Wisconsin 35, Michigan 14
That felt like a game of a bygone era, and not the one Jim Harbaugh constantly evokes. Michigan lost to Wisconsin in a start-to-finish debacle that'll shake even the most steadfast optimist's confidence in the program, at the very least until they can play on a big stage without getting stunted on.
Nothing went right. For the third straight game, Michigan lost a fumble on their opening drive, this time Ben Mason deep in Badger territory. There was no running game. Dylan McCaffrey replaced an ineffective Shea Patterson at quarterback until getting knocked out of the game by a dirty hit to the head. Wisconsin back Jonathan Taylor hit the century mark before the first quarter ended. Their quarterback, Jack Coan, completed 13 of his 16 pass attempts.
I’m gonna cry after the halftime show #BigNoonKickoff
— Charles Woodson (@CharlesWoodson) September 21, 2019
The rumored walking wounded, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Zach Charbonnet, suited up but made little impact until well into garbage time. Even on the shutout-breaking touchdown, Sean McKeon appeared to hurt his knee after landing in the end zone. A desperation Wolverine touchdown was overturned just before yet another lost fumble.
This was coming off a bye week.
— Ace Anbender (@AceAnbender) September 21, 2019
Okay, I slightly overstated things. The onside kick was lovely, even if it failed to provide the final score with an unearned veneer of respectability. Patterson's pitch to Jon Runyan Jr. provided a much-needed moment of levity. The late eff-it bombs to Nico Collins and Tarik Black provided a blueprint for what this offense should have been doing all along, for the love of all things sacred and holy.
Sorry.
203 yards on 23 carries. [Bryan Fuller]
A disaster of this magnitude brings with it major questions, the most pressing of which is: where is the offense we were promised in the offseason? And there are so many others. How do we distribute the blame for the offense's performance? When (if?) both quarterbacks are healthy, who starts? What the hell happened to the offensive line? What defensive alignment can be effective with this set of personnel? What the hell happened to those guys, too?
When does this stop? If it doesn't, when do we ask The Big Question that it's still too soon to ask no matter what's said on sports talk radio this week?
I certainly don't have the answers. Jim Harbaugh, Josh Gattis, and Don Brown are going to need to come up with some.
[Hit THE JUMP for the box score.]
September 21st, 2019 at 4:56 PM ^
That was a hamblasting.
When the Badger fans were booing the refs for the 2nd targeting ejection, I felt sick to my stomach. To witness that level of bloodlust from cheeseheads was repulsive. It made me ask myself, why am I participating in these modern day gladiatorial games? And then it hit me. I'm done. I played softball for 20 years, realized I wasn't having fun anymore and walked away. I played fantasy baseball for a dozen years, realized I wasn't having fun anymore and walked away. I haven't missed either since I quit playing. (I did have a dream the other night that I hit a 700 foot homer with a 72 ounce bat, but other than that, I've had no desire to return to softball or fantasy baseball.)
So that's where I sit today. I'll still support my son's burgeoning career in his high school marching band, but I'm done with bashing my head on this particular brick wall we call Michigan football. It's been fun. See ya!
September 21st, 2019 at 5:29 PM ^
See ya next week!
September 21st, 2019 at 7:20 PM ^
Exactly. Let n=number of Michigan fans who say "I'm done." What is the number of fans who come back next week?
Also n.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:21 PM ^
Very noble. See you next week.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:56 PM ^
That was a hamblasting.
When the Badger fans were booing the refs for the 2nd targeting ejection, I felt sick to my stomach. To witness that level of bloodlust from cheeseheads was repulsive. It made me ask myself, why am I participating in these modern day gladiatorial games? And then it hit me. I'm done. I played softball for 20 years, realized I wasn't having fun anymore and walked away. I played fantasy baseball for a dozen years, realized I wasn't having fun anymore and walked away. I haven't missed either since I quit playing. (I did have a dream the other night that I hit a 700 foot homer with a 72 ounce bat, but other than that, I've had no desire to return to softball or fantasy baseball.)
So that's where I sit today. I'll still support my son's burgeoning career in his high school marching band, but I'm done with bashing my head on this particular brick wall we call Michigan football. It's been fun. See ya!
September 21st, 2019 at 4:57 PM ^
This may be the beginning of the end for Jim. To be clear - anyone calling for firing him is way way premature. However after today? Jim just doused his seat with gasoline and set it on fire. He’s honestly coaching for his job the rest of the year.
