Strength v Strength: Wash O v Mich D. We need a stalemate here.
weakness v weakness: Mich O v Wash D.
We just need a better game out of our offense than we got against PSU, Iowa, Bama. We’ve played against 4 great defenses recently: PSU, OSU, Iowa, and Bama. We need our offense to execute on the OSU level and we win this by 10+ points. I hope those last two scoring drives against Bama provide the shot in the arm that the O needs to hang some points on Washington’s defense.
We scored 2 TDs on our last 2 offensive possessions (not counting downing the ball to go into OT). I hope and expect that clutch play and the win gives our offense a shot of confidence that carries forward into the Natty. Our offense has had some mediocre games down the home stretch (PSU, Iowa, Bama). It has played against some much tougher defenses than what it will face on Monday. The offense needs to play well and put up 35+ points to win this game. It cannot trip over itself and have multiple drives that end in no points.
Expect Wash’s defense to tee off on our run game and play hyper aggressive. They don’t have much to lose if they give up some big plays along the way because of their offense. Their defensive strategy will be high risk, high reward. Force us to beat them through the air in the teeth of blitzes. The last thing they want to see is M offense drive the ball 80 yards in 8 minutes getting 5 yard chunks in the run game. I feel like our offense is due for a breakout game. Didn’t see it against PSU, OSU, Iowa or Bama. But I think the offense will score in the 30s.
Offensively, I think their starting RB will be unable to play, so they will put the ball even more in Penix’s hands and let him go for it. This is basically OSU’s offense in 21-22 with Stroud, but without the top shelf running back. We have this game plan. Just need our dline to cause enough problems to disrupt the passing game.
Washington’s Oline may have won the Joe Moore award, but playing against what defensive lines this year? They will face the best d line by far when they play Michigan. And I hope both the oline and dline are reminded about that award as they prepare this week. I see Graham, Jenkins, Grant, Moore, Stewart, MacGregor, etc. causing their oline problems and forcing Penix to throw quickly.
“Sound the dread alarm
Through the primal body
Sound the reveille
To be or not to be
Rise
Stay the grand finale
Stay the reading of our swan song and epilogue
One drive to stay alive
It's elementary
Muster every fiber
Mobilize
Stay alive
Stir us from our
Wanton slumber
Mitigate our ruin
Call us all to arms and order.”
100% support. The offense has been humming this year, disciplined and methodical. He can definitely win these two games.
As for UM’s caving, there is likely evidence that Stallions did not hermetically seal his exploits from others on staff. Someone else knew about it. This will likely not be a Rogue One scenario. So, settling the case now with the BigTen protects the rest of this season, and the players’ efforts, from any further penalty. This is also kind of a token suspension with Jim able to coach for the other six days. The NCAA will not finish its investigation and take action this year. Settling the case brings certainty to the situation and allows UM to focus down the home stretch.
Why would PSU’s defense adjust? They held UM’s offense to 10 points in the second half, even with UM getting a turnover in PSU territory. It’s not like PSU was sitting back with 2 deep safeties and protecting against the pass. They were stacking the box.
The PR problem with UM’s approach: by caving and getting nothing meaningful in return, people will conclude that UM was trying to hide more evidence of cheating. Then, media reports involving leaks will appear that throw more dirt. People will then accept that dirt as true and the reason why UM caved.
Taking your shot in court—even if unsuccessful—looks way better.
I don’t see much of a silver lining here. If they had negotiated a 2 game suspension, then it would be fine.
I hope SM got that 2nd half playcalling pucker out of his system against PSU. A 10 point second half with no completed passes will not cut it in The Game.
Great team win.
As for the offense, decent first half in play calling and executing, resulting in 14 points. Second half was problematic. Even though our defense recovered a fumble in PSU territory, we only mustered 10 points. That is a poor result, especially given how the defense dominated PSU’s offense. The play calling was Brian Ferentz-esque. Same with the results. The metric of “we won the game” does not save the play calling, in the same way Iowa’s 6-2 record does not make Brian Ferentz an excellent O coordinator.
No throws to Roman Wilson? One pass attempt the entire second half? JJ is not a first year QB. We have excellent receivers and tight ends. You can chip a good defensive end to slow him down. You can employ quick hitting passes to neutralize the pass rush. Having JJ run with ball was more likely to get him injured(what actually happened) than was passing the ball. Throwing the ball some would also open up the running game too. Given the talent M has on offense, this was a poor second half of play calling because of how extreme it was. “But we won!” And Iowa beat Minnesota 12-10 this year and that offensive game plan won too. In the RichRod era, we beat Illinois in overtime and both teams scored 50+ points. That defensive game plan and playcalling worked too.
