Don Brown: Our guys will be ready for OSU
Clayton Safie wrote a piece overviewing this week's Jon Jansen's interview with Don Brown on his "In The Trenches" podcast.
""These are Michigan football players. They’re going to move forward. They have no choice. And, I'm proud of the way we’ve performed over the last six weeks. I think we’ve played three top-20 teams, so it’s not like it’s chopped liver. All we can do is play the schedule, who’s in front of us. I’m just happy with our response, our energy, our effort and our laser focus at practice."
The pass rush has been no slouch either. U-M is tied for 15th in the country with 29.0 total sacks as a team.
"The great thing is we function out of the four-down scheme and we function out of the three-down scheme and then we function out of what we call the ‘exotics,'" Brown said, raving about his team's versatility. "We put guys on the field in places where we know they’re going to have a chance to be effective. When you can come through those three avenues, you can get pretty complex by week five, six, seven, because your guys can build. We’ve stayed within our philosophy and our concepts, so there’s definite building blocks for the guys so they can learn and function at a high level."
U-M is currently on a bye week and has Michigan State, Indiana and Ohio State remaining on the regular season schedule. The Wolverines fell 62-39 to OSU last season, and Brown was asked what his defense needs to do to compete with the Buckeyes come Nov. 30.
"I think we just need to stay true to form," Brown said. "I think we’ve done a good job of giving our guys stuff on a week to week basis where they’re probably wondering, ‘Why are we practicing this play? Why are we practicing that play?’ So, we’ve done a good job of keeping their hands in it without really telling them their hands are in it. But, they know.
"It’s another year, it’s a different group. They better be careful now because we’re hitting our stride too. This is a two-way street, and I know our guys will be ready in three weeks.""
Credit: The Wolverine, Clayton Safie, 11/6/2019
Full Article: https://michigan.rivals.com/news/michigan-wolverines-football-don-brown-talks-osu
November 6th, 2019 at 12:19 PM ^
Oh boy.
Statements will be made.
November 6th, 2019 at 1:18 PM ^
That last quote sounds like they're working OSU prep in ever week, which is definitely a good thing. We'll see if it translates to the field, but I'm glad to hear it anyway.
November 6th, 2019 at 3:24 PM ^
Had a similar thought. Also, with OSU playing PSU the week before the Game, OSU can't really look ahead (like I think they did for Maryland last season). That being said, this is the best OSU team we will have faced under Harbaugh. Playing them at home and pretty much nothing else really to play for are really the only things that give us a chance.
November 6th, 2019 at 3:41 PM ^
Playing at home gives us a chance, get that.
What does nothing else really to play for mean in the context of giving us a chance?
November 6th, 2019 at 4:02 PM ^
I guess it means that we won't be caught looking ahead to the B1G Championship Game and the CFP, maybe? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
November 7th, 2019 at 6:10 AM ^
It seemed like last year our guys came into the game a CFP contender, but played nervous and overwhelmed. With nothing on the line to cause anxiety, they can play loose. I think that is what is meant by that comment.
However, there is a constant monkey on the back of all Michigan players and fans about this ridiculous streak of losses against OSU. That alone causes anxiety.
November 6th, 2019 at 4:00 PM ^
true, but penn state runs a (relatively) similar offense to Michigan, and if they do well against them, it doesn't bode well for us
November 6th, 2019 at 4:13 PM ^
That 2015 team was awfully good. It just took them most of the season to adjust to their new OC.
November 6th, 2019 at 8:03 PM ^
I was about to say that the 2015 team was the best OSU team that Harbaugh has went up against. I would rank them 15,19, 16, 17, 18.
November 6th, 2019 at 9:09 PM ^
Idk man that 2015 team was fucking stacked with Zeke and Bosa.
This year obviously has Young and Fields, but the 2015 team had like 73828 draft picks on it.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:21 PM ^
"Do more, say less"
November 6th, 2019 at 12:50 PM ^
I hate this cookie cutter response to any player or coach "saying something about team x, who we haven't beat.....blah, blah, blah". Especially if the player or coach did not say anything out of line or out of pocket.
Personally, I would want a coach who is going to back me and my guys and let them know he has confidence in us and that we will be ready to play. Is Don Brown literally not supposed to say anything about OSU if he is asked about it!? Should he just say, "Well, we haven't had the best luck, so I'm not going to say anything." or "Ask me about after the game." It's not like Don Brown went out of his way to mention OSU, he was asked a question and responded.
November 6th, 2019 at 1:17 PM ^
Maybe he should say: "We have nothing but respect & admiration for OSU. We will honor their presence in our hallowed stadium. We will arch our backs as we bellow out "Across the Field". But after all that, we have a burning, itching desire to rip their hearts from their chests, sous vide them for about an hour, and seer them on an open flame grill before we feed them to the dogs."
Probably not, though.
November 6th, 2019 at 3:02 PM ^
Why would we sou vide that junk? Just feed the dogs with it!
November 6th, 2019 at 6:28 PM ^
Not me.
I don't know why you guys would even consider serving such fetid garbage to your beloved pets.
November 6th, 2019 at 6:35 PM ^
Sometimes you just have to go all Jim Comparoni and take out somebody's knees if you want to win.
November 6th, 2019 at 1:44 PM ^
Refuse to answer the questions that he gets? Yeah, that'll go over well.
November 7th, 2019 at 9:56 AM ^
It works for Harbaugh.
