Michigan vs. Penn State vs. Michigan State: Perspective
Michigan State needed a last minute touchdown to beat Utah State at home.
Penn State needed OT to beat Appalachian State at home.
Michigan lost on the road by 7 to the #12 team in the country.
Is the real issue here the choice to play a good team on the road to open the season? Did Michigan really perform any worse than the other two teams behind OSU in the division?
While this was a frustrating loss, it was also the first game of the season in a place where weird shit tends to happen.
I'm not sure why anyone opens the season with a game like this. Breaking in a new QB, new tackles, new offense...is on the road against a top 15 opponent really the best situation for all of that?
September 1st, 2018 at 11:33 PM ^
Michigan State shared a big ten title and had an offensive identity in year 4 under Dantonio.
Penn State had an offensive identity and won a big ten title in year 3 under Franklin.
Spare me this crap.
September 1st, 2018 at 11:37 PM ^
Penn State lost to Pitt in their first real game of the season in Year 3 of Franklin. They only won a title because of their fluke win against Ohio State and our fluke loss to Ohio State.
Michigan State played Notre Dame at home in 2010 and won in OT by 3.
Who goes on the road at night in the opening game of the season and wins?
September 1st, 2018 at 11:34 PM ^
This is far too rational and unclouded by bitter emotion to be given the affirmation that it deserves. For the record, you are right on point. We had a lot of new things going on, and frankly we looked pretty darn good in the fourth quarter during winning time.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:01 AM ^
Interesting take.
Usually, if you look good in the 4th quarter during “winning time” you...... um.... win?
So, this means one of two things.
1. It only seemed like “winning time” when it was really garbage time
2. We didn’t actually look good.
You can pick.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:01 AM ^
I pick both
September 1st, 2018 at 11:36 PM ^
Do you really think that we will have a good result against either of those teams with the same kind of tackle play we had today? I think we made Notre Dame look way too good. Hopefully they don't suck for the rest of the year and make our loss look even worse than it was.
September 1st, 2018 at 11:40 PM ^
I don't know. I do know that Utah State and App State put up 30+ against both of them.
September 1st, 2018 at 11:57 PM ^
App State and Utah State were ranked 62nd and 63rd last year -- and just took PSU and MSU down to the wire on the road.
Yes both of those teams are worse than Notre Dame playing at home in a night game.
September 2nd, 2018 at 2:03 AM ^
It's funny how everyone here spent all offseason talking about how much Penn State sucks and Franklin is an idiot and now everyone is worried we'll lose to them. I wasn't as down on Penn State as a lot of people here, but I'd still bet a dollar Notre Dame is a better team this year than PSU or MSU. Most of our confidence was on the idea that Wimbush sucked, and although he got away with some big mistakes today, he played well. The defense looked way better after the first quarter and a half or so. It will be interesting to see the UFRs.
September 1st, 2018 at 11:40 PM ^
It's not about that. It's about always having bad tackles, defense plays average or worse first half, great second half, 2nd and goal from the 2 and you play action pass, down 14 in the fourth and you run on first and second down, poor clock management, running 3 yard pass plays, etc.
We have the talent to win, but the offensive staff (harbaugh) hold us back with their stupid offensive philosophy. He is obviously the right guy to lead the program, but hire a damn OC already.
September 1st, 2018 at 11:56 PM ^
But is all of this amplified because Michigan is playing a must-win game on the road to open the season? If the opener was at home against a bad team wouldn't that be a better breaking in period fora team with the flaws everyone knew about coming in?
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:03 AM ^
Yes that's true. I agree it's not smart to schedule this game as the first game.
September 2nd, 2018 at 2:04 AM ^
I think the bitching about playcalling gets overblown because bad O-line play makes everything look dumb, but running play action with like 45 seconds left in the game when we obviously aren't going to run the ball drove me nuts.
September 1st, 2018 at 11:45 PM ^
Not sure if anyone has pointed this out in any other thread, but the B1G was undefeated today with the painful exception of Michigan (just like the bowl games).
September 2nd, 2018 at 2:05 AM ^
Oh come on. You can't tell me MSU and PSU's games struck fear in your heart.
September 1st, 2018 at 11:46 PM ^
The only thing that could make this post end worse is if our oline was trying to protect you while you typed it
September 1st, 2018 at 11:49 PM ^
We can still win the tough Big 10 East and get to a playoff game. I think it's good to play them early.
September 1st, 2018 at 11:53 PM ^
DO NOT SCHEDULE QUALITY NON-CONF GAMES.
In the era of 9 conference games there is zero point to play a quality non-conf opponent. Guess what? Penn St and MSU sucked at home and barely beat App St and Utah St but they are 1-0. Michigan and Washington would much rather be in their position than in the one we are in right now
September 2nd, 2018 at 7:53 AM ^
This. I've heard the popular opinion that the playoff incentives scheduling quality non conference opponents, but I think it does the opposite.
September 1st, 2018 at 11:57 PM ^
Neither MSU nor PSU looked completely incompetent.
Both teams showed weaknesses, but they didnt seem to be weaknesses that have been entrenched for over a decade without any improvement on the horizon.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:05 AM ^
So giving up 30+ points to bad teams at home shows competence?
September 2nd, 2018 at 8:14 AM ^
First post...dont shoot me.
I think that is probably the difference between the hand wringing amongst the fan bases.
Sparty and PSU are nervous for this reason or that but expect to show notable improvement over the year while you folks are fretting because you woke up seriously worrying that you’ll be eating the same sh*t sandwhich as the last decade.
PS - trade ya LJ and a sixer for Higdon
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:02 AM ^
I think the issue most people are having is the offense, which looked identical to last year’s offense, i.e. bad. Patterson looked like a slight upgrade at QB, but not much better than O’Korn/Peters. I still see very little speed on offense and very few playmakers. O line looked about the same. Coaching wise the clock management was beyond awful. The play selection was also questionable.
Yes, MSU and PSU struggled against inferior competition but I think we can attribute that to overlooking the opponent. Both also have a track record of getting better as the season progresses. MSU in particular seems to struggle early before turning it on.
I actually was expecting Michigan to lose. Like you said, it is difficult to open the season against a quality opponent on the road. So no shame in losing, but I wanted to see improvement offensively and I did not see that. And that does not bode well for the rest of the season.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:18 AM ^
Patterson looked much better than anything we saw at QB last year. The OL did not look any better, but again, is that amplified because their first test of the year was a legitimately good defense on the road?
I thought that despite all the flaws that the OL displayed, the offense moved the ball fairly well. There were only three drives in the first half. None were 3 and outs. Michigan blew a couple of RZ drives that mainly came down to poor OL play.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:04 AM ^
Michigan state is shit and always will be. Haven't won a natty since the 60's and only do well in a down Big 10.
Michigan sucked tonight no denying that.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:21 AM ^
I mean we've only won 3/4 of a "natty" since 1948. So is that saying much?
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:17 AM ^
And yet [shitty] Michigan State has still won 8 of the last 10 games against your vaunted Wolverines, has won 3 BIG 10 Championships and made the CFP. Try harder.
September 2nd, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^
If the Big Ten is down, Michigan should be kicking some ass.