JJ went 7/8 for 60 yards. He attempted one pass in the second half. Roman Wilson got 0 targets, even though he had some 1v1 coverage. This was atrocious playcalling. Some of the worst I have seen. It’s not like they were running it down their throats. We scored 10 points in the second half when PSU’s offense was anemic.
They obviously could have gotten the same basic result from the run game while sprinkling in some passes. That was a baffling second half considering our personnel.
Assuming our Stallion had 3rd parties attend upcoming opppnents’ games, record their coaches on the sidelines sending in signals and the corresponding plays, and then analyze those videos to decipher the signals, would he reveal that to Michigan coaches and staff? Likely not. How would he then provide cover for his signal / play prediction prowess to others in the program? How could he show others why he was right from independent sources, like TV copy?
I think this will turn out to be a pretty big story in the end. The NCAA will likely identify and interview (if they have not done so already) one or more 3rd parties that communicated with Stallions, provided him videos, etc. That 3rd party will have receipts. If they find several 3rd parties who did this, then this will look really bad. Who paid for/provided tickets to these games in seats that would allow the recording of opponent’s sidelines? How were videos transferred to Stallions?
People will conclude that Harbaugh actually knew, or at a minimum, turned a blind eye to this scheme.
But first, bring back the QB sneak. First and goal on the half-yard line? You QB sneak that every day of the week, and twice on Sunday. Especially behind your Rimington-award-winning center. There is no need for two exchanges (Center to QB and QB to running back) in that context when one is all you need. Super low risk of fumbling and high likelihood of scoring with QB sneak.
The “subtleties” matter about whether it was OPI though. Defender initiates jam within 5 yards of line of scrimmage. TE can try to run him over to beat jam, or push him to beat jam, or run around him. TE did not just run at defender matched up against Gash and try to hit him. Legal play.
From article linked below:
If the receiver comes out and clearly blocks on the defender and the other receiver cuts off that block, then it's offensive pass interference. What we saw was the contact was either initiated by the defense or mutually initiated. It wasn't a play where the offensive player clearly came out and blocked on them."
If defender initiates contact, or contact is mutually initiated, then no OPI. That clearly happened here.
Going into this game with last year's game as the point of reference, it looks like OSU's defense has improved more than Michigan's offense has. There are less questions about their defense than there are about Michigan's offense. Do JJ and the receivers finally get on the same page, or remain middling as they have most of season, or perform poorly like they did against Illinois? Who knows at this point. Illinois showed that you can crowd the box with 8 defenders and not pay any price downfield. Expect OSU to play hyper aggressive against the run until Michigan shows something downfield. Michigan also limps in with their best offensive player and most valuable (against OSU) defender (Morris) trying to recover from leg injuries. I expect the line to be at 8-9 points by kickoff.
I agree with the Cade v. JJ analysis because the coaches are not using him in the run game enough. When JJ is used in the run game, the combination of his running ability and his throwing puts him ahead of Cade. No more saving him now that it is all on the line.
What seems different is the number of open receivers that he could not throw accurately to today. Some were short or intermediate throws that he has been accurately throwing this year.
Today was a vicious cycle for the pass offense: when the throws were on target, too many were dropped. When the receivers were open, too many passes missed the mark.
One positive from today was that he was forced to throw more than normal. Hopefully he learns a little more from the tape.
Well, the blocking part is really important. The reason Corum is hurt is because the freshman TE whiffed on the block, which allowed the defender to get to Corum's knee before he expected it. If the TE hits the defender right in front of him, Corum likely gets a few more yards, maybe scores, and is not injured.
Unless he makes a miraculous recovery, they should sit him against Illinois. Michigan does not need their best pass rusher to play in order to beat the Illini. The same cannot be said for OSU. The worst case scenario is they play him against Illinois when he is not fully recovered and he aggravates it to the point that he is rendered ineffectual against OSU. And he should not be in this position in the first place: Michigan was up 28 points, with 6 minutes left in the game, when he got injured. He should have been on the sideline watching the game with Corum and JJ.
Just awful player management with him in the game at that point: Up 28 points, 6 minutes left, Nebraska flailing on offense with their 3rd string QB--and Morris, the team's best pass rusher, is injured two weeks before playing OSU?
Did the coaches just get our best pass rusher, Mike Morris, injured two weeks before OSU by playing him with 6 minutes left in the game, up 28 points, against Nebraska's 3rd string QB? If so, that is a monumental coaching fail.
