Everyone please chill

Submitted by 1464 on

We just played a top 10ish team on the road, at night, in our first game of the year.  We were 50 yards away from tying the game at the end.  The teams were fairly even all game long, despite the score for 3 quarters.  Anyone saying we were outclassed is just being silly.  It was a close game.

Patterson did great.  Neither TO was fully on him.  The INT he shorted out of bounds while getting hit.  The fumble was bound to happen.  Even McCaffery did well (I see you mineral king).

The defense was shell shocked but settled down into what we will see all year.

The play calling was fine, aside from a couple plays.  The 2 minute drill is impossible to run with a porous O-line.  You have to let them get their blocking somewhat figured out.  I didn't have any problem with our play calling.  Don Brown adjusted well, the offense did a good job of hiding the bad play on the line.

Which... did play horribly.  We can only hope that Warriner can make improvement over the year.  They have time, but they could be what kills the season.

We are not out of anything.  Still control our own destiny.  We would have destroyed App State, Utah State, and Oregon State.  Our conference looks beatable.

This loss means very little in the scheme of things.

HateSparty

September 1st, 2018 at 11:54 PM ^

I don’t care what the coaches are paid. The cost of tickets aren’t effected much. That narrative is useless. To think this team is going 9-3 is delusional. I’m at what MSU was for years, just beat MSU and I’ll be content. Hope to beat OSU but accept that as an L. I’ve accepted college money sports to be FIFA level corrupt. Unless Michigan plays at that level, I think that’s what any fan should hope for: beat MSU and compete with OSU.

michfan23

September 1st, 2018 at 11:56 PM ^

9-3 after tonight seems pretty optimistic to me considering the schedule. 

Don Browns defense didn’t shut ND down until the second half. To be fair the first half was largely Wimbush hurling the ball into some jump balls where the defenders were in the right place and didn’t knock the ball down. Not sure that’s the schematics when the players are where they should be. That’s the fundamentals. 

Felt like 2015 Utah. That season wasn’t a championship, but it was ok. Is that possible? Sure 

His Dudeness

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:29 AM ^

9-3 isn't bad. And who cares what the coach makes. Are you writing his check out of your own pocket? Then what difference does it make? The "he makes too much" argument screams of jealousy. He makes what he makes and it's justified. Jim has more 10-win seasons than Carr ever did. Jesus Christ, man Harbaugh is the best we can do. Let the man build back the program please. It takes more than 3 seasons. R-E-L-A-X 

michfan23

September 1st, 2018 at 11:45 PM ^

This game sucked. So many absolutely terrible mistakes in playing, coaching, and officiating. It looked like a first game for Michigan and a mid season game for ND. As the game went on, I felt that Michigan started to figure some things out, but by then it was going to be hard. 

I really don’t think the season is over, but now there is really a small margin of any for any future mistakes and the schedule is brutal. 

Im trying to tell myself that the OL is bad, which I knew. Patterson was in game one of his Michigan career (reminded me of Rudock against Utah), which had the potential for being rough. The defense adjusted, but by that point it was too late. 

Life goes on I suppose. 

eigenket

September 1st, 2018 at 11:45 PM ^

Thank you. Finally, a voice of reason.

We are all upset that we lost, but we lost to a team ranked higher than us on the road at night.

What makes Michigan fans different from other teams, like Ohio State, is that we can maintain dignity, sportsmanship, and decency—even after a loss that hurts. 

A loss at the beginning of the year is thankfully not at tough to recover from as a loss later in the year.

Hang in there. We will be fine.

Rage

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:45 AM ^

What makes Michigan fans different from other teams, like Ohio State, is their team almost never wins any big games, any road games against a ranked opponent (12 years), is 9-9 in the last 18 games and their team hasn't won a conference championship in almost 15 years.  The difference is that Michigan fans haven't had much to cheer for. Ohio State fans have. 

What's Michigan's record against OSU in the last14 years? Big difference. 

Gardner FTW

September 1st, 2018 at 11:48 PM ^

Yea totally let's all chill when we've waited so long to taste the sweet, sweet drip of ass again. Some of us expect to not be embarrassed for god knows how many millions of dollars..

BornInA2

September 1st, 2018 at 11:49 PM ^

We've been 'chilling' since RichRod started Nick Sheridan in a spread offense in 2008: It's been a decade of chilling.

There's always a new player and a new coach and new excuse to just wait a bit longer. The issues with the offense are not little, not new, and ten year in now, it's not a blip; it's institutional. How many more five star O-line recruits do you think are going to come and play on that clown-show line?

core42

September 1st, 2018 at 11:50 PM ^

The O Line was NOT ok but overall we had some bad luck, were on the wrong side of most close calls & still had a chance to tie the game at the end.

All in all it was an adequate game, not good at all but many of the question marks were answered positively...except the O Line. Did I mention the O line yet?

 

I feel positive that we will be better than ND by the end of the year but obviously the result hurts at this point 

MFunk

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:13 AM ^

My Oh My 1464,

I  am s hardcore Michigan fan since 1977.

First point. The offensive line is not good enough to beat a top 20 team on the road..... after 4 years.

Wake up 1464.

The conservative play calling that Harbaugh is condoning/ordering in the first half especially, is fine against Maryland, Indiana, even Nebraska, but he is calling games like it's 1985. You have to come out swinging in 2018 against good teams. Actually, you have to come out swinging since about 2000 but Michigan doesn't seem to get it.  It might work 20 years ago, but it does not now and hasn't for a long time.  

