You remember the kid from the dark times, you know, the kid running the NCAA14 simulation that we were all stuck in? The one where he always rigged the game so OSU had the best players and Michigan players and coaches were all terrible and OSU was able to pave Michigan year after year? That kid?
My working theory now is that he has moved on to other things. Maybe its girls, maybe its beer, maybe its pooping in buckets, whatever. But he decided to fire up his copy of NCAA14 this year and realized that he let Michigan get good, that OSU has lost two in a row, and that at that point in the simulation he couldnt change the players and coaches any more.
No worries, he thinks, I'll make up something and suspend their head coach for the first and last three games. Either they'll lose an AppState type upset in the first, or at least it'll get OSU back on top at the end.
Sorry kid. Michigan is better. We're crawling out of our cage and we're doing just fine.
I will be in the house Saturday as well. It will be my first game at Michigan Stadium since the 67-65 Illinois OT game in 2010. It will be my 14 year old's first ever trip there after taking him to see Michigan win at Kinnick right up the road from us last year.
I am firmly in the "I'd rather watch from my couch with cheap beer and no bathroom lines" camp any more, but my 13 year old who had never seen Michigan play, and had only been to one Iowa State game right up the road from us has been begging for months to go to this one. So we indulged him. It did not disappoint.
For the record, I went to the 2016 game which was shortly after we moved out this way, and it was a similarly enjoyable experience (other than the 2016 outcome). Iowa fans are mostly very good sports who know who their team is, and has very little animosity toward us, but a lot toward Ohio State. We had a lot of Michigan fans around us, and we had a very good-natured back and forth with the Iowa fans throughout the game.
I did find it funny though that in the pregame intros on the big board, the punter got the loudest reception, with lots of "heisman" chants from the Iowa faithful.
Was playing summer league hockey in Kalamazoo. We got moved up to advanced after going undefeated in intermediate that winter. Unfortunately, advanced hockey in the summer in Kzoo means playing against a Michigan team, Michigan State, WMU, and one with these funny Blackhawk stickers on the back of their helmets.
Third game in, we're 0-2 and had given up about 33 goals to our 4. We're playing the team from Chicago including Probert and Sergei Krivokrasov (this was right before his All-Star year in Nashville). I'm playing defense, and going back on a puck in my own corner. Krivo picks it up and I ride him off with a nice shoulder check and take the puck away and clear it. He looks at me and says, "nice play, kid. Don't EVER do that again." I looked him right in the eye and said, "yes sir."
We bumped back down to intermediate after that game.
You actually can edit the rankings in that game. It's not easy, and you cant do it within the game, but you can do it. You can edit darn near anything except jerseys. Which is weird.
This is unfortunately what we're up against. If UGA keeps the game interesting with Alabama, the CFP mobsters will have a reason to give them a rematch, no matter what Michigan does. The excuses are there: Ohio State is not as good as we thought, and Northwestern is just plain not good, so let's put Georgia in.
My only beef with this is that they are fun to watch even when they're not winning. As young players tend to do, they sometimes try to do too much, which leads to a lot of action. Sometimes good, sometimes not. But compared to years past when Babs and Blash kept the handcuffs on everybody, this season has been a breath of fresh air.
Yes, this. I don't blame people for going bonkers over these stories over and over because it's a not really obvious. But for anyone who's interested, google "trademark naked license."
That was my experience as well. I stood there after the game and took in the scene of 30,000 people storming the field. I saw an older gentleman (late 60s, early 70s) in tears watching his team celebrate a huge victory. I shook his hand, told him congrats, and did the same to about 25 more fans on my way out. To a person, they all told me, "Beat Ohio State!"
I still don't like 'em, but it's hard to root against them.
We have striven lo these many months to save and re-conquer the nor'east of the country, and push back those heathens from the south. Many times we did the right thing, but were on the wrong side of a result. 'tis only with much resolve and leadership that we were able to survive.
Now we have the initiative, we have the strength, it is we that have the upper hand in this conflict of survival. And today, today is the day of days, a day in which I received the orders that I have longed for, begged for.
"Attack Ohio."
I may not live to see the end of this day, but if I fall, I fall doing the work of the gods.
Michigan won a ton of faceoffs. At least, they were able to pull them back, but then lost them right away because ND wingers were firing immediately on puck drop and Michigan was a step slow. That was not ideal.