Looking back over the last year, Harbaugh has handled the QB situation really well. Cade was good enough to win the Big Ten last year and beat Ohio State. With Haskins and that offensive line, that team needed an excellent game manager that made few mistakes. But Harbaugh kept JJ engaged by playing him in every game and giving him the valuable experience of playing meaningful snaps in big games. Not throwing your freshman QB to the wolves was wise given the makeup of last year's team. And last year's approach did not seem to affect Cade's play in any way.
This year, Harbaugh takes the unusual approach of designating different starters for the first two games. JJ has ascended and looks great, putting aside the poor competition. He looks great in how he stands in the pocket, delivers the ball, making his reads, where he throws to, how he runs, etc. This approach, however, seems to have seriously affected Cade's performance, but that is on him. Given the talent at WR, TE, and speedier, more elusive RBs this year, this team needs more of a gun-slinging QB that can push the ball down field more while threatening the field horizontally with his feet. JJ now has a year in the offense, valuable experience in games, confidence in what he is doing, and can let it rip. And no reasonable person can question the unusual decision of naming different starters in back-to-back games now because that open competition has removed any lingering doubt about who should be starting. The other smart part is that JJ is not starting his first game against a good opponent. He will have at least two games under his belt as a starter heading into conference play to acclimate to that.
Thanks for sharing. I coached my ten-year-old son's flag team last spring. On offense, we used color-coded plays that were in a binder. I laminated them so the weather would not be an issue. Kids got colored wristbands before the series to know their assignment. I always kept the QB the same color, which helped. I emailed the playbook to the parents at the starat of the season. I too thought it important to have the kids read the play facing the line of scrimmage so they did not have to reverse it in their heads. One issue with this: sometimes the kids would see the play and look at the player who was getting the ball or otherwise indicate that was going to happen. I had to talk to them about this because they did not realize they were tipping the play off. I also added one new play each week. I found the hard part as a playcaller was making sure to watch both the defense before and during the play and the offense execute the play. I think I called better follow-on plays when I watched the defense more. I did not script plays because I wanted to see how the defense was lined up and what I could potentially take advantage of. We did have 3 or 4 go-to plays though.
As for playing time, we gave kids numbers before the game and an assistant would keep track of that to ensure equal playing time when we had less than 10 players show up. I would often ask the group who wanted to play QB and then rotate among them. Not all players wanted to play QB, so I did not make them do so by rotating them. Alternating QBs makes it harder to throw passes, so I had several plays that were designed short passes.
On defense, two rules: get lined up correctly before the play and everybody sprints to the ball. Had a fun season and am looking forward to doing it again.
I expect OSU knows full well that our strategy will be to slow the game down on both sides of the ball. Their strategy? On offense, expect them to go tempo early and often. That lengthens the game, limits our ability to substitute, and allows for them to catch us out of position (if we let them).
On defense, they will play more aggressively against us than other teams. They will try to stuff the run and sit on our short passing game while not giving up the big play. They will force us to try and hit intermediate routes in the passing game. A few 3 and outs for their defense and they think their offense can do the rest.
Tough problem for Michigan’s offense. How much do they attack down the field when OSU crowds the box? How many low percentage passes are they willing to attempt when that is what the defense will risk?
Michigan’s defense needs the very best from Mazi and Hinton to keep them in the game. If OSU can run effectively up to the gut, we will be in trouble.
What is Moten's status? Moore started and played the entire game at safety. I have not heard of Moten having an injury. Is this an undisclosed injury situation, or has Moore earned the starting spot now?
If Moore is a new starter, that is a tall order for a true freshman to play safety against OSU. Maybe he is a better pass defender, and that is what is needed now and going forward.
They will do a much better job against our run game than any other team has this season. We will miss shots down the field that end drives.
They will have a lot of misdirection in their offense that puts our linebackers in conflict and they will challenge our corners and be successful at times doing so.
The main concern is that MSU plays much better against Michigan than they do other teams. That seems to be a given. If MSU is undefeated and beating all their opponents relatively easily (except for Nebraska), then that does not bode well for Michigan. Combine a home field advantage with a bye week, and Michigan is looking at its toughest game thus far--by a lot.
I think it hinges on Cade's improvement in the next couple of weeks. If he can get more accurate and connect on a few more passes, then I think Michigan has a path to victory. If the same Cade, who has left a lot of points on the field this season, appears in East Lansing, then I don't think it will be enough for a win.
This question really boils down to Cade’s play. If he performs the same way he has in the first six games, then we go 9-3 because he is leaving too many points on the field to win against the MSU, PSU, and OSU. If he makes incremental improvement, then 10-2 and 11-1 are real possibilities. He is making a lot of good decisions and plays. But the combination of inaccurate passes and misreads is such that he is limiting the O’s ability to score touchdowns.
