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This is so cool.   Fandom,…

This is so cool.   Fandom, this site, the community and the power of them all.   Bravo!  And, I was at the game, and right there, about 40 rows up, and Desmond was totally, 100% tripped.

Transfer coming from…

Transfer coming from Northwestern

Man, I feel old.   I don't…

Man, I feel old.   I don't know when I found MgoBlog, but I recall starting to follow blogs in early days of the Internet and found a Michigan recruiting one.  I remember checking for daily update on the recruiting progress of Grant Irons, brother of Michigan badass Jarrett Irons.  Grant Irons eventually went to Notre Dame, and graduated in ND class of 2002.  So, I have been around since then. (I don't think that was MGoBlog, and when it folded, it referred readers to MGoBlog?)  I kept making accounts and forgetting log ins so never accumulated many points.

Favorite memory of 2023?   Attending the Purdue game with my younger daughter.  She had a great time, we did well, and was a really awesome UM experience.   Or maybe seeing Blake Corum giving out turkeys and raising 20,000 toys.  On field?  Hmm, maybe it was Semaj Morgan against Purdue cause he ran right by me.  Or, Morris running in the first touchdown against Bama when he just blew by everyone.  I knew then we wouldn't be out atheleted by "SEC".  I started to believe.  Or the 4th and 2 against Bama where Blake went for 50.  Or Roman's catch on the deflection.

Worst Memory -- Zinter going down.  Wow, how can you not feel horrible for a guy who snaps his leg playing a game for us to watch?

Suprise Player? I will go Barner.  Probably cause I had low expectations  after the Indiana years.  But wow, was he a player. 

MGo Blog?  The humour, wit, creativity and just great writing.  I learn so much about football from Seth and UFR or neck sharpies.  "Opponent Watch" is amazing writing and always makes me smile.  The comments invariably have some witty points.  Insightful notes.  And the retorts to the less than clear or thoughtful posts bring a smile to my face.  In sum, it makes fandom seem more rationale, more comprehendible and definitely deeper and more rich that watching the team on TV.

Go Blue! 

 

 

 

great analysis!  so helpful…

great analysis!  so helpful understanding why.  The question I have is on the last play, when Alabama running back motions out, why doesn't Paige follow and cover him, leaving Colson in the box?  Seems like win/win for Michigan, have a safety on the back annd leave the linebacker in the box. 

Also, kind of an issue of…

Also, kind of an issue of fact, but idea that dramatic harm to competition is belied by NCAA proposed 2021 amendment commentary:

Specifically, livestreams of intercollegiate competition and prerecorded game film are readily available in the digital age. The minimal competitive advantage gained by scouting future opponents in-person is outweighed by the monitoring and enforcement burdens of ensuring compliance with the legislation.

I agree. The argument should…

I agree. The argument should be that the Bylaws allow for punishment of the school and guilty individuals.  If the conference can punish, non-culpable individuals, why have the provision in bylaws that allows for punishment of individuals?  Those words are surplusage and add nothing if that power implied by the power to sanction the institution. 

Right, and they went to the…

Right, and they went to the JECG for approval, so not an issue.   I think best TRO issue is if they can sanction Harbaugh in guise of sanctioning UM.   If that were the case, why is the provision in Big10 bylaws about sanctioning guilty individuals.  That would always be an implied power of sanctioning university.

Agreed, but the entire…

Agreed, but the entire premise of the lack of sportsmanship is the supposed violation of the NCAA rule.  No violation of the rule, its hard to see how it is against sportsmanship policy.  And if no violation, suspending under sportsmanship seems to be the definition of arbitrary and capricious. 

Also, remarkably, 2021 proposed amendment which would have eliminated the rule entiely, specifically says "Specifically, livestreams of intercollegiate competition and prerecorded game film are readily available in the digital age. The minimal competitive advantage gained by scouting future opponents in-person is outweighed by the monitoring and enforcement burdens of ensuring compliance with the legislation." 

Thats the NCAA talking, not B10 or UM.  

The next section allows for…

The next section allows for greater penalties if approved by the Joint Executive Committee Group (JECG).  Letter indicates they went to that group who signed off.  In essence, Presidents of B10 schools approved penalty.

I don't think that will be…

I don't think that will be an issue.  B10 Letter says they went to JEGC, so Ono had notice of the penalty and what was coming. 

