It’s going o be difficult to break out and expand while we are completely surrounded by our allies. If we can beat Penn State to Nova Scotia, that would be huge, because we could take zip south and take the fight to the underbelly of Georgia Tech.
I expected Bench Mason to be awesome, and he has been.
I expected Michigan's OTs to be such a brutal liability that we dropped a surprise upset to a team like Northwestern or Indiana. But so far, so good.
I expected Tarik Black and DPJ to really open up the deep passing game, but that has yet to come to fruition (game-breaking MSU catch aside).
I expected Rashan Gary to be burninating the countryside on his way to becoming a top 3 draft pick, but the injury has lingered.
I figured we would lose 2 or 3 of the five big games (ND, Wisconsin, MSU, PSU, and OSU), plus one upset along the way for an 8-4/9-3 record. The defense has been more or less what we all expected. O-line has been the difference.
At this point, the thing I care most about is beating OSU and winning the B1G championship. The Game looms especially large.
I agree with the sentiment that we SHOULD be in if we win out... but in reality, there is a scenario that could block us: if LSU beats Alabama on Saturday, and then LSU, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Clemson all win out, it is anybody's guess what would happen... I believe it would come down to us vs. a 1-loss Alabama, and most everyone would agree 'Bama is probably the best team in the country and couldn't be left out... so that is my danger scenario. So I am in the uncomfortable position of routing for Alabama this weekend, and if they do lose, we might need them to lose twice. A 1-loss Alabama could spell trouble for a 1-loss Michigan team.
Tommy Joe's switched to OSU!?!?!? Nooooo! It makes me sick thinking about their delicious old bay wings being consumed at the alter of Buckeye football. Disgusting.
- Lots of active, competitive people in their 20s and 30s. Pick a sport, and pick a night of the week, and you can probably find a league for that. At one point I was playing sports six nights a week (flag football, softball 2x, volleyball 2x, and ultimate frisbee).
- Close to D.C., if you actually want to go there.
- Lots of local parks, museums, festivals, etc. Always things to do, and you never have to brave D.C.'s sweaty hordes of tourists.
- Off the charts restaurant scene. Fairfax County is one of the wealthiest in the country, and also incredibly diverse, so the number and selection of restaurants through the roof.
- Highly educated population. Smart people are fun people.
- Pretty strong Michigan presence, and still in the B1G Network footprint.
- The weather is really nice. We get mild winters, yet I would say we still get four seasons. The humidity in the summer can be brutal, but the mild winters make it worth it.
Cons:
- The D.C. area is full of ambitious, high-strung, type-As (like me). Conversations are usually about careers, politics, and property values.
- Traffic is awful if you are going into D.C., but if you are staying in Northern Virginia on nights and weekends it isn't bad.
- Many of the people here are just coming for 3-6 years as part of a "headquarters tour" for a government agency, or to earn their chops on The Hill. This makes it hard to build lifelong friends, as people are usually thinking about finding a way to get back to where they are from.
Used to live in Charlotte. I second all of that. I would add that the people are very friendly, and the downtown is nice. It is definitely my favorite place to live thus far.
...rub it into my OSU friend's face. I will be the bigger man, and enjoy a tasty, tasty victory. Also, I will have him and his family over, and slowly sip scotch from my Bo Schembachler rocks glass while making uncomfortable and meaningful eye contact.
Interesting points, but I would MUCH rather face Rutgers than Purdue, Florida, Indiana, or Air Force. Other than a freak win against Purdue, who has Rutgers beaten? A terrible Illinois team?
Florida is imploding, and a different team than in game 1.
Purdue has played everyone tough, nearly beating Louisville. Rutgers would not have been in that game.
IMO, Indiana is the most underrated team in the B1G. They have a legitimate defense that keeps them in every game.
Air Force is a mediocre triple option team that no one wants to face.
While Rutgers is definitely improving, I still would only rank them above Cincy on our schedule thus far.