You know what games this reminded me of? The game against Minnesota in Hoke’s last season...you know, the year where a brand new Bama OC was gonna solve all the offense’s problems? Instead we suck and our QB gets concussed on a dirty hit. It also echoed the game against Wisconsin in RR’s last year...you know, when they ran all over us with little to no resistance? It’s probably not good that I’m reminded of games from the years prior to coaches getting fired...
Today was a complete failure of coaching. I think Don Brown has been figured out, and now he feels gimmicky and his D can be easily exploited by better teams.
It’s hard to overstate how bad that was. The only thing left to determine is whether the season spirals out of control, or Michigan can rebound and play for something. Because they still can. Technically.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:02 PM ^
Change Jim's name to anything other than Nick Saban, Dabo, or Urban, and everyone would be calling for his firing right now.'
Jim is riding on his reputation.....has been for a while now. He needs to go, and the whole staff with him. Blow it up.
Just about anyone can coach this team to 7-5.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:33 PM ^
I mean, you still can't ignore ten wins in 3 out of 4 years - that's his reputation here. That's something Michigan hasn't had in a long long time. Today was one (no good very bad) day. Yes, it's part of a recent trend that is highly alarming. However, it is not something that *cannot* be fixed. To fire him now would be asinine, quite frankly. You gotta give him a chance to coach the team out of it. I mean if Penn State with Frames Janklin can turn an early-season blowout road loss into a Big Ten Championship then certainly Harbaugh and his staff can too. Of course after today, ain't nobody expecting it. But if Jim is really worth all that money he's making, he will dig deep and rally the troops the rest of the season. We shall see.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:43 PM ^
5 years and we haven’t beaten ohio or played for a B10 championship. If you think performances against MT, Army, and Wisky are progress, I’d hate to see how you define failure? Comparing this team to the 2016 psu team is comedic. That squad lost to Pitt, M, and was upended by a mediocre usc in a shoot out. It’s this fanboy attitude which has kept us in the gutter for the last 15 + years and will continue our reign as a second tier B10 team.
September 21st, 2019 at 8:00 PM ^
Did you read my first post? I said today was a failure. Yes. And I even said Harbaugh is on the hot seat! And I said nothing about progress. You are putting words in my mouth.
I'm not saying this team will be 2016 PSU. I'm only saying *it's a possibility*. As in, teams can look like dogshit early in the year and still grow and accomplish something. We don't know yet, and because we don't know, then any idea of firing him now is dumb.
That 2016 PSU squad you denigrated ALSO beat OSU and won a Big Ten Championship. I'd take that in a heartbeat, wouldn't you?
September 21st, 2019 at 4:59 PM ^
My question: Why do people talk about Harbaugh and Shea like they are untouchable? What are they doing that impresses you so much to the point where you feel like you absolutely have to come to their defense and that we would be so impoverished by their absence?
Would it be so bad without them that we, say, start off games down 35-0 against teams like Wisconsin?
September 21st, 2019 at 6:28 PM ^
Stats nerds. The type of people who start sentences with "Actually..." and would argue that while Team A may be the team holding the trophy, Team B is demonstrably superior because combined statistics say they actually played a better game.
The ones who absolutely will not let go of how well Shea did in high school, as though it somehow counters his turnovers and overthrows today and next week. Who will point to how Harbaugh turned a bad team into a great team in a year's time, but leaves Michigan fans with little more than "Well, he won more games than Hoke did" to hang their hats on.
The ones who will tell you about how many times Michigan beat Ohio, despite the fact that there have only been two Michigan wins in the entire lifetimes of most incoming Freshmen.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:59 PM ^
RE KAREN FAXCON; ALPINE CONGLOM CADAVER MEAT STOCK DROP; COACH CUCK-BAUGH LOW T CUCK OFFER WAL MART TOUGH GUY KHAKI CHARACTER MAN RIGHT WAY WIN LONG GAME; INCOME FAXCON ALPINE CONGLOM OFFER KG DISCOUNT DEAD MEAT CUCK MEAT
September 21st, 2019 at 5:10 PM ^
You tried too hard to be funny and ruined it.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:03 PM ^
Look, the defense sucked today, but by and large DB produces top defenses and this is the least talented group he’s ever had. The DT’s are bad, the LBs are maybe average and we have only one good safety. The offense is supposed to have the most talent it’s ever had. And it’s putrid. Completely awful. Harbaugh is supposed to be an offensive coach, and every area he is supposed to excel at coaching— qb, te, OL—looks like average to kinda shitty. He’s done. The question has been answered whether you ask it or not.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:03 PM ^
This game broke me. I will probably be able to watch Michigan football the way I watch the lions now. Little emotion, losing expectations, and they will no longer ruin my day when they lose.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:35 PM ^
I'm with you. Used to be a huge Lions fan as a kid through the 90s. Lost interest in the aughts but watched to see how they'd lose. Then lost interest all together. Haven't watched a Lions game in 10 years.
