Lets talk about the MSU game

No need to break tendencies.  Win with what got you there.  Running the ball and defense, milk that clock.  This will be a game similar to PSU, except half of the field goals will be touchdowns.  Red Zone offense will stop trying to be tricky and just pound the rock.  
 

The return of Henderson and Slade improved MSU's defensive backfield and defensive line.  Better coverage and solid pass rush.

I think there's going to be altercations and disqualifications, with the wailing and lamentations of many couches.

Going into the bye week, it's understandable if they would want to enjoy their break and reflect a little bit longer on a big win. But from Harbaugh on down, they really seem locked into MSU already. I really believe they really want this one and I think they want to pound them badly.

The gameplans and adjustments have been solid this year, and I think that continues. It will probably be closer than we'd like, but I just don't see where MSU has enough D to stop us, and it looks painful for them to score points. 

Just don't let the foot off the gas. I hate MSU more than probably most here, but I will give them credit, they play hard for 60 minutes, especially against Michigan. 

I am not sure if you are young or not, but MSU was not good a few times we played them, and still won.  Flukes and refs can steer a game way more than you believe.  Plus, they play us harder than any other team on their schedule not only because the general hatred between the teams, but because their players were not offered UM scholarships, therefore have a huge chip on their shoulders and play as hard as they can until they fall over.

MSU definitely looked better on D this week with Xavier Henderson and Jacob Slade, arguably their best 2 players on D, are back and healthy.  Slade being back allows them to not have to fire LBs at the run game.  They also moved Jacoby Windmon back to his natural LB from DE and got Van Sumeran the hell off the field.

With all of that said, Michigan should put up 40 on these guys, similar to last year.  MSU is going to lean on big plays (sacks, turnovers, etc.) to try to stay in this game.

On Offense, I expect the 2020 gameplan from MSU.  Deep balls to Reed and Coleman.  Their offense is super average, though Thorne and his WRs are really strong at back shoulder throws (something I wish MIchigan would do more).  WR looks blanketed, but Thorne punts it up and the WRs come down with it.  There's no way to really defend against it, Michigan just needs their CB to make plays.

If they can limit the big pass plays from MSU, this game really shouldn't be close.

give the points.

This is typical of our fandom, overlooking MSU.... they weren't truly good the past two years, and yet we still lost.  Throw everything out the window, for this is their Super Bowl, and they play like their lives depend on it.

I slightly digress... still don't understand why Harbaugh moved on from Speight, who went into EL as an underclassman, and beat them when they were very strong.  That means something. We should have never moved on from him, and going to Shea, seemed to be a hiccup. Speight was improving, and I loved his presence...wish we stuck with him.

I don't want to talk about Michigan State 

It's far too early to discuss trash 

Can't wait for this game.  Just need to execute and it should be a "W".  No way we should lose this game...but I've said that before.

IMO they will come out trying to be on fire but they are not a disciplined team, nor are they a strong, fast athletic team.  1st half and qtr in particular will be a dog fight but going through the entire game take care of the football, wear them down, take what they give you and beat them into submission will be the game plan.  

Also, JJ has to not make the couple crazy plays he has a game where a bad sack or int.  Pound the ball, run, force them to be gap sound and when they aren't or over commit to not get leveraged, counter, attack throwing the ball but force them to load the box or die staying back.  

Against Wisconsin, the Spartans looked how I expected them to look this year.  It could be a competitive game.

The added emphasis on MSU this year is a very good thing.  UM should come in extremely focused, and that could make the difference.  Let it rip for the full 60 minutes.

I’m not seeing what many are seeing here. I believe it will be a curb stomping of epic proportions and  probably 28-0 by half…49-7 or something final score. Harbaugh will toy with them much like Dantonio used to with us at their peak.  In the last few years of this rivalry when MSU is bad we beat them soundly. When they are above average to good is when we struggle (15,17, 21) 2020 was an outlier. I think our motivation to beat them soundly is greater than their motivation to salvage their season. Better talent wins out here. Also, I’m sure that Harbaugh  would love to send a message that Tuck is not coming to all of the recruits. Lol

My dad, a 1955 Michigan grad, always says that MSU lacks character. And it's hard to argue with that. I really think that no matter how hyped up and prepared they are for this year's game, once we impose our will on them physically they will crumble. They may keep trying for a while but this feels to me like the year that we do to them what we did to Penn St. (and OSU last year): punish them up front until they cave like a sand castle in the waves.

