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That was a great game.  We…

That was a great game.  We really came out firing and it really could have been ever more lopsided.  We seem to have added an elite feeder and elite inside finisher since last year.  


And I just love watching Justin Brown dodge.  Nobody can stay with him and it’s not particularly close. 
 

For anyone familiar with Clark Bell, he photographed last nights game and posted them.  

Thank you for this!  I love…

Thank you for this!  I love breaking down how/why goals happened with my teams.  Helps to figure out what can be corrected/replicated vs. what just came down to great execution.  I'd love to be able to grade my players like PFF or a "UFR", but the toughest thing for me to figure out is exactly how to score it.  Right now I've looked at each possession, who creates or gives up legit scoring chances.  As teams should score on ~30% of possessions, I don't want to punish too heavily for the 70% when we don't score, so I've been awarding some partial points for just getting a scoring chance.  

As far as yesterday went, it went about as we all would have hoped.  But the one bright spot for me was Lockwood.  He is an incredible feeder, and yesterday was really a breakout game for him.  You could see against Virginia he assisted on our first 2 goals which he helped create with no look passes, and was very much a guy who could make plays.  He did kind of force a few yesterday, but I'm guessing he'll get a little better feel for the game with some more playing time.  

 

Mark Rober (nasa engineer…

Mark Rober (nasa engineer turned youtuber) has monthly stem kits that my daughter wants.  You can see them at crunchlabs.com.

This list is interesting but…

This list is interesting but inconsistent.  2021 Michigan is listed as having 2 losses while 2022 Michigan is listed as having 0.  Makes you wonder if ESPN put any effort into it.  They at least got #40 right…

Against Georgia we used…

Against Georgia we used Donovan on some deep routes because he was also excellent in contested catches.  Last year we noted he was one of our better receivers after he adjusted to a ball against Rutgers.  If he was so good as a freshman that we felt he was one of our best options against THAT Georgia defense I think we need to be using him in deeper routes much more often.  

Does the #1 seed get to pick…

Does the #1 seed get to pick where they want to play, regardless of any big10/pac12 affiliation with the rose bowl?  
 

Seems highly likely we end up in the rose bowl but not a given yet. 

OSU needs to beat Michigan…

OSU needs to beat Michigan but only if Michigan beats Penn State.  If Michigan loses to PSU, OSU would be projected to win the tiebreaker even if they lost to Michigan because it would likely be a 3 way tie decided based on teams you played from the west.   

If Michigan wants to serve…

If Michigan wants to serve up some self punishment, I wouldn't mind volunteering to send headsets to all our remaining opponents so we can just put this behind us.  Would at least guarantee that nobody can complain we knew their signs.  

Is it possible they don't…

Is it possible they don't think it is illegal to have someone not on the staff do this?  It seems pretty clear the rules are written such that it's illegal for staff, but it does not say anything about non-staff.  So couldn't you have an argument that you interpret the rules (which are silent if it's illegal for non-staff) that it would be legal?

 

 

It seems like OSU was…

It seems like OSU was anticipating we'd try to slow them with a similar defensive game plan as last year, and combined with their step back in quarterback play, it feels like they are trying to lean more on the run game and become more balanced.  3rd and 2 is no longer a primarily passing down for them.  They aren't great at running it yet, but they may not be so one dimensional this year.  Interested to see how it plays out.  

Came here just to suggest…

Came here just to suggest this name.  He made EMU respectable, which is quite a feat.  He’s not the flashy hire, he knows the local area, won’t cost you $95m, and would stabilize the program.  That should be the real goal.  
 

Aiming for Saban, urban, Deion, etc. is just asking to waste another $95 million because you’d have to pay up for a real hot coach given the risk here.  And going with someone like narduzzi is just asking for more of the same culture.  They need a fresh start.  
 

A guy like creighton might be willing to take the job for a mid level big10 salary. He just needs to last 5 years or so and it would make sense financially over where he’s at now.  The big names on that list don’t need to jump into such a risky program just to get canned after 5 years.  They can hold out for better opportunities. 