I felt similar apathy before this game even started, kind of like how I felt before the Peach Bowl. I never had the kick in the gut feeling at any point in this game that I always have had in the past during lousy performances that reminded you that you still cared deeply. I hope I don't slip into Lions level despair, I like the program too damn much.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:04 PM ^
The Harbaugh we hired isn't the same guy that coached the 49ers and Stanford. He's a zombie. A passionless shell of a defeated human being. He gives off the vibe that he knows this team isn't going anywhere.
The question is why. Did he just get fat and lazy coasting on $8 million a year or whatever it is? Guy has no fight left. He did in 2015. Then he toned it down in 16 and has gotten less passionate every year.
And a few more notes: The team looks so soft and can't handle adversity whatsoever. It's absolutely brutal. This team folds at the first sign of discomfort SO MANY TIMES. Why do our QBs continually suck? Why can't our talented WRs ever get open? Why does Collins, Black, and DPJ need to make these Herculean catches in contested coverage? I just watched LSU today execute catch-and-run slants, and it dawned on me that I never see Michigan WRs that open. Why does Michigan make offense look so hard?
September 21st, 2019 at 5:46 PM ^
What happened to this guy?
Fuck the Big Ten front office, I want him back.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:06 PM ^
JH won’t be fired and that’s the entire problem with this athletic department.
No fire to win and the fans here poo-pooing people expecting better than this allow it to be this way.
5 years into the program and this is the result?
OSU would NEVER let this happen.
Harbaugh is dog shit and no one can argue otherwise. But I look forward to all the sun shine blowers trying to!
“But But But he averages 9 wins a year!!”
September 21st, 2019 at 5:06 PM ^
I think by saying you’re not asking The Big Question or saying The Big Question is premature, you’re asking The Big Question.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:07 PM ^
Defense sucked for third straight big game. Offense sucked bad too. I’m done with jh and don brown. Lets move on. Five more years of building I guess.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:14 PM ^
The coaches don't have the answers, either.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:16 PM ^
I got downvoted into oblivion a couple years ago when I said even in the 'great' recruiting class, the OL recruiting was terrible. Harbaugh hasn't recruited a stud OT yet. Well the announcers spent the ENTIRE game calling out how awful the OL is. The know it all homers rule this roost, because of the ridiculous system of voting people off of the island. They crapped all over a guy last week for pointing out the obvious. We were fed the homer BS about how this is the best OL in Harbuagh's tenure. Just wait until we get Runyan back! We have the best WR group in the country! We have two QB's that would start anywhere! Speed in space! Proof was left on the field.
Maybe Wisconsin is going undefeated and to the playoffs? We made them look that way, but who knows?
Why was Mason on the field 1st and goal from the 8? Even he had no idea. Being cute for no reason.
Harbaugh needs to go. Period. I hate to admit it, but Finebaum is correct. Weird and quirky.
I enjoy the blog writers, but this shitty forum should be closed. Disagree with the homers and get hammered and exiled. Fuck you all.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:56 PM ^
Preach
September 21st, 2019 at 10:32 PM ^
Don Brown is working with less talent than he's had at Michigan, which was made apparent today. He is still a fine coach and his guys never gave up despite the offense never converting a single third down today.
What I can't wrap my head around, what happened to the OL? They were better last year and were supposed to be even better this year. Have they regressed, or is it too early in the season to know?
September 21st, 2019 at 5:17 PM ^
There are so many problems on this team, you don't really know where to begin. Offensive line was mediocre today, but it was manageable; not the worst performance of all time, but definitely sub-par. Shea and McCaffery just look uncomfortable running this offense, and before you blame Gattis and the OC change, this is just an extension of what was going on last year.
WRs are blanketed on 90% of passing downs. Collins, Black, et al are never open and have to make Herculean efforts just to complete passes. This should not be that difficult. You can watch teams like Texas Tech, SMU, Syracuse, etc. and there are wide open receivers all over the field. That aspect is a scheme failure. How many times did Michigan have 3rd and medium? Do you notice how often Michigan has found themselves in that scenario over the last 5 years, and extending into the Hoke era? This coaching staff is literally asking the offense to convert 4 or 5 3rd and mediums PER F'ING DRIVE in order to score a touchdown. Meanwhile, Ohio State is connecting with KJ Hill for 51 yard touchdown receptions. DO YOU HAVE TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO FIGURE OUT HOW INEFFICIENT THIS IS? Fuck's sake.
