defense with Dymonte Thomas (probably) and Ondre Pipkins while keeping in tact a really really good linebacker core of Ryan, Morgan, and Ross.  Depth will be in our favor with guys like Ojemudia, Poggi, Stribling, and Gedeon all progressing.  Not to mention the addition of Jabrill Peppers. 

 

If we can avoid crippling injuries on defense, and if our offense can figure out how to gain some consistancy (that's the big 'if") then I really think we could win 4 of those road games and compete for the B1G title.

 

I think there's a good chance we turn the corner next year. I'll predict we lose to ND, but win the rest. 

Tuebor

December 3rd, 2013 at 9:46 AM ^

I like your optimism but Pipkins and Dymonte Thomas are unproven.  Big guys have trouble with knee injuries, just ask Chris Bryant.  Dymonte Thomas blocked a punt against CMU but has made no noise sense. 

 

Depth should be good but I'd like a strong first team at all Big Ten level not 1a and 1b.

swan flu

December 3rd, 2013 at 9:54 AM ^

But MSU and OSU are making replacements too.  The unproven argument is nullified because every team replaces people. Pipkins and Thomas were heavily praised by Mattison, and the consensus on Thomas was that he needed  year to improve his coverage, but that he was easily one of the best athletes on the team.  Pipkins was a starter this year before getting hurt.

 

Chris Bryant never received such praise and started the year behind TWO walk-ons. apples and oranges there.

I Like Burgers

December 3rd, 2013 at 10:52 AM ^

I do like the front 7 next season.  They lose Black and QWash, but everyone else returns.  The young guys will all be a year older, wiser, and stronger, plus they can start to rotate in some of the guys they redshirted this year like Poggi and McCray.

I think the overall success of the unit though hinges largely on Pipkins ability to bounce back from injury.

swan flu

December 3rd, 2013 at 10:03 AM ^

I believe what you are referring to are the defensive linemen saying they were scared of him when he pulled because he packed a punch.  The coaches never said he was one of the better guards, and he was never higher on the depth chart than Glasgow or Burzynski.

swan flu

December 3rd, 2013 at 10:26 AM ^

2 reasons:

 

1) Given his unique athleticism, the coaches felt he was an asset on special teams, where athleticism is often the most important trait.

2) Mattison has stated in the past how Thomas will likely be an NFL player.  Perhaps the coaches felt it unlikely that he would stay 5 years, so why not get him on the field this year?

 

In my optimistic oppinion, the fact that Thomas played special teams this year but didn't start speaks more positively of him than if he had been redshirted and annointed as the future of the defensive backfield.

GoWings2008

December 3rd, 2013 at 9:41 AM ^

I knew that MSU was a road game two years in a row, but NW too?  I guess I wasn't paying good enough attention.  Not that it matters THAT much, they're more like home games anyway.  And upside, I live closer to there than AA and I can go again this year.

But the question still remains regarding scheduling.  Da faq?

TexanGOBLUE

December 3rd, 2013 at 9:47 AM ^

It has been said that Braxton has hit the ceiling in terms of accomplishments and wins. He might as well go to the NFL and become Troy Smith. I thought I read somewhere Urban thought Braxton wasn't ready for the NFL. This would come from Urban since he would be lost without his QB and the team would most likely become Florida without Tebow.

Evil Empire

December 3rd, 2013 at 11:39 AM ^

Of course he'd have the year to improve, but Jones is Gardner without the intelligence or throwing ability.  Even on the road I think we can contain someone like Jones.  Sophomore Braxton Miller >Junior Braxton Miller >>> Freshman Braxton Miller.  Even if Miller has reached his peak he still tore us up.