Snowflakes Thread: Defense vs. Ohio State
I am actually in Ann Arbor using a browser on a small tablet, so if this works, awesome for me (not for the game) -
This will be your thread for snowflakes and hot takes regarding the defense and defensive playcalling versus Ohio State.
Those of you talking about LBs in particular....yeah, I would agree.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
Our linebackers played like hot garbage. Good thing we are stocked at the position for next year. Oh wait.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
Our team played like hot garbage.
November 28th, 2015 at 4:58 PM ^
Coach Hoke wanted 'Manball' kinda guys like the good ole days without thinking Coach Bo moved away from it when FSU speed carved up the team back in '91. This game really displays how much Coach Harbaugh has done for the team to get them to 9-3 but it also contrasts the disparity between talent of 'The Game' rivals; we are miles behind them and it's going to take years to catch up to the Buckeyes in that department.
November 28th, 2015 at 6:50 PM ^
Eh.. The buckeyes didn't run by our guys today, they ran through them. It wasn't a manball vs spread defense (Peppers is pretty much the quintessential anti spread player), just a plain talent disparity, especially with Mone, Glasgow, and Ojemudia all out.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
Linebackers are dreadful but not at all helped by the pathetic scheme. DL was charmin soft.
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November 28th, 2015 at 3:41 PM ^
I don't know if it was so much the scheme that was pathetic.. the players didn't make plays when they were in position to do so. Missed tackles, blown assignments, poor gap integrity, and fatigue from the lack of depth at the D-line.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^
6 in the box against 5 OL, a TE, Barrett and Elliot is how you get 4 bills rung up on you. Having safeties 15 yards deep; likewise. He easily could've mitigated our LBs deficiencies with numbers but didn't.
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November 28th, 2015 at 3:55 PM ^
At some point you have to give some help but they never adjusted. The safeties were no factor whatsoever.
November 28th, 2015 at 4:09 PM ^
I don't diagree with both of your points, there is an element of scheme and play calling in what lead to this ridiculous outcome. But, my point is that even when the right calls were made, our players and leaders did not make the plays that they were in position for. Durkin is the easy scapegoat, and he could have improved on what he put out there, but he is not tackling for Bolden, or making the read for James Ross. Players need to execute and perform when they are in position to.
November 28th, 2015 at 4:09 PM ^
I don't diagree with both of your points, there is an element of scheme and play calling in what lead to this ridiculous outcome. But, my point is that even when the right calls were made, our players and leaders did not make the plays that they were in position for. Durkin is the easy scapegoat, and he could have improved on what he put out there, but he is not tackling for Bolden, or making the read for James Ross. Players need to execute and perform when they are in position to.
November 28th, 2015 at 5:27 PM ^
I was at the game (pity me) and you could see it coming. Michigan had NO chance with so few guys in the box and they never adjusted. N. E. V. E. R. Urban said, OK by me, and ran it down their throat.
Durkin never adjusted.
I think in the last two weeks I've seen the two worst defensive schemes in college football all season: OSU vs. MSU, and MI vs. OSU. And Michigan's was worse because MSU layed out the blueprint for how to control OSU's running game and Michigan did the exact opposite.
November 28th, 2015 at 7:00 PM ^
But if it was just a matter of putting more guys in the box, why did we still get mashed in the red zone, when the field was condensed?
We were just overmatched today.
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November 28th, 2015 at 7:28 PM ^
It's more than just guys in the box. It's what they do.
With a 3 man front, you HAVE to activate your linebackers and even your safeties as part of the rush. Today, 3 men rushed 6 and a bunch of linebackers got engaged by guards 4 yards downfield.
The DL was destroyed by injuries lately, so I can understand the call to go to a 3 man line with any 3 of Ross, Bolden, Gedeon, Morgan behind them, but Christ Almighty, you can't just have them standing flat footed when the ball is snapped all the time.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:32 PM ^
We needed stout run stopping NTs and DTs to protect our very poor linbacker play. It was atrocious today.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
Holy missed tackles batman. Disappointed in our senior LB's.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:38 PM ^
That's the story of the game right there.. our poor linebacker play and lack of establishing the line of scrimmage. We let them dictate the pace and run at will. I wouldn't be surprised if we had more missed tacklen than total plays. Very disappointing. And of course, nothing worse than seeing the stupid red banner they put up, the O-H-I-O chant at our home field, and Urban's smug ass running up the score and celebrating fo what seemed like the entire 4th quarter... fist pumping, smirking, high fiving, etc. This game reinforces our needs at the D-line and linebackers.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:46 PM ^
Hoke's recruiting finally bites us in the ass on D. I am sure these LBs are decent to good against power teams - Iowa, WI, MSU etc - but he never recruited ANY speed at LB. The DL helped hide/minimize the deficiencies until injuries proved too much (not sure we would have done a whole lot better with Glasgow and Ojemudia). As a glass half-full type I am confident that things will go up from here. VERY happy this was not for the division title as it would suck that much more in my eyes.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:49 PM ^
To add props (mobile app = no editing) Marcus Ray was talking about our LBs being the weak point pre-season. I was sure he was overstating things for the radio but boy was he right.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
"the spread can't work in the Big 10," can you make your case again? Never quite understood what the fuck you were talking about.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:47 PM ^
Could you ever see Rich Rod's teams go up against Urban? It would be even more laughable than it was.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:53 PM ^
Considering RR and Hoke's teams actually put up better fights against OSU...