Yes, most courts have an…

Yes, most courts have an emergency judge assigned to handle TROs like this.  UM has undoubtedly been in touch with the clerk for where they intend to file to alert them, get the procedure down, have the judge available and ready for a hearing, etc.   

UM will let B10 know, and they will have people on the ground or certainly ready on call.  And B10 probably has a brief ready to go, which will argue an organization interprets its own by laws, unless such interpetation is arbitrary and capricious.

I have studied this a lot,…

I have studied this a lot, and read all of the chat board dialogue on this.  What is really crazy to me is that B10 simply adopts the idea that what CS did was not permitted under NCAA rules.   There are good arguments that when CS hired contractors to tape the games that there was no violation of the in person scouting argument.

It goes back to the 2013 Amendments, and while I don't agree it was permitted before that, i do think that the amendment's commentary reference to a "subscription service" expressly contemplated the idea that institutions can pay for video.   And the specific provision of Section 11 applies to "Athletic Personnel", not vendors.     

So, if an institution does not send athletic personnel off campus to an in-person event, but rather pays for video, I think a good argument can be made that is not prohibited under the policy.   AT the very least its is ambiguous.

Williams & Connolly dropped a line in the letter about the ambiguity oof underlying NCAA rule, but no one seems to be focused on the basic fact, that CS may not have done anything expressly forbidden.  At worst it is an ambiguous grey area.

I see this point also…

I see this point also. Sportsmanship policy applies to wrongdoers, and there is no Head Coach responsible for staff members, like there is in NCAA Manual.

So I spent several hours…

So I spent several hours today on this issue after looking into it last night, and have detailed analysis also.  I have a couple other points to make, and love the discussion.  I will read yours and if we could chat through direct message somehow, be pretty awesome.  You caught some things I didn't, and I think I have some additional points.

I noticed that too.   It was…

I noticed that too.   It was after an incomplete pass -- the reversed touchdown.  And it wasn't for the review of the play -- it was after they had reversed the TD.  And they never really showed a good replay showing the out of bounds.

I feel like I am watching…

I feel like I am watching commercials interspersed with a minute or two of football.   Its like watching those movie preview channels.   Bizarre.

This is a really big deal in…

This is a really big deal in lax world.   Stunning even.   Go Blue!

How about Tainted Love by…

How about Tainted Love by Soft Cell (covering Gloria Jones)?  And underrated is the Levi's commercial directed by Spike Jonze that used the beat and song.

https://youtu.be/gVY04NQUpxk

That was offensive pass…

That was offensive pass interference on TCU.  Turner wasn't even covering Johnson -- #4 for TCU just blocked on the mesh route.  Why Johnson SO open and then big run after.  Turner came off his guy to try to catch up after the block on Johnson (#2) ....  Blatant terrible call 

Kansas State is Big 12…

Kansas State is Big 12 Champs 

Thank you Seth!  Outstanding…

Thank you Seth!  Outstanding write up!  Why MGo Blog is the best way to be a fan -- smart, clever and insightful.  These plays aren't random acts, and I have been waiting to have an analysis WHY they happened, so thank you Seth. 

I was at the UConn game. Yes…

I was at the UConn game. Yes, they are that terrible.

Is it too OT to say I am…

Is it too OT to say I am looking forward to what the Nebraska guy says about the game, win or lose?

Prof Kamisar was my crim law…

Prof Kamisar was my crim law professor.   A real giant. and a personality to match.  An opinionated, passionate professor and advocate,   I remember he would discuss police movies, like Dirty Harry, with pure scorn.   I remember vividly how he described a George Kennedy movie.   Someone asks George Kennedy (playing the cop) where is your warrant?  Kennedy lifts his foot and kicks in the door, as he says "There is my warrant!"   Kamisar was appalled, to say the least.   But he also had a great sense of humor too.  RIP, Prof. Kamisar.

Huge pick up.  His 24/7…

Huge pick up.  His 24/7 Stars puts him third in the class. at a position of need.  Welcome aboard.

Again, after the Haskins TD!…

Again, after the Haskins TD!   I think in the last 15 minutes, I have seen 1 minute of game action.

Had an awesome night of drinking with Probert in early 1990s.  They broke with mold with that guy.

