Purdue Game: A Chance to Narrow the Great Divide
Dave Revsine has the following Michigan related stats from his latest Big Ten Numbers post.
34: According to the fabulous website cfbstats.com, Michigan has 34 plays this season of 30 yards or more. That is the most in the nation.
19: Purdue has just 19 plays of 20 yards or longer. That is the fewest in the nation.
The timing of Purdue’s meeting with the high-powered Wolverines is, shall we say, less than ideal for the Boilermakers.
127: The Boilers have allowed 127 points over their last three outings – their most in a three game stretch since 1993.
Of course, you could pore much further through the record books and never find a stretch quite like the Wolverines are involved in.
1879: Michigan has allowed at least 33 points in five straight games. That’s a first in a football-playing history that dates back to 1879.
The Boilermakers are allowing an average of 42.33 points over the last three games. I see that average increasing and Michigan's five-game streak of giving up at least 33 points ending on Saturday.
Prediction based on next to zero evidence: Michigan rolls 45 - 23, narrows the Great Divide between our offensive and defensive performance, and makes us (somewhat foolishly) believe they can upset Wisconsin.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:27 PM ^
I just hope we don't turn the ball over, but have 4-5 takeaways!
November 11th, 2010 at 8:35 PM ^
But had an excellent performance in the Movie MASK.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:47 PM ^
Dude. But yeah, +1
November 11th, 2010 at 8:51 PM ^
some of these look alikes are funny....
November 11th, 2010 at 9:48 PM ^
that's solid but have you been saving that one up?
November 12th, 2010 at 8:59 AM ^
Why does Purdue Pete always look like someone is giving him the shocker?
November 11th, 2010 at 9:10 PM ^
but I'd settle for EVEN in the turnover dept. If we're even vs. MSU and Iowa, we win both of those games. GO BLUE!!
November 12th, 2010 at 12:03 AM ^
That is key for this team...NO MISTAKES!!! If we dont turn the ball over we can beat anyone...even with this defense. Creating turnovers and making stops is a plus!
November 12th, 2010 at 8:43 AM ^
Just as long as Michigan ends up with more points than Purdue.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:34 PM ^
November 11th, 2010 at 8:40 PM ^
I don't care if it is 67-65 at halftime. As long as we end up with one more point in the end.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:49 PM ^
I'd like to equal the 127 they gave up the last 3 games.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:38 PM ^
Penn State and Illinois weren't exactly awesome at offense either.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:00 PM ^
did the same thing to Northwestern he did to us. The PSU offense is a completely different animal when he's the QB.
It's somewhat reassuring that it wasn't just us. We were bad, but McGloin was genuinely good.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:09 PM ^
Keep telling yourself that.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:42 PM ^
McGloin was 18/29 for 225 yards and 4 TDs in about 35 minutes of game time.
Not sure why it's so important to you to deny any credit to Penn State for playing well.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:57 PM ^
Northwestern is 100th in yards per game against the pass. If he plays half decently against Ohio State, we'll talk.
Check out the burgeoningwolverinestar breakdowns of that game. We made things as easy as possible for McGloin.
November 11th, 2010 at 10:08 PM ^
we also made Chappell look like an NFL-ready quarterback that was going to shred big ten defenses all season, that didn't exactly turn out to be true either. Not to take anything away from McFavre, but yeah McGloin:Michigan D==Sheridan:Minnesota D, unfortunately...
November 11th, 2010 at 10:16 PM ^
I don't know exactly how good McGloin is, but he's definitely better than Sheridan. He has a decent arm.
November 11th, 2010 at 10:32 PM ^
Chappell happens to lead the B10 in passing yards and YPG. Contradicting the point of my post he also leads the B10 in pass attempts 77 more than 2nd place Weber.
Either way..GO BLUE.
November 12th, 2010 at 12:18 AM ^
Indiana does not have a good passing attack. In Big Ten play, they are second to last in efficiency and yards/attempt. They have a weak dink and dunk attack that appeared fearsome against a weak Michigan defense. They pass a lot but to little effect and mostly because they can't run at all.
November 12th, 2010 at 2:40 AM ^
uck Penn State!
November 11th, 2010 at 8:41 PM ^
I'm honestly hoping for a 40 point victory this week. 50 to 10 Michigan wins. The probability of this actually happening...probably not so good.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:47 PM ^
Im just wanting that 7th win.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:52 PM ^
How about 71-31 with a two point conversion in the last minute?
November 11th, 2010 at 9:18 PM ^
As long as that two point conversion comes after a Taylor Lewan to Will Campbell trick play that is the first call after we recover the onside kick.
November 12th, 2010 at 8:36 AM ^
Rich Rod would have to say the name of the play is "the moustache"
November 12th, 2010 at 10:55 AM ^
i would prefer 69-29
November 12th, 2010 at 2:43 AM ^
56-17 is what I'm sayin. Notice the colors on his shirt....I hope this is Danny Hope...
November 11th, 2010 at 8:56 PM ^
It's crazy what one win can do for a fanbase. "A chance to narrow the great divide".....how about a chance to MAYBE win the game? They've beaten us the last two times. We are 5-16 in the last three years in the Big Ten. We are favored only because of their terrible luck when it comes to injuries, but I could easily see Purdue pulling this one out.
We're all a little too anxious to get back to the good ole days when there were 8 guarantied wins, we could look down on the rest of the league like we own the place, and we could worry about the other four games. Every single game is a possible loss for this Michigan team.
We're about 3 to 4 plays away from being 3-6 (Notre Dame on the last play, Illinois one play could have changed it, and UMass could very easily have snuck away with that win with one extra turnover).