Cade’s problems right now stem from being late on some reads and throws. As he adjusts to the speed of the game, that should improve. He’s definitely leaving some yards on the field, but he is also making plays and not turning the ball over. Coaches need to let him throw it down the field more.
He throws a very catchable deep ball. Rather have one underthrown a bit that gives his receiver a chance to make a play than the Joe Milton experience.
Nebraska’s 56 - 7 win last night and close loss to MSU in OT is good for Michigan. It will reduce any letdown/complacency after the big Wisconsin win. Nebraska’s offense is dangerous enough to cause problems and keep the game close. And their defense is improving.: 7 points to NW, 23 to Sparty in OT, and holding Oklahoma down shows that they can play.
M 34 N 27.
One simple thing: Substitute three-to-five runs up the middle for deep shots down the field to C. Johnson, D. Baldwin, R. Wilson, etc. Cade actually throws a good deep ball and we have wide receivers who can get deep and catch it. Or, they draw interference penalties. We go entire games without attempting one deep pass. Stretching the field vertically should loosen up defenses too. Make the opponent's defense defend the ball down the field.
Wisconsin's defense will put Gattis on the spot. You can make a case that the offensive approach (nearly all run v. pass) against Washington was strategically sound because Washington has great corners and played two high safeties all game. Washington was betting their front seven could stop the run, and Gattis took that bet. But Wisconsin's strength is the middle of their defense and stopping the run. Does Gattis adjust and attack the perimeter both running and passing? Does he attack down the field with deep balls? Or, does he try to "establish the run" into the strength of Wisconsin's defense because his starting QB has the yips and he does not want to risk turning the ball over?
The good news is that Wisconsin's anemic offense will likely keep the game close and give Michigan a chance.
Looks to me like this is the second out of four games that the starting QB has had the yips for part of a game. Washington was the other. Your QB can't go in the tank mentally for part of games against good competition. Cade had a good first half, except for missing the TD at the end of the half. Second half he repeatedly threw inaccurate passes and looked like he had no confidence.
Were this to happen again, JJ should play. Accept the freshman mistakes with the better running and passing threat.
It is depressing that we seem to have a QB issue--yet again. Our playcalling is attempting to hide his deficiencies to some extent. That second half was brutal as Cade consistently threw inaccurate passes. May be time for JJ. He will make more mistakes, but he will add to the run game while being a more effective passer.
It is crazy that they took no down field shots with CJ and Baldwin on the outside.
This is basically true every year because OSU has more talented depth and can better absorb the inevitable loss of starters due to injury as the season unfolds.
MSU v Wiscy as 3rd toughest is a difficult call. Some of it depends on Wiscy's game next week against Notre Dame. If they lose that one and start the season 1-2, then I like Michigan's chances, even if it is a night game. It is nice to catch Wiscy right after ND too.
Ranking the toughest games left on our schedule in degree of difficulty:
1. OSU
2. PSU
3. MSU
4. Wisconsin
OSU in September is a different team than OSU in November--playing Michigan. PSU plays great in Happy Valley and has solid team this year. Clifford just went 26-30 against Auburn's defense. He has improved. I expect MSU to be 7-0 heading into the game. 6-1 at worst. They have more talent this year (and a great running back that is comparable to Corum) and will throw the kitchen sink at us.
One nitpick. Julius Welscof cannot be considered new to football or young. As a senior, he is in his 4th year now. He played some high school too. He has had plenty of time to develop mentally, technically, and physically.
Recent Comments
1. Run Corum in Duo, counters, pin and pull, power, etc.
2. a lot of play action.
3. Challenge their weak corner in the passing game.
4. Run Corum and Mullins when in short yardage situations.
5. Don’t need trick plays. Misdirection- yes . But not trick plays with big downside if ball is dropped.
6. avoid turnovers and sacks. Stay on schedule.
7. get Edward the ball in space in passing game.
W 30
M 38
W 30
Strength v Strength: Wash O v Mich D. We need a stalemate here.
weakness v weakness: Mich O v Wash D.
We just need a better game out of our offense than we got against PSU, Iowa, Bama. We’ve played against 4 great defenses recently: PSU, OSU, Iowa, and Bama. We need our offense to execute on the OSU level and we win this by 10+ points. I hope those last two scoring drives against Bama provide the shot in the arm that the O needs to hang some points on Washington’s defense.