Rutgers is definitely improving, and our passing game is a mess. But man, it sure would be nice to leave the rolaids in the cupboard for at least one Saturday. I feel like we are due for a good 3+ TD victory.
They broke up when she was only about one month pregnant. Most women do not even know they are pregnant at one month. She didn't announce the pregnancy until three months. Based on those facts (which are coming from Moynihan), it is pretty close to 100% he did not know she was pregnant.
When we lose to Sparty, the thing that helps me cope the best is to delude myself into thinking that next year we'll really throttle them. And hey, if we can get a decent QB starting, maybe '18 will be the start of a new era for the rivalry.
Love this feature. And what a great collection of clips this game produced! That being said, I can't believe the "Winovich Wiggle" was the "frames of the game." Mo Murders, Jet Sweep Guy, Human Obliteration, and my personal favorite, "RIP Elijah Sindelar" all made for a tough poll vote!
The guy sucked at being the Michigan AD. But c'mon. Most of us would. It wasn't for lack of loving Michigan. It's been a few years, let's put the knives away.
Like the rest of you, I wish they could both lose. They are both one of our fiercest rivals. However, if I'm being honest, I think of MSU as more of a rival lately than ND. I know, I know... there is so much better history between UofM and ND, but I feel like MSU fans have gotten far more annoying, and most of us have to interact with them more the ND fans. So I'd much rather Sparty lose than the golden domers.
There's some hyperbole here, but I agree with half of the general sentiment: the B10 EAST does look deeper this year. Rutgers is a tasty treat, but every other team looks surprisingly good. Even Maryland, Indiana, and MSU. In my mind, there is no question that the B10 East is the best division in football right now.
As for the B10 West, I find the early returns a little disappointing. Illinois looks even worse than expected, Northwestern is struggling, Nebraska nearly lost to Arkansas St., Iowa nearly lost to Iowa St... it is really just a one-team division, followed by a heavy dose of mediocrity.
Cincinnati went 4-8 last season against a pretty weak AAC schedule, yet somehow managed to beat Purdue 38-20. It seemed like their offense was abysmal, but the defense was at least mediocre. Despite the weak offense putting them in terrible positions, they only gave up more than 40 points once (South Florida).
As for when Cincy has the ball, I really hope Don Brown puts a spy on their QB all day. The kid seems to have a knack for tucking and running after he counts to two. I probably wouldn't blitz much at all if I were Mr. Brown, as Gary/Hurst/Winovich can be their own blitz on a three-man rush, and dropping more bodies to take away the dink passes could cause them some real problems... but they don't call him "Dr. 8-Man Coverage," so I doubt that will happen and I am fine with whatever the Mustache commands.
Not really a change. Just a slightly different finish. I was more thinking along the lines of a substantive change, like the ridiculous things MSU has been rolling out of late.
I'll withhold my opinion until I see how they look on the field. I am guessing I will not like them. However, I suppose having unusual uniformZ for one game is OK with me if it helps with recruiting (which I think it does).
HOWEVER, if they messed with the helmet at all, I (and I suspect 95% of my fellow alumni) would have a big problem with that.
First of all, I would never bet against Michigan. I don't want to "emotionally hedge." Wins should be awesome, and losses should suck.
That being said, if I were betting on this game, I would not take Michigan at -4. I think it is going to be a defense-dominated slugfest, and could end up being close. I would bet on the under, and possibly bet Michigan on the $ line. Wouldn't be shocked if the final was something like 17-14, UofM.
For whatever reason, we don't seem to transfer in a lot of players... I'm sure I am forgetting someone, but I can only think of two that were eye-catching in recent years: John O'Korn, and Ty Isaac. Isaac was a pretty big name.
As a side note, I am still unreasonably high on Ty Isaac, and would love to see him get more touches. The blend of power and shiftiness he brings to the table is pretty special. I have to think ball security must be the #1 reason he hasn't gotten more play.
- Can't wait to see what DPJ can do on the field, and to see the other young WRs in action
- Really looking forward to watch Devin Bush fly untouched through the gap on a blitz and lower the boom on Zaire!