I'm not sure any coach would…

I'm not sure any coach would have won the cup with this aging roster and the injuries we had to key players (mostly Mal Swanson).  I follow pretty closely and am taking my girls to the upcoming friendly in Chicago.  It seemed like we really struggled to score in games leading up to the cup, so I was thinking quarterfinals or maybe semi's if we got lucky given how hard our side of the draw was.  

Had we not missed 3 game winning PKs against Sweden (not the coaches fault) we would have been through.  We even outshot them 12-1 (shots on goal) during run of play and their keeper just had a great day.  So I'm not entirely sure they underperformed when they just seemed to get some bad bounces against a very good Sweden.  We were always going to need to squeak out 4 defensive battles in a row and that was never going to happen.

But I'm happy there will be a new coach.  I think some new blood is needed to help reenergize the program.  

What impressed me the most…

What impressed me the most was doing it without cohen, possibly the best initiator on the team.  It takes some real guts as a coach to suspend such a player (if that’s what happened) for a critical game.  Pretty sure someone like Dantonio would have suspended a similar player for the first possession and then let him play.  
 

It will help with culture going forward, and to get a team win without him only further shows that it’s all about the team.  And now guys who stepped up can step into those roles after he returns making us all that much more dangerous.

I will sure as heck be…

I will sure as heck be making every effort to attend if we get a home game.  If we don’t I’d be worried that we get ND who is a really tough matchup for us.  I believe that the 1 seed gets the play in game winner, but after that the initial round games are often the seeded team against the geographically nearest unseeded team to save travel costs, which would give us ND.  

Saw this game live.  It was…

Saw this game live.  It was a great win, and Conry should be really happy with how the team responded down the stretch.  Made stops, got a great look on a final possession, won face offs in the 4th and controlled possession to end the game.   
 

Clay is back from injury and contributing at midfield.  Lockwood isn’t starting on attack but is on the starting man up.  Very interested to see how he progresses, but I think he slots into the starting lineup after zawada graduates.  Brown is still finding his footing but looks dangerous. 
 

There were still some early season slip ups.  A number of failed clears to start the game, and one point where all middies subbed off at the same time while a Hofstra middie had the ball and led directly to an important goal.  So still some room for improvement.  

I saw Uranus for the first…

I saw Uranus for the first time this fall through a telescope.  Amazing to see something like that “live” and have it more than a small dot.  I tried to capture it with the planetary camera, but for some reason Uranus just didn’t look quite as good in the photos as I’d remembered.  

I'll give you some advice on…

I'll give you some advice on plane tickets that a Georgia fan gave us as the plane tickets were more than the game tickets last year.  Buy plane tickets to both semifinals before the matchups are announced and get refundable fares.  Then when your game is announced, cancel the other one.  I saw plane tickets skyrocket the sunday the matchups were announced last year.  

This year you might be able to get away with just buying 1 semifinal, assuming we stay in the #2-#3 seed and Georgia will pick the peach bowl as a "home game". 

Not worried about what we've…

Not worried about what we've done to date as passing/rushing yard are nearly equal.  We also don't run a hurry up offense, so likely run fewer plays than most teams.  We're also 8-0.  

That said, I'd love to see us air it out a bit the next 2 weeks and also give Corum a rest.  Don't want him dinged up for OSU.  We needed JJ to beat Georgia and he wasn't ready.  Would like to see him more ready this year if we need him.  

Not only that, but Indiana…

Not only that, but Indiana showed that Harbaugh would rather run into a stacked box for a while before opening up the pass game.  My worry is not that we can't pass to win, it's that we just choose not to (like against Army).  

While it's unfortunate what…

While it's unfortunate what happened, I will judge him based on how he handles his team and the discipline coming out of this more than the fact this happened.  Maybe the rivalry, disappointing season, culture etc. all built up to this, and maybe it was tough to see coming.  Only those inside the program really know what's going on, none of us rival fans with pitchforks really have any clue.  But this is the first real incident he's had to deal with, and will go a long way in determining the trajectory of his program.  

If he is too lenient and players get off lightly, it will set precedent for the future.  If he wants to survive this, I think he needs to suspend the guys involved for the rest of the year.  Maybe some smaller suspensions or punishments for others involved.  It's not like it'll make a difference in their record anyway, and setting the right tone on what is acceptable for the future is much more important than going 6-6 vs 5-7. 

