Comparing Michigan/Penn State 2021 & 2022 performances
October 17th, 2022 at 12:46 PM ^
basically, the OL is better and therefore we ran the ball better
October 17th, 2022 at 12:57 PM ^
More than that. QB run game and deep threat have arrived. Also the QB can improvise. Every single pass catcher returning. The offense can be elite for really the first time in the Harbaugh era. And the best run game in the country can now play effectively with a lead. We could never pound good teams with the lead in the past. The strangling anaconda of Harbaugh’s power spread has grown to adulthood.
October 17th, 2022 at 12:58 PM ^
Yea PSU definitely was respecting Roman Wilson
October 17th, 2022 at 1:11 PM ^
I like the "strangling anaconda" term.
And I basically agree about the elements of the offense being in place. Penn State was sending guys screaming to the perimeter almost every time Michigan sent a player in motion into the backfield, a reaction to both/either Michigan's use of them in play-action as receivers or the way Michigan can use them to block for JJ McCarthy keepers. In one or two cases this resulted in one receiver in motion blocking one player and removing another from the point of attack.
And defenses also have to respect Michigan's WR screen threats.
The net result is against our solid OL they can't devote big numbers of defenders on standard downs without getting blown up outside.
I still want Michigan to stretch the field better vertically, but Michigan stretches the field horizontally as well as any team in the country.
October 17th, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
This is the first time in my over 20 some years of watching Michigan football that we not only have the athletes all over the place (we've had this before) but we're finally able to leverage everything they can do to overwhelm the defense. Teams are showing that they simply can't cover everything Michigan can do at the same time, and Michigan has been masterful at sussing out the thing they didn't cover. You have to account for JJ's legs, Corum/Edwards being dudes and slipping through the middle, catching a screen pass, or stretching to the edge, tight ends up the seam, or JJ throwing over your head.
It's crazy how often a Penn State linebacker or safety was out of position because he was trying to account for like 3 different things happening at the same time, and he ends up in position to stop none of them.
October 17th, 2022 at 7:08 PM ^
Michigan games this season have featured 8 offenses and 8 defenses (7 opponents plus ours)
Its not the 7-0 record but the fact that even other teams fans would agree we have been the best team on both sides of the ball in every game. Every game.
No lucky stretch of tipped passes, special teams blocks or returns, just straight up both sides dominating.
That is wild,
October 17th, 2022 at 2:18 PM ^
Our anaconda don't shotgun, unless they're split zone runs, son.
October 17th, 2022 at 2:27 PM ^
This is the best comment I've seen on this board in a minute.
October 17th, 2022 at 5:14 PM ^
You can do post passes or wheel routes, but please don't lose that run.
October 18th, 2022 at 10:24 AM ^
36-24-36?
Only if she runs a 4.3
October 17th, 2022 at 1:41 PM ^
The OL was very good last year, too. But Corum was out against PSU, Edwards was a raw freshman and Cade doesn't present the same rushing threat that JJ does. Haskins still had a workmanlike day (31 carries, 156 yards).
October 17th, 2022 at 12:53 PM ^
From the thread below, the most important stat is the score, per Harbaugh in this tweet:
October 17th, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
I feel like this is a joke. Ferentz with the "Offensive Yards" answer and Mel Tucker with the Pass Defense answer. So on brand.
October 17th, 2022 at 2:07 PM ^
What a weird video. I can't tell if it's meant to be taken seriously or not. Because Mel Tucker and Kirk Ferentz have very cringey answers, and fans of those teams better hope like hell they were just being tongue-in-cheek about it.
October 17th, 2022 at 2:24 PM ^
It’s 1000% real. They film a whole bunch of these things at Big Ten media days in the summer and we know Tucker and Ferentz were full of themselves from their insanely lucky seasons and made literally no attempt to fix their programs’ biggest weaknesses, thinking that those parts of the games must simply be overrated
October 17th, 2022 at 12:58 PM ^
This is neat, but feels somewhat misleading. Last year we had 3 scoring drives for 21 points. This year we had 8. Last year they had 4 scoring drives for their 17 points, one of those off a turnover without a first down, and a fifth drive where they botched a fake FG attempt. This year, they had 2, and a TO that resulted in 7. I'm actually surprised they ended with as many rushing yards as they had. Last year it felt like they moved the ball on us a few times. I guess they did that this year too - but at the end of the day, our D had a noticeably better performance than last year, and our O just blasted them out of the big house. 8 scoring drives! no punts!
October 17th, 2022 at 1:23 PM ^
Most of their rushing yards are Clifford's 62 yd scamper.
October 17th, 2022 at 1:12 PM ^
Our 41:56 time of possession this year was really something.
October 17th, 2022 at 1:38 PM ^
We went from a 4 point victory to a 24 point victory. I think home field is worth more than the 3 points you’ll see quoted, but I don’t think it explains a 20 point improvement. The offense is better than last season. The defense is not appreciably worse, and might actually be better.
October 17th, 2022 at 1:51 PM ^
Great information. I wonder what the stat line for pressures and hurries would look like in this comparison.
The turnover margin in 2021 was "zero", and Penn State actually won the turnover margin on Saturday 1-0.
Michigan was extremely impressive on both sides of the ball on Saturday. The only possible negative IMO was - settling for FG's instead of scoring TD's. Very solid game.
October 17th, 2022 at 5:16 PM ^
While not exactly 1 for 1, I think turnover on downs is roughly equivalent to a turnover.
October 17th, 2022 at 1:51 PM ^
It's hard to remember because of how well last season ended, but at the midpoint of last year we had major concerns about offensive performance, consistency of playcalling, etc. Our performances against Rutgers, Nebraska, and MSU were all worrying.
This year we've looked much stronger from the start, and very consistently good with the exception of the first half against Indiana.
October 17th, 2022 at 2:22 PM ^
I am not sure that PSU is better.
On defense, they lost lost 8 starters. CB Tariq Castro Fields (6th), DE/OLB Arnold Ebiketie (2nd), S Jaquan Brisker (2nd), LB Brandon Smith (4th), LB/DE Jesse Luketa, DT Derrick Tangelo (Undrafted) and LB Ellis Brooks (undrafted but FFFF Star and considered for Dangerman last year).
Dotson is also a better offensive weapon than anyone they fielded this year.
October 17th, 2022 at 2:55 PM ^
It's close, but I'd say their offense is definitely better (even without Dotson, because they can kinda sorta run it now). Not to mention having a real backup QB, so Clifford doesn't have to suck up hit after hit with no break. Their defense is definitely worse though, because they're simply too small in the middle (not that they face many teams like Michigan can exploit that). They're still stout in the secondary.
Overall, I'd say they're slightly better than last year simply because the addition of an actual run game (uh, well against non-Michigan opponents) should be more of a game changer than a good but not as great as last year's version defense
October 17th, 2022 at 2:36 PM ^
So the passing game was much better in last years game against a better PSU at their place versus the running game being better this year against a worse PSU in our place.
Not sure you can draw a ton of points other than what the data shows.
October 17th, 2022 at 5:16 PM ^
The defense this year was stifling. A world better than last year. After one year of settling in, this could be the best defense in college. CJ Stroud better make sure he has his P's and Q's in order. Because last year could turn out to be a walk in the park compared to this year.
The run game this year has become even more powerful than last year. JJ will come around.
October 17th, 2022 at 5:47 PM ^
I'm just a lot less impressed with this PSU team I guess. 3 losses minimum I think.
October 17th, 2022 at 6:24 PM ^
Amazing how that thorough beat down was with a -1 TO margin for M.
Whoa.
October 17th, 2022 at 7:50 PM ^
A pick 6 at that.