Colin Cowherd: "These Anti-Harbaugh People Are Crazy"

Submitted by Clancy's Hands on October 25th, 2018 at 9:50 AM

Joel Klatt and Colin Cowherd discuss Harbaugh, Michigan and osu.

https://youtu.be/pabjdNMYI4A

 

 

 

 

Mgoczar

October 25th, 2018 at 9:55 AM ^

Beat PSU first please. Hype is getting out of control. 

Question though, do people really believe in "body blow" theory? PSU is playing Iowa and if its a slugfest, is that good for us? Bye week came at a good time, but I feel like M was on a roll and would've liked to carry momentum and rhythm in beating PSU to pulp. 

Champeen

October 25th, 2018 at 10:01 AM ^

I do believe in it.  Its good for us, in a bad way.  The more banged up/injured PSU gets, the better off we are.  Imagine if McSorley is injured and cannot play vs us.  Imagine if Miles Sanders is injured and cannot play vs. us.  Hell, what if their starting left tackle is injured etc...

Now with that said, its a shitty way to look at bettering our chances of winning, but injuries happen, and happen more when the other team is tough and hits the shit out of a player on every tackle.  I couldn't imagine playing against Ray Lewis. I would call in sick that game if i was a running back.

mtzlblk

October 25th, 2018 at 10:55 AM ^

There is the potential for injury, but barring that overall the fatigue factor of playing a tough opponent the week prior and then having to go on the road is likely to be a bigger influence.

I think most important is the two weeks of planning/scheming that M has vs. PSU, who has to spend a week focused on Iowa. The team is way more tuned this year to be able to execute on a specific gameplan than in the past and Franklin presents some unique opportunities to exploit.

This is why I like the lead-up to the OSU game. With Rutgers/Indiana the two weeks prior, it affords the opportunity to spend some extra energy toward prepping for OSU and still playing and staying in a rhythm. 

canzior

October 25th, 2018 at 11:27 AM ^

I think there's something to it. There's stats about teams whose opponents lose games after they play the,. I think Oregon's opponents are o-fer on the season the week after they play the Ducks. Might not even be injuries...could just be a tough, hard hitting game, that physically and mentally exhausting and the following week, a missed tackle...a missed block..shanked punt...overthrown ball can change the game.

ijohnb

October 25th, 2018 at 10:03 AM ^

I have stopped really believing that what happens one week has that much of a carry over effect on the next week.  I have previously bought into the "up/down theory," the "momentum theory," the "rest and preparation" theory etc. etc.  Each of these beliefs as to carry over effect is blown up 3 or 4 times with different examples from around the country.  Obviously injuries carry over, that is one specific and tangible aspect of things.  But I don't think it is possible to gauge what will happen one week from what did or didn't happen to a team the week before.

ijohnb

October 25th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^

The last two times I had "feels" were:

1. Michigan State basketball was going to beat us soundly in East Lansing.  Had been a house of horrors for us and we were coming off a heart breaker to Purdue.  Not an ideal situation for us heading in and thought we would play without emotion.

2. Nebraska was much better than they had played through 2 games and would come to Ann Arbor with a "save their season" type mentality and play us really tough. 

In consideration of my last two "feels," I have decided that perhaps I am not the best resource for predictive rhetoric.

maizenblue92

October 25th, 2018 at 10:06 AM ^

I believe it, but I think people misuse it. I don't think back to back hard games constitutes a body blow theory game. I think it is a stretch of hard games, like if we didn't have a bye week between Wisconsin, MSU, and PSU. Now I do believe PSU will be in a body blow spot when the come to Ann Arbor because the lead up will be MSU (87 plays defensed), Indiana (100(!!) plays defensed), and Iowa (physical team) before playing a very physical Michigan team. 

Mblueforlife

October 25th, 2018 at 10:07 AM ^

I feel like the bye week came at the perfect time for recovering from injuries and finishing off certain position battles. Karan, Mason, Soloman, Dwumfour, Gary, Bush, Kinnel, Black, and the OL could all use some time for rest to recover from the last two weeks against Wisconsin and MSU. Nordin needs time to figure out his kicking game because it has been inconsistent as compared to last year. 

I feel as though Michigan could also use the extra time to perfect their offense more. The more practice and training the OL can get from Warinner, the better. Shea needs to continue to develop his trust with his WR core and give them more chances down the field. The playbook will continue to open up more, and they will need to with the big games they have remaining on the schedule. This bye came at the perfect time, IMO.

PopeLando

October 25th, 2018 at 11:09 AM ^

I remember being very down on bye weeks under Hoke. Because, every time, we would come out of the bye running some bland offense that completely ignored our athletic QBs, and inevitably we'd look terrible. Or Borges would install a 1-game gimmick.

It's like Hoke looked at the extra time and said, "Great! Rather than improving, we're gonna use this time to attempt to morph into a smash mouth team!"

At least RichRod used bye weeks to install Minor Rage and the like.

These days, I cackle with glee knowing that the bye week is going to be Don Brown scheming against James Franklin. That's just not fair lol.

True Blue Grit

October 25th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^

I agree completely.  After 2 tough games, the latter of which was MSU, Michigan could use the extra week to re-ground and re-focus themselves.  Typically, Michigan comes out flat in the week after the MSU game.  The extra week reduces the chances of that.  Of course, it also give the team a chance to get some injured guys back, and fix the other issues you mention.  