Right now, Purdue is a better football program than Michigan (that one hurts to say). I think we pull this out tho, I'm gonna go with 41-38.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:58 PM ^
i do not like your attitude, sir.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:00 PM ^
Well, that's all well and good, but uh, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but...
UM isn't 3-6. You are what your record says you are. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all be fat and jolly.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:32 PM ^
Based on what? Their 50+ ranked offense or their 100+ ranked defense? Is their 4-5 record superior to our 6-3 record? Maybe it's their 44-10 loss to Illinois, or 23-13 loss to ND, two teams we beat. Maybe it's that their head coach is such a classy guy. Please.
Look, I agree we're cool-aid tipsy right now, but Purdue has NOTHING on Michigan when it comes to injuries. What about the M secondary, or the fact that Denard has been dinged up since BGSU? Shaw? Odoms? Tuissant? Martin? Woolfolk? Floyd? Williams? I'll ignore the transfer bug, since that's not necessarily hard luck at work, but come on. All of the players listed above are starters or contributors.
You have some fair points, but NFW is Purdue a better football program than Michigan.
November 12th, 2010 at 12:03 AM ^
I think it's far from impossible for us to lose to Purdue, but the notion they're a better program is ridiculous.
The thing is, the relative strength of the programs doesn't necessarily predict the outcomes between teams in an individual year. Purdue, Northwestern, Minnesota and Illinois have all beaten us during the last decade, and those victories happened despite the fact that we have been the better program. Purdue beat OSU down in Columbus not too long ago, and only an idiot would claim PU's program is stronger than the Buckeye's.
This Purdue game is also a chance to narrow the current great divide between us and the upper echelon in the conference. If we get a win, that's further evidence that we're asserting ourselves in a more definitive way. If we lose, then that negates the step up we hope that Illinois represents.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:33 PM ^
"Right now, Purdue is a better football program than Michigan". based on what? the record the past couple years? if so, that's a ridulously small set of criteria to base the quality of a "program"
1. Don't forget UM gets OSU and MSU every year. PU gets IU and Northwestern.
2. Let's ignore history - even recent history.
3. Let's ignore facilities.
4. Let's ignore attendance and fanbase.
5. Let's ignore the national prestige.
6. Let's see all those recruits choosing PU over UM
i could go on and on...
November 11th, 2010 at 9:56 PM ^
Purdue does NOT have a football program ... they have a football team. They may have a basketball program, but certainly NOT a football program.
Football programs win Championships ... either Conference or National Championships. In the last 77 years Purdue has won 3 Big Ten titles ... actually co-shared all 3. In their football history they have ZERO national titles.
I think I may have even errored when I said they may have a basketball program ... because even in basketball they have ZERO national titles ... AHHHH 1989 !!!
Go Blue !
November 11th, 2010 at 10:38 PM ^
Arguably we were also 4-5 plays from being 9-0. You really cannot use that arguement to justify your point.
November 11th, 2010 at 11:45 PM ^
Just a couple plays from 8-1, so, ya know...
November 12th, 2010 at 12:17 PM ^
I was with you in terms of advising caution, but the part about saying Purdue is a better football program than UM? Them's fightin werds.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:00 PM ^
41-31. i wouldn't get your hopes up for snapping the 30+ points streak.
November 11th, 2010 at 11:37 PM ^
They only put up 31+ points once this season, on Western Illinois. They were only able to put up 28 on Minnesota and 24 on Ball State.
November 12th, 2010 at 12:24 AM ^
Minnesota and Ball State are ahead of Michigan in scoring defense.
November 12th, 2010 at 9:17 AM ^
but not by much. Michigan is 104, Minnesota is 103 and Ball State is 89 (all as of this week).
The difference between 104 and 89 is 3.3 pts/g and 103 and 104 is .1 pts/g.
The other thing is Purdue's offense is 110th in the nation with only 17.6 pts/g.
I definitely think we can keep them under 31.
November 11th, 2010 at 11:48 PM ^
Until after the Penn State - OSU game. McGloin threw 4 TD passes and led Penn State to 35 unanswered points against NU (in just essentially half of the game). What happens when Penn State beats/plays Ohio State close.
November 11th, 2010 at 11:54 PM ^
Until after the Penn State - OSU game. McGloin threw 4 TD passes and led Penn State to 35 unanswered points against NU (in just essentially half of the game). What happens when Penn State beats/plays Ohio State close.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:01 PM ^
Michigan gets the W and there are more than 62 points scored in this game, I'll be happy.
Side note- is there an over/under for UM this year where you wouldn't take the over the rest of the way?
November 11th, 2010 at 11:22 PM ^
Remember, the Uconn, ND and MSU games all went UNDER. Granted when a Michigan game goes OVER, it seems to blow the total out of the water.
Michigan's totals are tough to handicap because there is so much variability in them and Vegas cant put the total too high at the risk of wiseguys absolutely slamming the under.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:10 PM ^
You sir are a buzz kill. We here on Mgoblog believe in positive thoughts. For your view on where we could be I refer you to SCOREBOARD BITCHES, SCOREBOARD. I will also reference the act that If we had shown up for the Penn State game we would already be a seven victories this season and your argument would be moot. I do like your game score.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:12 PM ^
I think the sweetest thing would be to try to break a new record with Roundtree. We need to find out the most TD's by a receiver at Purdue, the most Receiving yards, etc and put Roy's name in the record books for every single category. That way Joe Tiller will never forget the snake oil and wizard hat that RR used to "steal" Roundtree from him.