New Trap Games?

Submitted by M Ascending on
With Indiana displaying uncharacteristic tenacity against State, especially on defense; and with Maryland begin to play like a solid team under Durkin, do we have two serious trap games to worry about -- Indiana between road games at State and Iowa, and MD. Between Iowa and OSU?
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dragonchild

October 3rd, 2016 at 7:53 AM ^

We got a lot of seniors that are out for revenge.  Motivating them won't be a problem.

But there are different kinds of motivation, and my concern is that we'll get too emotional.  Michigan State's bleeding, and anyone who's following them can smell it.  Again, Dantonio always has tricks ready for Michigan; he's staked his entire reputation on this rivalry.  We need focused, disciplined football, which is what Harbaugh will coach, but I don't know if it'll be possible to preach calm to hungry sharks.

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1VaBlue1

October 3rd, 2016 at 8:37 AM ^

Sorry, I just can't feel that MSU actually stands a decent shot this year.  Thier QB is hot garbage, the OL a shell of its recent past, and the defense hasn't been killer since Narduzzi left.  On top of all that, Dintanio has made some bad decisions and seems a little lost right now.  I think he's on the verge of losing the lockerroom.  That team is a train wreck right now.  There is very little chance in hell - if any - that Mick's staff can outcoach, out-prepare, Harbaugh's staff.  Especially with the blatantly obvious difference in talent level across the board...

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SpikeFan2016

October 3rd, 2016 at 10:06 AM ^

Top Ten Michigan teams lost to unranked Michigan State teams in East Lansing in 1993, 1995, and 2001. In 1999, a Top 4 ranked Michigan team also lost in East Lansing to a non-Top Ten Spartan team. 

 

When you hate someone with the fire of ten thousand suns, have a coach who has owned your opponent, and have home field advantage, anything can happen. 

 

If the game was in Ann Arbor this year, I'd all but be assured of victory. I think it's still close to a toss up this year (with us being slight favorites). 

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dragonchild

October 3rd, 2016 at 10:21 AM ^

Moeller/Carr.

I'm nervous that we'll get a different Sparty than what other teams have feasted on all season, and I don't think they'll be a gimme, but c'mon.  You're digging up defeats from an era when Michigan felt they didn't have to out-coach anyone.  It's the single biggest difference between Harbaugh and the past.

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Mabel Pines

October 3rd, 2016 at 7:31 AM ^

Until Maryland plays a team with a pulse.  They beat FIU, Howard and PUrdue.  Took two overtimes to beat UCF.  They're not good.

But I'm with you on Indiana.  They've got that crazy offense.  Not sure it's a "trap" as they've always done that, though.

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BIGWEENIE

October 3rd, 2016 at 7:33 AM ^

Is old guys remember Minn 16 #1 Michigan 0. I think his name was Ricky Fogey at QB. There is always that game and team that will screw you up if you don't be real careful.

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WolverineJet

October 3rd, 2016 at 7:38 AM ^

I doubt we will overlook a team in Indiana that we almost lost to last year. I can see Maryland being a game that is closer than expected, but I don't think a loss would happen plus I mean does Iowa even look like a team that is better than Indiana? They beat Rutgers by 7...... by 7...... and lost to Northwestern.



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Perkis-Size Me

October 3rd, 2016 at 9:04 AM ^

Yeah but with Iowa, we need to keep in mind that with the way their season is going, getting what may still be a top 5 Michigan team at home, at night, in November, they're going to look at that game as "this is what saves our season if we win."

Don't be surprised if Iowa throws everything and the kitchen sink at us to try and win that game. Every Statue of Liberty, Flea Flicker, and Razzle Dazzle they've got.

Not saying we shouldn't win, but night games at Kinnick are tough cookies.



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Grampy

October 3rd, 2016 at 7:39 AM ^

As far as I know, Indiana is between Iowa and OSU, while Maryland is nestled between State and Iowa. I think the rest of our games pose unique challenges which vary from game to game. I trust in our coaches to keep the team on its toes.