MgoWood

October 25th, 2018 at 10:48 AM ^

I wonder if Tarik -back in- Black getting injured hindered Shea's confidence a little bit losing such a huge weapon. IMHO the down field pass game will see exponential growth with Black back in the line up and Shea's restored confidence (albeit a small %). Really looking forward to the Death Star being Fully Operational.

evenyoubrutus

October 25th, 2018 at 10:15 AM ^

I feel bad for people like you. I honestly didn't believe people when they said the goalposts would continue to move, even if they beat MSU. This is why the season is fun. Are we supposed to just sit back and act all grouchy about everything and say "not till we beat the next team! Nope! Never gonna get excited!" 

I guarantee if we run the schedule and beat OSU, someone's inevitably going to chime in with "let's not celebrate until we win the Big Ten!"

Mgoczar

October 25th, 2018 at 10:19 AM ^

You have the wrong guy. Please go back to ND thread, I was one of less than 10 people who was ENCOURAGED by our play. Heck I posted even on the "neck sharpie OT doom thread!" that OTs did fine. The last person who is unhappy about the season. All I'm saying is beating PSU (not even OSU) would further validate how good M is and not to get a big head. M is top of the division but the tough portion of the schedule continues. 

BTW, I used similar lines in FFFF from seth (moving goal posts etc). Biggest opponent of making FFFF teams looks like Bama since Nebraska? Yea...me. 

ijohnb

October 25th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^

I don't think he is moving the goal posts.  There is just a lot of work for the team to do this season.  Beating MSU was awesome, but it was very much "it's own thing."  We still have two of the toughest games on our schedule yet and there is the risk of people over-selling this team a little bit and then all of the sudden we go 10-2 and play in a non Rose Bowl NY6 games and then everybody is talking about how Harbaugh "underachieved."  It is fun to discuss where we are right now, but I think important to temper it a bit with the understanding that this season still has the potential to go a few different directions.  If anything, I think he is doing his best to "keep the goal posts in the same spot" as opposed to the opposite.

Salinger

October 25th, 2018 at 10:44 AM ^

Can the take be, "It's exciting what we've done so far. Big wins again Wisky and MSU feel like real momentum. Now let's keep this train going." ???

Or, as Bo says, "There is no game bigger than the one you are going down the tunnel to play today. NOW LET'S GO!!"

Big goals, big ideas... gotta win to keep those goals in sight.

Excited about the past, focused on the future.

Rafiki

October 25th, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^

This.

PSU has not been impressive all season. They’re S&P numbers were propped up by App State and ppl put a lot of stock in their loss to osu. Since losing to osu psu lost to msu and osu hasn’t looked all that good. And Harbaugh has only lost to psu and Franklin once. I was far more worried about last weekend than I am psu. Their offense is one dimensional which is a recipe for disaster against Brown and this D and they have 2 weeks to prepare. My feeling was that if UM made it to the bye with one loss than the rest of the season would be about beating osu and not beating themselves. 

Mr Miggle

October 25th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^

Also, Iowa is a good team and a difficult type of opponent for many.

That seems to have gotten overlooked with the common narratives about the Big Ten west. Iowa played well enough to be undefeated. They were completely overshadowed by Wisconsin, a team they mostly outplayed and now we all want to talk about Purdue. Iowa would be the toughest opponent in the CCG. OK, not for OSU, but they're not getting in.

bdneely4

October 25th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^

If Rashan Gary's mom is right (and I have no reason to doubt her) about our practices being just as intense as games, then we don't even have a bye week.  I am confident Harbaugh and the leaders will continue moving this team forward.  I believe this may be the year that the better team wins, and Michigan is the best team in the conference as of right now.

Fitz

October 25th, 2018 at 11:12 AM ^

Yes but I don't think the effect is entirely a physical issue. Like (I think) Brian mentioned in one of the MSU game articles, MSU playing a close game with Penn St made them use a lot of the tricks and constraint plays they they would have otherwise saved for Michigan. Playing in a stretch of difficult/close games means that you have to keep breaking out more and more of the schemes that you have been hoping to save and there's only so much of that you can replace in a week.

jdemille9

October 25th, 2018 at 11:45 AM ^

Not sure how much I buy into the momentum killing aspect, this team is on a mission and has been very focused for their Revenge Tour (TM). Plus it gives Gary and Black more rest, or getting back up to speed time. 

Brown has mentioned last year's PSU game has haunted him, essentially, so giving him two weeks to prepare to annihilate them is quite fine by me. 

This team just feels different, yeah the D has been stellar in Harbaugh's tenure, especially since Brown came on, but this team just feels more cohesive and focused about taking care of business. I just don't see the bye doing anything but fueling their hatred for PSU and OSU and getting them focus even more. 

CompleteLunacy

October 25th, 2018 at 12:59 PM ^

GET HYPE YO.

I'm amped up for the rest of this season! I don't know why folks want to calm it all down and say "focus on PSU". Screw that. This team feels special, in a way that not even 2016 felt. For once I'm not nervous to see them play a big opponent, I'm excited. I was anxious before the Wisconsin and MSU games, because we all know how the team looked last year. Well the results are in, this year ain't last year. Penn State is not the same without Moorehead and Barkley...they rely far too much on McSorely, and that is a recipe for disaster against this Michigan defense. The best part? Even if Don Brown doesn't completely shut down PSU (and honestly that's a big "if" lol), our offense has demonstrated the ability to control large chunks of games, and if Shea can put it all together they can go from pretty good to downright dangerous.

ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN WOOT WOOT!

jblaze

October 25th, 2018 at 10:00 AM ^

Does anybody know a Michigan "fan" that actually wants Harbaugh gone or is anti-Harbaugh. All of my M friends love the guy and even after the ND loss, just wanted him to change a few things but not be fired.

We aren't idiots and still remember the RR and Hoke years (and late Lloyd ones too).