OSU Snowflakes - The Offense
November 30th, 2019 at 3:51 PM ^
The good: game plan worked neutralizing Young. Many open receivers. Shea generally had time.
The bad: still an inexplicable inability to run the ball at all. Drops. Drops. Drops. We refuse to stop using the stupid wildcat. Two turnovers.
November 30th, 2019 at 3:52 PM ^
Everything is there except for the actual plays. Our elite talent is incapable of making clutch plays. I don’t know who or what can take us over that intangible but massive hump.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:04 PM ^
That is all confidence. We have a mental block / got cowed
November 30th, 2019 at 5:11 PM ^
When Michigan started to catch up, and they really needed to move the ball to make it a one score game, Ohio St clamped down stopped them. Michigan's offense cannot hang tight with the good teams. The difference may as well be the size of the Grand Canyon.
Let's not pretend the offense was good enough, and it's all on the defense. The offense has to control the ball and keep Ohio Sts offense OFF the field. You think there's any defense in the Nation that can stop that offense if they are on the field for over half the game?
November 30th, 2019 at 5:45 PM ^
Offense had some clever aspects, especially the way we contained Chase Young, and the route combos looked intelligent too. But this game cannot be won when OSU/Dobbins are running at will, and we are forced to be one dimensional. If I had to point to one large difference between the two programs over the last 15 years, it's that OSU has consistently gotten their RBs going against us, while we either abandon the run, or run for 1 yard at a time.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:56 PM ^
When Michigan started to catch up, our high 4* junior WR ran a 9 yard route on 3rd and 10. And then on 4th and 1, our OL opened a massive fucking hole that could have led to a TD and instead our RB ran it in the other direction.
The plays are all there. The players just don’t execute. Totally mind bottling.
November 30th, 2019 at 6:35 PM ^
It's easy to say what should have been after the fact. You don't know that Tarik Black would have been open if he ran to the stick. The defender was at the stick.
The RB ran the other way because he likely saw over pursuit by the D Lineman, and wanted to run into the hole left by it. And there was a hole there. It would have worked, except Ben mason got pushed to the ground into the hole by Chase Young. It was an obvious run play, so the defense pinned its ears back to get into the backfield. It's easy for us to watch slow motion replay, and take the time to think of what could have been.
December 1st, 2019 at 12:42 PM ^
True. But I'm thinking OSU would have seen that hole and took it to the house.
November 30th, 2019 at 6:59 PM ^
Yes. I would love to decant and have a sip of your mind.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:19 PM ^
Respectfully disagree. We had enough talent to show some encouraging signs in the passing game, but it was clear that we weren't gonna be able to run, while OSU was springing Dobbins for 5+ on pretty much every carry. That alone is a major game changer. We were one-dimensional (once again), while OSU excelled in pretty much every aspect. They have no weaknesses, and we keep fooling ourselves into thinking we can play the game on our terms (i.e. just pass for 60 minutes).
December 1st, 2019 at 7:46 AM ^
This. I keep reading about scheme this and not coaching our elite talent that. The truth (as I see it at least) is that our talent is not elite. We are consistently in the top 10 to 15 of recruiting rankings and with quality coaching (which I believe we have), we consistently have 9-10 win seasons. That means we are losing every year to OSU and breaking even with other teams with similar talent. We have very good talent that the vast majority of the country would be happy to have. But elite (defined as Bama/OSU/Clemson/Georgia level) talent, we have not had for a long time, at least throughout the roster. Watching that game yesterday, it wasn't their modern offense beating our Bo-era offense. Rather it was the fact that they were gaining six yards on every off tackle play and we were gaining one. The talent OSU had yesterday was better at every position group, in most cases significantly so, than ours. The only group in which our talent is comparable, IMO, is at receiver.
November 30th, 2019 at 3:53 PM ^
Patterson with 42% completion rate.
November 30th, 2019 at 6:04 PM ^
With how many drops that hit receivers in the hands or chest? Like seven in the second half alone?
November 30th, 2019 at 3:54 PM ^
Gattis has a bright future-- he can't catch the ball and he can't force the guys (like Haskins) to follow the design of the play, but he can put them in a position to succeed, and he mostly did that today.