Why aren't we rolling out 40% of the time with Shea? I cannot figure out the logic here. Totally baffled on this one. THIS HAS TO BE DONE THE ENTIRE GAME, how is this not obvious?

Setting this excellent defense up for an entire season of this old school crap will condemn UM to similar result as last year.

It's just hard to watch year after year after year after year after.....conservative, let's ease into the game.

COME OUT WITH FIRE HOLY SHIT!

Feel for the defense.

The team I saw tonight, coaches mostly responsible, will lose AT LEAST 3 games, maybe 5.

Bummed out.

MGoblu8

September 1st, 2018 at 11:52 PM ^

I don’t think most of us need to chill. On the contrary, I’m not even mad. I’m disappointed in how the game went. I’m disappointed that we are right back where we were last year. And the year before. And the damn near 20 years before that. I’m disappointed that I could have been more productive today, instead of acting like a kid on Christmas Eve. I may not watch next week, as I’ll have family things to do. It is what it is. What it is not is promising. 

MGoRedemption

September 1st, 2018 at 11:53 PM ^

Notre Dame was not interested in scoring in the second half. I give don brown zero credit. I give him full blame for the abysmal start of the game. 

Left tackle is not going to magically get better. You can’t win games when your qb is running for his goddamn life the second fhe ball is snapped. So you go ahead and chill 

Perkis-Size Me

September 1st, 2018 at 11:59 PM ^

Going to say the same thing I’ve said for what feels like a decade now:

This team will go as far as it’s OL can take it. And the OL is probably taking this team no farther than the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl right now.

No way to mince words. The OL is a disaster. ND was in Patterson’s grill and blowing plays up on every snap. You can’t run an effective offense under those conditions. Is there time to right the ship? For sure. But it seems like the OL has become same story different year every year since ‘07.

MFunk

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:39 AM ^

sadly, same story every year... most  years it's the OL.

If it were up to me, this would be the most over-recruited part of the offense every single year. shocking really .

You can always find QBs and RBs who can run the offense. Look at all the non-power 5 teams.

Even other big ten teams. Just find some serviceable skills players and have a bad ass OL.

Hello Wisconsin. And now they have skill players as well.

You gotta protect and create lanes.  If not, you are average at best.

really disappointed.

deejaydan

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:00 AM ^

Eh, Looked similar, but better to that first game of the Harbaugh Era against Utah.  Mistakes were made.  Things to clean up.  Game was within reach late, but too many miscues.  This coaching staff will make improvements and get better from this game. 

MFunk

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:48 AM ^

Yeah, it's too late for this type of analysis. Offense should be humming by now. 4 years.

Can't play first half like it's 1985 anymore, gotta attack like ND did.

I think it's just Harbaugh's way (too conservative) and I'm done with it.

Born into fan-hood in 1970.

Getting tired of same, same old, same old, same old.

The fear of playing Michigan died a long time ago. The tradition is also dying, despite the hype.

Harbaugh better challenge for playoff this year or he should be gone. Offense has just not improved, despite a very solid D.

It's gotta be killing him, but I need to see more fire in the first half, not 4th quarter.

Where is that guy?

 

BayWolves

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:01 AM ^

 Agree with your assessment  in general. Staee and Pedo state both looked beatable and Michigan has a couple of good QBs and receivers and backs. We just need that O line play, particularly at tackle, to improve. I am not worried about the defense as much though I do wonder why so much Mone and Marshall and over pursuit on every damned play in the first half. I also worry about how the team is prepped and maintained for road games. Aside from that I think we see the line make huge strides over the next couple of weeks so it will be ready for conference play. We need a new LT though. Badly.

MIGHTYMOJO91

September 2nd, 2018 at 5:41 AM ^

You would be surprised with your misguided statement Athena. Don't know what sheltered world you live in but it's not real. I see posters on here that think racism exists only in the south and Michigan is immune from it. HA!  Pretty stupid comment to say the least.

Wyandot Buckeye Fan

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:40 AM ^

Just because their not ichigan grads doesn't mean they can't get upset with the way the program is.  Some of these NON ichigan grads may have season tickets where their spending their hard earned dollars on a shit show, hell I'd be pissed too.

Iceman

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:06 AM ^

I’m fine with this. Honestly, all that matters is the conference season, and we would have to go undefeated to win our division anyway. This was a great ND team that we should have beaten, if the stupid 1st game mistakes didn’t happen. I like our chances this year and I think we run the table. Would love a shot at ND again in CFP.

MIGHTYMOJO91

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:15 AM ^

Is this a 2017 post because it is all to familiar. Just like a certain team I know. The more things change,  the more yatta yatta yatta.

thelomasbrowns

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:23 AM ^

Nothing will change until the o-line is fixed.  I find it hard to believe that these problems don't show up in practice. So why aren't they being addressed?

BrightonB

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:27 AM ^

I have no idea how you think Patterson did great.  He did ok but was not great at all.

We should of won that game.  No chill .. no excuses .. it should of been a win.

It's one loss and hopefully the "problems" will will be workout out by next game.  D started slow but finished strong.

Personally I liked D-Mac in there at QB.  He just looked better and more decisive.  Happy seeing him (surprised as well) in there and how he performed.