RBs have little explosiveness. Michigan is trying to run the ball, but they couldn't even impose their will against Army two weeks ago. Do we have a RB on this roster who can get to the sidelines and cut upfield for a 50 yard sprint? Answer: No. Recruiting failure.
Defense is young and was going to struggle, so the coordinator change probably came at a bad time. But, while Harbaugh was right to get a new coordinator, he probably got the wrong guy. I was lobbying for Sonny Dykes 3 years ago, I was lobbying for Graham Harrell this year, and instead we got some lazy dart throw on a guy who happened to be in the same room as Nick Saban with no track record. Harbaugh failure.
Harbaugh looks like a shell of a human being with no personality or passion. Probably getting lazy with his $8 million a year. Harbaugh and administration failure.
And, the last point of my wall-of-text here, the psychological makeup of the team has barely changed since the Hoke era. Team folds when they get down. Nobody believes in themselves. Nobody wants to fight for their teammate. Wisconsin player that drilled McCaffery should have gotten bullied by a Michigan offensive lineman. Instead we have a bunch of "nice guys" when we need bullies. Problem is they need a counter example to emerge eventually, they need evidence of justified belief in themselves before they get the monkey off their back. Until they get lucky and back into a major upset against a team like Ohio State, they won't be able to pull themselves out of it. They need Ohio State or another top 10 team to screw up and lose one of these games before they find it in themselves to actually take a W from them.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:20 PM ^
I have to get back to work...but I'll say this.
This is why I didn't like and did not feed off into all that "Revenge Tour" shit from last year.
That type of swagger at Michigan is earned by a) beating Ohio State and b) winning the B10 championship...anything above that (playoff, Rose Bowl, etc. is gravy)
Maybe this team can turn it around like PSU 2016...but they will need to ditch the swagger to do it.
The talent is there...the coach is there (even though Coach Jim's heart may not be into it)...the standards are there...just do it and stop swaggering.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:25 PM ^
I think we overreacted to the OSU loss last year. Honestly, we should have stuck with what we had, which was a pretty good offense. Now, instead, we took a huge chance on an unproven commodity (new O coordinator). We're going to waste a huge load of offensive talent this year while he learns the ropes, assuming he does indeed do so.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:31 PM ^
Wisconsin has the offense Harbaugh wishes he had. Isn't that ironic?
We'll see how well Wisconsin's offense stands up when they play a team with an actual good DL. Michigan was not a meaningful test in that department.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:22 PM ^
We were saying that all game today. Wisconsin is the platonic ideal of a football team according to Jim Harbaugh.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:59 PM ^
Last year was all D in the OSU debacle
September 21st, 2019 at 10:30 PM ^
Nope, it was a failure on both side of the ball. Offense scored 19 points where they were down by 4 scores at the end of 3rd quarter.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:26 PM ^
Fuck it, just go 2 minute drill 4 WR's every play so there is always somebody single-covered. Then bomb it to the single covered guy.
We actually have the WRs to make it work.
We're not going to make anything else work this year.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:18 PM ^
When was the last time you saw UM run a good 2 minute offense under Harbaugh?
September 21st, 2019 at 5:29 PM ^
This was just a bad game all around. There are still a lot of games to go but the first three games leave me wondering, is it the coaches or the players. I feel it's a 50/50 thing right now. All these fumbles and turnovers are not the coaches fault and players have to step up to play. With that said though I don't get leaving Shea out there when it is clear as day he just seems "off". When DM comes in the offense looks different and he seems far more poised. Shea throws off his back foot a lot which makes the ball sail and he flat out doesn't look comfortable. I say give someone else a shot and I am not sure why they didn't right off the bat 2nd half of this game.
I love Michigan football. It's all I look forward to as far as sports any more. This game ruined my day (and yes I know there is more to life). I played competitive football on and off from age 10 to 38. Football is just part of my very soul so when we they lose like this it sucks the life out of me for many hours. I don't try and name call and use profanity on here because it just does no good.