Go back and watch that Haskins wildcat on the 4th-and-1 that got stuffed. Look at that GIGANTIC hole where the play was designed to run on the right-- Bredeson came through the hole and there was no one to block. That might have been a TD. Gattis called it perfectly. Haskins decided he didn't trust the play to be there. When we reach that point where the players trust the coaches completely, we'll have something on offense.
DPJ should come back-- the scouts will look at this game against NFL competition in the secondary and see a guy who can't hang onto the ball.
We are loaded at WR and RB again next year. Offense won't be the problem. Defense... uh... different thread.
November 30th, 2019 at 4:16 PM ^
Yea the offensive coaching in this game was fine. At certain point players have to make plays. I do agree with someone above that said they’re at a loss for about the mistakes like drops though. A coaching change is a terrible idea and I don’t think player mistakes are all on coaches but they seem to always happen even with this coaching regime that hasn’t really had that issue other places.
Gattis looks promising but next year they need to find some plays they can just run whenever they need yards. Osu with Dobbins and the oline was able to do that.
DPJ I agree should come back. He was out early in the season and had some drops even before today. He can get a better draft grade if he comes back. WR room would be really full if he care back though.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:19 PM ^
Did you see the look in Dobbins' eyes? I saw that & thought uh oh.
Did not see matching fire in Shea's, last chance at a lifelong dream n' all...
...we got cowed. Owned
It was psychological, in the end.
November 30th, 2019 at 7:28 PM ^
Did you see the look in Dobbins' eyes?
That's called Adderall.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:02 PM ^
There was a hole at the line of scrimmage you say?
When it's obvious a run is coming, you're not even going to get the ball to the line of scrimmage against a defense as good as Ohio Sts. They're going to hit the ball carrier in the back field. It would be hard to pull off that run play on 4th down against a bad defense.
Hopefully that bright future for Josh Gattis you think is on the way will happen somewhere else. Having an offense that looks good against Michigan St who is having a very bad year, or a team like Indiana, is an empty victory.
December 1st, 2019 at 1:19 AM ^
This is not the popular answer but Michigan is not loaded at RB. ZC and Haskins are good but not great. I know ZC broke the freshman TD record but he is not a Dobbins big threat RB. ZC is a one cut and go without elite speed. And Haskins is good against average teams.
Nobody all season lined up to stop the UM running game. It was Safeties deep to stop the pass. The UM running game is not a threat.
November 30th, 2019 at 3:54 PM ^
The OC from USC might become available in the offseason. He has a fantastic track record.
https://usctrojans.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/graham-harrell/3842
November 30th, 2019 at 4:16 PM ^
If your takeaway from today’s game was that we need USC’s o-coordinator, then you’re an idiot.
November 30th, 2019 at 4:26 PM ^
Yeah Ham, because the offense was so good today, and Josh Gattis has coached so well all year.
November 30th, 2019 at 4:35 PM ^
So we fire Gattis and hire your guy. Michigan loses by 30+ again next year to OSU b/c the defense can’t stop OSU. Who do we hire then?
November 30th, 2019 at 4:49 PM ^
You know, that wildcat on 4th down was great. How could you be wrong.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:14 PM ^
If he follows the guard it's a huge play. Execution problem not play call.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:47 PM ^
That's easy to say right now. We can look at slow motion replay.
When the play was actually happening Haskins saw the RDT crossing to the left and getting push into the hole. So he cut back to where he thought a gap could be left from the overpursuit of the RDT. And there was a hole there, except Chase Young pushed Ben Mason to the ground in it. You can't expect to get 1st down on a 4th down play when the defense knows it's going to be a run.
Shoulda's are easy after the fact.
November 30th, 2019 at 6:15 PM ^
The hole was clear and following pulling guards is a thing backs are coached to do.
There are many things to be mad about but you're reaching here.
November 30th, 2019 at 6:36 PM ^
But you do the the hole left by the overpursuing D Lineman?
