Any thoughts on Houston in the Sugar Bowl ?
I know I'm kind of putting the cart ahead of the horse here, but right now, smart money says Michigan goes to the Sugar Bowl, where we will play Houston.
Anybody have any clever thoughts about Houston? They are undefeated. but I really haven't followed them. They strike me as one of those small conference teams that has a gimmicky passing offense that works when they play bottom dwellers. (they've played TWO teams with a winning record IIRC)
I'd like to think that we can just get in there and manhandle them a bit. I don't see them stopping Fitz, and I guarantee you they've not faced an athlete like Denard.
Again though, I really don't know this Houston team that well. Anyone out there want to chip in with a few thoughts?
November 27th, 2011 at 6:46 PM ^
Notes:
Michigan is 3-0 all-time against houston. Outscoring them 153-31 through their 3 meetings. Each meeting was at Michigan Stadium.
1992 W 61-7
1993 W 42-21
2003 W 50-3
Michigan is 0-1 all-time in the Sugar Bowl. Their last appearance in New Orleans was the 1984 game against auburn and bo jackson. jackson talked a lot of trash (per Bo Schembechler from his book he wrote) during the week of the game, talking about how small Michigan's guys were and stuff like that. Michigan wound up coming out on the short end of the game, losing 7-9. All of the tigers points were on field goals.
November 27th, 2011 at 7:46 PM ^
That was a painful loss. We kept mighty Bo Jackson completely out of the end zone, but still lost on field goals.
Our recent gripes have been about defense. That was back when we griped about offense. Believe me, holding the other team to 9 points and no touchdowns and still losing is no fun either.
November 27th, 2011 at 7:06 PM ^
I bought Sugar Bowl tickets. I will sell them if Michigan isn't in it. Only 8 hour drive for me from Warner Robins, GA. I can stay with a friend in Biloxi on the way back. Go Blue!
November 27th, 2011 at 7:48 PM ^
Houston is just a 5- 5 1/2 drive from NO. If they get the bid, I would expect a large contingent of fans from Houston to make the trip.
November 27th, 2011 at 7:23 PM ^
Did anyone here think back in September that we would be discussing going to a BCS bowl??? I was hoping for 8 wins. This was a TRANSITION YEAR! Transition years are supposed to hurt. They are supposed to be painful. How many new coaches go to BCS bowls in their first year? BCS bowl or not, if Hoke isn't coach of the year then there is something wrong in the world of football. You take a team that was fortunate to get a 7-6 record the year before and make them 10-2? That is incredible. So yeah, I am amaized and singing victors til I'm blue that we're discussing this! Of all the end of year discussions, this was one I never thought of!
Go Blue, where ever we go in the bowls, go get 'em!!!
November 27th, 2011 at 7:32 PM ^
travel to NO. But are we going to get up to #14 BCS? Everyone seems so convinced. . .
November 27th, 2011 at 8:09 PM ^
USC doesn't count. Georgia will lose to LSU. Either MSU or Wisky has to lose. That's 3 teams ahead of us in the regular polls.
Toss in that Oklahoma could lose to Okie St. and 1 or 2 others could knock each other off...we're fine.
November 27th, 2011 at 8:11 PM ^
Michigan is ranked 16th right now. As long as Georgia loses in the SEC championship game, Michigan will jump Georgia and the loser of the B1G championship game to get into the top 14. Michigan is currently the lowest-ranked of any 10-2 team in the top 25 save TCU, so it's not like anyone is going to jump us, unless the Big-12-happy computers like the Sagarin ratings decide to rank a 9-3 Baylor above us.
The Sagarin ratings suck. He has 6-6 Texas A&M ranked #12 (WTF?), 7-4 Texas ranked #14, 8-3 Baylor ranked #16, and 7-5 Missouri ranked #18, all above #19 Michigan. 7 of 10 Big 12 teams are in the top 25. How does that even happen? If your ratings system puts a 6-6 team in the top 25, there's something really wrong with it.
November 27th, 2011 at 7:34 PM ^
Just watched some Houston highlights. Keenum manages to throw into some impossibly tight spaces. Looks like a legit pro baller at times. I don't see us having much success playing Houston's WRs one on one. Not certain how much pressure we'll be able to bring since he also seems to have a very quick release - I saw a couple of aggressive blitzes backfire spectacularly. This one may just come down to 2 factors: our ability to get pressure with 4 and outscoring Houston outright.
November 27th, 2011 at 7:46 PM ^
We are talking about MAC level teams. No one knows how Houston's receivers will react against a team with better athletes than what they are used to.
November 27th, 2011 at 7:51 PM ^
One disadvantage we would have would be in game film. How many of their games were even televised? And how many of them were blowouts, where they didn't have to even go very deep into the playbook?
November 27th, 2011 at 9:40 PM ^
I would not get to cocky about Michigan running over Houston, when Braxton Miller can throw for 235 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan's secondary. Case Keenum is about 10X better than Braxton.
November 27th, 2011 at 10:42 PM ^
houston has a very underated running game. their backs (hayes and sims) avg about 60-70 each a game. their receivers are some of the fastest in the country. watching osu has shown the defensive issues (db's) with michigan.
case keenum has been sacked 6x the whole year. not many people know that. that's how good their offensive line is.
houston has a very solid defence that went from 100 somthing to 30 something in the fbs.
they have a handful of defensive specialist including: sammy brown (http://www.uhcougars.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112011aaa.html#)
and dj hayden and Marcus McGraw.
they haven't played anyone? watch them blow out #24 southern miss.
this isn't at all an easy game for michigan. yes i grew up in ann arbor, but i currently live in houston so i know this team.
November 28th, 2011 at 3:21 PM ^
I don't know if I'd judge our DBs by the Ohio game...JT Floyd is the most emotional/get overly hype person on the team.
I knew going in that game he was going to be too high and too aggressive. He plays better when the attention is off of him and he's being doubted. With the rivalry AND going against Posey...yea, he was going to be burnt all day.
Gotta love his confidence and even cockiness, but it definitely gets him in trouble in big games like it did with Floyd AND Posey.
I think he'd play better vs. Houston, he'd be more focused and not worried trying to make himself Woodson in the Woodson/Boston battle of '97.
November 27th, 2011 at 10:47 PM ^
and 1 more thing. last year, case was injured so he didn't really play. the year before that 2009, he beat both ranked top teams oklahoma st and texas tech back to back. don't think keenum is overrated. michigan has a lot of matchup problems against houston. their's a reason houston is ranked 7.