- Will we be able to move the ball on the ground at all? Will the right side just collapse, or do we have someone who can at least hold serve there?
- Khaleke Hudson ruining every screen and outside run.
- Who is going to field punts for us? Lots of interesting options.
- But probably most looking forward to seeing Quick Burst Hurst line up next to Gary and cave in that side of the line all day. That will be very fun to watch!
I don't see how you can compare Grbac (whom I loved) to Denard (whom I also love) based on Big10 championships. Denard had to cope with the tire fire of RichRod's paper defenses. They were routinely getting in ridiculous basketball score shootouts! Did you not watch these games?! Meanwhile, Grbac played with some elite defenses on the other side of the ball, and was surrounded by a much higher grade of players around him. Football is way to much of a team sport to compare individual players by the wins and losses of their 85-man rosters.
The best thing we can do is turn our backs on them. They WANT to stir things up, to create a media splash. How much media will really cover them if there isn't violence and hateful shouting over the top of a police barricade? It is absurd to think that showing up to a hate speech event and shouting slogans would make them have less hate in their hearts.
The point of a "March for ____" is to generate attention. Don't give them what they want.
'It was Captain Smith ramming a defending B1G Champion and College Football Playoff semifinalist directly into an iceberg as a string quartet played “Nearer My Brah To Thee.”'
...until that kick was blocked, I actually did not think we would lose. The whole ugly, terrible game, I thought we would pull it out. But when that kick was blocked... oof, what a suckerpunch.
That being said, the blocked punt MSU game was definitely the worst for me. Even though I only watched it on TV at home, it hurt so much more because it was a classless, insufferable opponent. Hearing from all of the Sparty followers in my life over the next week was too much to bear.
I'd go a step further and say that Hollis' job is safe as well, especially considering the continued success of the basketball program. For Hollis and Dantonio, SpartyNation seems to be circling the wagons, not sharpening their knives. I haven't heard a single spartan friend express a desire to see Dantonio or Hollis replaced. They just pass the blame on to bad coordinators, or, bizarrely, the "Blue Wall Media."
...because pro-Michigan journalists made the football program commit a litany of crimes and go 3-9.
I would grab at least one CB, but probably a second as well. Not only are we lacking surefire starters at CB, but the whole secondary lacks depth.
For me it would probably be:
1. CB Denzel Ward, OSU
Provides big help in the position of greatest need.
2. DE Joey Bosa, OSU
Yes, we are stacked on the D-line, but Bosa is just so good, and also not playing against him would be very nice.
3. OG Billy Price, OSU
Shores up an interior line with lots of question marks.
4. LB Jack Cichy, WI
How much fun would Don Brown have with this guy?!
5. OT Brian Allen, MSU
I realize Jamarco Jones of OSU is probably a little better, but it would be enjoyable to watch MSU try to block Rashan Gary without Allen. Mo Hurst and Gary would be meeting up in the backfield for many belly rubs.
Being totally serious, I actually have come to really enjoy the Draftaggedeon features. They lead to interesting discussions between the drafters, and help make me aware of players to watch on other teams I may not have been very familiar with. Also, almost any content is welcome in the offseason.
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"Risk 1.0 bot"
It’s going o be difficult to break out and expand while we are completely surrounded by our allies. If we can beat Penn State to Nova Scotia, that would be huge, because we could take zip south and take the fight to the underbelly of Georgia Tech.
Take5 or Heath.
I expected Bench Mason to be awesome, and he has been.
I expected Michigan's OTs to be such a brutal liability that we dropped a surprise upset to a team like Northwestern or Indiana. But so far, so good.
I expected Tarik Black and DPJ to really open up the deep passing game, but that has yet to come to fruition (game-breaking MSU catch aside).
I expected Rashan Gary to be burninating the countryside on his way to becoming a top 3 draft pick, but the injury has lingered.
