New Season Outlook
After watching this debacle and how ineffective our offense is again once we play better competition, hoe do you see the rest of the season?
This may be the best defense we face all season, credit MSU with that, but thew playt calling and execution by Michigan's offense has been atrocious today. Where do we see Michigan now that we have been brought back down to earth?
We may go 10-2, but the offensive execution must improve and Denard needs to be on the field whenever we have the ball.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:28 PM ^
It's one loss regroup and we still have a favorable schedule the rest of the way
October 15th, 2011 at 3:42 PM ^
I don't think games against Illinois, Nebraska, and Ohio State is that favorable of a schedule.
October 15th, 2011 at 4:15 PM ^
We'll see how good Illinois is tonight.
Nebraska is good, but it's a home game.
And Ohio State sucks, has no QB ... and is simply blah.
October 15th, 2011 at 4:38 PM ^
After seeing the performance in this game, I wonder if the guys were just too tight and may react similarly against Ohio State. They feel the pressure, the losing streaks, all of it.
October 15th, 2011 at 4:53 PM ^
OSU may not have any solid QB, but they're a dangerous team. It's going to be pretty much the same thing as it was today, a solid defense with big guys up front. They'll have Herron back and he'll have half a season under his belt so he won't be coming into us cold. While this loss shouldn't break our season, we still need to regroup and get everything together or else we'll get torn apart again
October 15th, 2011 at 4:57 PM ^
+2
I think we'll still have a decent record at the end of the season, although my dreams of a two loss season just took a big hit.
October 15th, 2011 at 6:02 PM ^
took a hit, but my guess at a 2 loss season is still looking pretty good. We still have a pretty good chance of making the first ever B1G Championship game because Sparty will lose BIG to Wisconsin next week, and then probably lose @ Nebraska the week after so even if we drop another close game we're still a 2 loss team while Sparty is likely to lose 3. Nebraska is the clinching game for us.
October 15th, 2011 at 8:46 PM ^
Illinois lost to OSU and didn't look that good against NW or WMU either. Nebraska is Nebraska - a scary team but with clear holes. And with Crick out for the year, that could be a completely different team than even the one we saw earlier in the year. OSU is a rivalry game at the end of the year, so who knows - at least it is at home, which should make it interesting.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:46 PM ^
We only go on the road to Illinois and Iowa, both being winnable game IMHO (Illinois looks to be a more difficult). And we get to play Purdue, Nebraska and TSIO in our own house (Nebraska will be tough, but i think we should beat Ohio). I could see us winning out, we would have to be very lucky though. I think we likely win most of our remaining games, and 9-3 and maybe 10-2.
But i tend to be over optomistic. So we'll see.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:28 PM ^
are you?
October 15th, 2011 at 3:29 PM ^
There was 0 offensive execution today on off, def looked lost....
October 15th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
Our whole team looked like utter shit today. Especially our defensive line against their supposed 'god awful offensive line' that they have.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
Agreed. Our D-line got destroyed. I'm getting a Penn St. game feeling, please don't let this start a tailspin.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:47 PM ^
Hell we didn't even try to run a power I when the sweeps/option was getting blown up in the backfield, that's what I don't understand. You don't try to throw the ball 20+ times with the wind blowing at 30+mph when our QB isn't the most accurate passer. I'm just confused about the play calling today it was horrid.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
def did what it had too. offence was horid
October 15th, 2011 at 3:55 PM ^
I didn't think the D played badly...333 yards is pretty good and only 21 points. It wasn't the D, it was the O and until we can pass we will see this, although from lesser D's, every week.
I thought our play calling was the worst to date. Hope Denard is OK.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:58 PM ^
I didn't think the D played badly...333 yards is pretty good and only 21 points. It wasn't the D, it was the O and until we can pass we will see this, although from lesser D's, every week.
I thought our play calling was the worst to date. They took away our running game, which everyone else will also until we figure out how to pass. Hope Denard is OK.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:59 PM ^
I didn't think the D played badly...333 yards is pretty good and only 21 points. It wasn't the D, it was the O and until we can pass we will see this, although from lesser D's, every week.
I thought our play calling was the worst to date. They took away our running game, which everyone else will also until we figure out how to pass. Hope Denard is OK.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:37 PM ^
Beat Ohio.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
borges blew that, if we run the ball we would of had a chance, but you can't put the game on denard arm unless you have to.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
I just wish we could get a coach that understood our key rivalries. UMich's loss today is clear evidence that Hoke doesn't get it.
/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s ...
October 15th, 2011 at 3:43 PM ^
i think hoke totally gets it. but hoke cant play the game. this is one of 2 games he has preached about all year! we just dont have the big boys to play the physical game that he expects us to play and the type we have to play to win the B1G.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:47 PM ^
WHOOOOOSH
October 15th, 2011 at 3:55 PM ^
I'd like to neg you, but I appreciate the gallows humor.
October 15th, 2011 at 6:02 PM ^
Double; sorry.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
Take the loss, learn from it, and put it behind you. The team has a week off to rest up and get some more coaching. Then they get a gimmie at home for the homecoming game and then have to buckle down for a tough 4-game slate to end the year, with an eye on that last game. If we beat OSU, I won't even remember the game today.
October 15th, 2011 at 5:58 PM ^
I don't think we are good enough to call any game a "gimme".