I finally have to comment.  …

I finally have to comment.   This isn't watching a football game.  It is watching commercials interspersed with football type substance.  It is impossible to build drama and energy when we have commercial --one play ---commercial.   Literally 30 seconds of actions in 5 minutes of commercials.  The Big 10 has to do something.   This is stupid.

Upvote for repeated clever…

Upvote for repeated clever retorts.  Well played.

But don't you think you play…

But don't you think you play to stop the drive, make Michigan kick a field goal, with say 1:40 left?   A field goal on an icy field is no gimme, and we all know crazy things can happen on FG attempts -- isn't that how OSU lost to Pen State couple years ago?  (And lets not bring up punting late in the game.)  And if the FG is made, they now have to score TD, recover onside kick and kick a long field goal -- so that saves 40 yards off the required distance.   So there is a chance for needing TD +PG to tie with 1:40 left, chance for being down 8 with 95 yards and 1:40 left (FG missed), and chance for chaos (FG blocked).  Or, by letting TD into end zone, being down 15, for sure, with 2:20 left and 2 TOs, needing 2 TDs.  I think the FG strategy is better.   

It is why I am curious what analytics says.   I looked on ESPN to see, and Gamecast has us at 99.9% chance before and after TD, so might be academic.

Two Comments --

Does anyone…

Two Comments --

Does anyone think that Ohio State defense was allowing Haskins to score the last touchdown so that they could get the ball back, albeit down 15?   I suppose the question is...are you better off down 15 and the ball with ~2 minutes left, or letting Michigan wind down the clock 3 times and kicking a gimme field goal from 30 yards with a minute left and no timeouts left?   Any game theory expert mathletes care to comment?

 

Second, "Punched in the mouth. Also, what is Steele Chambers doing on this play? He's frozen. No idea what he's looking at. Barely needs to be blocked. On the very next play Michigan scores and the playside end, Tyreke Smith, doesn't even get blocked either because he's diving inside as two guys pull around him."   I watched the game on B10 in 60 and saw these exact plays, and said to myself what are they doing?   I re-watched several times.   And the conclusion I came to is that it was a JJ McCarthy factor.  Because McCarthy had been in the game AND run the ball it at least put the idea of a QB keep in Steele's head even though Cade was QB.  Another benefit of the JJ package.   

 

Is this Heiko?  Al Borges…

Is this Heiko?  Al Borges response, anyone?  Anyone?

Ha!  I was about to…

Ha!  I was about to highlight that part.  Starts at 3:18

I logged in specifically to…

I logged in specifically to comment here and to say: thank you Seth.  Your commentary is insightful, witty, entertaining, educational and a pleasure to read.  It enhances my knowledge of football, coaching, strategy and heck, even life itself.  Seriously -- by looking at how a play is designed, and executed, and then what work is done, who does it, who gets the glory and who gets the kudos for doing things that just don't make it on screen.

I have been around college football my entire life.  My father was an All Pac-8 lineman over 50 years ago, and so I grew up with college football, line play, blocking and tackling.  And yet, I learn something new about football every time I read a UFR.  

Our community is fortunate to have someone like you invest the time, energy and intelligence into  analyzing, explaining and educating the fanbase on what happened and for an activity in which we invest so much passion, energy and emotion.  If someone is not interested in the in depth review or the opinions expressed, they can skip it; there are other game writeups.   They can look at the charts.  I tend to read bits of the UFR for plays I recall, the charts, the play inserts, then study it when I have the time.  In fact, watching the game, I can't tell you how many times I make a mental note "can't wait to see what UFR says about THAT play." I can't even imagine the hours of work that go into each one.  And your conclusions are the exact opposite of a hot take -- they might be the most informed opinions on Michigan football outside of Schembechler Hall.  (Some might suggest your opinion is more well informed than some of those inside Schembechler, but that's another post.)

Thank you. and I hope you know that many of us feel this way even if we do not express our gratitude and appreciation for everything this blog (and these columns) do on a regular basis.

I got a cortisone shot in my…

I got a cortisone shot in my knee last year -- I tore it apart 30 years ago playing basketball at the CCRB, and now giving me issues.  My knee was stiff, inflexible and painful. I had the shot on a Monday, and was skiing that Saturday.   I didn't have an immediate OMG this is amazing! reaction.  Rather over a couple of days I regained use of my knee and leg, and the next week, while I was skiing, not an issue at all.

