Best thing you saw: Week 12

Submitted by mi93 on

The day had the potential for far more chaos than it delivered.  And today further proved what I bet many of us already know, that if the B1G gets a team in the playoff, whoever it is will likely be brutally exposed in the semis, as it has the last two years.  Nice work Delaney.

There were still many good games and some cool things to see.

Non-M: While I liked the USC trickery on the punt return, K-St-OKSt had fun fireworks, and Utah-UW is entertaining to the end, the class demonstrated at the end of the Navy-ND game was fantastic and the best thing I saw - after a tough, well-played game.  The ND players joined the Navy team in front of their fans and stood with them for their alma mater, and the Navy players returned the gesture.  Total class, and a reminder that these kids all respect each other far more than some fans of opposing teams respect one another.  These young men are often worthy role models.

M: Say what you want, but until Peters left the game, best thing I saw was that Michigan was the better team.  And I don't think it was close.  Call it bad luck or bad calls, but three plays contributed to a 21-point swing - the nudge / trip / stumble of Ambry on the punt return where he otherwise would have been in perfect position to prevent a return, the TD/non-TD catch by DPJ, and the phantom DPI that kept a key W drive alive when a punt had been forced.  It's clear we lack depth, but if that's news to anyone here, you don't know this team that well.  This team is still very talented and has shown growth every week.  And we will have depth going into next year - at every position.  I came away disappointed in how the breaks, and the final score, went - not how the game was played or coached.

What was the best you saw today?

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MGolem

November 19th, 2017 at 2:15 AM ^

Still don't understand that thing with Ambry Thomas on the punt return. His arm was pulled back by the gunner, who was behind him, and he subsequently fell. How is that not a penalty? Not much I saw was good other than it did indeed look like our offense, with Peters at the helm, can be really good down the road. He does seem calm and composed and he throws a nice ball. Hard to get too excited about anything on a day where we lose while OSU, PSU, MSU, and Notre Dame win.

Joined: 10/14/2010

MGoPoints: 13574

Squash34

November 19th, 2017 at 3:06 AM ^

I did not really remember seeing the arm grab. But then again, I was just shocked how unfortunate it was to have Thomas fall right there at that exact time. The returner look like he was just going to let the return team puck it up. Then was like, "oh shit that dude just fell, maybe I'll pick it up" Annoying to say the least.

Joined: 09/13/2016

MGoPoints: 3062

Maize and Blue…

November 19th, 2017 at 2:46 AM ^

Thought he handled himself quite well in a tough environment against a quality opponent. Infuriated at the lack of consistency in penalty calls. Against Sparty Cooper took 2 steps after JOK threw the ball and drove him into the ground with no call. Hurst takes one step the next week against PSU and appears to attempt to ease up and gets 15 yards for driving the QB into the ground. Peters injury was worse than the Hurst call, but again no penalty.

Joined: 03/15/2009

MGoPoints: 6750

Squash34

November 19th, 2017 at 2:58 AM ^

Yeah, even crazier regarding calls is that Michigan is getting calls you really don't ever see outside of Michigan games. The roughing the passer on Hurst for driving him into the ground that you mention is a penelty I have only seen in one other game this year. The delay of game for throwing the ball down or spinning it, is a call I have not seen called on another team till it was called on the Utah punter for spiking the ball after a fake punt. They called it a personal foul and not delay, so the foul they call was slightly different. This game was not too bad, at least it felt like they missed a few called that boned Wisconsin a little too. Lol

Joined: 09/13/2016

MGoPoints: 3062

Squash34

November 19th, 2017 at 2:50 AM ^

I am not so sure about that first part. This year is pretty crazy and outside of Oklahoma and bama, I am not so sure Wisconsin or OSU get their bums penetrated like the other years. Maybe that's because I felt like OSU was probably the 3rd best team last year, and msu was the 3rd best team the year before that. I am with you on the Michigan game down to a tee. I would had that the first pi that also extended the drive that got Wisconsin their first td also seemed very bad because the ball was uncatchable. Up until that point Wisconsin really had not moved the ball. I don't think they were at much more than 150 total yards if that. But I could just feel that would be the spark that was needed. And it was. Horningbrook (I know I butchered his name but it's too late to care lol) got on fire. We have not had a momentum change like that in some time, which would be good if we can cash in all the overdo bounces/luck or momentum changes next week.