We scored 2 TDs on our last 2 offensive possessions (not counting downing the ball to go into OT). I hope and expect that clutch play and the win gives our offense a shot of confidence that carries forward into the Natty. Our offense has had some mediocre games down the home stretch (PSU, Iowa, Bama). It has played against some much tougher defenses than what it will face on Monday. The offense needs to play well and put up 35+ points to win this game. It cannot trip over itself and have multiple drives that end in no points.
Expect Wash’s defense to tee off on our run game and play hyper aggressive. They don’t have much to lose if they give up some big plays along the way because of their offense. Their defensive strategy will be high risk, high reward. Force us to beat them through the air in the teeth of blitzes. The last thing they want to see is M offense drive the ball 80 yards in 8 minutes getting 5 yard chunks in the run game. I feel like our offense is due for a breakout game. Didn’t see it against PSU, OSU, Iowa or Bama. But I think the offense will score in the 30s.
Offensively, I think their starting RB will be unable to play, so they will put the ball even more in Penix’s hands and let him go for it. This is basically OSU’s offense in 21-22 with Stroud, but without the top shelf running back. We have this game plan. Just need our dline to cause enough problems to disrupt the passing game.
Washington’s Oline may have won the Joe Moore award, but playing against what defensive lines this year? They will face the best d line by far when they play Michigan. And I hope both the oline and dline are reminded about that award as they prepare this week. I see Graham, Jenkins, Grant, Moore, Stewart, MacGregor, etc. causing their oline problems and forcing Penix to throw quickly.
Functioning like a post season scrimmage for non playoff teams. Good opportunity to get away and develop depth on the roster.
OSU 34 M 26.
…
My head:
OSU 34 M 26.
My heart:
M 34 OSU 27.
I’m going with my heart.
I’m feeling my favorite Tool song: Descending.
“Sound the dread alarm
Through the primal body
Sound the reveille
To be or not to be
Rise
Stay the grand finale
Stay the reading of our swan song and epilogue
One drive to stay alive
It's elementary
Muster every fiber
Mobilize
Stay alive
Stir us from our
Wanton slumber
Mitigate our ruin
Call us all to arms and order.”
Last two games show how much Roman Wilson means to the passing game. Team’s best receiver and his absence is huge. He will be ready for OSU.
Onward. Beat the brakes off the Bucks!!
100% support. The offense has been humming this year, disciplined and methodical. He can definitely win these two games.
As for UM’s caving, there is likely evidence that Stallions did not hermetically seal his exploits from others on staff. Someone else knew about it. This will likely not be a Rogue One scenario. So, settling the case now with the BigTen protects the rest of this season, and the players’ efforts, from any further penalty. This is also kind of a token suspension with Jim able to coach for the other six days. The NCAA will not finish its investigation and take action this year. Settling the case brings certainty to the situation and allows UM to focus down the home stretch.
Why would PSU’s defense adjust? They held UM’s offense to 10 points in the second half, even with UM getting a turnover in PSU territory. It’s not like PSU was sitting back with 2 deep safeties and protecting against the pass. They were stacking the box.
The PR problem with UM’s approach: by caving and getting nothing meaningful in return, people will conclude that UM was trying to hide more evidence of cheating. Then, media reports involving leaks will appear that throw more dirt. People will then accept that dirt as true and the reason why UM caved.
Taking your shot in court—even if unsuccessful—looks way better.
I don’t see much of a silver lining here. If they had negotiated a 2 game suspension, then it would be fine.
I hope SM got that 2nd half playcalling pucker out of his system against PSU. A 10 point second half with no completed passes will not cut it in The Game.
This play was it for me. Great effort play. Galvanizing to see that.
As for the…
Great team win.
As for the offense, decent first half in play calling and executing, resulting in 14 points. Second half was problematic. Even though our defense recovered a fumble in PSU territory, we only mustered 10 points. That is a poor result, especially given how the defense dominated PSU’s offense. The play calling was Brian Ferentz-esque. Same with the results. The metric of “we won the game” does not save the play calling, in the same way Iowa’s 6-2 record does not make Brian Ferentz an excellent O coordinator.
No throws to Roman Wilson? One pass attempt the entire second half? JJ is not a first year QB. We have excellent receivers and tight ends. You can chip a good defensive end to slow him down. You can employ quick hitting passes to neutralize the pass rush. Having JJ run with ball was more likely to get him injured(what actually happened) than was passing the ball. Throwing the ball some would also open up the running game too. Given the talent M has on offense, this was a poor second half of play calling because of how extreme it was. “But we won!” And Iowa beat Minnesota 12-10 this year and that offensive game plan won too. In the RichRod era, we beat Illinois in overtime and both teams scored 50+ points. That defensive game plan and playcalling worked too.
