Unverified Voracity Is The Situation Comment Count

Brian

Here's this. Bobby Loesch made it and is a gentleman and a scholar.

Y4KBre2

It's time for America's greatest rivalry game. Michigan State. Rutgers. This game is the situation, and they play for America's greatest rivalry trophy.

One of these teams will leave with a Big Ten win and The Situation. Noon. Probably on television. Check BeIN Sports 2. No? Does QVC have an overflow channel? Well, I'm sure you'll find it. They televise everything these days. I saw Magic: The Gathering once.

At least you've got your vomit-soaked sidewalks. Michigan State may be 2-7 and playing Rutgers to find out which Big Ten team is going winless in conference, but at least the city it's located in has a detailed bill it would like to present the university.

EAST LANSING — East Lansing has determined what it says Michigan State University is costing city residents.

Right down to the vomit removal.

Fire department calls, police overtime and downtown cleanup after student nightlife are among the issues that cost the city about $3.75 million last year, according to a recent study paid for by the city.

I say just leave the vomit—it's not like anyone can tell that you cleaned it up. And the RCMB agrees!

I remember back in the late 80s when I transferred to MSU. I went to WMU for a year and then transferred. K'zoo was a complete dump. Nothing to do. Other than Lafayette Square, it wasn't happening. I couldn't wait to leave K'zoo and I also couldn't wait to leave GR after the summer was over to get back to East Lansing for the fall terms to begin. Now? K'zoo and GR are so much better than East Lansing. And even they aren't the greatest. But it tells you just how far East Lansing has fallen.

I moved back to Lansing from 2009 to 2013. I could not wait to move away from there again in 2013. It was a mistake to move back to Lansing. Lansing is dismal but almost better than East Lansing now. East Lansing is a complete shell of itself. Just terrible. It lacked any of the vitality it once held. It was is of depressing to see.

That's part of a wildly entertaining five-page thread full of Spartans dumping venom on East Lansing's taxes, generic chain restaurants, city leadership, vacant storefronts, and DUI conviction rate. (That latter might not be East Lansing's fault, guys.)  Highly recommended. The Spartans' profession appears to be self-owning.

A bountiful cornucopia in Ann Arbor. NFL scouts have noticed that Michigan appears to be somewhat good this year. ESPN asks which Big Ten players have seen their NFL stock go up and literally every observer starts with something along these lines:

Everybody at Michigan. (laughs) I’ll tell you what, Harbaugh, he just brings out the best in all his players. Shoot, every one of those guys has elevated their draft stock.

Amara Darboh, Mason Cole, Channing Stribling, Jabrill Peppers, Ben Gedeon, Delano Hill, De'Veon Smith, Chris Wormley, and Jake Butt all come in for praise. I'm slightly dubious about Cole's NFL potential given the struggles he's had against 3-4 nose tackles this year but hey man whatever. Michigan is set to have a dozen guys drafted, and you'd better believe that'll perk up recruits' ears. That goes double when scouts are praising Harbaugh's development as the direct cause of said draftees.

Best part of this: no Maurice Hurst. Let's keep that on the low for another year, yes please.

An eye for detail. Dan Murphy on the Harbauffense and the idea that it's a stodgy pro-style attack:

The Wolverines' beefy, pro-style offense snapped the ball 34 times in the first half and averaged 11.8 yards per play. They did it with a litany of creative wrinkles cloaked in the feel-good nostalgia of two-tight end sets and fullback dives. They are like a phonograph that can stream your iTunes through Bluetooth.

Stodgy is what Michigan will see this weekend in Iowa City. Michigan's got a new thing every week.

Don Brown, football dude. This is a week old but I must have missed it. The WaPo on Don Brown:

Yes, Brown and Michigan: “It’s a perfect place for him,” said Compton, whose father was Brown’s high school coach and Brown’s wife’s high school biology teacher. “He looks good in the colors. It’s perfect. Perfect! He likes that weather. It’s a natural fit for him.”

In that passage lies another thing about Brown, 61: Three former players go beyond the normal, fond recollections of former players. They effuse, and say old teammates do likewise. Somehow, this seems like big toughness mixed with big, big love. ...

Ihedigbo said: “That demeanor. That presence. He truly cares about you. It’s one of those things where you feel like you’re in it together. It’s not just trying to get the most out of you.”

Michigan has exceeded even the towering expectations placed on them by optimistic folks (hi!) preseason, and looks set for a showdown against Ohio State that could change the shape of the Big Ten for years to come. Still cannot get over what a great hire Brown was.

Old-school playcalling. Great Dr. Sap piece on the evolution of playcalling:

In the 1970’s, Bo would talk on the phone with Hanlon who was upstairs in the press box.  After asking, “What do you want, Jerry?” Bo sent in the plays with offensive guards that rotated in and out of the game.  It looked and sounded like this:

In the 1980’s, rotating wide receivers became the method of communication.  The clip below can be summed up thusly, “Oh geez, Mo, let me handle this!  AC, you tell Wangs to throw you the damn ball!  Now THAT is how you do it, Gary!”

After a few delay of game penalties in critical situations, a change needed to be made.

