Herbstreit favors Michigan over OSU in a blowout

Submitted by StephenRKass on November 15th, 2018 at 10:25 PM

Herbstreit strongly favors Michigan over Ohio State in a week and a half.

LINK:  Kirk Herbstreit Surprisingly Thinks Michigan Will Blow Out His Alma Mater

Of course that's what we all want. I think given the last three years, Michigan will leave nothing to chance, and will crush OSU. And yet, with the BPONE, I'll believe it when I see it.

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stephenrjking

November 15th, 2018 at 11:11 PM ^

I love Harmon's smooth cuts and his vision. The TD he scores when he drops back and then decides to run is a masterclass of setting up blocks and lanes to get into the end zone. 

And on that first TD pass there's a great example of the "never turn upfield" blocking thesis. 

Score was pretty good, too. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143889

WolverineHistorian

November 16th, 2018 at 8:55 AM ^

Random observation.  Every time I look at those highlights, I'm always amazed how none of the players do any celebrating after scores.  #70 pats Harmon on the back but otherwise, there's nothing.  Nobody runs to mob him in the end zone, nobody claps, nobody even raises their arms.  It's so weird.  

Was it considered uncouth to celebrate a touchdown in the 1940's? 

 

 

Joined: 08/10/2009

MGoPoints: 55466

stephenrjking

November 15th, 2018 at 11:07 PM ^

Man we need to win. Doesn't get bigger than this.

We'd all trade Michigan basketball's win over Villanova this week for a win in April. The whole postseason was incredible, exhilarating, legendary. Only beating Nova could have made it better.

Me? Given the choice between beating Nova in April and beating Ohio in November, I take a win over OSU. Given a choice between Michigan's entire postseason run in basketball this year and beating OSU, I take a win over OSU. Given a choice between the last two years of basketball success and beating OSU this year, I choose beating OSU. If we get to the end of the year and we've lost a basketball national title and a precious hockey national title and beaten OSU on the way to the playoff, and I was asked if I would change anything, I would say no. 

Would I sacrifice every game of every other team and athlete I pull for for a win next week? The magnificent gold medal run for the men's curling team based out of my city? The hockey team's magical run to the FF? All of my favored Detroit professional teams? Favorable results in the World Cup, including USA making the tournament and/or progressing in knockout rounds? Would I give all of that for a win over OSU next Saturday?

Yes. 

Beat Ohio. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143889

J.

November 16th, 2018 at 12:07 AM ^

Sorry, there is no way that a win over OSU in football trumps a national championship in basketball.  Michigan plays OSU every year.  They don't play in the last game of the basketball season every year.

I hate OSU as much as the next Michigan fan, but let's not turn into Staee fans and start measuring all sports accomplishment by one game against a rival. :)

I could see trading last night's game for a football win, sure.  But not a win in April.

Joined: 03/11/2012

MGoPoints: 13057

StephenRKass

November 16th, 2018 at 8:22 AM ^

It (obviously) doesn't work that way. Of course we would trade one thing for another, but there are no trades like that.

Harbaugh and others have really laid down the important markers.

  • You have to earn it . . . nothing is given to you. I have heard Harbaugh talk about meritocracy, and the team understands this on a player level. It is also completely true for the team.
  • You can't leave things to chance. When a game is closer than a single score, you can always lose. (Exhibit A:  the Michigan - MSU travesty a couple years ago with the blocked punt.) If you are up by multiple scores, 99.9% of the time you will win.
  • Offensive and defensive balance. The defense has been good enough to win the game since Brown has been here. The offense hasn't carried the load in several critical ways.
  • The one most obvious way is QB play. With competent QB play last year, we could have won the game.
  • The most important change this year is the OL. Warinner was huge, and the OL finally appears to be over the hump. You have got to have solid line play on both sides of the ball. This is why so many high NFL draft picks are linemen. Gotta have it.
  • Finally, mental toughness. Michigan finally has the take-no-prisoners attitude, the mental-fortitude, the win-with-cruelty outlook, which allows them to overcome obstacles and setbacks.

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 23001

Ibow

November 16th, 2018 at 8:29 AM ^

My exact thoughts. Don’t look past Indiana! They play us really tough every year! My hands are already sweating re the OSU game but we have to get past Indiana first! I shudder with all this Big championship, playoff talk. Just beat Indiana and starting Saturday night we can start hyping up about Ohio State!

Joined: 04/13/2018

MGoPoints: 4746

You Only Live Twice

November 15th, 2018 at 11:27 PM ^

We have a good shot at beating OSU this year but some of the takes this week are majorly irritating.

We have to beat them, or else.... or else what?  I was stuck in traffic listening to Chris Balas say that.  He sounded interchangeable with Baumgartner. 

We were supposed to be 7-5 this year, so said everyone, then we started racking up wins, each time over a team we weren't supposed to take for granted.  The players and coaches didn't take anything for granted.

Then it was time for Wisconsin.  Well, we had to win that or at least one of those next three.  Again or else, what?  Looking at you Nick B.  We won all three, conclusively.

Now it's down to OSU, after Indiana of course.  We have the necessary ingredients to pull it off but please no  takes about how this is the most important game of the CENTURY and we have to win it OR ELSE.

again, or else what?  This team can beat OSU, and this year we have the best chance of doing so, than we have in a while.  That's a different statement than saying we have to beat them or else, because it's not any kind of GIVEN that we go to Columbus and win.  Football doesn't work that way.

Joined: 09/14/2013

MGoPoints: 9615

bdneely4

November 15th, 2018 at 11:40 PM ^

Honestly, I think this is just Herbstreit seeing it how it looks with both teams. If we play our best, we will probably win by a large margin considering how OSU has played all season. 

Joined: 01/06/2009

MGoPoints: 13935

4th and Go For It

November 15th, 2018 at 11:49 PM ^

Nah this is a "shaping the narrative" tactic. Chances are we win but it's much closer than he's saying here as is almost always the case in  rivalries. In that case, OSU looks like they exceeded expectations.

And in the event that they win The Game, wow, you have to put them in the playoff conversation - they beat a top 5 team that "everyone" said was a couple TDs better than them and that Purdue game was a fluke. Not that it'd work without insanity in the SEC the next couple weeks but...stranger things.

If he comes out and picks OSU to win, and they lose like we think they will, people think OSU is worse than we thought, and it's another strike against the program in a year where they suspended their head coach for 3 games for enabling a spousal abuser, got their doors blown off by a .500 Purdue team and lost to their big rival who they supposedly were so far ahead of that it was a rivalry in name only anymore. That's a shitty narrative to take into a boring bowl game and offseason.

So, paint your opponent as so much better than you - if they win big, no surprise. if they win close, moral victory. If you win, you've made a case you're MUCH better than people give you credit for.

Only thing to do - bury them.

Joined: 08/04/2017

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