Durkin Donuts vs Brown Donuts
In 2015 the Michigan defense, under DJ Durkin, had a 4-game shutout streak that hypnotized the Michigan fanbase. I was at the game for shutout #4 vs Northwestern (#13 at the time) and it was magical.
How do you feel about the possibility of shutouts this year?
August 28th, 2018 at 8:10 AM ^
Just win. I don’t care how, I don’t care who leads the team, JUST WIN.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:12 AM ^
Agreed. The TEAM, the TEAM, the TEAM. Come focused and ready to play at the highest level every game.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:14 AM ^
MichiganFan1984 - I thought you quit MGoBlog. You didn't even last a week.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:55 AM ^
Don't quote me on this one but I'm pretty, pretty sure MichiganFan1984 has Benn there before (quitting the board but not really quitting) many,many times over the past couple of years.
It's almost like he got mad cause the people who run the board didnt take what he felt was appropriate action on a couple of parody account threads which made fun of him or something.
DISCUSS
August 28th, 2018 at 9:06 AM ^
Well played. We all know.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:58 AM ^
I didn’t quit. Just took a short break because I let my emotions get the better of me. As a long time reader, I don’t get your “Discuss” comment so I guess I need to read more. I’m guessing it has something to do with a troll account. I do remember a lot of trolls. RDT, Wolverine in a bag, Franklin Hatchett and so on.
August 28th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
You don't remember DISCUSS? Come on, MAN!
August 28th, 2018 at 10:44 AM ^
I honestly don’t. Must have been irrelevant.
August 28th, 2018 at 11:25 AM ^
I don't know how you could not remember DISCUSS, but more power to you.
August 28th, 2018 at 11:31 AM ^
If it’s not someone that has a lasting impact then who cares. I mean is anyone going to remember these Ohio State idiots once they are gone? I think not. The 3 trolls I listed were all unique and had a lasting impact, anyone outside of those 3 are irrelevant to me and were lame pointless trolls with no life. It doesn’t mean if someone brought somebody up, I wouldn’t remember, but those 3 stick out in my mind.
August 28th, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^
Must not be devoted enough to the blog. Spray a little WD-40 in the ears and you'll remember clearer.
August 28th, 2018 at 12:57 PM ^
I see what you did there.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:11 AM ^
3 game shutout streak.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:13 AM ^
I think we have two. Rutgers and Western Michigan. With a possibility of a third with the dumpster fire at Maryland right now.
Most importantly- just win the game....focus on that first. Just win them all!!
August 28th, 2018 at 8:14 AM ^
I don't think we'll get more than one.
Although it would be nice against Maryland in particular.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:51 AM ^
Hey, you're back! I figured you were in the 2.0 version still, talking to yourself. That, or in a drug induced coma.
Either way, welcome back man. Just in time for the start of the season.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:11 AM ^
Thanks.
Work has been busy lately but now that the season is starting I had to get my priorities in order. I figure I did enough work in the off season to carry me over until January.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:19 AM ^
Figured you were in rehab or did you finally run out of hookers & blow?
August 28th, 2018 at 9:41 AM ^
"... run out of hookers & blow? "
Seriously, do you think that will ever happen to Mad Hatter?
August 28th, 2018 at 10:40 AM ^
If he's still in banking....probably not
August 28th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
You will have to pry my hookers and blow from my cold, dead, hands.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:23 AM ^
Shutouts are a product of luck as well. With the exception of Rutgers, I think each team missed a field goal.
I don't think we shut anyone out. But that answer is based on a couple things:
1) I don't know how good our offense is going to be. The more mistake-free they are, the higher the chance of a shutout.
2) How good will our DL be without Hurst? He stopped a LOT of offense by himself last year.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:24 AM ^
It was definitely a good run, but probably not a great idea to bring that dude up at this point in time
August 28th, 2018 at 8:25 AM ^
I’ll be happy with a Brown-out.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:29 AM ^
That shutout streak was really amazing. The crowd chanting defense at the end of the northwestern game gave me chills. However, I would rather give up 10-17 points against the bad teams but hold Ohio state to 24 or less.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:38 AM ^
Agreed, the debacle by coach crabcakes made those shutouts an insignificant and sadly forgotten memory.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:58 AM ^
I was at that Northwestern game, in the portion of the stadium that led those chants. It was so cool to be a part of. To this date, it's my favorite game I've ever attended.
I even had my stupid face plastered on BTN that day (cool story bro).
August 28th, 2018 at 8:42 AM ^
None. Not because our D isn't good, but because it's all very luck/situationally dependent.