December 1st, 2019 at 2:37 PM ^
Run the goddamn play the way its designed to be run and it wouldn't have mattered if OSU knew it was a run dummy. The play design was a win.
November 30th, 2019 at 6:45 PM ^
BTW, Im not mad about anything.
But there is something wrong with Jim Harbaugh being here 5 years, and the team looks like this.
And I think Josh Gattis is in over his head. I don't find anything to feel good about in beating Michigan St and Indiana, but getting trucked by Wisconsin and Ohio St.
Today was a revelation of what the team really is.
You like it that the defense was on the field for 36+ minutes? You do that against an offense as good as Ohio St and you're probably going to give up a lot of points. The goal is to keep a very, very potent offense OFF the field as much as possible.
Josh Gattis was not able to get the offense to stay on the field for more than 30 minutes. This is a big problem against an offense like Ohio Sts. It is a fail.
November 30th, 2019 at 7:50 PM ^
Everyone is entitled to a dumb opinion. Blame the OC again for losing to the Buckeyes while the DC is letting them post half a hundred either ease.
November 30th, 2019 at 8:03 PM ^
Of course the defense should have been better.
But do you think the offense should have had more time of possession to help the defense by keeping Ohio Sts offense on the sidelines longer? Or do you think the defense being on the field for 36+ minutes against a very potent offense was okay?
November 30th, 2019 at 8:03 PM ^
This is such a dumb fucking take. You're not going to time of possession your way to a better defensive performance. All you're going to do is reduce your own chances to score, like we did on the two FG drives and the fumble. This is part of the reason we lost. Watch other non big ten teams play, the winning scores are in the 40s. You can't get there if you're worried about TOP.
November 30th, 2019 at 8:11 PM ^
So if the offense held the ball longer wouldn't have helped at all?
November 30th, 2019 at 8:56 PM ^
Only if you got the under. Scoring more points would have helped, losing 42-17 instead wouldn't.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:03 AM ^
Where does 42-17 come from? So if the offense had the ball longer it would have scored less?
I have to get going.
November 30th, 2019 at 8:13 PM ^
And btw, what's up with the rudeness?
November 30th, 2019 at 6:45 PM ^
I'm going to weirdly trust the guy who played for years in college and the NFL as opposed to you.
November 30th, 2019 at 7:10 PM ^
I didn't say he wasn't supposed to go to the right.
So what point were you trying to make?
November 30th, 2019 at 7:47 PM ^
Yes he should have gone right and followed 74 but.....
74 looks a little hesitant and slow, and when you're playing OSU every millisecond counts, especially when it's 4th and 1.
This replay shows an elevated view that he couldn't see. What he saw was likely 74 not far enough upfield yet and an alternate hole appearing to develop on the right.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:05 PM ^
Nothing changes until the NCAA addresses recruiting advantages for the big 5$
November 30th, 2019 at 5:07 PM ^
Nothing changes until the NCAA addresses recruiting advantages for the big 5$
November 30th, 2019 at 9:56 PM ^
You don’t need a new OC, you need a new HC. But hey, given Jim is a far better coach than John Cooper, we hope you keep him forever. After all, who has it better than you? :>)
November 30th, 2019 at 11:42 PM ^
Don’t you have a cooler you need to clean out or something?
December 1st, 2019 at 12:51 AM ^
I'll be rooting for LSU to fucking knock your ass hat team out of the playoffs!
November 30th, 2019 at 4:17 PM ^
If your takeaway from today’s game was that we need USC’s o-coordinator, then you’re an idiot.
December 1st, 2019 at 3:50 PM ^
If we were in need, Graham Harrell is really promising. We're not tho
November 30th, 2019 at 3:54 PM ^
Oops... double post. Anyway, #SpeedInSpace looks to be a legit thing when the players do their job. The scheme looked solid.
November 30th, 2019 at 3:54 PM ^
They looked good until they fell apart. Haskins is the real deal. We might be good next year.
on edit: this website is less functional than UM's defense.
November 30th, 2019 at 4:13 PM ^
this website is less functional than UM's defense
This is a new one:
Thank goodness Brian doesn't run an e-commerce website on black Friday.