Our play today and how it changes the outlook on the rest of the season
We stepped forwards and backwards today. The D played better and Forcier once again played extremely well when he needed to. but the OL played really poorly and the WR dropped too many passes. Don't know how RBs played because the OL was just so bad. What are your predictions now?
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:11 PM ^
The only thing it does is kill that tiny part in your brain that told you this team could be 10-2. Completion date of this team has always been 2010. Still so many problems. 8-4 is fantastic compared to last year.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:13 PM ^
And who do you think we beat? Purdue, Illinois, DelSt, and someone else?
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:35 PM ^
The thing is.. I think we will likely pick off one of the top four remaining (PSU, OSU, Wisconsin, Iowa). However, I'm not confident in going 3-0 against Purdue, Illinois, and 1-AA, even though we will likely be favored in all of those games.
It's possible that we beat 2/4 of the top four or than we go 3-0, but I'm not sure that's more likely than the 7-5 scenario. The Iowa game could tell us a lot, since it may be our first "real" test of the season.
"real" = we're not sure about ND and I still doubt MSU is good.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:13 PM ^
Koger had a case of the dropsies today, but I'm also willing to cut the team a little slack with dropped passes because of the pouring rain.
Outlook on the rest of the season? I don't know. If we bring our A-game (to use a bit of announcer-speak), I think we can give anyone in the Big 10 a run for their money. And even if we bring our B-game, I think we can sometimes pull it out. I'm still thinking 8-4, or something along those lines.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 PM ^
I'm still sticking with my original guesstimate of 7-5 or 8-4. I still think this is a pretty solid team, but we didn't come to play today. Tough loss and Sparty nabs one from us again. I again see our defense's ability to defend in the red zone and also saw the offense's persistance. After Iowa's game against Ark. State, I don't know what to think about next week. Was PSU game a fluke or was this week?
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:15 PM ^
Come on guys and gals...at beginning of season looking at last year and the schedule if you "really" thought UM would of been 5-0 or 4-1 at best...I owe you 50 bucks...
they can fix alot of went on this week...they should of thrown more than they did..but early on when they did they got rushed and had to punt or fake punt..J/k...lol
the Wolverines win next week and they are back otherwise the young kids learn again and get ready for Delaware STate and Penn State...
GO BLUE!!
October 4th, 2009 at 10:12 AM ^
i think if our defense keep playing like they do we are in trouble.we give up to many big plays on defense.msu doesnt have better players than we do,but the way we played we made their qb look like a super star.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:17 PM ^
Next week at Iowa has the potential to be mighty ugly. Snow Cow ugly. Plumber butt crack ugly. It seems clear from the Indiana and MSU games that defenses are scheming against our O pretty well. Much of that might be our O-line play. Hard to establish rhythm on offense when three D linemen are getting to your quarterback. Boy, do we miss Molk.
I sure hope we don't look that bad next week or for any of the rest of the games, but I'm not holding my breath. At this point, I think 6-6 is a likely outcome to the year, and there are no "gimmes".
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:47 PM ^
Our best scheme is letting Tate run around with the ball before finding a receiver downfield. If he gets hurt, good-bye offense.
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:01 PM ^
Sorry, you're an idiot. Let me say that again: an IDIOT!!! Do you truly believe we'll only beat Purdue and Del State? Do you think we won't pull one game out of Wisky, Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, or the Bucks? We'll go 2-6 in the Big Ten, only beating Indiana and Purdue? Especially considering how terrible Illinois has looked, I think we'll easily go 3-5 in the Big Ten, and that's if we give up some toss-up games and don't win any "low-percentage" games. Fair-weather fans like you make me sick.
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:10 PM ^
"Sticks and stones ..."
I wasn't going to dignify your asinine, juvenile, scrotum-breathed post. However, I couldn't help myself.
I find it utterly moronic (on your part) that you brow-beat me over the difference between 2-6 in the B10 and 3-5. Okay, so fine. We'll go 7-5 instead of 6-6. Feel better now?
You can go back to licking your boyfriend's sack . Some guys also like a little pressure on the prostate. Try that, too.