I saw ND take advantage of their outside wing speed by dumping, even from their own side of the red line, and send the wingers to beat the slow-turning Michigan defensemen, knowing they could avoid icing by beating the defensemen back. They did this repeatedly and with great effect, setting up in the Michigan zone and generating chances. On the other end, Michigan tried repeatedly to carry the puck in, which worked sometimes, but when it didn't it played right into NDs hands and they had many 3-2's and 2-1's going the other way off the turnovers.
The PP did a nice job of setting up in the zone. And setting up. And setting up. And moving the puck around. And around. And around. I haven't been able to watch a ton of games this year, so I don't know what the PP usually does or what their MO is. But not generating shots and moving the puck around the perimeter wasn't working.
Overall, it was an entertaining game. The refs let the kids play for the most part, and unlike college hockey of the late 90s and early 00s, there were scoring chances on both ends. I think with a deeper bench this is a program that will be perennial Frozen Four competitors.
Flight sims seem to be the best playing ground right now. I know there are programs out there for all three of the big flight sims (Flight Simulator X, Prepar3d, and X-plane), and by all accounts are amazing.
But that doesn't mean that I'm not moderately nervous about the game. I'm a lot nervous. If I had to put a percentage on it, I'd put it 55-45 towards us. I'd say that's optimistic, and also moderately nervous.
That game was bonkers right from the start. Iowa State (!) dominated them in every phase. I've been telling anyone who will listen around these parts to give Matt Campbell some time, he's a good coach.
After the 50 or so text messages last week from friends telling me I'm never allowed to watch Michigan play at Kinnick ever again, that was more fun to watch.
Down at point 26, there are past seasons, and those links have season schedules, but I think they're only D1A v. D1A. You may have to go in a delete the dates before you do the text to columns thing though.
"No Michigan team in my experience has spent an entire season bombing everyone they come across. Michigan has three top fifteen wins and the only reason any of those was within three scores was Kenny Allen having a miserable day against Wisconsin. You'd have to go back to the 70s to find a Michigan team that can end almost every game it plays in the first half."
A few years ago someone did a study where they figured out at what point during a game the winning points were scored, the theory being that the earlier they were scored, the more lopsided the game was. It would be really interesting to see that with this team, and compare it with Ohio State and Alabama, and the 1997 and 2006 teams.
This is another data point I bring up when confronted with the "Harbaugh to the NFL" BS. Michigan is within striking distance of 1000, and you don't think he wants to be on the sidelines when that happens?
That's what it was. It was 50% (I think the actual difference was a single game in favor of the team winning the coin flip) until 1994, when they moved the kickoff back 5 yards to the 30. Before that, when the kickoff was at the 35, it was even. After that, with the kick from 30, it jumped almost 10%.
That was brought up when I looked at this before, and drove me to look at a greater sample, which led to the 59 vs 51 I talk about below. If you extend that out to the entirety of NFL OTs, it comes out to about 51%. That 8-year period was cherry-picked.
Yup - trying to dig it up too. It's been a while since I 've looked because I did a ton of research a few years back comparing the two. It came out to something along the lines of 59% of college football coin toss winners won OT, and 51% in the NFL. Going second in college is far more valuable than receiving in the NFL rules.
Regular season: no OT. Tie games. (I know, I know, Americans are unbelievably biased against tie games, but the game is defined as 60 minutes long. Tie games happen.)
Playoffs: Old NFL OT rules. The coin flip winner was not, contrary to popular belief, predisposed to be the winner. College OT as currently constructed is actually FAR more biased toward the coin flip winner.
Playoffs idea #2: Keep playing right through 0:00. So if I have the ball in a tie game with 0:28 seconds to go, I take my time, the clock rolls 0:00, and we keep going with only the play clock running.
Playoffs idea #3: Ryder cup style. Visiting team has to win. Tie game goes to the home team (presumably the higher seed = last Ryder Cup champion). Super Bowl is similar as the presumption goes the way of the higher ranked team, however you want to define it. Lower ranked team has to win it.
Every team is basically mediocre from a talent standpoint. The teams that are consistently good are well coached teams. The others that pop up from time to time do so because the calls, the bounces, and the (lack of) injuries go their way.
I got into an argument with a family member about how any given Sunday anybody can beat anybody. That makes for boring television. If anybody can beat anybody, where's the drama? You don't get Georgia State over Florida in the NFL. Sure, 95 out of every hundred of those games go how they're supposed to, but when you get that 1, or the close ones, it brings an excitement that cannot be matched.
And when the big boys play, knowing that one loss could be the difference between a playoff berth and a Dec 31 bowl game, so much more seemingly rides on every snap.