We need fire! The players need a butt chewing and we need a QB that is confident and can manage the game. We have not had one since Jake left for the NFL. It's really aggravating and I was giving JH 5 years to get things exactly where he wanted them. Well, we are at the 5 year mark. It doesn't mean I am calling for his job but I really felt we would be at a far more competitive and have more consistency in our game play by now on offense. I am still not worried about our D. You can't have your defense out there that long and for long drives and expect them to hold. Our offense (broken record here I know) has got to score points consistently. Fumbles, turnovers, lack of good QB play .... man .... it's really frustrating. Lots of football left and we will see how it turns out I suppose but this game truly stunk. Wisc in not a wimpy team by any means but the score should of been far closer.
It is way too soon the to call this a lost season or call of coaches job, etc etc. It's hard to call for a new head coach when his record has been a winning one. We all want us to win every game and be perfect. I get it. It's hard to win every game but being competitive is far more important to me as is beating Ohio State. This was a very frustrating loss. Let's hope this game shakes the team to the core and makes them pissed off enough to say enough is enough and lets hope the coach makes the right call and starts to give DM his time to start and see what he can do in a full game. I am all for it. Hopefully his injury is not one that keeps him out next week. Shea is just is not finding the open WR's and just doesn't seem to make the right reads (for 3 games straight) let alone the bad passes.
Good day to all of you ... it's just a game they say .. but man ... just .. uugh.
Time to have a burger and drink. I'd like to put today behind me.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:34 PM ^
At the end of the day, Michigan has to beat Ohio State. No coach is going to last here that can not do that.
September 21st, 2019 at 8:35 PM ^
Michigan has NO chance of beating Ohio State this year. If you think that's even a possibility then you are delusional.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:53 PM ^
I appreciate your take. People that feel Coach JH has proven (or disproven) himself certainly have a legitimate point. But I'm willing to give him a a fair bit of slack (still) to evolve given that he is aceing 50% of his job (representing the university).
September 21st, 2019 at 8:40 PM ^
Sorry, but nobody cares about how he represents the university if he's not winning. Hoke was a good guy too that made sure his guys graduated. See how far that got him?
September 21st, 2019 at 11:12 PM ^
Brighton, if you’ve played competitive sports than you know some teams gel more than others. Sometimes it is difficult to know why it does or doesn’t occur, though if the leadership isn’t there and the processes aren’t organized, team development does not occur. It’s easy to see on game day that the drive and competitiveness is lacking. There is no emotion, energy, or swagger on the sidelines. As I said they look more nfl business like and joyless like their HC.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:35 PM ^
The good part is I don't need to worry about this any longer. I will be doing other things on Fall Saturday's. Such a waste of talent. But that's been the Michigan Way since I started watching in 1990.
September 21st, 2019 at 8:37 PM ^
So they have been wasting talent for 30 years and you're just now going to give up on them?
Btw, I love your avatar!
September 21st, 2019 at 9:59 PM ^
I’m getting older and I don’t have the energy for this shit. I’ve seen this movie so many times that I could recite the lines in my sleep. I need a break.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:36 PM ^
I’ve given up thinking this can be fixed in my lifetime. We are going to be a mediocre program in perpetuity. Harbaugh was not the answer, which means either he was overrated or there are deep systemic issues that prevent us from being competitive. He will be gone at the end of this year, as he ought to be, but we will end up with someone no better to fix what’s wrong. I don’t know what it is. That was a shit show out there today. They look as if they haven’t practiced or, for that matter, spent much time in the weight room. They were flat, uninspired, and disorganized. That all falls on the coaches.
Clearly teams have figured out Don Brown’s defenses and he doesn’t seem to know how to adjust.
I look at what LSU is doing this year and shake my head. Our QB play has been pathetic since Harbaugh got here. How many 300 years games have there been? Meanwhile, OSU just reloads at that position.
I’m just sad.
September 21st, 2019 at 8:20 PM ^
So you're saying it's a problem that LSU with their TUOS cast-off QB looks much more explosive than Shea and Fumbles in Space?
September 22nd, 2019 at 8:52 AM ^
It can be fixed in our lifetime, but I think that Michigan is now in the same position as any other mediocre program when it comes to the next coaching hire. The next guy will come in without any built-in advantages. We'll need to luck into a home run hire since there aren't any slam dunks out there. Maybe we'll luck into a guy like what happened with Dantonio at MSU or Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin. There are guys out there with that potential but, like I said, no slam dunks.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:36 PM ^
Mason's fumble no excuse. My goodness. These players really are ruined by all the offseason praise they received....
#sugarshane
September 21st, 2019 at 7:24 PM ^
I just can't believe that with THOSE arms BOTH around the ball he can't hold onto it for a single carry.
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