Yes. And Yes. You can’t throw for 80 yards in the first big game of the season and win a Heisman.
This was a full pucker by Moore. He was holding on for dear life to the run game.
JJ went 7/8 for 60 yards. He attempted one pass in the second half. Roman Wilson got 0 targets, even though he had some 1v1 coverage. This was atrocious playcalling. Some of the worst I have seen. It’s not like they were running it down their throats. We scored 10 points in the second half when PSU’s offense was anemic.
They obviously could have gotten the same basic result from the run game while sprinkling in some passes. That was a baffling second half considering our personnel.
Assuming our Stallion had 3rd parties attend upcoming opppnents’ games, record their coaches on the sidelines sending in signals and the corresponding plays, and then analyze those videos to decipher the signals, would he reveal that to Michigan coaches and staff? Likely not. How would he then provide cover for his signal / play prediction prowess to others in the program? How could he show others why he was right from independent sources, like TV copy?
I think this will turn out to be a pretty big story in the end. The NCAA will likely identify and interview (if they have not done so already) one or more 3rd parties that communicated with Stallions, provided him videos, etc. That 3rd party will have receipts. If they find several 3rd parties who did this, then this will look really bad. Who paid for/provided tickets to these games in seats that would allow the recording of opponent’s sidelines? How were videos transferred to Stallions?
People will conclude that Harbaugh actually knew, or at a minimum, turned a blind eye to this scheme.
But first, bring back the QB sneak. First and goal on the half-yard line? You QB sneak that every day of the week, and twice on Sunday. Especially behind your Rimington-award-winning center. There is no need for two exchanges (Center to QB and QB to running back) in that context when one is all you need. Super low risk of fumbling and high likelihood of scoring with QB sneak.
Hayes was specifically asked about the scenario if Corum is out for the game. He answered assuming that premise.
This was not some big reveal by Hayes.
The “subtleties” matter about whether it was OPI though. Defender initiates jam within 5 yards of line of scrimmage. TE can try to run him over to beat jam, or push him to beat jam, or run around him. TE did not just run at defender matched up against Gash and try to hit him. Legal play.
From article linked below:
If the receiver comes out and clearly blocks on the defender and the other receiver cuts off that block, then it's offensive pass interference. What we saw was the contact was either initiated by the defense or mutually initiated. It wasn't a play where the offensive player clearly came out and blocked on them."
If defender initiates contact, or contact is mutually initiated, then no OPI. That clearly happened here.
Going into this game with last year's game as the point of reference, it looks like OSU's defense has improved more than Michigan's offense has. There are less questions about their defense than there are about Michigan's offense. Do JJ and the receivers finally get on the same page, or remain middling as they have most of season, or perform poorly like they did against Illinois? Who knows at this point. Illinois showed that you can crowd the box with 8 defenders and not pay any price downfield. Expect OSU to play hyper aggressive against the run until Michigan shows something downfield. Michigan also limps in with their best offensive player and most valuable (against OSU) defender (Morris) trying to recover from leg injuries. I expect the line to be at 8-9 points by kickoff.
I agree with the Cade v. JJ analysis because the coaches are not using him in the run game enough. When JJ is used in the run game, the combination of his running ability and his throwing puts him ahead of Cade. No more saving him now that it is all on the line.
What seems different is the number of open receivers that he could not throw accurately to today. Some were short or intermediate throws that he has been accurately throwing this year.
Today was a vicious cycle for the pass offense: when the throws were on target, too many were dropped. When the receivers were open, too many passes missed the mark.
One positive from today was that he was forced to throw more than normal. Hopefully he learns a little more from the tape.
Well, the blocking part is really important. The reason Corum is hurt is because the freshman TE whiffed on the block, which allowed the defender to get to Corum's knee before he expected it. If the TE hits the defender right in front of him, Corum likely gets a few more yards, maybe scores, and is not injured.
Unless he makes a miraculous recovery, they should sit him against Illinois. Michigan does not need their best pass rusher to play in order to beat the Illini. The same cannot be said for OSU. The worst case scenario is they play him against Illinois when he is not fully recovered and he aggravates it to the point that he is rendered ineffectual against OSU. And he should not be in this position in the first place: Michigan was up 28 points, with 6 minutes left in the game, when he got injured. He should have been on the sideline watching the game with Corum and JJ.
Just awful player management with him in the game at that point: Up 28 points, 6 minutes left, Nebraska flailing on offense with their 3rd string QB--and Morris, the team's best pass rusher, is injured two weeks before playing OSU?