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mwolverine1

October 3rd, 2016 at 7:45 AM ^

@Iowa is a trap game imo. It's easy to take them lightly given their performance this year but playing at Kinnick at night won't be easy. I'm not concerned about games at home as much, but to those who are saying trap games don't exist with Harbaugh, perhaps you should rewatch the Indiana and Minnesota games from last year.

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bacon1431

October 3rd, 2016 at 8:24 AM ^

This is what I was thinking. It was supposed to be our third toughest game coming into the season and now it's looking like it should be a gimme. But Iowa still won the Big Ten West last year (and I know it's that impressive) and they have a veteran Qb and Kinnick is usually not an easy place to play. Our last 7 trips there (dating back to 1998) have resulted in only a 3-4 record. And the games have been decided by an average of 4 points (8 being the largest margin of victory by Iowa in 2011, the lowest being 2 in 2009 by Iowa). We haven't won there since 2005. 

That said, if we didn't win by double digits, I'd be somewhat disappointed. They have not been able to stop the run and their offense isn't anything special. 

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dragonchild

October 3rd, 2016 at 9:36 AM ^

Regression to the mean from their luck-kissed season was expected, but it's inexplicable that Iowa would underperform to the extent they did this year.

Having said that, I don't see Michigan losing to Iowa even last season, not because of motivation or whatever (the above debate is about HOW Harbaugh will keep the players motivated, not whether he will), but because Michigan is a particularly bad matchup for Iowa.  Philosophically, Iowa relies on executing vanilla plays down to an art form*.  That works against lower competition, including Carr/RichRod/Hoke Michigan teams that similarly relied on execution.  And they'll win a few drives this season because Michigan's schemes are so complex that they'll punch themselves in the face a few times.  But overall, Michigan has better athletes and, now, better coaching.  However close Iowa may be to perfecting the I-form iso or Cover 2, Harbaugh and Brown are mad scientists who eat predictable as a between-meals snack.  I don't think this one will be close.

*Hoke wanted to turn Michigan into Iowa.  Think about that.

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Hard-Baughlls

October 3rd, 2016 at 7:48 AM ^

until Columbus.  None of these teams has the defense to slow us down like Wisconsin, and none of them inspire any fear against our defense.

Wisconsin was lucky to be in the game due to 3 missed field goals.  I give their defense credit for keeping us out of the endzone, but we did outgain them in yardage 3-1.

I don't foresee us having problems punching it in against any other defense except mabye an inspired MSU playing their annual Super Bowl sponsored by Dantoritos Chips, but they will need some crazy turnover luck and trick plays and special teams fakes to beat us this year.

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Pepto Bismol

October 3rd, 2016 at 9:08 AM ^

I don't want to scare you, but at least one of the next 6 games is going to be uncomfortably close and possibly a loss, and I say that with the utmost confidence in Michigan and this coaching staff.  

Look at any team in any season ever for examples.  Alabama barely squeaked by Tennessee last year 19-14.  OSU got tripped up by an MSU team they never should have lost to.  The year before, Va Tech got OSU in Columbus.  Oklahoma lost to garbage Texas.  FSU lost to Georgia Tech.  Clemson barely edged out 3-win South Carolina 37-32.

None of that includes the fact that Michigan was lucky as hell to get out of both Indiana AND Minnesota without an ugly loss to two very sub-par teams.

 

Anyway, I think you get the point.  I have no fear of Rutgers or Illinois.  But a four game run of MSU, Maryland, Iowa, Indiana is guaranteed to produce an uncomfortably close game.  Buckle up.

 

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rock7413

October 3rd, 2016 at 8:08 AM ^

Indiana is always a trap team under Kevin Wilson. They can score, in abundance. And now that they have a defense, they're even more dangerous.

