Michigan Monday Is Up
Latest version of Michigan Monday just recently hit the site. He talks about our lack of running game might be a problem and force Shea to have the game of his life if we can't get anything going. This edition is light on the snark and quite stats-heavy. Enjoy!
November 27th, 2019 at 3:53 PM ^
The funny thing about everyone saying we don't have a running game is, I don't believe them. Since the offense has been clicking, it seems they have been able to do, whatever they want to do. If teams take away the run, we just pass, if teams sit back, we will just run. I'm not worried about the run game.
November 27th, 2019 at 3:58 PM ^
Exactly... the running game hasn't gone away because it's been taken away. It's gone away because it's not been needed.
November 28th, 2019 at 3:04 AM ^
Ehhh. The problem with that thought is the YPC has been low. That shouldn't be so low, especially if the passing game is opening things up.
However, I feel like Michigan hasn't been running has much arc the last couple games. They probably feel they don't need to because of the passing game. I'd expect everything they have in the arc package to come out Saturday. If OSU has to play for the pass, and Shea is making the right reads, that could be a real killer for OSU.
November 27th, 2019 at 3:57 PM ^
It doesn't feel like our running game is bad, but that our passing game is so elite we don't have much reason to run the ball a lot. We had to run the ball against ND and they expected it in the rain, and look what happened.
November 27th, 2019 at 4:12 PM ^
Exactly what I was going to say. God gave us rain, so we took it and pounded the crap out of #8 ranked Notre Dame on the ground.
But if the bucks didn't bother to watch that game, all the better.
November 27th, 2019 at 5:52 PM ^
Notre Dame has the 50th ranked run defense.
I think our running game is gonna get choked out.
November 27th, 2019 at 6:46 PM ^
Which ranking?
November 27th, 2019 at 7:16 PM ^
I was too optimist, they are actually 76th according to NCAA.com
As a rule of thumb, I never use ND as a indicator of future success, they are almost always overrated.
November 27th, 2019 at 3:57 PM ^
Our “lack of running game” could be because Shea is putting up nearly 400 ypg through the air. We haven’t needed it to be anything but functional.
The biggest thing I’ve noticed is we seem to be taking the yards the defense will give us. Teams are loading up to stop the run and force Shea to win with his arm, and he’s obliterating them.
As opposed to the past where we seemed to want to establish the run game at all costs and “impose our will” or whatever the hell we were trying to do.
November 27th, 2019 at 5:37 PM ^
Your last sentence really sums it up nicely. That is essentially what Wisconsin and Stanford have been running and why they tend to do well but fail against the best competition. I think it's to Harbaugh's credit that he realized that something needed to change and did it.
November 27th, 2019 at 3:58 PM ^
He talks about our lack of running game might be a problem and force Shea
Umm, ask Notre Dame how they feel about our lack of a run game....I think the Michigan offense has just gotten really good at taking what the defense is giving us.
November 27th, 2019 at 4:01 PM ^
Not sure if Michigan wins, but man if they demolish OSU like ND via their run game then I can't wait to gloat. And ofcourse will @ tweet at this guy and point out how wrong he was.
November 27th, 2019 at 5:46 PM ^
He would respond that he was right that the winner of the rushing game won the game. This is how you survive in the world of sports journalism.
November 27th, 2019 at 5:09 PM ^
I mostly agree but OSU is an elite run defense. Notre Dame is not.
November 27th, 2019 at 7:09 PM ^
True, but we ran at ND with the weather so bad, we really couldn't do anything else. ND is at least good enough to stop the run when they know it's coming. . .
November 27th, 2019 at 7:18 PM ^
Notre dame couldn't stop us if we lined up with 9 linemen with Shea pointing to where the play is going.
Indiana has a tougher run defense.
November 27th, 2019 at 4:08 PM ^
I love his arrogance. They haven't played a tough road game all year. Time to punch them in the mouth.
November 27th, 2019 at 4:23 PM ^
They're have the #1 defense and #1 offense in the country. They've dominated everybody they've played this year and have been dummying Michigan for nearly two decades. Yeah, he's arrogant and why wouldn't they be arrogant?
November 27th, 2019 at 4:13 PM ^
They don't have any idea what's about to happen to them. Just like us last year.
November 27th, 2019 at 4:45 PM ^
Unfortunately last year the 'they' on your sentence was 'us'. Here's to hoping that switches this year.