November 6th, 2019 at 3:07 PM ^
Better yet, do more, say whatever because it really doesn't matter what you say in the grand scheme of things
November 6th, 2019 at 6:46 PM ^
I mean, if we beat OSU this year it would be EPIC!!! I'll believe when I see it, but that would be the best Christmas present in a long time.
November 7th, 2019 at 10:03 AM ^
Well, in the Uber-Grand scheme of things it doesn't matter what you say or do that matters. But that's another topic; an existential topic.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:21 PM ^
Why would he actually say that? It's supposed to be a surprise.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:28 PM ^
Shit you're right. Now OSU knows they have to gameplan for the secret plays that we haven't run all year. Really sucks that we gave them our secret playbook before the year started
November 6th, 2019 at 12:23 PM ^
Yawn.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:24 PM ^
Go get ‘em coach. Solve your problems with aggression. Dare to achieve greatly. And most importantly show no fear.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:26 PM ^
I'm giving my classes 10 extra credit points if Michigan wins.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:42 PM ^
Same here, except for one student named Jim.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:45 PM ^
meritocracy, huh?
November 6th, 2019 at 1:14 PM ^
Jake is just getting an F.
November 6th, 2019 at 5:58 PM ^
We're going to make fireballs all hour every hour if we win
November 6th, 2019 at 12:26 PM ^
I believe they'll be ready; my worry is that it won't matter. We have fewer athletes and while Brown is (usually) second to none at mitigating talent disparity, OSU is brutally effective at amplifying those differences. Our interior DL and 3rd cornerback are going to get picked on and there's little that can be done about that.
And I mean shucks, on the other side of the ball, at this point I'd double-cover Ronnie Bell on every down. Shea hardly ever throws to Nico Collins even when he's wide open.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:30 PM ^
Against OSU might be a good time to try Dax Hill as the primary nickleback, would be a far better matchup speedwise than Gray this year or Watson was last year. But I do feel like UM is better equipped scheme wise this year to do other things than just try and play man straight up, and only mix in some non functioning zone. The defense is far more proficient at zone this year than last year. The key against OSU will be the d-line getting a better pass rush than last year because if they don't it won't matter what they do on the back end.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:43 PM ^
Brown has had plenty of opportunity to get Dax Hill more playing time and he chose not to do it. Maryland was a perfect example. Instead Hill will be forced to grow up against OSU.
November 6th, 2019 at 2:22 PM ^
Different OSU offense this year. Run focused with passing second. Also a QB who can run. Justin Fields is JT Barrett with an arm.
November 6th, 2019 at 3:18 PM ^
Brown has actually had more success against that type of QB in his games against OSU. The pure passer Haskins is the guy he didn't seem to have an answer to. Fields has been impressive but he still is pretty far below Haskins as a passer. UM has been very good this year at keeping contain in the pocket so at the very least that should serve them well against Fields. And they are not a one trick pony on D, they can run zone, have effective counters to the crossing routes that killed them last year,etc.
November 6th, 2019 at 3:50 PM ^
Haskins didn't have to be a great passer last year, he stood in the pocket until his crosser got open and threw the ball 6 yards and they ran for 40, I think fields can pry do that too. The weak interior d-line is going to be the problem because there will be problems getting pressure on the qb
November 6th, 2019 at 4:38 PM ^
Watson was picked on significantly last year, but the truly disappointing thing from that game was the absolute lack of any pass rush all game. Any QB with that much time is simply going to beat a defense at some point. Getting a rush on and making Fields deal with pressure is a huge key to getting them off-balance as much as possible.
Having a competent and potent offense would be the other part....but that has not been present other than flashes to this point this year.
November 6th, 2019 at 6:05 PM ^
That situation with our d-line and no pass rush will be even worse this year, because our line isn't as good as last year. It's BPONE but it's also logical. Last year our great d-ends were doubled and the interior got no rush. This year our ends aren't as good.
November 6th, 2019 at 7:17 PM ^
hard to get a pass rush when OSU schemed a ton of slats and drag routes underneath in order to blunt that rush...
Michigan's D couldn't defend those routes and OSU's athletes burned the weakest links in the secondary time and time again.
OSU will key on any mismatch when they line up and target that alignment, just like PSU did with KJ Hamler...
November 6th, 2019 at 9:40 PM ^
Haskins had the ball out in two seconds on 90% of his pass attempts last year against Michigan. That was the other part of avoiding any pressure all day.
November 6th, 2019 at 6:39 PM ^
The Watson thing has been a little misunderstood. If you watch those crossing routes last year, alignment had him beat from the jump. Sure, he then got dusted once he was in a trailing position, but no one is making up that ground on those WRs.
As for this year, we actually match up a little better. Defending the read-option game is much more in Brown’s wheelhouse than dealing with a first-round QB. The 2017 game illustrated that well.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:27 PM ^
They fucking better be!
November 6th, 2019 at 12:28 PM ^
But will they make a statement?
November 6th, 2019 at 12:43 PM ^
Yes, "Fuck you, OSU"
November 6th, 2019 at 5:44 PM ^
In every way?
November 6th, 2019 at 12:28 PM ^
Hit their QB hard - real hard!
November 6th, 2019 at 4:55 PM ^
Gotta get to him first.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:29 PM ^
despite being from Chicago, I will have to say I am from missouri
November 6th, 2019 at 12:29 PM ^
Added bonus: we get a picture with Drevno and Mattison in the background.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:31 PM ^
I know I know but that Don Brown flex is epic you have to admit