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Date Title Body
He was c-suite in MLB. He…

He was c-suite at MLB. He should understand how competitive sports groups function, and that these allegations are stupid and based mainly on a grudge against Michigan beating everyone (recently) and not some real brand-damaging allegation.

Holding multiple everyone-but-the-accused meetings fanned their flames irreparably and was management malpractice. He should have spoken to ADs individually and said "Do you really want to start this precedent in the conference... and for something petty that we all know everyone does?" and cooled this off. He's in over his head and more dumb moves may follow.

A Day is at "4th-and-1"?…

A Day is at "4th-and-1"? Expect a jet sweep.

or

He told his brother his new PI firm would be "running screens" on it's targets and Ryan told him, well that's what you do on 4th-and-1, brother!

I also broke my pinky on…

I also broke my pinky on Elbel tossing the football around before marching band practice back in '98.

This is getting spooky.

Go Blue!

Go Blue!

IIRC OSU had a top-5 best…

IIRC OSU had a top-5 best rushing defense prior to last year's game. Penn State's was top-5 before Michigan put up 400 yards this year.

Agree. This "the refs wanted…

Agree. This "the refs wanted to help M for playoff reasons" claim is asinine. They think that the fix was in because of this narrow conversion on 4th down? 

I mean an "easier" path…

I mean an "easier" path really because it involves less drama. Their work is done. My feelings are certainly biased by the fact that we Michigan fans always have our hardest game at the end of the season. Win or lose, it will be magnified right before selection time.

It dawned on me while…

It dawned on me while watching the Tennessee v. Georgia game that the LOSER of that contest would have the easier path to the playoff: The usual SEC late-season FCS game, lop-sided rivalries, and no elite opponent to face in a Championship Game.

Here's what Ohio State did…

Here's what Ohio State did rushing vs. Iowa. Short fields, but still.

Is there a logic to having…

Is there a logic to having the scales be unequal? It makes it seem like offense is about 50% more important.

It was posted (twice) on the…

It was posted (twice) on the board already, but the College Football Nerds Michigan Preview was refreshing though not exceptionally deep.

Also, MGoBlog partisans may enjoy Ace Anbender's The Bucket Problem Michigan Previews: Offense & Defense. Not really "outside" opinions though.

 

I just wish they didn't have…

I just wish they didn't have Fickell waiting right there for them to de-risk the situation.

We worked at Stucchi's…

We worked at Stucchi's together while students at UM.

August 19, 2021 according to…

August 19, 2021 according to the image that downloaded to my phone's pod player.

Ten Ten Ten Ten Ten TENORS!

Ten Ten Ten Ten Ten TENORS!

https://www.yahoo.com/now…

Average Natl Championship ticket prices 2014-2019:

https://www.yahoo.com/now/college-football-playoff-championship-ticket-155200306.html

The secondary market is…

The secondary market is already multiples above that.

If I were Mike Macdonald I'd…

If I were Mike Macdonald I'd see if my old UGA football login credentials still worked. I mean, it'd be so stupid that there is no way...

but I'd still give it a try.

One of the (very very many)…

One of the (very very many) reasons the convincing nature of Saturday's win is so uplifting is that it didn't feel like the team exhausted themselves for it. I can only guess as to how hard the players had to push themselves for it, but nothing seemed at all pyrrhic about this victory.

If anything, the vibes I'm getting is that it did more to build momentum than relieve pressure. Still, it was definitely the biggest win in two decades, so who knows.

 

(EDIT: This reply was also meant for the stephenrking "Concern #1" comment above.)

M fan prediction: "Ohio…

M fan prediction: "Ohio State will win because they have NFL talent at every position."

OSU fan prediction: "We'll win by infinity because Ryan Day is an omnipotent bad ass."

Mom's into it.

Mom's into it.

Michigan had two third downs…

Michigan had two third downs in the the second half but Ohio State committed penalties on both (one offsides and one PI). Still, that's crazy.

My point is that Day seems…

My point is that Day seems to rely on just out talenting his opposition. Justin Fields was a jackpot transfer compared to Shae Patterson.

I'm reading a lot about how…

I'm reading a lot about how the Buckeye defense lost them this game. It probably did, but that "2019-LSU-esque" offense only put up 27 points with "elite" coach Ryan Day calling the plays. Day may also have something to do with the disaster of a defensive coaching staff.

Imagine if he hadn't had Justin Fields fall into his lap in 2018?

Teams OSU has blown out this…

Teams OSU has blown out this year: Akron, Rutgers, Maryland, Indiana, Purdue, and Michigan State.

Teams OSU has not blown out: Minnesota, Oregon, Tulsa (it was a 7-pt game late in the 4Q), Penn State, Nebraska

I don't expect a Michigan win, but I think that the blowouts of Purdue (who, as I read, took a big risk playing man defense for this one) and Michigan State (the #130 worst pass defense) are inflating people's perception of the Buckeyes a bit. 

A 7-10 point OSU victory feels correct. And, if a few bounces go our way Michigan could pull the upset.

Of course Fox squeezes an ad…

Of course Fox squeezes an ad into the moment of zen.

Adding “700 pound defensive…

Adding “700 pound defensive tackle” to the list of athletes Michigan can’t allow to get into open space.

Bravo

Excellent work as always,…

Excellent work as always, Bronx. You do admirable work to debunk the stupid narratives that people want to build around a silly, random sport in order to justify their emotions.

