The blown call no one is bitching about, and what the silence says

but yes, for once I'm actually bothered that M fans aren't belaboring an officiating failure.

I seem to remember watching the game clock in the stadium and he got it off with a second remaining.

When you have to resort to finding single blown calls to rationalize losses you have bigger problems. A "maybe" false start on 4th didn't stop the D. The 8 yard cushion on the WR gave them the big play.

It was pretty obvious.  I don't understand how the officials missed it.  It's not a judgment call like pass interference.   It doesn't make up for the big systemic problems we have, but it was pretty irritating.

As for the silence, I think it has a lot to do with that it came after that horrible playcalling sequence following the muffed punt.  That was brutal.  I think a lot of people had the thought, "We played for a FG, and it's going to cost us the game." 

 

There was an illegal block in the back that was missed on the kickoff return after the last field goal we kicked. The officials were awful.

Are u serious?? Not only do we have to rely on a penalty to save our ass but a penalty against us?? Really shows how far Michigan has fallin. I don't care bout the outcome of the game even if we had won I'd still b just as pissed

It's one thing to get outdone by a blown call when the team is firing on all cylinders, it's quite another when the officials blow a call when the team is playing like crap and you probably don't have any business winning the game anyway.

I'm sure Michigan has gotten some breaks over the past 9 games. It was 4th and 2, the defense should have stopped them. Just like our 4th and 6 when Dileo should have caught the pass!

NE not a good team but our team is even worse! If we lose the next two road games and get blown out by OSU it will really put Hoke on the hot seat next season. I can't believe that Michigan is doing so poorly running the football. Never seen anything like this before. Even RR could run the ball better!

I had reached the "I dont give a fuck anymore" stage by then. That's why I didnt get too worked up over the call then and certainly not now.  Al Borges and his absolute incompetence in play calling has renedered me numb.   It's like he and I are watching two completely different games with two completely different sets of players playing.

that drive should have been a TD tying drive instead of a winning drive by Nebraska.

With our without the call, this team still has a malfunctioning offense keeping us a step or two behind the top programs in the conference. Getting that call correct doesn't change that. Assuming we stop them on 4th and 7, which isn't a given, the only difference is which mediocre to bad bowl game we go to. 

Also the pitch (for the TD) was legally a forward pass (announcers even said it)
However, lineman were down field (penalty) and WR was blocking (also a penalty) so there should have been a couple flags though.
However there weren't and refs aren't perfect. Michigan shouldn't have needed a goal line save to win and shot themselves in the foot.

After the two burned downs on 1st and 2nd down after getting the muffed punt at the N26, I don't remember what else happened.  I was too apoplectic in the direction of Borges by then.  And Hoke... who should have put on a headset and told his OC "Al, we've together a long time and I love you, but if you burn two downs with no-chance running plays, you clear out your office by morning." 

were too similar to the plays after the interception vs PSU. I knew we were doomed even then.....

It was an egregious miss...the announcers caught it right away, before the play had even been completed. Usually announcers don't comment on officiating unless it's obvious. And teh fact that they not only pointed it out, but pointed it out while it was happening speaks volumes. IT was awful.

But I will say this...even if Nebraska gets flagged, then misses the 4th and 7 attempt...we still will not be very happy today about the offense. Maybe folks wouldn't be freaking out as much and saying "FIRE HOKE!"...but I do think that there would be quite a bit of grumbling today still.

Even if Nebraska had not got the huge gain after converting 4th and 2, or if Armstrong got swarmed and tackled on 4rd and goal, still see a tie game going into OT. Their running game would have eventually scored a TD and we had no prayer other than baned-off-the-uprights FGs in OT. Would have been PSU part 2.

that didnt appear as obvious to me as the 2-3 nebraska OL running more than 5-10 yards down the field on the game winning "option" touchdown.  its either a run or a pass.  if its a forward pass, which they obviously called it as, then those OL cannot be releasing and engaging defenders in the end zone.  but does it really matter?  maybe if they continue to lose these close, ugly games, rather than barely eke out wins, hoke and staff will see the light.  disregard the sacks and accompanying negative yardage - its at least the third game this year when UM has averaged less than 1 yard per rush - and if you toss in the sack yardage, its 2 straight with negative rushing yards.  consider last night when lsu and bama both play a majority of starters on all their special teams units....and if theyre not starters , theyre backups or talented freshmen.  and then you look at UM yesterday....for some reason Hoke continued to not only play jeremy jackson on special teams but he trotted out numbers 37 and 41 on kick teams....theyre both local walk-ons, neither have any talent and neither tops 220 nor especially fleet of foot.  this is not a charity....a division home game you desparately need to win is not the time to reward guys for "working hard and competing during the week" by letting walk-ons play special teams in front of their parents.....its beautiful and touching but not the cutthroat culture required to win big.  those guys on special teams did not decide the game and overall had little impact yesterday but i think its just a great indicator of this guys mentality, and by extension the current teams culture.  preaching toughness and work ethic and competition and rotations are great and rah rah but to win big games against the better teams in college football, you not only need to outcoach the other guys, you also need to consistently play your best 11 at ALL times....just as you cannot throw away scholarships on good kids or legacies since ALL 85 matter, especially when you miss more than you hit as of late, but you gotta trot out the most talented 11 every single play (if theyre gassed or injured or equally talented guys exist, by all means rotate) ....the coaches need a serious reality check and i really hope they self eval in offseason better than theyve scouted opposition this year