I don't recall the shot itself being overly painful.  Maybe my doctor used local?  I also had my knee drained at same time which was unpleasant.  

As others have noted, cortisone does not address the underlying cause of pain or irritation.  In my case, an arthritic knee (thanks CCRB!).  But it does help with swelling, stiffness, irritation and pain, on a temporary basis.  Roll my picture forward, a year later I had to have my knee scoped and cleaned up.  So, cortisone is not a cure, but a treatment, more like putting anti-itch cream on a bug bite. 

Nicely played.  Upvote

Nicely played.  Upvote

A great analysis, and puts…

A great analysis, and puts some real discussion points out there.  One thing would be that NFL Draft position is the barometer of success, but I understand it is an objective measure of performance that ought to be correlated to skill.

Thanks for crunching all these numbers.  It sounds like a Moneyball style revolution ought to be in the works for recruiting.  

Love MGoBlog and the people who create analysis like this.  It is truly the only place on internet to get such thoughtful and insightful analysis.

Seth, great commentary and…

Seth, great commentary and analysis.  Posts like this are why I love Mgoblog, and a loyal reader for years.  It enhances my understanding and appreciation for the players and coaches and broadens my understanding of the game, strategy and the chess match.

And, I remember watching that first half and thinking "Wow, these are some really nice holes, and it seems so natural."  It had been a long time since I had that thought watching a Michigan game.  During this lockdown, on the Big 10 channel, I saw a replay of an Mich - Indiana game with Devin Gardner at QB.   Every single offensive play seemed to fall apart.  The runs were jammed behind the line, every pass was under Instapressure, and seemed like nothing was working.  And yet, watching, as a fan, I couldn't see why nothing was working.  It wasn't like the OL didn't block -- they seemingly did.  It obviously is in play structure, design and execution.  This series of plays seems to be the exact opposite of that PDDG experience.

Thanks again, and I hope you do more of these.  A joy to read.

 

Only if we execute, give 110…

Only if we execute, give 110%, and win the line of scrimmage.

One other bit of homeowning…

One other bit of homeowning advice, label the circuits on your electrical panel clearly.  You will want to (or have to) fix something or whatever, and need to turn off the circuit.  Or a repair guy will have to do something too.  The way its normally done is to flip switches as you yell to someone "Is this it?"  "No."  Flip another. "Is this it?" "No." Repeat until you have flipped every circuit on the panel; it is always the last one.  

Label it once, and it both saves times and prevents resetting every electrical device in your house.

I second many of the…

I second many of the comments here, having bought several places in several areas.  I think of Donald Rumsfled's quote:

"...as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tend to be the difficult ones.  The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, or vice versa."

My two cents is that "unknown unknowns" are what you are trying to avoid in the diligence process.

Look at roof and ask inspector how snow, etc., collects and runs off.  Make sure that you know if you need more roof work to prevent ice dams, etc.  Those kind of things are both hard to fix but also easy to let slide when you own a house.  The problem accumulates over time. (I know this..its like, gee should I spend several thousand dollars to prevent those giant icicles this year or go to Vegas?)

1.  If it is a flip or had reno, ask who did the work.  If it is a self done renovation, be wary -- doesn't mean it wasn't done well, just be wary,  My first house was a self reno, and a month after we bought it the AC condenser unit went out.  Turns out the unit had been self repaired in a very crude way with a coat hangar.  And the joists under the floor started to squeak.  Why?  The joists were both cheap and not installed properly.

2.  Know your seller.   My most recent house I purchased from a really good family.   He had maintained the house in good condition.  After I moved in, during the first big rain storm, I heard a storm drain system flush and discharge.  I didn't even know the house had a storm drain system, much less that it had been installed just a couple years earlier.  It was just part of the care the previous owner had taken for the house.

3. Everything about inspectors is true here.  But, on the other hand, try to decipher big problems from little ones.  Leaks are bad.  They have a tendency to come up in difficult places and cause lots of damage before they are even noticed, much less fixed.  A tell tale sign is patched wallboard.  And ask your seller. They don't "have" to tell you.  But, on the other hand, if they don't, that says something too. (It also depends on customs of where you live.  In Northeast where I am, more or less, buyers cant ask sellers anything.  Sellers provide a form disclosure that isn't terribly informative and that is it.  But, even if that is the custom, doesn't hurt to ask.)