That, and I have no idea what a catch is in the NFL. Nobody does.
[edit] My hypocritical side still watches the NHL though. I'll never leave it.
Montoya was really sharp after the Habs scored that first goal. The Pens threw everything they had for the rest of the first trying to get the tying goal.
Also, Max Pacioretty scored that first goal (the game winner). And added an assist. Even more of the Michigan difference.
"That's 11 of Michigan's 44 attempts that collectively went for –22 yards. The remaining 33 went for 4.6 yards an attempt. I'll take that against a fierce run defense currently 14th in S&P+, especially since Michigan didn't break any long ones that tend to puff stats up."
One thing I've always wanted to see included in rushing stats is median. Call it the Barry Sanders (only because I cant think of a Michigan analog) rule:
He would have 20 carries for 120 yards, for a 6 ypc average. But his median run would be a -1, because the runs would be -2, -1, -1, -1, . . . -1, 140*. I think it would bring another level of understanding to the day from a running standpoint.
Recent Comments
You remember the kid from the dark times, you know, the kid running the NCAA14 simulation that we were all stuck in? The one where he always rigged the game so OSU had the best players and Michigan players and coaches were all terrible and OSU was able to pave Michigan year after year? That kid?
My working theory now is that he has moved on to other things. Maybe its girls, maybe its beer, maybe its pooping in buckets, whatever. But he decided to fire up his copy of NCAA14 this year and realized that he let Michigan get good, that OSU has lost two in a row, and that at that point in the simulation he couldnt change the players and coaches any more.
No worries, he thinks, I'll make up something and suspend their head coach for the first and last three games. Either they'll lose an AppState type upset in the first, or at least it'll get OSU back on top at the end.
Sorry kid. Michigan is better. We're crawling out of our cage and we're doing just fine.
I will be in the house Saturday as well. It will be my first game at Michigan Stadium since the 67-65 Illinois OT game in 2010. It will be my 14 year old's first ever trip there after taking him to see Michigan win at Kinnick right up the road from us last year.
Can't wait to take it all in again. GO BLUE!
I am firmly in the "I'd rather watch from my couch with cheap beer and no bathroom lines" camp any more, but my 13 year old who had never seen Michigan play, and had only been to one Iowa State game right up the road from us has been begging for months to go to this one. So we indulged him. It did not disappoint.
For the record, I went to the 2016 game which was shortly after we moved out this way, and it was a similarly enjoyable experience (other than the 2016 outcome). Iowa fans are mostly very good sports who know who their team is, and has very little animosity toward us, but a lot toward Ohio State. We had a lot of Michigan fans around us, and we had a very good-natured back and forth with the Iowa fans throughout the game.
I did find it funny though that in the pregame intros on the big board, the punter got the loudest reception, with lots of "heisman" chants from the Iowa faithful.
Considering my house is 20 minutes from Jack Trice Stadium I would LOVE a home and home with Iowa State. This needs to happen.
Was playing summer league hockey in Kalamazoo. We got moved up to advanced after going undefeated in intermediate that winter. Unfortunately, advanced hockey in the summer in Kzoo means playing against a Michigan team, Michigan State, WMU, and one with these funny Blackhawk stickers on the back of their helmets.
Third game in, we're 0-2 and had given up about 33 goals to our 4. We're playing the team from Chicago including Probert and Sergei Krivokrasov (this was right before his All-Star year in Nashville). I'm playing defense, and going back on a puck in my own corner. Krivo picks it up and I ride him off with a nice shoulder check and take the puck away and clear it. He looks at me and says, "nice play, kid. Don't EVER do that again." I looked him right in the eye and said, "yes sir."
We bumped back down to intermediate after that game.
I mean, he was dead when the line was said way back in the original, too.
You actually can edit the rankings in that game. It's not easy, and you cant do it within the game, but you can do it. You can edit darn near anything except jerseys. Which is weird.
This is unfortunately what we're up against. If UGA keeps the game interesting with Alabama, the CFP mobsters will have a reason to give them a rematch, no matter what Michigan does. The excuses are there: Ohio State is not as good as we thought, and Northwestern is just plain not good, so let's put Georgia in.
Let's make this interesting. Rutger gets one point for every one of their own fans in the stands in the fourth quarter. Who you got?
Me? Michigan still wins 79-17.
After reading the FFFF's and this, I have a lot to think about for this prediction.
Just kidding.
49-3 Michigan, with a sad FG at the end from Franklin after calling a timeout to ice his own kicker.