And the active police investigation is definitely tying his hands on what he is allowed to say.  So can't really judge him based on press conferences if it's not up to him, even if he is in over his head.

I feel like being a…

I feel like being a Rimington award finalist in the year before means you should get a shield by default.  

Would the donors even be…

Would the donors even be mentioned in his contract though?  When lacrosse alums donated to fund the varsity team's scholarships and coaching staff, we signed an agreement with the university that we only needed to follow through on our funding commitment if they went varsity.  But I doubt the coaching staff's contracts had any language as to where the money came from because it's the university who is on the hook, not the donor.  Separately the university would need to secure the funding before offering the contract.  

I think PFF is an artifact…

I think PFF is an artifact of their methodology.  They need to be able to grade massive amounts of players in a short period of time, so they can't look terribly deep at things.   I believe they just look to see if a player "won his rep".  We run some complicated blocking schemes, constantly changing blocking angles and points of attack.  If a player knifes into the backfield, it might look like they won their rep, but our OL might have intentionally allowed that to happen knowing where the play is going and knowing the player is just running himself out of the play.  

Similarly, Corum is grading really well, as he's making guys miss or able to run away from guys.  This can also be because the OL is opening big holes, allowing him to get to the 2nd level and have the space to make defenders miss, which gets him the big PFF ratings.

Anybody else coming in town…

Anybody else coming in town for the Maryland game?  I got 1 teammate coming from upstate NY that I know of, and I’ll be in attendance. 

Will be interesting to see…

Will be interesting to see how we play on the road and facing a bit of adversity from a slow start.  

I'm also seeing their indoor stadium and wondering where that was 20 years ago.  I just remember playing next to a frozen river in February where it was so cold that my stick literally shattered after a stick check while shooting.   Not only did the ball go in, but the head and splintered shaft went in too.  Lucky for the goalie it didn't hit him because that was SHARP.   

Watched this game.  We did…

Watched this game.  We did not shoot well, but CSU packed it in and it looked like they abandoned the ride and just dropped into the hole on a number of occasions.  They really slowed down the transition game and forced Michigan to score 6v6, which definitely slowed us down.  Will be interested to see if more teams try this and how we respond.  

Yeah, we really turned it on…

Yeah, we really turned it on in the 3rd quarter.  What a great way to distract myself from the workday.  

Early offense and transition really paid off in the 2nd half.  It was there some in the first half, but we weren't quite burying the shots.  This is an exciting team to watch.   

Yeah Penn state definitely…

Yeah Penn state definitely looks down, losing to st joes right now.  I don’t know good OSU is but anyone who can put that kind of beat down on North Carolina is dangerous.  Hopkins just beat Loyola, who I know got pasted by Maryland but that is still a quality victory. 

Michigan got quality shots…

Michigan got quality shots with free hands, while holy cross was forcing things near the end of the shot clock or from further out.  It was a bit of a weird game though but lots of guys got some run.  
 

I am definitely not sold on Hopkins.  Penn state or Ohio state could still put together a nice run by the end of the year, so it’s still tough to predict where we’ll land in the big10.

Exciting game, but really no…

Exciting game, but really no chance for UDM who couldn’t win face offs and only cleared at around 50%.  Our ride is creating a lot of offense against weaker competition.  Not sure that is sustainable against the big10 teams, but regardless, good to see us blow a team like this out from the start.

Went to the game.  I was…

Went to the game.  I was really impressed. The new OC seems to be emphasizing early offense.  I can’t even count how many of the goals were within 10 seconds of getting possession.  The 10 man ride also featured heavily.

Was most impressed at how fast they played.  I’m not talking about top speed, or quickness.  It was the never ending effort and doing the little things at top speed, getting just a single step advantage off ball or between the whistle and playing full speed to take advantage of it.  We basically ran Bellarmine out of the building with effort.  Bellarmine was ready to quit midway through the 3rd quarter.  They just didn’t have the legs to keep up with that kind of effort.

Excited to see what this season will bring. 

