Potential Stats of Excitement?
Going into this season, I embraced the mantra of hope for the best, prepare for the worst. I was mentally prepared for a 7-5, maybe even 6-6 type of season. However, this team has a renewed energy, focus and confidence that we haven’t seen in a few years. Inspired by the Debbie Downer post earlier about why we should be worried, I figured I would start a thread with some stats about why we should be excited. I’ll get us started, but feel free to add in more in the comments.
Michigan:
5-0 for the first time since 2016.
Playing mistake free football - very few penalties and zero TOs outside of garbage time.
2nd in the nation with only sack allowed.
Has a likely top 5 pick in Aidan Hutchinson.
Hasn’t trailed in any of their first five games for the first time since at least 1975.
Has beat the spread in 4 of their first 5 games, including their first underdog win since 2013.
October 5th, 2021 at 9:22 AM ^
Excitement, you say?
I bet Urban clicks on this thread if he notices that word in the title, and especially if he misreads it as "Potential State of Excitement".
October 5th, 2021 at 9:35 AM ^
Only if he doesn't already have a babe rubbing up on him.
October 5th, 2021 at 11:00 AM ^
Semi-prediction Ira made on WTKA this morning: Urban will leave the Jags before the end of the season, and he will be hired as LSU's new HC after Cajun Hoke gets the axe.
I believe this is far more likely than Meyer getting hired by USC.
October 5th, 2021 at 1:00 PM ^
I doubt he has the balls to go SEC. He'll stay as far away from Saban as he can. I would guess Texas a more likely destination, since they won't be SEC until 2025.
For now though, probably a year or two of cushy TV for Urbs.
October 5th, 2021 at 9:23 AM ^
It's only Tuesday, and you guys have worn me out already.
October 5th, 2021 at 9:23 AM ^
There is a lot more football against much better teams to be played. We’ll see if the team is getting better week to week or if the wheels are about to come off as we have seen before.
October 5th, 2021 at 10:14 AM ^
You clicked on the wrong thread. The “realist” thread is a couple down. ;)
Seriously though, even if you adjust for strength of schedule, we are still doing much better than most of us expected. We are probably not a top 5 team (more likely we end up in the 8-12 range), but it has been a fun start to the season. Enjoy what we have here and now, and try not to dwell too much on potential negative outcomes that have not yet happened.
October 5th, 2021 at 9:23 AM ^
Doc, how dare you exude positivity. Not allowed.
But,
October 5th, 2021 at 9:24 AM ^
One thing is for sure.... we'll have no less than a 5 win season!
October 5th, 2021 at 9:43 AM ^
Going out on a limb with that call, huh.
October 5th, 2021 at 9:58 AM ^
you can't always make the safe pick
October 5th, 2021 at 9:26 AM ^
Here is a stat of excitement for many of you fellas out there... In a study of British women, 38% (a plurality) preferred overweight men over tall, skinny, athletic, or petit men.
October 5th, 2021 at 10:01 AM ^
Oui, oui mon petit homme.
October 5th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
Define "overweight."
By the typical BMI calculator, a man who is 6'-0" and 225 has a BMI of 30.5, which puts him in the "obese" category. I guarantee the UK women who are thinking of the term "overweight" are not thinking of some morbidly obese guy who can't get out of bed.
October 5th, 2021 at 11:18 AM ^
I was thinking/assuming “a bit chubby” not “I hide bologna sandwiches in my rolls in case of an emergency and wash myself with a bucket and an old rag duct-taped to half a broom handle.” But I could be wrong?
October 5th, 2021 at 11:40 AM ^
"“I hide bologna sandwiches in my rolls"
Or your gun. You never know when you need to be packin' as well as snackin'.
October 5th, 2021 at 12:18 PM ^
Very, very hard to unsee those pics, Don.
Is that where the flesh from your body went?
October 5th, 2021 at 12:26 PM ^
There's more flesh in one of his man-titties than I had in my whole body.
October 5th, 2021 at 9:28 AM ^
If the excitement lasts more than four hours, you’re doing it right.
October 5th, 2021 at 9:34 AM ^
Don't understand. What do you do with the other 3 hours and 55 minutes? Drink beer and watch a replay of the Wisconsin game? Guess that would provide pleasure....
October 5th, 2021 at 12:26 PM ^
And after giving her the best 5’ of your day she’ll still find something to complain about - like watching a replay of the Wisconsin game.
October 5th, 2021 at 9:40 AM ^
I read the thread title as Potential State of Excitement and almost didn't click it as a result, since if you can't tell if you're in a state of excitement you need to call Frank Thomas immediately instead of making message board threads.
October 5th, 2021 at 9:53 AM ^
This is why we occasionally seek second opinions Doc.
October 5th, 2021 at 10:30 AM ^
Whole lot to like from what we've seen so far. They'll have even more chances to prove themselves against increasingly better competition in the coming weeks.
If this team is able to come out of EL at 8-0, which is no guarantee but certainly a possibility, the hype train will be going straight from Hyper Speed to Ludicrous Speed.
October 5th, 2021 at 10:34 AM ^
in cade's college career, he has yet to throw an interception or take a sack(!)
obviously, both with occur eventually, but how many times have we seen a qb come in and we're just bracing for the big mistake?
October 5th, 2021 at 10:42 AM ^
That is remarkable....He's not flashy but he has been a big part of what has happened thus far this year.
October 5th, 2021 at 11:43 AM ^
This is one interesting item that I picked out of the Wisconsin game (among others). There were a few times that Wisconsin was able to get a free rusher at Cade.
But each time he was able to move around in the pocket (not the DG move of spinning backwards and giving up more yardage) and get a throw off. Sometimes he completes a pass, some times not (don't have the exact stats), but has been able to eliminate drive killing plays.
October 5th, 2021 at 12:17 PM ^
While we saw when he scrambled that he’s not what we would call umm…fast. However, he does have quite the pocket awareness and ability to move his hips well and evade blitzes. I was scared when they brought pressure and Cade stood in there in the end zone, but he alluded that defender relatively easily and it led to a 1st down
October 5th, 2021 at 10:37 AM ^
Yes, the content may be comparatively tame, but the "after 8 PM on HBO" title will likely be a significant draw here. Well done.
October 5th, 2021 at 11:25 AM ^
Lack of penalties and turnovers have been huge thus far. Look at Florida who just had 15 (that's right FIFTEEN) penalties against Kentucky, including eight false starts. Nice coaching there Mullen.
Also, our RB's fumble as much as their coach did in his career. Coincidence?
October 5th, 2021 at 2:47 PM ^
I said we will win double digits and will beat OSU, and got laughed off the board. The joke is on all those still living in the BPONE.