I want that on a t-shirt.

I want that on a t-shirt.

Godammit, 538.

Godammit, 538.

The team looked sharper than…

The team looked sharper than I had expected. Few procedural penalties and no INTs. Indeed, McNamara's (only) two incompletions were tipped. UFR will reveal how many little mistakes were made, but the team felt more focused than recent Harbaugh teams have, which is very encouraging in week one.

Also, real big plays happened so I am also hopeful that the coaches will actually design around getting their best guys in the best places. Henning's sweep TD was well executed by the blockers (for a week one test). It seems like we'd see recent M teams try to make these plays happen only for someone to miss an assignment and blow the whole thing up. It's a great start.

If this team can actually maximize it's talent it will be a very good and fulfilling season.

College football used to be…

College football used to be fun and unpredictable. Now, everything just feels inevitable. Same teams, same outcomes. The only surprises are the ones that push the sport even more in that direction.

I remember the dude singing,…

I remember the dude singing, but the speaker was actually Robert Pinsky.

 

Thank you, Seth, for…

Thank you, Seth, for annually reminding me of one of the funniest movies ever made.

That is precisely what they…

That is precisely what they are referencing. Clevelanders are proud of having created the EPA.

https://www.epa.gov/history/origins-epa

Plus, old and new can…

Plus, old and new can connect by simply calling them the Cleveland 'Dians.

When he doesn't have a…

When he doesn't have a significant talent advantage, he's been really bad (PSU 2017, OSU '18, '19). His all-man schtick worked at BC back then, but it's been solved now. He doesn't have the talent now, and he doesn't know anything else to do.

Seconded. bronxblue owes us…

Seconded. bronxblue owes us nothing, but Best and Worst is one of my favorite things to read on mgoblog. Especially after a loss and the place becomes a minefield of angry hot takes.

Long ago I realized that,…

Long ago I realized that, for me, football is about the games themselves, the moments. High stakes and championships elevate that, of course, but I can get a lot of joy out of a good game. I've re-watched the last two MSU games, 2019 Notre Dame, 2016/18 PSU, and 2018 Wisconsin many times. They're still a lot of fun. Enjoy the highlights and don't burden yourself with the rest.

So I'm just happy (hoping) we're going to have some games.

In 1998 I bought two pairs…

In 1998 I bought two pairs of mesh shorts from S&B on State Street, one blue, one maize, for 10 or 15 dollars. I have slept in the blue ones every night for the past 22 years and I'm wearing the maize ones now because I work out in them and I just finished a run. They are both in perfect shape.

My dilemma is that I have three children but only two pairs for them to inherit. Conversely, it would be gauche to be buried wearing two pairs. S&B: Blessing or Curse?

Really? You don't? Your job…

Really? You don't? Your job sounds boring. :)

Dumb and Dumber: Michigan…

Dumb and Dumber: Michigan shirt on a kid watching Harry get his frozen tongue pulled off of the ski lift. Classes up the whole movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSSsOHJ3Dg4

With 75,000 deaths in two…

With 75,000 deaths in two months this is one terribly potent "agenda".

Yes, and then Michigan ended…

Yes, and then Michigan ended up hiring one of the hottest young coaches in the game, a year after he turned down Alabama. Let's see who MSU lands.

I'm usually a Harbaugh…

I'm usually a Harbaugh defender because he has generally "righted the ship" to get Michigan back to Carr Era standards and he's made some good, honest decisions with his staff. I can even accept, through gritted teeth, losing to OSU (since I count 2016 as a win/theft and the cream of today's Buckeyes are really a semi-pro team of not-really-amateur, not-really-student athletes).

But what is starting to move the needle away from Harbaugh for me is the sloppiness. Sure, we don't get to live in a five-star world, but how about we catch passes, hold on to the ball, manage the clock with rudimentary competence, and don't do moronic things like untie opponent shoelaces? If the team played their game well, maybe they'd beat a team full of NFL talent once in a while.

Maybe this year was just the ripple effect of a new offense, but I worry this imprecision comes from the top.

Not a first year OC. Steve…

Not a first year OC. Steve Ensminger has been an OC many times in his career and was even the interim OC at LSU in 2016. He has been on the LSU staff since 2010. Not nearly the same as Gattis.

So true. Just look at James…

So true. Just look at James Franklin. After UM beat PSU by 39 to set them at 2-2 to start 2016 I was sure he was done at Penn State. But a miracle vs. OSU followed by a ref-job in The Game and he's the B1G Champion and enjoying a wave of acceptance ever since.

I'm usually expert at putting things behind me, but if anything goes Michigan's way in that 2 OT game (like, say OSU gets called for more than 2 penalties for 6(!!) total yards in a game with two extra sessions!) the world is a different place.

Seconded. Brian put it well…

Seconded. Brian put it well in his recap of that game: if the two halves were played in reverse we'd all be incensed by the officiating. When the no-call PI on 4th-and-3 happened it was only 7-0 PSU, and those 7 points were made possible by a uncalled OPI! The refs dug that hole.

I take comfort in knowing…

I take comfort in knowing that Jim Harbaugh will do his best to keep this program competitive. Last year's offense was really pretty good, but he was willing to shake it all up with a new and more forward-thinking OC. He is also unsatisfied with 10 win seasons where many coaches with his level of program support would be.

No, but they'll probably…

No, but they'll probably finish 10-2 with that schedule of theirs and be back in the top-ten range come season's end.