I know at least in that NW game there was a missed FG. That FG being made/missed has little bearing on the D, and if there's a bad turnover that gives a team an easy chance at breaking a shutout.
Also we should hope our offense is better than either of the past three years (at least the beginning of 2015 when we couldn't pass) and so we should be scoring more. That means shutout = blowout so more second string snaps and a potential easy score for the opponent.
Finally I just don't think Brown's defenses are made for shutouts. There's a ton of blitzing and man to man on the outside. All it takes is one play where a LB gets edged or one blown coverage for the shutout to be gone. We were a top 10 S&P+ D last year but only 24th in IsoPPP+, the explosiveness metric (we were top 10 in every other category, top 5 in all but 1). That's not terrible but it means we can be prone to big plays and that's hard to shut out a team with.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:44 AM ^
A defense is truly scary when the offense helps out. Takes a lot of pressure off the defense.
August 28th, 2018 at 8:54 AM ^
Exactly. If we move from the cellar of offensive performance to just average, the defense will be immensely better than the outstanding D it was last year.
Of course, I expect better than average out of the offense though. :-)
August 28th, 2018 at 8:58 AM ^
That's what's been so mind boggling about the D the past couple years. They've been dominant despite almost no pressure being put on the other team from the offense. That's why I'm so high on this season; with even a modest upgrade on offense (they can't be worse) and they'll take the pressure off our defense. I see no reason Don Brown won't have a top 3 unit in almost every category.
August 28th, 2018 at 12:57 PM ^
Your "they can't be worse" comment is scary. A pox on you if the offense becomes cursed because of this dare. :-)
August 28th, 2018 at 9:03 AM ^
ESPN predicts us going 10-2 (8-1) in conference then losing to Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game...
If we get to the Big Ten title game I seriously doubt we lose ..
August 28th, 2018 at 9:25 AM ^
We may have to beat Wisconsin twice to win the BIG. Im hoping that Northwestern or maybe Purdue can knock them off this year. Dont like the prospect of playing them twice.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:04 AM ^
Praying for shutouts our last four games.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:14 AM ^
"Brown donuts" sounds like something you'd have to akwardly explain to your mom after she saw a meme on facebook.
August 28th, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^
That's what came to my mind as well, unfortunately.
Is the "Brown Donut" what you see when his Defense's taint is buried in your nostrils?
August 28th, 2018 at 9:18 AM ^
Really odd time for a “cute” DJ Durkin play on words.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:23 AM ^
We play some good offensive teams this year. The only teams we may have a chance to shutout would be SMU and maybe, maybe Nebraska or Maryland. Just my .02
August 28th, 2018 at 10:12 AM ^
Durkin's defense kept a safety 30 yards downfield and beat up on bad teams with the other 10 guys. Against good teams, especially good running teams, his refusal to involve everyone in the run defense meant getting bled down the field series after series.
Brown's defense flings anyone and everyone at the line and trusts the corners to play man on an island. They give up big plays on occasion against good and bad teams but also are effective at booting teams off the field or at least forcing them to beat tight coverage.
I'd take Brown's defense any day, even if it means fewer shutouts against bad teams (which, let's face it are meaningless and also a fluky stat anyway).
August 28th, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
I don't care about shutouts, but leading the nation in scoring defense would be nice. One of the great things about the 1997 defense was being secure in the knowledge that if Michigan was able to put up over 20 points, you could sit back and rest easy knowing a win was almost assured.
August 28th, 2018 at 10:44 AM ^
Please Play a Game.
Go Blue
August 28th, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
I think we shut out every team until Penn State
Being a pre-season homer full of optimism is, to me, an important part of College Football fandom. I love feeling like this every year.
And I love that I'm actually believing it this year!!
GO BLUE!!!
August 28th, 2018 at 1:06 PM ^
"Shut-outs" are really team accomplishments, even if the D carries the load; so, even without the "doughnut", I could see the D going a few games of "quarters without giving up a point".
Maybe 9, 10 quarters.
August 28th, 2018 at 2:43 PM ^
Just win games! Shutouts are nice but I'd take a B1G championship with no shutouts as oppose to having 3 or 4 shutouts but 3 or 4 losses.
August 28th, 2018 at 3:03 PM ^
As a segue, I'd be completely fine with us never mentioning DJ Durkin around these parts ever again.
August 28th, 2018 at 4:32 PM ^
Defense is too aggressive to expect shutouts. They eventually give something up when you blitz so much.
But they don’t give up many still. I expect this defense to be top 5 in scoring defense this year.