I figured we would lose 2 or 3 of the five big games (ND, Wisconsin, MSU, PSU, and OSU), plus one upset along the way for an 8-4/9-3 record. The defense has been more or less what we all expected. O-line has been the difference.
At this point, the thing I care most about is beating OSU and winning the B1G championship. The Game looms especially large.
I agree with the sentiment that we SHOULD be in if we win out... but in reality, there is a scenario that could block us: if LSU beats Alabama on Saturday, and then LSU, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Clemson all win out, it is anybody's guess what would happen... I believe it would come down to us vs. a 1-loss Alabama, and most everyone would agree 'Bama is probably the best team in the country and couldn't be left out... so that is my danger scenario. So I am in the uncomfortable position of routing for Alabama this weekend, and if they do lose, we might need them to lose twice. A 1-loss Alabama could spell trouble for a 1-loss Michigan team.
Redshirts: which to burn, which to save, which games to use your four, and how to strategize that given the new rules.
Tommy Joe's switched to OSU!?!?!? Nooooo! It makes me sick thinking about their delicious old bay wings being consumed at the alter of Buckeye football. Disgusting.
Pros:
-…
Fairfax, VA
Pros:
- Lots of active, competitive people in their 20s and 30s. Pick a sport, and pick a night of the week, and you can probably find a league for that. At one point I was playing sports six nights a week (flag football, softball 2x, volleyball 2x, and ultimate frisbee).
- Close to D.C., if you actually want to go there.
- Lots of local parks, museums, festivals, etc. Always things to do, and you never have to brave D.C.'s sweaty hordes of tourists.
- Off the charts restaurant scene. Fairfax County is one of the wealthiest in the country, and also incredibly diverse, so the number and selection of restaurants through the roof.
- Highly educated population. Smart people are fun people.
- Pretty strong Michigan presence, and still in the B1G Network footprint.
- The weather is really nice. We get mild winters, yet I would say we still get four seasons. The humidity in the summer can be brutal, but the mild winters make it worth it.
Cons:
- The D.C. area is full of ambitious, high-strung, type-As (like me). Conversations are usually about careers, politics, and property values.
- Traffic is awful if you are going into D.C., but if you are staying in Northern Virginia on nights and weekends it isn't bad.
- Many of the people here are just coming for 3-6 years as part of a "headquarters tour" for a government agency, or to earn their chops on The Hill. This makes it hard to build lifelong friends, as people are usually thinking about finding a way to get back to where they are from.
Used to live in Charlotte. I second all of that. I would add that the people are very friendly, and the downtown is nice. It is definitely my favorite place to live thus far.
I had forgotten about that one. Good call!
Ashley's as best indoor bar. Dominick's as best outdoor. Ashley's as best atmosphere and beer selection. Love the attention to glassware, as well.
This is the only site that gives me this annoying pop up. I have stopped using my mobile device to visit the site.
Event Horizon was definitely the most disturbing film I have ever seen. I actually had trouble sleeping for months.
She nailed it. Well-written piece.
Simon's days there are numbered. And pieces like this are making that number much smaller.
I had to log in just to upvote that!
...rub it into my OSU friend's face. I will be the bigger man, and enjoy a tasty, tasty victory. Also, I will have him and his family over, and slowly sip scotch from my Bo Schembachler rocks glass while making uncomfortable and meaningful eye contact.
Noooooobody!
Interesting points, but I would MUCH rather face Rutgers than Purdue, Florida, Indiana, or Air Force. Other than a freak win against Purdue, who has Rutgers beaten? A terrible Illinois team?
Florida is imploding, and a different team than in game 1.
Purdue has played everyone tough, nearly beating Louisville. Rutgers would not have been in that game.
IMO, Indiana is the most underrated team in the B1G. They have a legitimate defense that keeps them in every game.
Air Force is a mediocre triple option team that no one wants to face.
While Rutgers is definitely improving, I still would only rank them above Cincy on our schedule thus far.
Rutgers is definitely improving, and our passing game is a mess. But man, it sure would be nice to leave the rolaids in the cupboard for at least one Saturday. I feel like we are due for a good 3+ TD victory.