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:27 PM ^
There's quite a difference between 7-5 and 6-6. And yes, you are a fair-weather fan, because I'm sure yesterday if asked you would've said "OMG UM is going 12-0", and now after 1 loss you're bitching. Finally, I think it much more likely for us to go 8-4 than 6-6. For one reason, our defense played some great football for the first time this year. Once they and the offense are both clicking, this team will be dangerous. However, I'll be using my "scrotum-breathed post" as a reference for you in 2 months when we end up 8-4, you little MSU troll. Don't worry, I'm bookmarking this post, and then I'm going to repost at the end of November with a big "haha told you so", and then you'll have to suck my big, thorny, gay dick.
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:32 PM ^
You dork.
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:34 PM ^
Good for you, I'm a student. I'd have thought a real Michigan fan would be a little more upbeat after such a close loss.
October 3rd, 2009 at 6:04 PM ^
After a LOSS? A loss is still a loss. I am NOT in favor of "moral victories". And neither was anyone else on this board when we were 4-0 and Sparty was 1-3 and using the same words.
October 3rd, 2009 at 6:16 PM ^
I never said anything about a moral victory. But, after today we know our defense is half-way decent when players aren't blowing assignments left and right. That gives us a chance to compete in B10 play.
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:16 PM ^
"An" my friend, an.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:17 PM ^
I feel good about 8-4 still. Today was a pretty disappointing as I had this game as a win before the season, let alone when we ended last week 4-0. I think we can win Purdue, Illinois, and DelSt, and I think we'll get a win somewhere else as well.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:17 PM ^
in a little more than a week and tell you then. To many +/- to accurately give a guess.
As someone said on another thread "Got Molk"
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:18 PM ^
no. unless you were overhyped by our 4-0 start.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:18 PM ^
wait, that was the 1st loss right. We were out of it today. For Sparty this was their bowl bid game, win to save their season or lose and end their season, we are 4-1 with managable expectations. Sparty losses next week we win and none of this matters. Dantonio won't bitch and moan to much this year he's sparty god like now retaining that trophy.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:18 PM ^
it changes much in my mind.
we were underdogs in our first road game, and showed the heart to hang around to have a chance at the end.
my, my how peoples' expectations changed in a month. they're right where they *should be*, perhaps even a bit ahead. if someone offered you 4-1 in august, do you take it? because that would've probably meant a win in all the 'easy' games, and a split with sparty/nd.
i would've.
that said, today hurts. but don't act like you weren't cringing at a possible blowout at some point today. the kids don't quit.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:20 PM ^
I AM SADDENED BY EVERYONE'S BOO HOOOOOOING, LETS MOVE ON. NEXT!
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:23 PM ^
Going into this game, I thought it was a tossup, but probably a loss, and I thought Iowa next week was a for sure loss. I think PSU and OSU are definite losses, and the rest of the games, we should have a shot at winning. So I guess that makes my thoughts at finishing the season at 8-4, but more likely 7-5. And I'm cool with that.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:31 PM ^
I think we will get better. We will probably come out of the gates passing like crazy, then use that to open up our run game. It seemed like we tried to establish the run for a long time today, then gave up on it and started passing only because we were down by 14. Unfortunately, I think this means more qb option plays and less of handing off to rb early on in the game.
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:10 PM ^
I don't know if you guys watched last week and are watching them play Illinois, but Penn State looks like they're actually not particularly good. They played less than no one to start the season. First real team was a home loss, and now they're up 7-3 at the half on an Illinois team that hasn't been able to stop a 1-A offense whatsoever.
I'm starting to believe that the Penn State game is very winnable. Also possible that we get Molk back for that one (as it's on the earlier side of the 4-6 weeks).
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:05 PM ^
I'm really curious to see our offensive UFR for this game. It seemed to me like the Spartans were consistently blowing up our zone reads. Neither Minor nor Forcier could get any yardage on them until late in the fourth quarter, when they suddenly seemed to work again. I'd go back and look at it myself, but I'm not sure I want to subject myself to watching the game again.