This was worse than 2008. RR had nothing that year. This year we had talent.
November 28th, 2015 at 5:15 PM ^
Rich Rod lost to OSU 42-7, 21-10, and 37-7...what the fuck are you smoking?
November 28th, 2015 at 3:32 PM ^
Notgreatbob.gif
November 28th, 2015 at 3:33 PM ^
we need some better players on the line and at LB. Stopping the run game requires disrupting play in the backfield.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:34 PM ^
It was a bad game overall in parts of the game. Pretty obvious the drop from 1st team to 2nd team on this program. There is no depth and it really showed today. Injuries hurt and lack of recruiting to fill said positions was glaring.
It's gonna take another year or two before the depth is properly built up and balanced.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:36 PM ^
Probably would have been a good idea to play some. Just spitballing here
November 28th, 2015 at 3:36 PM ^
Just plain ran out of bodies at DL. Our LBs aren't good enough play makers to take up the slack.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:38 PM ^
Has a Michigan defense ever stopped a spread team?
November 28th, 2015 at 3:49 PM ^
Nope. Horrible memories of Lloyd Carr teams ...
November 28th, 2015 at 4:24 PM ^
Yes. Oregon St, BYU, UNLV, Maryland, Northwestern were all spread teams ... We looked pretty stout until Ojemudia and Glasgow went down
November 28th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^
Oregon St is a very bad running spread.
November 28th, 2015 at 5:22 PM ^
With freshman / inexperienced QBs.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:43 PM ^
Linebackers have some sucked all year; got exposed against Indy and embarrassed today.
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November 28th, 2015 at 3:43 PM ^
Linebackers have some sucked all year; got exposed against Indy and embarrassed today.
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November 28th, 2015 at 5:19 PM ^
It sucks to lose recruits like Darrin Kirkland and see him be a meaningful contributor at Tennessee as a freshman. We need some talent at LB bad.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:43 PM ^
All day today, DJ Durkin called a bunch of 3 man fronts against six man lines with no pressure coming from the 2nd level. So flat footed linebackers get to deal with guards locking in on them 4 yards downfield.
It's the exact. same. nonsense we saw with the glorious 3-3-5 under Greg Robinson, a DC whose forte was not designing & calling elaborate blitzes from the LBs. With 3 man fronts, you HAVE to support it with attacking LBs and DBs from the next level.
Today, Durkin inexplicably channeled his inner Greg Robinson.
November 28th, 2015 at 4:20 PM ^
thats what I was thinking - our LBs are bad so lets get as many as possible on the field
November 28th, 2015 at 6:20 PM ^
This was driving me crazy. I was expecting 5 on the line, 8 in the box, blitzing and or stunting. Doing whatever it took to force the Buckeyes to throw the ball. I full expect whatever SEC team they play in a bowl to copy the Ohio State and Indiana offense.
November 28th, 2015 at 7:29 PM ^
if Barrett beats you with his arm, you shrug your shoulders and tip your cap. But to just get gashed in the running game when you that's their bread and butter - feels awful.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:47 PM ^
Hot take.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^
harbaugh did great considering the wasteland left by hoke and funk. gotta buy the good recruits and be patient. this isn't ohio after tressel bought 5 stars for years.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^
I hope someone overtakes Gedeon next year. He's the same as Morgan and Bolden to my knowledge. Slow as hell.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:55 PM ^
I actually thought Gedeon was the best looking guy out there today at LB. Physical, got off some blocks and actually wrapped on tackles. And as bad as Bolden has looked pretty much his entire career, what really scares me is that I think the LB's will be worse next year.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:55 PM ^
yes, what with the remarkable LB recruiting under hoke
November 28th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^
but Ohio State was so dominant that I'm not sure we win even with them back. Demoralizing to get pasted at home like that.
November 28th, 2015 at 4:02 PM ^
and the most important back-up (1-tech Mone) out and two average LBs vs a power running team = trouble.
We do not have elite talent or great depth. Give this staff a cycle or two to recruit and build the roster.
November 28th, 2015 at 4:55 PM ^
Rashan Gary!!!
November 28th, 2015 at 5:16 PM ^
starting to think we should just start oversigning like Bama. Then at least we'd always have a solid 2-deep.
November 28th, 2015 at 6:22 PM ^
the roster this offseason. Quite a few UM fans will be uncomfortable with the aggressiveness, but it is necessary for the program to have 85 guys who are hyper competitive and willing to sacrifice to JH's standard.
2016 will be a better, deeper team.
November 28th, 2015 at 3:51 PM ^
Dunno if Brian's UFR will verify this, but it felt like OSU schemed to put Bolden on the spot. That went about as we might have expected. Disappointed that Durkin didn't have more wrinkles here. First time all year that it felt like we were just plain outschemed.