Joined: 09/13/2016

MGoPoints: 3062

GordonG

November 19th, 2017 at 2:55 AM ^

...this season can't end soon enough....

major disappointment,

ready to start fresh 

although could be just as tough..

rough Away games:  ND, NW, MSU and OSU

Joined: 11/13/2016

MGoPoints: 2969

Squash34

November 19th, 2017 at 3:02 AM ^

ND loses a bunch from the line next year which is their strength. Nw loses their qb and RB, think it will be a down year. Msu Michigan might be this annoying thing where the away team wins a few for a while. Having a team full of talented 2nd and third year guys that have a bunch of starting experience will help a bunch with that.

Joined: 09/13/2016

MGoPoints: 3062

Squash34

November 19th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^

I live leach. But, I mean... Come on man. There are so many people in this fan base that think everything is black and white, and if the offense struggles it's because the coaching is bad. There are never valid reasons for it for these people, everything is an excuse. This offense has younger guys everywhere, which takes time to gel. Hell, the adage the defense is always ahead of the offense in spring ball hold true for a reason. And this is with more experienced offenses. Add in all the injuries, and it is crazy to think any system would would be doing anywhere close to well. If you look at leach specifically, he would probably have lost a few more games. People like watching his offense because air raid Offense is fun. However, that offense is not going to work with a bunch of first and second year wr. Especially, when you only have a few available in many games. A big portion of this fan base need to take a deep breath and actually think critically about the situation.

Joined: 09/13/2016

MGoPoints: 3062

xtramelanin

November 19th, 2017 at 9:39 AM ^

kids + wife

after wisc scored the 2nd TD i had that bad feeling, like many of you/us, and decided to get to work.  mucked out the hen house with some of my sons.  that was as much bad smell and actual scat as i wanted to observe.  watching the rest of the 2nd half would've been worse.   

EDIT: that reads more negative than i mean it.  i am not down on the team.  i am bummed about the loss and the way that it happend:  just enough injuries, bad calls, TD's taken away, missed tackles to have it slip out of our grasp. 

Joined: 12/09/2014

MGoPoints: 15439

Alumnus93

November 19th, 2017 at 8:20 AM ^

Best thing I saw:. In PETERS we have a steady QB who doesn't get rattled, doesn't get yips, is aware of the situation, doesn't lose ball on a sack even when getting drilled. I cannot say any of the above about JOK. Speight has most of these attributed but not all, as he gets the yips.

Joined: 09/10/2009

MGoPoints: 9684

SD Larry

November 19th, 2017 at 9:10 AM ^

was the best thing I saw Saturday.  Some chemistry and confidence building between DPJ and Peters.  Excellent defense until they seemed to tire after Peters knocked out,  yielding only to Hornibrooks exceptional thread the needle type throws. 

Noting Nebraska put 44 on PSU honorable mention.

Joined: 10/05/2014

MGoPoints: 40880

M-Dog

November 19th, 2017 at 1:26 PM ^

This would be a good year for the Big Ten to sit out the Playoff.

It has been 3 years since the Big Ten has scored even a single point in the Playoff.

The last thing we need is another Big Ten team to get exposed.  They will stop inviting us.

Don't be fooled, politics plays a role in the CFP selection committee.  They want to rotate the conferences that get left out.  They want to be able to say that they consider all the conferences equally.

Only the SEC and the Big Ten have yet to be left out of the Playoff.  Sooner or later, it's going to be the Big Ten's turn to be left out.  Hell, if the SEC were ever to give them a decent reason, they would even leave them out. 

It works to Michigan's advantage if a year that we are not in the hunt anyway is a year that the Big Ten gets left out.

 

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 256889

NittanyFan

November 19th, 2017 at 1:38 PM ^

that was A LOT of extra revenue for the conference.

As you said, politics matter --- I do think the committee will find a reason to leave the B1G out of the playoffs if they can (e.g., Wisconsin losing a game).  Also, wouldn't expect the B1G to field more than 2 teams in the NY6 Bowls.  They'll find a way to spread them out.

Joined: 12/04/2012

MGoPoints: 42808