My only beef with this is that they are fun to watch even when they're not winning. As young players tend to do, they sometimes try to do too much, which leads to a lot of action. Sometimes good, sometimes not. But compared to years past when Babs and Blash kept the handcuffs on everybody, this season has been a breath of fresh air.
I want to Rutger PSU. Double Rutger.
These have reached (old school) TWiS levels of comedy. Gold.
Yes, this. I don't blame people for going bonkers over these stories over and over because it's a not really obvious. But for anyone who's interested, google "trademark naked license."
That was my experience as well. I stood there after the game and took in the scene of 30,000 people storming the field. I saw an older gentleman (late 60s, early 70s) in tears watching his team celebrate a huge victory. I shook his hand, told him congrats, and did the same to about 25 more fans on my way out. To a person, they all told me, "Beat Ohio State!"
I still don't like 'em, but it's hard to root against them.
My dad, my brother, and my daughter (at six months) all joined the club. All still around and kicking as well.
It doesn't look fun. I hope I don't have to either, but my genes have the final say.
Gotta be fake. Old font and the old white/blue goalposts. Those were changed to the standard yellow goalposts last year. (Maybe year before?)
We have
My dearest Maude:
We have striven lo these many months to save and re-conquer the nor'east of the country, and push back those heathens from the south. Many times we did the right thing, but were on the wrong side of a result. 'tis only with much resolve and leadership that we were able to survive.
Now we have the initiative, we have the strength, it is we that have the upper hand in this conflict of survival. And today, today is the day of days, a day in which I received the orders that I have longed for, begged for.
"Attack Ohio."
I may not live to see the end of this day, but if I fall, I fall doing the work of the gods.
We will Beat Ohio.
Michigan won a ton of faceoffs. At least, they were able to pull them back, but then lost them right away because ND wingers were firing immediately on puck drop and Michigan was a step slow. That was not ideal.
I saw ND take advantage of their outside wing speed by dumping, even from their own side of the red line, and send the wingers to beat the slow-turning Michigan defensemen, knowing they could avoid icing by beating the defensemen back. They did this repeatedly and with great effect, setting up in the Michigan zone and generating chances. On the other end, Michigan tried repeatedly to carry the puck in, which worked sometimes, but when it didn't it played right into NDs hands and they had many 3-2's and 2-1's going the other way off the turnovers.
The PP did a nice job of setting up in the zone. And setting up. And setting up. And moving the puck around. And around. And around. I haven't been able to watch a ton of games this year, so I don't know what the PP usually does or what their MO is. But not generating shots and moving the puck around the perimeter wasn't working.
Overall, it was an entertaining game. The refs let the kids play for the most part, and unlike college hockey of the late 90s and early 00s, there were scoring chances on both ends. I think with a deeper bench this is a program that will be perennial Frozen Four competitors.
Flight sims seem to be the best playing ground right now. I know there are programs out there for all three of the big flight sims (Flight Simulator X, Prepar3d, and X-plane), and by all accounts are amazing.
It's actually been the sparty fans that have been insufferable. It's like they had more riding on this game than their own.
*- No, I'm not arguing WMU should be #1, or even in the CFP discussion at all. Just that they're undefeated.
But that doesn't mean that I'm not moderately nervous about the game. I'm a lot nervous. If I had to put a percentage on it, I'd put it 55-45 towards us. I'd say that's optimistic, and also moderately nervous.
I hope O'Korn comes in in the 4th quarter of a 42-14 Michigan shellacking.
That game was bonkers right from the start. Iowa State (!) dominated them in every phase. I've been telling anyone who will listen around these parts to give Matt Campbell some time, he's a good coach.
After the 50 or so text messages last week from friends telling me I'm never allowed to watch Michigan play at Kinnick ever again, that was more fun to watch.
38-8 Michigan. John O'Korn begins Heisman campaign.
He used to host a lot of years, but it doesn't look like they're still there.
But, go here.
Down at point 26, there are past seasons, and those links have season schedules, but I think they're only D1A v. D1A. You may have to go in a delete the dates before you do the text to columns thing though.
go to this website
Copy and paste as text into excel.
Highlight column, go to Data/text to columns/ Fixed width --> then scroll to the right and add one more line after the home scores.
Boom - all results in excel ready to parse.
..I want to see a Stanley Cup.
going to my first game at Kinnick. I'll be in 107.
Going for their first 10 win season, ever. 3 wins away from a possible new years 6 bowl, with only Toledo realistically standing in the way.
I love it. Go Broncos!
