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FWIW my son (current UT…

FWIW my son (current UT student who follows Longhorn chatter as rabidly as I follow mgoblog) says they're going after Grant. 

Stewart Mandel has an…

Stewart Mandel has an article up on the Athletic this morning that says the same. He walks through 14 different scenarios based on results Saturday, the only one Michigan is definitely out is Iowa, Bama, OSU and Cincy win. He has Michigan and Bama in a toss up for the #4 seed if Iowa, UGA, OSU and Cincy win. Every other scenario he has Michigan in.

In other words, root for Houston and Baylor.

Nah, he's going to LSU. What…

Nah, he's going to LSU. What could be better than replacing Cajun Brady Hoke with the real deal?

This is an All-Name Defense…

This is an All-Name Defense for the ages. So good that Lavonte Gater doesn't even crack the top 5, maybe not even the top 10 if you count both Corey Coley, Jrs.

It's going to be Whittley…

It's going to be Whittley. The light usually turns on between Year 8 and Year 9.

I have watched the Haskins…

I have watched the Haskins hurdle run about two dozen times from multiple angles, but it wasn't until (at Seth's direction) I slowed it down and watched Schoonmaker's block that I noticed Filiaga take a little copycat hop after Haskins did his thing. Outstanding.

I was there, had a great…

I was there, had a great time. We were in section 18 in the end zone, just to the right of the visitors tunnel. Easy access down to the tunnel so got to watch the team run out up close after halftime. 

The stadium was very loud. I was getting pissed at a buddy who kept texting me how Cade and the O were playing like shit. In that environment I was very impressed at the lack of delay of game and false starts on O, as well as the communication on the OL. 

Fans were super nice. Had one asshole behind me who thought it was an incredible burn to keep yelling about Harbaugh's khakis (he eventually noticed JH wasn't wearing khakis). After one such sick burn the nice old lady in front of us turned around and said to us, "He's an ass."  Pretty clear that they had heard this clown before and appreciated his wit even less than we did. Comments before and after the game were almost uniformly positive. 

Runzas were ok, I thought the Valentinos pizza was meh. My buddy had the hot dog and said it was great, and he's somewhat of an aficionado.

Echo what others say about getting back to Omaha. We pulled into our hotel at 1 a.m.

Tailgating seemed largely nonexistent except in big donor lots. The bar scene in the Haymarket was a blast, though. Great people, lots of fun to watch the end of UT-OU and Ole Miss-Arkansas, and then the PSU-Iowa game. A different pregame experience but very enjoyable. 

The Thunderstruck extravaganza at the end of 3Q was awesome. Loved seeing the team fully engage in the adrenaline boost. 

All in all great experience. I've been to PSU, ND, Wisky, NW and Sparty, this was up there with the best of them. 

 

Saw this on the re-watch as…

Saw this on the re-watch as well. It's pretty blatant -- you even see the offending player take the "oh shit" step after the snap. Amazing that it wasn't called. I honestly think Cade only threw that ball thinking he had a free play, similar to the later deep ball thrown into triple coverage.

Lies.  Michigan has never…

Lies.  Michigan has never played at Iowa. 

Probably not all that…

Probably not all that uncommon given there were multiple teams that won despite "hoke-ing."  In fact, 2018 NW-MSU fits the bill.  MSU (19 points) losing despite NW's rushing rutger (8 yards).  For this reason, I nominate your statistical anomaly be christened the "spart."  Used in a sentence:  "NW's rushing rutger is pretty embarassing, but not nearly so much as Sparty's spart."

(No subject)

Ohio.jpg

Re the FSU LT -- I saw about…

Re the FSU LT -- I saw about 3 plays of their game vs 'Cuse, the dude got turnstiled on 2 of them.  It was literally two half steps back, turn body, frantically wave hands at DE racing by.  Then I heard this morning on ESPNU that he's a multi-year starter.  Then they said the RT is the real problem on that line.

And we think we've got problems. Woof.

I believe this goes here:


I believe this goes here:

OSU-UM 2007.png

That was 2007.  Around this time Brian wrote an analysis of Michigan's severe dropoff in OL play around 2001 -- something like 10-12 NFL OL in the five years prior, and 3 or so in the five years after.  RR's approach certainly didn't help, but the denigration of a one-time pipeline to the NFL was in process long before he showed up.

