Comprehensive Rant Thread

Borges can't call plays, refs refuse to call penalties for Mich, where were the RBs today, dropped passes, does this mean that a loss to Illini next week is automatic b/c they seem to be a real shitty team?  Will it be like today where a shitty team plays their best game all year against us?  At least the D played well.  Who would've thought that the defense would be the most exciting thing to watch this year?

Running now, hanging out with friends later. I'll be fine.

We would fucking lose to Iowa, though. Jesus. Lets look back on this in 5 years and laugh as a RS Sophmore Shane Morris leads a National Title contender with a talented, experienced defense. The future is bright, we just have to take our medicine for now. 8-4 is probable, 9-3 possible, and 10-2 a glimpse, but existant. This offense is hot and cold - theres no way it will be cold for the rest of the year. Go Blue.

I think we are starting to find out why Borges has been OC for something like 15 schools in 30 years.

I really want Heiko to ask Borges why he keeps doing the stupid rotation thing because it clearly doesn't work.  On top of it being ineffective, it does not allow to get in rhythm.  

I hate to pile on the kid after he was raped by Iowa defenders all day but man, there is some weird juju associated with this team everytime Roundtree gets tackled from behind inside the opposing five-yard line.  2009 Illinois, 2010 Indiana, 2011 Iowa.  (At least we've used it up against all the "I" schools now.)

Forget the coaches and players and refs...I blame the guy that started a thread on video games an hour before kickoff. That kind of lack of focus and discipline in the fan base is bound to take its toll.

But it's so hard to figure out who to blame.  On those last four plays, there was 1 TD (that was a good play call, bad throw, probably a bad ref call), one dropped TD, one PI...I mean, hard to blame Borges for that.  ONly thing I didn't approve of was calling that timeout right away.  Would be nice to have the threat of Denard running it or rolling out. 

We did play like kaka all day though, and it's always tough to figure out how much of that is bad playcalling vs. execution vs. luck.  I think there is blame to go around.

At the end of the day, all that matters is that I certainly felt we were the better team and we found a way to lose...that's the most frsutrating part.

worse off with no chance the rest of the way.  You people that think RR's offense was so great, explain how we got dominated by every decent defense we played the second half of each of the last three seasons.

RR and his recruiting these small players that cannot tackle or break a tackle and cannot hit an open receiver are the problem.  Mattison and his staff is what is keeping this team competitive against tougher competition.   The Olineman are big enough the backs and receivers are too small and Denard unfortuantely can't hit water falling out of a boat.

RR may be a great offensive mind, but that shit won't work against bigger, stronger defenses like OSU, Nebraska, Iowa and MSU.

When Posey gets back on OSU against us, it could be a long day if Denard can't start hitting open receivers.  Our Oline is not opening holes for the backs and Denard doesn't seem to want to run much and he's the fastest guy we have.

Borges will have to call a perfect game the next three weeks or this season will go south in a hurry.  Our defense is good, but not good enough to win with 17-20 points.

How many more "records" can Michigan break before they get back to being a good program?  Today's was the first time Iowa has defeated Michigan three times in a row. I hate seeing Michigan's history of dominance being obliterated.  Frustration!!!

Enough of this "Michigan got outplayed" bullshit.  Michigan played more than well enough to win.  Look at the fucking scoreboard: this wasn't a blowout, and it wasn't one of those games that's only close because of flukey turnovers (ala Notre Dame).  Michigan's defense stopped Iowa when called upon to do so, and the offense moved the ball deep into the red zone, where two times it was denied a significant scoring opportunity by the referees' failure to whistle blatant pass interference by the Iowa secondary.  That was the difference in this game: the fucking referees.  Make the right call in the first half, and it's first-and-goal for Michigan inside the five instead of an Iowa interception.  Make the right call in the second half, and it's almost certainly a Roy Roundtree touchdown catch with no time remaining.

Man, it's frustrating to watch us play sometimes.  I take that back, every time for the last 4 years.  Sheesh, we just wanna believe we are improving, and at times it looks like we are, but at other times we look worse than last year.  I just don't get way we can't take big steps forward in some areas.  We can't keep turning over the ball 2-3 times every game.  And, why aren't we operating out of the shotgun more?  When we take D-Rob out as a run option, like he is under center, we become much easier to defend.  And, leave the kid in the game.  Taking him out is ruining any sort of offensive rythm.  We couldn't move the ball until the last 8 minutes of the game when we finally decided to play out of shotgun.  And, how many f'in times are we gonna throw picks?  Are the coaches asking Denard to stay in the pocket?  If his primary guy is covered, he needs to run!  I love this kid, but man it's frustrating.  We have a very real chance of losing our last 4 games in a row.  It would sure be nice to finish strong for once, but I don't see that happening.  Sorry to be a downer.  I don't mean any of it.  We are improving, we are recruiting well, we have come a long way on defense, and signs are there that we will be back soon.  I just want to the day to be here already and stop having to say we will be there in 3 more years.

Brian Griese comes to mind when talking about a qb without a very strong arm (like Denard).  But the offesive co-ordinator used a variety of short passes (screens, quick slants, 8-10 yard down and outs, using the TE, ect.) that made Griese a very efficient qb.  Borges uses hardly any of this which would help Denard immensely.  Denard just doesn'thave the strength or accuracy to do anything else.

The Denard Jet seemed like it was pretty awful today. In general it seems like our offense should have been able to get a good rhythm but was never able to do so and part of that has to fall on Borges. We had some big drops which really hurt us in the first half too.

The defense didn't play wonderfully. Some of the missed gaps were very costly. But by and large they were fine.

Gibbons hit a field goal. That was cool.

Denard's passing today was off on the deep ball and that hurt. That said: STOP CALLING SO MUCH OF THAT SHIT.

Also, Denard threw a checkdown today and it was exciting.

I don't know what to do with myself.

now beat Illinois ...

game to game depending on the officiating crew. Then the rules change from between the 20's and then inside the 10 yard line, then again in the end zone oh and least we forget about the last play of the game in the end zone. How many times do you here announcers state "he was looking for a call but he's not going to get it in this situation". When did pass interference become a situational call? Call it the same way, every play, both ways, both teams. Players know they can rape a receiver in the end zone and refs are not or rarely going to call pass interference. It sucks the way refs call games.

RR's players AT MICHIGAN cannot compete against the better teams in the BIG TEN!  I don't give a shit what WVU did in a bowl game several years ago.  The point is, all these RR apologists keep talking  like RR would be 9-0 this year or would have won the game today.  My point is there is NO evidence that RR's offenses at Michigan have ever beaten a top team in this conference.  The good teams shut down Denard's runs every game and we have to rell on his horrible passing skills.  Denard is a great athlete and a great person, but he cannot pass the ball effectively.  If he is going to play QB then the zone read is the only way to make him effective.

The problem is, we don't have the type of players needed to compete with the B1G best teams.  These smaller "lean" guys cannot compete in the B1G.  There is no evidence to support the idea that they can.  Michigan has not beaten one single team with a good defense in four years.

Call me negative, but this team will win one more game at best in the next three and it's entirely possible they don't win any of them.  And I'll tell you right now, that game in Dallas next year will be embarassing if this offense doesn't learn how to sustain a drive.  Alabama is light years ahead of anything Michigan can do at this point.

6-foot 190lb QBs cannot be successful over the long haul in the B1G.  They get beat up too much. 

I hate what the last four years has done to this program.  It will take three more to get competitive again against the best in this conference.  If you think this team is truly competitive against the best in this conferecne you are sadly mistaken.