On offense I expect them to try some uptempo like they did last year untill we prove we can blow that up. Probably will try some screens and play action to deep shots to Reed and Coleman to try to use our aggression against us. I don't expect them to get much from the traditional run game, but I can see them moving the ball at times. I would think with an extra week off Thorne will be more in sync with the WRs.

I think their defense will be forced to sell out against the run or get mashed by the OL so I would expect lots of quick stuff from JJ.

I can't see them scoring more than 17-24 points without some sort of defensive or special teams TD. If UM avoids costly turnovers, no stupid penalties, don't react to whatever cheap shit they try to pull, should pull away in the 4th quarter. 

I know Corum is great and the running game is working well, but damn this feel like the game to unlock the passing game. You go throw for 325 and 4 tds and the rest of college football will be like 🤷🤷🤷

MSU is going to score a TD on their first drive and it will be all doom and gloom, but eventually, the (significantly) better team pulls away. Something like the 2019 game where at the end of the first, it was 7-0 MSU, but the final was 44-10 in favor of Michigan.

So first, spare the “They have no chance” or “this game is already over” talk.

Who, exactly, is saying either of these things?  In light of recent history, literally every Michigan fan I know is concerned about this game notwithstanding MSU's general, demonstrable crappiness.  

DOMINATION.

They have a couple of guys that I really like (Reed, Coleman, Windmon and Slade) and a few others back from injury last week that aren't super talented but experienced (Henderson). Windmon has won B1G Player of the week 3 times already this year. That dude can play.

Basically I think the only way we go and blow this game is a repeat of 2020 where Thorne starts chucking 50/50 balls to Reed/Coleman and we don't finish in the redzone. 

Otherwise this feels like this should be a repeat of 2019 where maybe it's close for a quarter or first half and we pull away in the second half. Then you go back and look at the box score and realize this was an ass kicking that wasn't quite as satisfying as it could have been.

When have we been heavy favorites and lost to them?  Everybody is paranoid that Mel Tucker is going to pull a rabbit out his hat, but the truth is that Michigan wins these games.  Granted, MSU has a tendency to play us tougher than records would suggest, but we still find a way to get the W.

I fully expect this game to be stupid and close for at least the first half. If anyone is expecting a wire-to-wire blowout of MSU, they are going to be disappointed. Forget what they've done up until now. MSU does not gameplan and play against other teams the way it plays against Michigan. We should all know that by now. 

This is now officially a one-game season for MSU, and they will treat it as such. All losses that proceeded this, and the ones that could come after, all of it is forgiven and forgotten if they leave Ann Arbor with a win. They will make some plays they don't normally make. Catch balls they don't normally catch. Make tackles they normally miss. I expect MSU to go full Leeroy Jenkins in several moments in this game. Thorne will just chuck it up deep and let his receivers try to go make a play because "Hey, what left is there to play for besides ruining these guy's season?". Unfortunately, MSU's receivers are pretty good at making plays on the ball. 

Should Michigan win? Yes. Should they, on paper, dominate MSU? Probably. Does it help being at home? Absolutely. Will Michigan remember what happened last year? Unquestionably.

Will this mean anything when toe finally meets leather? If the last 15 years are any indication, I doubt it. MSU always makes Michigan earn everything, no matter how bad the rest of its season has gone. You can bet Dantonio will probably be giving those guys a pregame talk beforehand. 

I’d bet dollars to donuts that they play most of the game in max protect and hope to get one on one matchups on the edges. Thorne hasn’t played well this year, but he’s capable of hitting those deep shots and running occasionally on a QB keeper/draw. They will get some points. 
 

On the other side, I expect them to play aggressively: loading LBs onto the line, shooting gaps on every likely run play and blitzing on every obvious passing down. It will look more like IU than PSU in terms of scheme, and for them it should - because the alternative is getting bludgeoned to death. This will open up opportunities downfield, as well as for screens and misdirection plays. If JJ can hit a couple deep shots, this could be over early. If not, it could become more of a slog than any of us would like to see. 
 

My money is on the latter - until JJ actually hits those deep shots, I feel uncomfortable expecting them to happen. Because of that, I foresee a game that feels uncomfortably tight for 3 quarters until Michigan’s superior talent asserts itself. 30-20 or something like that.