They broke up when she was only about one month pregnant. Most women do not even know they are pregnant at one month. She didn't announce the pregnancy until three months. Based on those facts (which are coming from Moynihan), it is pretty close to 100% he did not know she was pregnant.
so yeah.
you could just play GUTS.
When we lose to Sparty, the thing that helps me cope the best is to delude myself into thinking that next year we'll really throttle them. And hey, if we can get a decent QB starting, maybe '18 will be the start of a new era for the rivalry.
...but "Opponent Watch" is always my favorite series. I just about spit out my coffee several times. God bless you, BiSB.
"My only regret is that I have but one upvote to give for this film room work."
I enjoyed this. Good content.
I have a six-pack of KBC pumpkin ale ready for Saturday night!
Love this feature. And what a great collection of clips this game produced! That being said, I can't believe the "Winovich Wiggle" was the "frames of the game." Mo Murders, Jet Sweep Guy, Human Obliteration, and my personal favorite, "RIP Elijah Sindelar" all made for a tough poll vote!
The guy sucked at being the Michigan AD. But c'mon. Most of us would. It wasn't for lack of loving Michigan. It's been a few years, let's put the knives away.
Like the rest of you, I wish they could both lose. They are both one of our fiercest rivals. However, if I'm being honest, I think of MSU as more of a rival lately than ND. I know, I know... there is so much better history between UofM and ND, but I feel like MSU fans have gotten far more annoying, and most of us have to interact with them more the ND fans. So I'd much rather Sparty lose than the golden domers.
There's some hyperbole here, but I agree with half of the general sentiment: the B10 EAST does look deeper this year. Rutgers is a tasty treat, but every other team looks surprisingly good. Even Maryland, Indiana, and MSU. In my mind, there is no question that the B10 East is the best division in football right now.
As for the B10 West, I find the early returns a little disappointing. Illinois looks even worse than expected, Northwestern is struggling, Nebraska nearly lost to Arkansas St., Iowa nearly lost to Iowa St... it is really just a one-team division, followed by a heavy dose of mediocrity.
Cincinnati went 4-8 last season against a pretty weak AAC schedule, yet somehow managed to beat Purdue 38-20. It seemed like their offense was abysmal, but the defense was at least mediocre. Despite the weak offense putting them in terrible positions, they only gave up more than 40 points once (South Florida).
As for when Cincy has the ball, I really hope Don Brown puts a spy on their QB all day. The kid seems to have a knack for tucking and running after he counts to two. I probably wouldn't blitz much at all if I were Mr. Brown, as Gary/Hurst/Winovich can be their own blitz on a three-man rush, and dropping more bodies to take away the dink passes could cause them some real problems... but they don't call him "Dr. 8-Man Coverage," so I doubt that will happen and I am fine with whatever the Mustache commands.
Oh man, that would be hilarious.
Well said! I can not like something, but appreciate the good it may do for the program that I love.
Not really a change. Just a slightly different finish. I was more thinking along the lines of a substantive change, like the ridiculous things MSU has been rolling out of late.
I'll withhold my opinion until I see how they look on the field. I am guessing I will not like them. However, I suppose having unusual uniformZ for one game is OK with me if it helps with recruiting (which I think it does).
HOWEVER, if they messed with the helmet at all, I (and I suspect 95% of my fellow alumni) would have a big problem with that.
First of all, I would never bet against Michigan. I don't want to "emotionally hedge." Wins should be awesome, and losses should suck.
That being said, if I were betting on this game, I would not take Michigan at -4. I think it is going to be a defense-dominated slugfest, and could end up being close. I would bet on the under, and possibly bet Michigan on the $ line. Wouldn't be shocked if the final was something like 17-14, UofM.
That one made me laugh out loud!
For whatever reason, we don't seem to transfer in a lot of players... I'm sure I am forgetting someone, but I can only think of two that were eye-catching in recent years: John O'Korn, and Ty Isaac. Isaac was a pretty big name.