Did the coaches just get our best pass rusher, Mike Morris, injured two weeks before OSU by playing him with 6 minutes left in the game, up 28 points, against Nebraska's 3rd string QB? If so, that is a monumental coaching fail.
Looking back over the last year, Harbaugh has handled the QB situation really well. Cade was good enough to win the Big Ten last year and beat Ohio State. With Haskins and that offensive line, that team needed an excellent game manager that made few mistakes. But Harbaugh kept JJ engaged by playing him in every game and giving him the valuable experience of playing meaningful snaps in big games. Not throwing your freshman QB to the wolves was wise given the makeup of last year's team. And last year's approach did not seem to affect Cade's play in any way.
This year, Harbaugh takes the unusual approach of designating different starters for the first two games. JJ has ascended and looks great, putting aside the poor competition. He looks great in how he stands in the pocket, delivers the ball, making his reads, where he throws to, how he runs, etc. This approach, however, seems to have seriously affected Cade's performance, but that is on him. Given the talent at WR, TE, and speedier, more elusive RBs this year, this team needs more of a gun-slinging QB that can push the ball down field more while threatening the field horizontally with his feet. JJ now has a year in the offense, valuable experience in games, confidence in what he is doing, and can let it rip. And no reasonable person can question the unusual decision of naming different starters in back-to-back games now because that open competition has removed any lingering doubt about who should be starting. The other smart part is that JJ is not starting his first game against a good opponent. He will have at least two games under his belt as a starter heading into conference play to acclimate to that.
Thanks for sharing. I coached my ten-year-old son's flag team last spring. On offense, we used color-coded plays that were in a binder. I laminated them so the weather would not be an issue. Kids got colored wristbands before the series to know their assignment. I always kept the QB the same color, which helped. I emailed the playbook to the parents at the starat of the season. I too thought it important to have the kids read the play facing the line of scrimmage so they did not have to reverse it in their heads. One issue with this: sometimes the kids would see the play and look at the player who was getting the ball or otherwise indicate that was going to happen. I had to talk to them about this because they did not realize they were tipping the play off. I also added one new play each week. I found the hard part as a playcaller was making sure to watch both the defense before and during the play and the offense execute the play. I think I called better follow-on plays when I watched the defense more. I did not script plays because I wanted to see how the defense was lined up and what I could potentially take advantage of. We did have 3 or 4 go-to plays though.
As for playing time, we gave kids numbers before the game and an assistant would keep track of that to ensure equal playing time when we had less than 10 players show up. I would often ask the group who wanted to play QB and then rotate among them. Not all players wanted to play QB, so I did not make them do so by rotating them. Alternating QBs makes it harder to throw passes, so I had several plays that were designed short passes.
On defense, two rules: get lined up correctly before the play and everybody sprints to the ball. Had a fun season and am looking forward to doing it again.
I expect OSU knows full well that our strategy will be to slow the game down on both sides of the ball. Their strategy? On offense, expect them to go tempo early and often. That lengthens the game, limits our ability to substitute, and allows for them to catch us out of position (if we let them).
On defense, they will play more aggressively against us than other teams. They will try to stuff the run and sit on our short passing game while not giving up the big play. They will force us to try and hit intermediate routes in the passing game. A few 3 and outs for their defense and they think their offense can do the rest.
Tough problem for Michigan’s offense. How much do they attack down the field when OSU crowds the box? How many low percentage passes are they willing to attempt when that is what the defense will risk?
Michigan’s defense needs the very best from Mazi and Hinton to keep them in the game. If OSU can run effectively up to the gut, we will be in trouble.
What is Moten's status? Moore started and played the entire game at safety. I have not heard of Moten having an injury. Is this an undisclosed injury situation, or has Moore earned the starting spot now?
If Moore is a new starter, that is a tall order for a true freshman to play safety against OSU. Maybe he is a better pass defender, and that is what is needed now and going forward.
One of the worst decisions I have ever witnessed. They put JJ in right after he fumbled. RIGHT AFTER HE FUMBLED.
IN THE 4th quarter up 3 with a chance to ice the game.
When your starting QB is having the game of his life and is great at ball security.
Yeah, let’s put the freshman in who just fumbled.
Mich 20
MSU scores…
MSU 30
Mich 20
MSU scores a late TD to ice it.
They will do a much better job against our run game than any other team has this season. We will miss shots down the field that end drives.
They will have a lot of misdirection in their offense that puts our linebackers in conflict and they will challenge our corners and be successful at times doing so.