November 27th, 2019 at 4:18 PM ^
I agree with what most are saying. Our running game hasn’t really gone anywhere, but now we are making better reads on RPOs that turn some of those run plays into pass plays. Plus, when was the last time a Michigan team ran so many short quick passes into the flats? Those short passes to DPJ, Bell, etc are an extension of the running game in my mind.
November 27th, 2019 at 4:21 PM ^
It feels like we haven't gone to the ground much lately because we haven't needed to do so. With Shea doing what he has been doing the last few weeks, it has been fine to let the NFL talent in the WR corps do all that work with the odd run here and there. That said, OSU is going to use Dobbins and we need to prepare for that, and I think we will need to get some version of a ground game going on Saturday as well.
November 27th, 2019 at 5:48 PM ^
I could be wrong, but aside from scrambling qbs, Ive never felt like they have just run all over us...
November 27th, 2019 at 10:37 PM ^
2015 with Zeke Elliott.
Then he went to the NFL and did the same thing there.
November 27th, 2019 at 4:26 PM ^
I occasionally read this column to laugh at myself. Except for the lazy 'analysis', this wasn't even funny. Maybe they should watch the games rather than taking a look at the box score five minutes before turning in a very basic blog post.
November 27th, 2019 at 6:06 PM ^
Agreed, not sure why so many on this blog are obsessed with Michigan Monday.
November 27th, 2019 at 4:31 PM ^
The running game isn’t there because we’re no longer running into stacked boxes. So instead we’re taking what the defense gives us and going to the air.
November 27th, 2019 at 5:13 PM ^
I don't really enjoy reading this guy anymore tbh
November 27th, 2019 at 5:20 PM ^
OSU and their fans are cocky and overconfident. Rightfully so....however their is blood in the air and they are ripe for an ass kicking.
November 27th, 2019 at 5:20 PM ^
I think Day attacks us this time, not with mesh, but with alot of deep fades, to draw the flag, that will be his new modus operandi this year.
We haven't thrown many screens at all that I can recall, wonder if we will see some...
November 27th, 2019 at 7:12 PM ^
we threw a lot of screens against PSU in the second half.
November 27th, 2019 at 8:01 PM ^
Also several I can recall against MSU.....WR screens and bubbles. That's when I really noticed a philosophy change. From, we're gonna do this whether it works or not, to, we'll take what you give us.
The change we have been hoping for for years.
November 27th, 2019 at 5:29 PM ^
I agree that we've mostly been taking what the defense is giving us the past month, but...
Dobbins and Fields will combine for 200 yards on the ground, and if Patterson, Haskins and Charbonnet can't match that total, we're going to be in trouble.
November 27th, 2019 at 5:47 PM ^
Why would we be in trouble then. Shea could throw for more yards then Fields.
November 27th, 2019 at 7:09 PM ^
He won't have a ton of time.
November 27th, 2019 at 9:07 PM ^
Chase young will make sure shea doesnt have time, and that's what worries me the most.
November 27th, 2019 at 10:38 PM ^
It should. Shea is great when he has time. He won't have time.
November 27th, 2019 at 6:20 PM ^
Very condescending to say the least. It's obvious he doesn't consider Michigan much of a threat.
November 27th, 2019 at 6:23 PM ^
Who gives a fack about ozone Michigan Monday fack them and every to do with or that is attached to them. Fuken stupidest mascot in the world
November 27th, 2019 at 6:45 PM ^
He is WAY more arrogant game week than he has been all year long.
November 27th, 2019 at 10:41 PM ^
He always does this. He knows he gets a lot of Michigan fan traffic during the season so he panders to us a little. Then the last game he goes full homer since he knows he won't be getting any Michigan fans after that.
If he was smart, he'd do Michigan Monday for our bowl game since we are half his traffic.
November 27th, 2019 at 6:54 PM ^
Time to open a can of Biakabatuka on those guys asses
November 27th, 2019 at 10:42 PM ^
Please, please, oh please.
November 27th, 2019 at 9:22 PM ^
Read some 11W posts today just to see what the other side has to say. That was a 1/2 hour out of my life I can't get back. I will say this, if Michigan wins on Saturday, there will be a melt down of biblical proportion by their fans. They think they will win even bigger than last year, that the Michigan defense is not as good as last year. Michigan can't run against OSU, Shea Patterson won't be able to pass. In other words, it will be a massacre at the Big House.
Revenge is best served cold and rainy....
November 28th, 2019 at 9:25 AM ^
Lame.