October 15th, 2011 at 3:39 PM ^
Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention but I didn't see any kind of screen against the blitzing spartan front all day. The playcalling was down right hideous, play action on 4th and inches come on, pound the rock.....
October 15th, 2011 at 3:39 PM ^
Denard Choked..Hoke Choked...hard to say but this was Embarassing..VVERY diszppointed in Hoke and coaching staff..seem very unpreprared and outcoached
October 15th, 2011 at 3:39 PM ^
Denard Choked..Hoke Choked...hard to say but this was Embarassing..VVERY diszppointed in Hoke and coaching staff..seem very unpreprared and outcoached
October 15th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^
Today was a fail on three fronts...offense, coaching, and reffing. The reffing didn't cost us a game, and I wouldn't even say was biased against us, it was just generally terrible. How you let a guy that has had two personal fouls as dirty as the two that Gholston did and not eject him, I'll never know. How you run a play action from the I-form on 4th and 1 I'll never know. Totally let down by the play calling today. Just have to regroup and take a week to scheme and recover and get it back against Purdon't.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:49 PM ^
Ya the second 4th and 1 call was a killer.
You have to let Denard keep it in that situation and get the first down. I mean maybe they stop Denard anyway. But I'd much rather go down trying to do what we do best.
The problem with the PA on that play is that the entire defense is already keying on Denard. They know he is getting the ball. So to have him turn his back to the defense is just not smart.
I just have no idea why we felt like we had to go for it all right there. It may have cost us the game.
But with that being said, I think Borges has made a lot of calls this season that have worked out for us really well. Sometimes you make a bad one. I'm sure he realizes it as well and feel horrible.
We just have to move on from this one. I don't think we'll play a better defense all season, and we definitely won't play a more motivated one that this Sparty team.
Get healthy the next two weeks. Beat Purdue. And then go into Iowa City and show us all that this is not 2009 or 2010.
That will be the next big test IMO. If we lose to Iowa, the bad feelings from the past three years will be back.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^
Agree Denard needs to be on the field, but not at QB. Coaches need to stop this. He has shown no improvement since the start of last season. He has hit his ceilling as a QB. He is a sub-50% passer.
October 15th, 2011 at 4:28 PM ^
Iz silly. I'm drunk and that doesn't even make sense.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^
an abortion of offensive football. The defense looked okay, enough to win the game, But the offense couldn't snap, Denard looks dumbfounded with blitz packages, and the O-line looked like they couldn't stop anyone.
Not to mention all of the veers were suspect and if Devin is going to play qb more, then transition him and robinson only when things are running smoothly. By replacing devin with denard, they were essentially playing a 2 down drive even 10 yards. Ridiculous!
October 15th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^
is 10-2 but we lose to ohio in a similarly embarassing fashion, what will your opinion of the season be?
October 15th, 2011 at 3:54 PM ^
Inept and miserable but gets the job done. Rebuilding for the next year.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^
My outlook after today isn't too great. Not only because we lost, but because the coaches looked like they were in way over their head. Just an awful game by Hoke and Borges. No redeeming qualities whatsoever. That doesn't make me feel too great about the rest of the season.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
Love the kid, but he can't read a blitz. Double A gap blitz and he throws to the flat. Horrible read.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
I still think we'll be fine, but if it wasn't obvious before, it is now. we're not a top 10 team
October 15th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
I feel like Michigan was trying to be cute in everything today. The uniform switch right before the opening kickoff, the constant Denard/ Devin formations, and the 4th and inches call in the 4th quarter. Michigan seemed to be less focused on just executing plays properly today, and more interested in trying to be tricky and cute. Hopefully the focus will return in two weeks.
October 15th, 2011 at 6:24 PM ^
I agree with the general theme of this post. The only thing I'd argue, and I don't have numbers to back this up, is the Devin+Denard formations. I really thought those were more of the positive offensive plays we had.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:42 PM ^
Who said they'd hold us to 14...
<br>
<br>Yeah guess they were right. What an abortion.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:42 PM ^
Calm Down.
This sucks. But this is not the end. We have a favorable schedule the rest of the way, and should win 3 more games. Denard will have better days, the O line will have better days, and this team will have better days.
This sucks. This really sucks. And it hurts a lot. But there is a still a lot to play for. Don't forget that.
October 15th, 2011 at 5:54 PM ^
Purdue.
I don't think we have another game other than that on the schedule that we "should" win.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:43 PM ^
It sucks to lose to MSU, but the last five game line up pretty well for us. As far as the conference schedule goes, from a balance standpoint, I think we just saw the best team. I think 3-2 is totally doable from here onwards.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:43 PM ^
Punting from the ~35yard line of you opponent multiple times from 4th and short will not win you football games. When did Carr decided he was going to return to coach?
October 15th, 2011 at 5:55 PM ^
not scoring in the 2nd quarter really hurt us.....there were a couple of times when I thought we should go for it rather than pooch punt.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:43 PM ^
MSU turned the ball over twice and had 124 penalty yards. They tried to give Michigan the game, Michigan just wouldn't take it.
I wonder what Hoke's comments will be on the dirty plays?
October 15th, 2011 at 5:01 PM ^
If he says anything a lot of people will see it as "Michigan whining again"