The main concern is that MSU plays much better against Michigan than they do other teams. That seems to be a given. If MSU is undefeated and beating all their opponents relatively easily (except for Nebraska), then that does not bode well for Michigan. Combine a home field advantage with a bye week, and Michigan is looking at its toughest game thus far--by a lot.
I think it hinges on Cade's improvement in the next couple of weeks. If he can get more accurate and connect on a few more passes, then I think Michigan has a path to victory. If the same Cade, who has left a lot of points on the field this season, appears in East Lansing, then I don't think it will be enough for a win.
This question really boils down to Cade’s play. If he performs the same way he has in the first six games, then we go 9-3 because he is leaving too many points on the field to win against the MSU, PSU, and OSU. If he makes incremental improvement, then 10-2 and 11-1 are real possibilities. He is making a lot of good decisions and plays. But the combination of inaccurate passes and misreads is such that he is limiting the O’s ability to score touchdowns.
Cade’s problems right now stem from being late on some reads and throws. As he adjusts to the speed of the game, that should improve. He’s definitely leaving some yards on the field, but he is also making plays and not turning the ball over. Coaches need to let him throw it down the field more.
He throws a very catchable deep ball. Rather have one underthrown a bit that gives his receiver a chance to make a play than the Joe Milton experience.
Nebraska’s 56 - 7 win last night and close loss to MSU in OT is good for Michigan. It will reduce any letdown/complacency after the big Wisconsin win. Nebraska’s offense is dangerous enough to cause problems and keep the game close. And their defense is improving.: 7 points to NW, 23 to Sparty in OT, and holding Oklahoma down shows that they can play.
M 34 N 27.
One simple thing: Substitute three-to-five runs up the middle for deep shots down the field to C. Johnson, D. Baldwin, R. Wilson, etc. Cade actually throws a good deep ball and we have wide receivers who can get deep and catch it. Or, they draw interference penalties. We go entire games without attempting one deep pass. Stretching the field vertically should loosen up defenses too. Make the opponent's defense defend the ball down the field.
Wisconsin's defense will put Gattis on the spot. You can make a case that the offensive approach (nearly all run v. pass) against Washington was strategically sound because Washington has great corners and played two high safeties all game. Washington was betting their front seven could stop the run, and Gattis took that bet. But Wisconsin's strength is the middle of their defense and stopping the run. Does Gattis adjust and attack the perimeter both running and passing? Does he attack down the field with deep balls? Or, does he try to "establish the run" into the strength of Wisconsin's defense because his starting QB has the yips and he does not want to risk turning the ball over?
The good news is that Wisconsin's anemic offense will likely keep the game close and give Michigan a chance.
Looks to me like this is the second out of four games that the starting QB has had the yips for part of a game. Washington was the other. Your QB can't go in the tank mentally for part of games against good competition. Cade had a good first half, except for missing the TD at the end of the half. Second half he repeatedly threw inaccurate passes and looked like he had no confidence.
Were this to happen again, JJ should play. Accept the freshman mistakes with the better running and passing threat.
It is depressing that we seem to have a QB issue--yet again. Our playcalling is attempting to hide his deficiencies to some extent. That second half was brutal as Cade consistently threw inaccurate passes. May be time for JJ. He will make more mistakes, but he will add to the run game while being a more effective passer.
It is crazy that they took no down field shots with CJ and Baldwin on the outside.
This is basically true every year because OSU has more talented depth and can better absorb the inevitable loss of starters due to injury as the season unfolds.
MSU v Wiscy as 3rd toughest is a difficult call. Some of it depends on Wiscy's game next week against Notre Dame. If they lose that one and start the season 1-2, then I like Michigan's chances, even if it is a night game. It is nice to catch Wiscy right after ND too.
Ranking the toughest games left on our schedule in degree of difficulty:
1. OSU
2. PSU
3. MSU
4. Wisconsin
OSU in September is a different team than OSU in November--playing Michigan. PSU plays great in Happy Valley and has solid team this year. Clifford just went 26-30 against Auburn's defense. He has improved. I expect MSU to be 7-0 heading into the game. 6-1 at worst. They have more talent this year (and a great running back that is comparable to Corum) and will throw the kitchen sink at us.
It appears that allowing Wariner and Brown to move on has benefited morale, cohesion, and attitude on both sides of the ball.
Oline is playing well so far. I see improvement with Moore at the helm.
One nitpick. Julius Welscof cannot be considered new to football or young. As a senior, he is in his 4th year now. He played some high school too. He has had plenty of time to develop mentally, technically, and physically.
Mark Knopfler.