As a side note, I am still unreasonably high on Ty Isaac, and would love to see him get more touches. The blend of power and shiftiness he brings to the table is pretty special. I have to think ball security must be the #1 reason he hasn't gotten more play.
they aren't 5-0, given that we are their fifth game.
I am excited for all of it:
- Can't wait to see what DPJ can do on the field, and to see the other young WRs in action
- Really looking forward to watch Devin Bush fly untouched through the gap on a blitz and lower the boom on Zaire!
- Will we be able to move the ball on the ground at all? Will the right side just collapse, or do we have someone who can at least hold serve there?
- Khaleke Hudson ruining every screen and outside run.
- Who is going to field punts for us? Lots of interesting options.
- But probably most looking forward to seeing Quick Burst Hurst line up next to Gary and cave in that side of the line all day. That will be very fun to watch!
Only 16 days to go!
I don't see how you can compare Grbac (whom I loved) to Denard (whom I also love) based on Big10 championships. Denard had to cope with the tire fire of RichRod's paper defenses. They were routinely getting in ridiculous basketball score shootouts! Did you not watch these games?! Meanwhile, Grbac played with some elite defenses on the other side of the ball, and was surrounded by a much higher grade of players around him. Football is way to much of a team sport to compare individual players by the wins and losses of their 85-man rosters.
The best thing we can do is turn our backs on them. They WANT to stir things up, to create a media splash. How much media will really cover them if there isn't violence and hateful shouting over the top of a police barricade? It is absurd to think that showing up to a hate speech event and shouting slogans would make them have less hate in their hearts.
The point of a "March for ____" is to generate attention. Don't give them what they want.
I think Lloyd represents the university and its community very well. I would put him in the conversation with Yost and Hutch.
If there ever was to be a player, it would have to be Charles Woodson or Gerald Ford.
'It was Captain Smith ramming a defending B1G Champion and College Football Playoff semifinalist directly into an iceberg as a string quartet played “Nearer My Brah To Thee.”'
Perfect. :)
...until that kick was blocked, I actually did not think we would lose. The whole ugly, terrible game, I thought we would pull it out. But when that kick was blocked... oof, what a suckerpunch.
That being said, the blocked punt MSU game was definitely the worst for me. Even though I only watched it on TV at home, it hurt so much more because it was a classless, insufferable opponent. Hearing from all of the Sparty followers in my life over the next week was too much to bear.
I'd go a step further and say that Hollis' job is safe as well, especially considering the continued success of the basketball program. For Hollis and Dantonio, SpartyNation seems to be circling the wagons, not sharpening their knives. I haven't heard a single spartan friend express a desire to see Dantonio or Hollis replaced. They just pass the blame on to bad coordinators, or, bizarrely, the "Blue Wall Media."
...because pro-Michigan journalists made the football program commit a litany of crimes and go 3-9.
Good offseason post.
I would grab at least one CB, but probably a second as well. Not only are we lacking surefire starters at CB, but the whole secondary lacks depth.
For me it would probably be:
1. CB Denzel Ward, OSU
Provides big help in the position of greatest need.
2. DE Joey Bosa, OSU
Yes, we are stacked on the D-line, but Bosa is just so good, and also not playing against him would be very nice.
3. OG Billy Price, OSU
Shores up an interior line with lots of question marks.
4. LB Jack Cichy, WI
How much fun would Don Brown have with this guy?!
5. OT Brian Allen, MSU
I realize Jamarco Jones of OSU is probably a little better, but it would be enjoyable to watch MSU try to block Rashan Gary without Allen. Mo Hurst and Gary would be meeting up in the backfield for many belly rubs.
it's definitely better than the soccer coverage!
Being totally serious, I actually have come to really enjoy the Draftaggedeon features. They lead to interesting discussions between the drafters, and help make me aware of players to watch on other teams I may not have been very familiar with. Also, almost any content is welcome in the offseason.
for the Florida game! Next to the OSU game, no other tilt on the schedule feels as meaningful.