Well damn

Mods, go ahead and delete, and apologies to all.

Good no call?

Didn't really have a strong rooting interest in the game but I thought that was atrocious.  As we're all painfully aware, the Hail Mary is often successful when a tipped ball is caught by an unintended receiver.  The DB on that play was deliberately removing Hogan from the equation, and it definitely should have been called.

The most staggering record

The Brady/Belichek records are amazing, won't be broken for a long time/ever, etc.  But wrap your head around the fact that the single-game receptions record is held by ... a Wisconsin running back.

Obvious thing is obvious

For most of the past two-plus decades, the RB coach (and, presumably, primary talent-evaluator/recruiter) was apparently not very good at his job.  Hate to say this because he seems like a great guy, but results-based charting . . . 

Your acronym is fine

i mean, it worked for KC Lopata.

USC

Beat Colorado at home and Washington on the road.

Based on the past two years

The rules specifically say Minnesota defenders are allowed to target our QB's chin.

Sample comment

from the same "two years from now" thread posted on 10/3/13: "Despite first team All-American Joe Bolden, the defense will suck due to a huge hole at NT and no lock-down corner. But the offense, led by co-Heisman favorites Shane Morris and Derrick Green, will keep us in most games."

Depends

On where you're going to be.  "Dallas" is a huge place, and folks use it to describe a lot of different areas.  But in general, you should try:

Hard 8 BBQ in Coppell.  Not as good as Austin joints, but best in DFW IMHO.  Note -- proclaiming a "best BBQ" anywhere (either side of Mason-Dixon) is inviting open warfare and negs, but that's the best I've had in DFW.  The onion rings are ethereal.

Bob's Steak House -- if you're on expense account, there's one in Dallas (Highland Park area) and one in Grapevine, there's lot's of great steakhouses but Bob's is best in my book.

Ojeda's Mexican on Maple -- great Tex-Mex at a family-owned joint.  Javier's in Highland Park is also great.

Motor and Maple Burger -- great burgers, also try Twisted Root in Deep Ellum.

Flying Fish in Preston Hollow -- love this place although it's basically a bunch of fried food; kids love the ambience and photos on the walls.

There's a billion other places, but again, depends on where you're going to be.  If you're a foodie, there's a lot worse places than DFW to be.

For many years

I've silently admired your mod guidance and advice.  On this point, unfortunately, the student cannot teach the master.  I'm familiar with the difference between "Oh, Oh, Oh" and "Oy, Oy, Oy."

Actually

In 5 years I suspect it will be more true.

Fine, fine

so I'm not going to get an answer to my question.  I'm also seeing fog at Sun Devil Stadium, so obviously either 1) my TV has gone tits up or 2) I've seen far too many Draft Kings/Fan Duel/High voice Peyton Manning commercials today.  Or it's the vodka.  Yeah, it's probably the vodka.

That's not it

Appreciate the suggestion, but already thought of that, and that's not it.  Every other channel, every commercial, everything is in English but the play-by-play on that game. Is this happening anywhere else?

Another #source

Steve's a friend and former neighbor of mine. I played cards with him the night before the OSU game that year; while he was disappointed with the just-completed season, he was fired up about his upcoming recruiting trips and it's safe to say "resignation" couldn't have been farther from his mind.

4 days later, his resignation was announced via boilerplate press release. As anyone who's read Endzone knows, it wasn't really a resignation, just like the many other coaches let go by Brandon.

In talking with him afterwards, he really had no idea why he was let go. He'd asked for a raise after the Final Four run (he didn't make anywhere close to the current coach's salary), and was rebuffed, and thought that might have been the beginning of the end for him. In retrospect, after reading Endzone, the reason is as obvious as it is stupefying: he was the face of Michigan soccer, and he wasn't one of Brandon's guys, so any success he had would never be attributable to Brandon.

As for why he quit coaching, the reason is simple: he loves Michigan, and wanted to raise his kids in Ann Arbor.