4.  Look at AC and furnace.  Usually an inspector won't extensively test the AC unit beyond seeing if it works. Ask the seller about it.  If it is old, it will not only require more maintenance it may heat unevenly and inefficiently.  And, here in Northeast, check to see if humidifer works.  Mine is broken, and my house this winter was literally drier than a desert and peeled wallpaper off the walls.  Again, nothing is perfect, but knowing is better.

5. In my experience, renovations generally never go to plan.  All those shows on HG TV make it seem so easy.  But it usually isn't, even if you are handy.  Opening walls in an old house can raise new issues -- wiring, plumbing, crazy ways stuff was fixed before, etc.  Plan on unknowns both in timing and cost. I am reasonably handy, and decided I was going to install dimmer switches in an old house I had bought.   I opened up all the sockets, and the wiring was crazy; but I plowed ahead.  I managed to short out a third of my circuits before I called an electrician to finish the job.  

6. Pay attention to slope of yard and house.  Houses settle, yards settle, landscaping changes slope too.  Slope dictates where water goes.  If water pools at foundation, then where does it go?  My first house had a driveway that sloped from the front to the garage at back.  I didn't think anything of it.  But, when it rained, the slope produced a veritable river that ran down my driveway, through the garage and out the back, soaking anything on the garage floor and rotting out the base of the garage.

7.  Look at windows.  Do they seal?  Are they new or old?  Do they open and close easy?  How are the sills --  do they show signs of leakage? Windows can be expensive, and a leaky window is drafty in winter and frustrating in summer.  And if the windows are hard to open, the house may have settled which, in itself isn't bad, but just may be a sign to look at other things like straightness of walls and level of floors.

Good luck!  I loved owning a house, and be prepared for surprises, joys and frustrations.  Ask questions -- the worst that can happen is the seller wont answer.  It is yours now, and you can do what you want with it.  You will learn an awful lot in that first year.  No house is perfect, and no matter what, you do you can't eliminate all risks and uncertainty.  And all the little things in a house are usually just that -- little things.  I remember when I was a seller and my proposed buyer got the inspection and said here is the 20 things you have to fix before closing.  I said no, that is just the house, and if you don't like it too bad.  Little things are just that -- little.  (They closed.) Knowledge is power and prevents surprises.  And the joy is in the journey.

As I recall, in 2016, before…

As I recall, in 2016, before The Spot, which was 4th and 1, it was a long third down...maybe 3rd and 17.  And OSU then ran a screen pass or dink drop off that picked up all that yardage to make it 4th and 1 in first place. So, PFF projects history to repeat itself on that front.

Hope I get my total back!

Hope I get my total back!

Great piece of writing and…

Great piece of writing and incredibly informative and entertaining.  Well done!

That made me laugh out loud,…

That made me laugh out loud, for real.  Well played

I don't want to hear Defeat…

I don't want to hear Defeat with Dignity part 2

Taste Test

Cooked tonight on a gas grill and a couple thoughts. I used a smaller roast, around 3 pounds and my gas grill with woods chips in a smoke box. I brined for about 10 hours.

The roast cooked much faster, like 1.5 hours and I was at 145 internal. And I got almost no smoke into it given the time and temp on the gas grill. Heated up to 157 before serving. Because of the heat my fat kind of burned, not roasted to the golden honey color. And the habanero pieces in my peach jelly were hard to taste. I would just use peach jam next time.

The meat though...wow. Tasty and juicy. Really nice and a great taste. Would easily do this again, but maybe in oven and no habanero. I bet in the oven would make house smell just crazy good.

Thanks for the recipe and idea!

Completely Agree

The content and writing on this site both make me a better fan, but a more educated one and enhances my football watching experience.  It is all incredibly well done, well written and such a novelty  -- real content that complements our understanding of the game, the department and the bigger picture.  Well done!

 

 

He ought to play for Cowboys

From Texas, and they need a QB...not a bad landing spot

Randy Moss...

Moss comes to mind...

I only remember that because of recently seeing the 30 for 30, "Rand University"  which makes you realize what a great athlete Moss really was.

 

Bubble Screens?

But what does Nuss think of Bubble Screens?  When will we get an MGoQuestion about it?  Do you think Mattison or Hoke has tipped Nuss off that it might be coming?