"No Michigan team in my experience has spent an entire season bombing everyone they come across. Michigan has three top fifteen wins and the only reason any of those was within three scores was Kenny Allen having a miserable day against Wisconsin. You'd have to go back to the 70s to find a Michigan team that can end almost every game it plays in the first half."
A few years ago someone did a study where they figured out at what point during a game the winning points were scored, the theory being that the earlier they were scored, the more lopsided the game was. It would be really interesting to see that with this team, and compare it with Ohio State and Alabama, and the 1997 and 2006 teams.
The 1991 Braves and Jack Morris would like a word.
This is another data point I bring up when confronted with the "Harbaugh to the NFL" BS. Michigan is within striking distance of 1000, and you don't think he wants to be on the sidelines when that happens?
Make A Wish
45-0 Michigan
Make A Wish Foundation
That's what it was. It was 50% (I think the actual difference was a single game in favor of the team winning the coin flip) until 1994, when they moved the kickoff back 5 yards to the 30. Before that, when the kickoff was at the 35, it was even. After that, with the kick from 30, it jumped almost 10%.
Thanks for jogging that bit of memory.
That was brought up when I looked at this before, and drove me to look at a greater sample, which led to the 59 vs 51 I talk about below. If you extend that out to the entirety of NFL OTs, it comes out to about 51%. That 8-year period was cherry-picked.
Yup - trying to dig it up too. It's been a while since I 've looked because I did a ton of research a few years back comparing the two. It came out to something along the lines of 59% of college football coin toss winners won OT, and 51% in the NFL. Going second in college is far more valuable than receiving in the NFL rules.
Regular season: no OT. Tie games. (I know, I know, Americans are unbelievably biased against tie games, but the game is defined as 60 minutes long. Tie games happen.)
Playoffs: Old NFL OT rules. The coin flip winner was not, contrary to popular belief, predisposed to be the winner. College OT as currently constructed is actually FAR more biased toward the coin flip winner.
Playoffs idea #2: Keep playing right through 0:00. So if I have the ball in a tie game with 0:28 seconds to go, I take my time, the clock rolls 0:00, and we keep going with only the play clock running.
Playoffs idea #3: Ryder cup style. Visiting team has to win. Tie game goes to the home team (presumably the higher seed = last Ryder Cup champion). Super Bowl is similar as the presumption goes the way of the higher ranked team, however you want to define it. Lower ranked team has to win it.
of the shoes are tent spikes.
No apologies.
MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK.
This week's worst thing ever.
Notre Dame had the week off, thus denying us the Superfecta of Michigan win, sparty, ohio state, and notre dame losses.
48-3 Michigan
Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Every team is basically mediocre from a talent standpoint. The teams that are consistently good are well coached teams. The others that pop up from time to time do so because the calls, the bounces, and the (lack of) injuries go their way.
I got into an argument with a family member about how any given Sunday anybody can beat anybody. That makes for boring television. If anybody can beat anybody, where's the drama? You don't get Georgia State over Florida in the NFL. Sure, 95 out of every hundred of those games go how they're supposed to, but when you get that 1, or the close ones, it brings an excitement that cannot be matched.
And when the big boys play, knowing that one loss could be the difference between a playoff berth and a Dec 31 bowl game, so much more seemingly rides on every snap.
That, and I have no idea what a catch is in the NFL. Nobody does.
[edit] My hypocritical side still watches the NHL though. I'll never leave it.
Montoya was really sharp after the Habs scored that first goal. The Pens threw everything they had for the rest of the first trying to get the tying goal.
Also, Max Pacioretty scored that first goal (the game winner). And added an assist. Even more of the Michigan difference.
Last week, joined the top 25 of the Coaches poll, this week the AP top 25.
They came close in the late 90s, but always lost just as they reached the "also receiving votes" tier.
"That's 11 of Michigan's 44 attempts that collectively went for –22 yards. The remaining 33 went for 4.6 yards an attempt. I'll take that against a fierce run defense currently 14th in S&P+, especially since Michigan didn't break any long ones that tend to puff stats up."
One thing I've always wanted to see included in rushing stats is median. Call it the Barry Sanders (only because I cant think of a Michigan analog) rule:
He would have 20 carries for 120 yards, for a 6 ypc average. But his median run would be a -1, because the runs would be -2, -1, -1, -1, . . . -1, 140*. I think it would bring another level of understanding to the day from a running standpoint.
*yes, I get it, but I'm making a point dammit.
Because I heard a guy say the same thing.
35-24 Michigan.
even in May.