I don't know enough about soccer to know whether he was a great coach. I do know he combines a Harbaugh-esque love of Michigan with utmost integrity and competitive spirit. He should have been the guy who they named the stadium after following a 20-plus year career. Instead he goes down as just another example of Brandon's utter mismanagement.

Right there with ya

Although, I was always partial to Elle myself.  Could be that she was on the cover of the first swimsuit issue I ever got.  I also think she'd look great in khakis and a turtleneck..

 

hilarious

cowherd just said chatsports is reporting harbaugh will announce he's taking the Michigan job on December 30.

It's the blind leading the stupid out there.

I cannot attend

due to living some 1200 miles from Ann Arbor.  So take this request FWIW:

For anyone for whom attending would not be crippling from a financial or temporal standpoint,please do what you can to attend.  Now is the time for the collective fanbase to put its money (and time) where its mouth has been for the last two months.  Yes, the coaches still patrol the sidelines, but I can think of no better way to show that the invective was directed at the administration, not the players, than to pack Michigan Stadium tomorrow.  Wear maize, get there early, watch the pre-game, sing the Victors at the top of your lungs, and be loud as hell.

I have to believe the players themselves would take some inspiration from seeing a nearly-full stadium (especially the student section) during pre-game.  Whether that inspiration will be enough to counter the (in)effectiveness of the coaching staff is uncertain, but it's got to be better than a tent stake.

I also have a request for Mr. Hackett (who I'm certain has plenty of time to read the blog this afternoon):  This strikes me as the perfect moment to kill the rawk music.  Kill it dead.  Do it tomorrow.  I'm sure you've been attending Michigan games for decades, and you must know how much it changes the experience. If you do nothing else in your interim tenure, this act alone would stake your claim as one of the greatest ADs in history.  (That last sentence is /s, but only slightly).

Mike Jones

Mike Jones

Hoke lip-reading

Pretty sure the last thing he says is "GLANDA!!" followed by the universal "get the f*** off the field" gesture.

not worth its own thread, but. . .

BTN airing 1981 OSU- Stanford right now. Big tackle was just made by . . . Chris Cicero. I'll bet that kid turns out to be a bang-up lawyer and proud Bucks supporter when his playing days are done.

Other ADs

Then there's Weidenbach Hall, and the Schembechler Building . . . and the Goss Halo (currently gathering dust in storage).

Miles rumors

At a holiday party in 2007, a gorup of 4 guys were discussing Miles.  Each claimed to have an "inside source" that had revealed what it was Miles did to piss everyone off.  Each of these guys is a Michigan alum living in AA with means to have access to/run in the same circles as UM higher-ups and/or AD personnel.  Each had a completely different story as to what Miles did.  The above-referenced rumor was one of them, but the others were completely unrelated.  That particular rumor has certainly bounced around more than others over the years, but IMHO that is as attributable to that rumor's salaciousness as to its potential truthfulness.

I accepted at that point I would never know the real story.  If Martin didn't reach out to Miles, there is a very limited group of people (Martin himself, perhaps Carr or MSC) who really know why.  Unless you hear it direct from them, I wouldn't put any stock in it.  Even if Brian or Bacon wrote a book about it, I'd take the info with a grain of salt unless it was backed with quotes from one or more of that small group, and the source(s) later stood by the quotes.  And that ain't gonna happen.

Meram

Rumor has it his scalding finish to the season has him focused entirely on prepping for the MLS draft.  Don't expect any further appearances in the winged helmet.  Obviously, good for him, but a downer for those hoping he might be the answer to our kicking woes on Jan. 1 or beyond.

Thanks for this thread

I agree wholeheartedly.  And it did have a significant impact on the game.  First, the TD KO return was caused in large part by a low, short kick -- not sure if Hagerup would have done better, but he's been handling KOs the last few weeks for a reason.  As soon as he caught the ball on the 15 without a coverage guy in sight, you knew it was trouble.  The shanked punt had a big impact as well.  All in all, it provided a nice teaching moment for my son (who I had "suspended" during our backyard football game yesterday for, let's just say, unsportsmanlike conduct).