 

 

 

I'd stick with Cade and JJ. …

I'd stick with Cade and JJ.  I didn't think Caleb Williams was that much better, and playing in Oklahoma's pass heavy system, you would expect his stats to be better.  They are only slightly better and in Michigan's system, his stats might look a lot like Cade and JJs.  But those 2 guys are leaders and we know we have 2 guys we can win with.  I'm not sure I'd add a 3rd capable QB when we could be stocking up on other positions like CB or linebackers.   

It’s not like rumors like…

It’s not like rumors like these weren’t used against harbaugh in the past.  Either way I think it’s in our best interest to help them spread.  At least put some doubt in the minds of recruits.

Bernhardt is an elite…

Bernhardt is an elite athlete.  If you see any of his highlights from this year. He is just moving at a speed completely different than everyone else on the field.  Reminded me of sensed how he hits the hole long before defenders can collapse on him.

From his limited action it…

From his limited action it did look to me that he had some nice burst to get into the backfield.  There is potential there once he gets his role down.

This is fantastic content. …

This is fantastic content.  There are a number of things he pointed out that I missed on the live watch that really show the chess match.

Flights into ft myers were…

Flights into ft myers were mostly sold out close to New Years as of Sunday night.  

I think Utah should be…

I think Utah should be strongly favored.  Not only does Utah play physical and run the ball well, but OSU will not be nearly as motivated for that game as Utah.  Utah is excited to be there, while OSU suffered as big of a disappointment as possible.  Teams that are disappointed to go to whatever bowl they are in don't fare well.

Wonder how many future…

Wonder how many future buckeyes are going to be getting deals like that since this one basically went to waste.  Paid all that money for someone to ride the bench for 1 year and then leave. 

How about some interviews…

How about some interviews/stories about those folding chairs?

That Tom Brady guy had some…

That Tom Brady guy had some pretty good NFL potential too...

I would love for him to play…

I would love for him to play lacrosse in the spring too, but the prior broken collarbone probably has him spooked from any non-essential football activities.  

Unfortunately for us a…

Unfortunately for us a bazillion yards only netted Illinois 13 points in regulation.  We will try to put up just as many yards but will need to score more points than that.  Won’t be an easy out, I’m hoping OSU breaks their spirit (if OSU wins).

We don’t quite feel like a…

We don’t quite feel like a playoff worthy team yet, so I would be quite happy with a NY6 bowl, which is much better than I anticipated before the season.  
 

Beat MSU and anything else is gravy.  Would also love a competitive game with OSU to show we really are moving in the right direction.

I recall Brian had written…

I recall Brian had written something along those lines in the past.  This is the one piece that so far has given me the most optimism.  In order to take one the distance, you need to have the right play design, with good execution and great athletes.  What is encouraging is not that we've gotten explosive plays, but even the plays that aren't explosive are often one missed tackle away from going the distance.  We are scheming up opportunities for explosive plays.    

Aren't 19 of those 24 games…

Aren't 19 of those 24 games are from Hutchinson's Fr/So years?  So you are comparing that to Jr/Sr Winovich, who also had the benefit of playing alongside Gary and perhaps avoiding doubles.  Hutchinson is clearly the top guy on this line and would be the first to get double teamed.  Not to mention, players definitely get better, especially after their freshman year that needs to be considered.  

Winovich was fantastic but I'd take the trajectory Hutchinson is currently on.  

Washington is jumping it…

Washington is jumping it since we ran it so successfully last week.  Need to throw in the counter now.

Correct.  Additionally it…

Correct.  Additionally it states the policy is subject to change, so if there was a large wave of cases, they could revise the policy to include masks outdoors.  As of today this feels like a reasonable position because who knows what the future holds for different points during the next year.  I highly doubt they would limit attendance this year as they likely need the income. 

It’s amazing that lacrosse…

It’s amazing that lacrosse is such a small sport that a former teammate of mine starts the thread and a high school teammate responds. Something tells me I’d know a few others who respond. 

Great win for this team.  Face offs and goalie play have improved dramatically this year, which were both key in today’s win.  I hear a good recruiting class is coming in too.  Things are looking up!

Man, rough 2nd quarter and…

Man, rough 2nd quarter and that was pretty much the difference.