I was happy to see the Hoosiers pull the win out this past weekend. Not because it was Sparty, but because i have enjoyed seeing the progression that has been made there, and will continue to root for them as long as they're not playing Michigan of coarse. Big fan of Kevin Wilson.

ps Redding is the real deal. He's third of the recent Hoosier RB traditon. Tevin Coleman, Josh Howard, and next is Redding.

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ChalmersE

October 3rd, 2016 at 8:17 AM ^

Re Maryland, they have had one of the easiest schedules in the nation. They went to OT with UCF. Sure they routed Purude.  That's Purdue whose biggest win came against Nevada. That's Nevada, the same team that Hawaii routed this past weekend. Let's see how they fare against a legit B1G team.  

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Pepto Bismol

October 3rd, 2016 at 10:00 AM ^

Look, I'm not trying to make Maryland out to be a playoff team, but you (and everybody else) are doing to the same thing everyone here did before Colorado.

 

"Who has Colorado beat?  CSU?  CSU barely beat this team and they STINK!  And that team lost to a Community College!  Therefore, Colorado BLOWS!"

Dude, Maryland beat Purdue by 6 TDs.  That's impressive.  Purdue is not good, but you know what a good team would do to Purdue?  Beat them by 6 TDs.  

By how many points would Maryland have to beat Purdue for you to consider it a valid win?  50?  60 points?   This is not rhetorical.  I'm genuinely curious.  Somebody answer this.

 

Nothing personal, ChalmersE.  You are the bottom post, but you're not alone.  I'm replying in general to the many people saying the same stuff you are.

 

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AA Forever

October 3rd, 2016 at 11:12 AM ^

Obviously Maryland won. So what's the difference between a win and a "valid win" in your mind? The person you replied to didn't use that term, they just argued that beating Purdue by a lot doesn't prove that Maryland is any good, just as I did.

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Pepto Bismol

October 3rd, 2016 at 11:35 AM ^

It doesn't PROVE Maryland is good, but you can't just completely ignore a positive performance for no reason, which is what Chalmers wants to do. --  That game doesn't count because their opponent is bad and their opponent's opponents are bad.  

And that's idiotic.  They beat a bad Power 5 team by 43 points.  That's exactly what a good team would do.  


It goes right back to Colorado.  Everyone was in there talking about how "Yeah, they beat Colorado State, but CSU stinks.  And they beat Idaho State, but Idaho State stinks."  Meanwhile, if you looked at those box scores, you could see that Colorado wasn't just beating them, they kicked the everloving sh** out of those teams.  I don't think ISU got to 100 yards of offense.  Colorado carried shutouts into garbage time.  They hammered those bad teams as if they were a good team.

None of that meant Colorado was great, or that they should be feared, but there was AMPLE evidence that they were playing good football and they wouldn't be a pushover.  Regardless, even the powers that be that control this fine blog were telling us that Colorado blows because LAST YEAR'S Colorado team sucked.  I'm not kidding.  That was the rationale.  They stunk last year so there's no way they're good this year, despite 2 games worth of evidence showing they might be pretty good.

 

Just 3 short weeks later, here we are again.  "Maryland stinks!"  Why?  Because Purdue stinks.  Even though Maryland kicked the holy hell out of them.  Oh and because last year's Maryland team stunk -- as if that matters.

It's fool's logic done so simply to make you feel better about your team's chances.  

Maryland had a tough time with UCF on the road.  I'm not suprised.  They're not world beaters and road games are hard.  But they've also hammered 3 other teams by more-than-convincing margins.  If you pay attention, they're showing signs of a solid team, and none of that is affected in any way by how good Purdue is or is not.

 

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Pepto Bismol

October 3rd, 2016 at 1:08 PM ^

You never answered my original question, to which you replied. Wanna keep going?

Why are you asking me what a "valid" win is?  You're the guy who down below said "Maryland is an empty shell with wins against nobodies".  

You tell me.  Apparently nothing is relevant unless...what?  The opponent is top-25?  What's the criteria?  

 

----

Oh, and sorry I used so many words last time.  I promise keep post short.

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