One of the reasons I love Michigan (in addition to being a brainwashed lifelong fan and alum) is that we do things the right way.  And it gives me confidence that our AD will make what I believe to be the right decision in retaining RR.  In many places (cough, East Lansing, cough), a coach might have felt the need to bow to the UNACCEPTABLE crowd in order to keep his job, or at the very least felt that his AD wouldn't care about the shoddy discipline so long as the product on the field was good.  At Michigan, it's the opposite -- I believe the coach knows that letting a player play despite the rules violation would be a bigger black mark in the AD's book than the blowout loss.

Live sighting

Actually saw young Lloyd in person at the soccer game yesterday.  If was after the game, and he had that blissful smile on his face that I remember from earlier in the season.  It was good to see it again.

Dorrestein

Watching this for the umpteenth time, I noticed something about Dorrestein that I didn't in any of the umpteen times I looked at the original picture pages or the non-captioned video.  Dorrestein does not get "caught up in the wash" -- he affirmatively releases from the DE and turns toward the playside guys that are being pushed toward him (about 2:05).  Almost like he was coached to do it.  This struck me as odd, given that we've seen Omameh and Lewan repeatedly hopping on such donkeys and whipping them senseless.  I never knew nothin' about OL play, but isn't the fix for this to simply continue pushing the guy in the general direction he wants to go, i.e., angled downfield?  If Dorrestein had done so, the guy wouldn't have gotten to the play side either (a) as quickly or (b) only 7 yards downfield or (c) possibly not at all if Dorrestein had enough push and knocked him off his feet.  Denard would've been well to the outside and presumably beyond his reach by that point.

No

The Black Knight had plenty of moxie, but he (quite literally) got gashed.  I think we've got too many guys like that starting on D already.

BTW, I hate to be a spelling nazi, but it's Knight with a K.  And as all French soldiers know, it's pronounced "ka-nig-it."

The LB at the end

Check how the LB at the end of the play shoots Lewan a glance as if to say, "Where the hell did that come from?"

No, I don't know how to internet

But I do know you can get jerseys at umsoccer.com

#22's read

Another difference (and the reason I don't think it would've mattered which slot was in on play 1) -- in play 1, he's immediately dropping into his deep half, which gives him the time and depth he needs to avoid the block and catch Denard on the angle.  In play 2, he actually steps forward on the snap, so when he starts on his angle he gets caught up in the wash.  I wonder if he got bitched out on play 1 for bailing so quick and thus being unable to catch Denard until 40 yards downfield, so when play 2 came up he's thinking, "Oh man, I gotta get upfield ASAP!"

Also, Te'o was blitzing on play 1, which meant that Omameh had to take him at the LOS, rather than getting on him five yards downfield and pushing him back.

Great idea, but

You mangled the lyric:

You don't tug on Superman's cape.

You don't spit into the wind.

You don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger

And you don't rush only 3 men!

Also don't forget

RR should get a +1 for hurdling Odoms' attempted OB cut block as he raced down the sideline -- although this might get cancelled out by a -1 on Odoms for missing the block . . .

Kelly

Interesting how he says he can't protect Crist more, and has to keep the zone read in the play call rotation,  "because of the spread offense."  I'm sure there's a segment of the domer population spouting off about how real coaches adapt their scheme to fit their personnel.  Particularly since I'm fairly certain that Crist's injury happened on a zone read keeper (he got mashed in the right side of the head by (I think) Mouton at the end of the play).  Hopefully, that segment is more powerful than the similar subset of Michigan fans, and Kelly gets run out of town before he gets a chance to get his own Denard coached up and on the field. 

The most amazing thing

I'm thinking back on the last two games, and I don't remember a single pass in which I said, "Whew, we're lucky that wasn't picked off."  Seems like his incompletions have either been drops, throwaways, or killing Roy Roundtree.  I attribute it to the coaching -- they are either drawing up plays in which there is always a first or second read that cannot be doubled, or Denard is uber-prepared for these coverages through film work, or Denard has been drilled so thoroughly on ball security that he will always take off rather than try to force it in.

Beautiful pic

There's a lot of soul-dong-punching going on in that picture.

Hate to be a spelling nazi

But you misspelled "weakly."

#16 running QB draw

Anyone else get a kick out of seeing #16 running QB draws into wide open spaces in the '81 game?  I expect a repeat this year.