Sage Advice From Brandstatter
"Michigan meets Iowa tonight for the Big Ten football Championship for 2023. The Wolverines are a huge favorite. Nobody is giving Iowa a chance. That worries me a lot."
"I have always found it very unnerving to have every press outlet and pundit just automatically declare you a winner well before the game has been played. It’s almost like giving the underdog, in this case the Hawkeyes, an added motivation to expand the chip on the shoulder. They are getting no respect, and it is not because Michigan is underestimating them--it is because everybody else is. That’s makes me nervous."
"Iowa has won 10 games. They are not terrible. Kirk Ferentz is one of the most respected coaches in America. He’s had his teams in big games, and they’ve won big games. Do not take this team lightly. Everybody has written them off. Everybody except the Iowa Hawkeyes themselves. That makes them dangerous."
"My old coach, Bo Schembechler, used to tell me that the genesis of a great upset starts in the mind of the favorite. The Michigan team must heed this warning. We know that Iowa will be emotionally charged. They will enter the game feeling disrespected. Michigan must match Iowa’s emotional level. They must not take them lightly. They must expect a game with the same kind of intensity as the Ohio State game. If they don’t, they will find this a tough game to win."
"Michigan must excel in all technical aspects of the game that upsets can be built upon. For instance, Michigan can’t turn the ball over – turnovers will encourage the underdog and lift them. Michigan must execute the fundamentals – they can’t miss tackles, they can’t make unforced penalties, they can’t miss assignments. No false starts, no lining up offsides, no late hits. The little things add up, and the Wolverines must pay attention to the little things to ensure their best chance to win."
"Most of all, it’s about attitude. I truly believe this Michigan team is special. They are veterans, who have a focus on goals they set more than a year ago. If they live in that moment. If they have their minds totally wrapped around Iowa and the Hawkeyes threat to their goals, the Wolverines will be fine."
"Go Blue!"
December 2nd, 2023 at 3:18 PM ^
I thought it would be more along the lines of "get JJ out of this game as early as possible. Like, 2nd quarter-early and let Orji run this thing out. 17-6 win is just fine tonight.
December 2nd, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
I mean this in the most respectful way possible. How in the hell is Iowa supposed to score, short of Michigan committing a frenzy of turnovers on their own side of the field? They can’t put up more than 10-20 points against dreadful Big Ten West teams. They got smoked by the one truly good team on their schedule (PSU), and that team isn’t nearly as good as Michigan.
Unless Brian Ferentz has a divine epiphany from God himself, or they’ve been intentionally sandbagging this entire season just to unleash for this moment, I truly don’t understand how Iowa is going to score enough to win, unless they believe they can hold Michigan to 7-10 points.
Which…..okay, I’ll take that bet.
December 2nd, 2023 at 5:59 PM ^
It's football. College football even. No-one in college football ever really knows how two teams match up in relation to each other before they step on the field to play each other.
I don't think Iowa's gameplan calls on them scoring 40 points, it's likely based on holding Michigan's offense to under 20 points.
December 2nd, 2023 at 3:36 PM ^
With all due respect to Jim Brandstatter, I don't think you have to worry about the motivation of this Michigan team. Because it's not the Iowa Hawkeyes they're playing tonight.
They're playing the fools in the ncaa that keep hounding their coach, tony petitti and the idiots in the big10, an undeserved suspension and the way it was given, 13 big10 schools that demanded action against them and their coach, they're playing against espn and the talking heads that called them cheaters, all the sports media so quick to condemn without facts, and all that said their schedule was soft they were overrated, and finally they are playing for themselves, for the work they put in and the love and support they have for each other. The Team.
December 2nd, 2023 at 3:48 PM ^
Great observation… I said last weeks game was the greatest game in the program’s history… not because of records or championships… but because of the questioning of our integrity!!! We were ambushed by a collection of off field forces … they couldn’t beat us on the field so they resorted to investigating and collusion of the conference and ADs !!! You are right this team is laser focused… they still have to play the game and make the plays … they are fully prepared !!!
December 2nd, 2023 at 7:13 PM ^
I sort of feel like Iowa beating UM tonight would be a bigger upset than the App State game. That was the first game of the season, yeah UM was predicted to do well but their season was just sort of OK, etc. With all that I've seen from UM this year, and all that I have seen Iowa do (or not do, lol), it just feels like a foregone conclusion that they'll win, and even despite complacency/looking ahead/whatever, they seem so destined.
December 2nd, 2023 at 7:17 PM ^
1 first down wins it for Bama a 3 and out get Georgia the ball with close to 2 minutes left. Going to be a fun final 2:45.
December 2nd, 2023 at 7:30 PM ^
Michigan playing for #1 CFP seed