Rotating guards bringing the playcall in! That is absolutely insane from a modern perspective. Also don't miss the Bo smirk at the end of the first video. Probably thinking about this going down in the huddle:

BRANDSTATTER: and he says to get your ass in there
RB: what?
BRANDSTATTER: CUT IT IN, he says
RB: in what
BRANDSTATTER: man... just get your ass in there
RB: i will take this under advisement

Etc.: Mike MacIntyre talks to SBN about how Colorado is good now. Marc Tracy on Harbaugh's Heisman push for Jabrill Peppers. A first look at Iowa isn't pretty. More Peppers gushing from NFL scouts. Ibi Watson exists. MSU had a lot of injuries so they lost to Illinois and their third string QB and three of their top four WRs out. Joe Kerridge will make his NFL debut this week.

Comments

Bando Calrissian

November 8th, 2016 at 1:25 PM ^

I think one of the more interesting aspects of that first playcall video is the fact that offensive line substitutions were announced over the PA.

Nowadays, doing that kind of thing with substitutions would mean Carl Grapentine sounding like an auctioneer between snaps.

Tedbossman

November 8th, 2016 at 1:30 PM ^

Mo hasn't cracked the starting lineup yet in hopes of limiting his exposure(I mean, slightly) to scouts? Or giving him an added incentive to come back? Like, next year you'll be starting and playing as much as you can take if you stay.

Monocle Smile

November 8th, 2016 at 2:32 PM ^

I have absolutely no idea what you're even saying at this point. Thus far, you have implied that Hurst is better than Godin and should be starting, but that Hurst has also had no impact on our W/L record. I'm not sure why you're trying to make both of those points.

Maybe the coaches just think that Godin is better than Hurst, or at least gels better with the others in the starting lineup. Either way, the reason you listed is still only valid in video game world, not Harbaugh world (or the world of any competent coach).

Tedbossman

November 8th, 2016 at 2:43 PM ^

That we'd still be 9-0 w/o Hurst was in response to you saying you play to win. Of course, but we haven't needed him in any of those games to win. That's not the same as saying he's not good. Heck, we could not have Peppers and still likely be 9-0. I don't think it's completely ludacris for Harbaugh to look at next years DTs and the fact the Godin himself is solid and decide to hold Hurst back a little in games we are easily the superior team.

Monocle Smile

November 8th, 2016 at 2:58 PM ^

Personally, I think it's eyebrow-cocking to say we'd still by 9-0 without Hurst (because he's much better than the guys behind him), and utterly laughable to say we'd be 9-0 without Peppers.

There were some quotes last week about how Hurst has been dinged up pretty badly and is finally feeling really good. That seems much more likely than a coach deliberately screwing with his players.

-1 for "ludacris."

Ali G Bomaye

November 8th, 2016 at 2:24 PM ^

No, literally zero chance of that. Harbaugh promotes his guys to NFL scouts whenever he can, because every guy who gets drafted highly sets us up even better for long-term success. NFL scouts aren't stupid, and will find a guy they want regardless of whether he plays 300 snaps or 800 snaps over a season. Hell, just look at all the guys drafted from FCS and DII schools that are hardly on film at all.

I think it's far more likely that Harbaugh saw what happened at the end of last year when our entire DL was hurt and/or worn down, and is heavily rotating guys to make sure they stay fresh for the game that really matters. It doesn't even matter who the technical starters are if everyone plays around 30-40 snaps.

Ronnie Kaye

November 8th, 2016 at 1:51 PM ^

Brian's fixation with MSU is truly sad, as is the all too sincere sentiment of "I don't care about you and your socioeconomic situation, I care about my football team winning and its role in my self-esteem."

matty blue

November 8th, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^

...is one of my all-time favorites, although in my head moeller is saying "split right 84 flex zip zop zowie rutabaga..." when bo just grabs him and says "give it to the fast guy and have him follow the fat guy."

treetown

November 8th, 2016 at 2:05 PM ^

Haven't been to East Lansing in years, has it in a downturn?

In Ann Arbor, every few years someone in the municipal government would make a similar argument and ask that the UM make a greater contribution to the cost of governance. Over time this has resulted in the UM having its own campus security people but largely it dies out because without the university, there wouldn't be  much real estate demand, rental demand, and a steady stream of customers to the various dowtown stores, restaturants and bars. The constant flow of younger people through the area helps keep things moving (not just the U itself by the medical center). ? Is that situation different up in EL?

It may be that Ann Arbor has benefited from being more closely linked physically with the university - South Campus and Central Campus basically spills into the city and isn't walled off.

bronxblue

November 8th, 2016 at 2:11 PM ^

I haven't been to EL recently either, but if it's like how it used to be there really isn't much integration with the city and campus. They're is one main drag, a cluster of bars, and that's about it. There also isn't much to care about other than chains and mediocre bars, whereas with A2 there is some culture and events off campus that you can walk to.

Watching From Afar

November 8th, 2016 at 3:25 PM ^

I grew up in East Lanisng and my parents still live there, so I obviously visit when I go back to Michigan. EL is a dump, to put it kindly. Grand River Ave (equivalent of Main St) has a nice building from ~5-6 years ago with apartments in it, then you go down the street and you see a run down, vacant 4 story building that used to house a bank and who knows what else. It's supposed to be "redeveloped" but that has been said since I was in high school back in 2008. They have the usual Chipotle, Taco Bell, and sushi place, but nothing is singularly East Lansing. You can find everything EL has anywhere else in the country. The bars are crap (except Hop Cat that moved in a few years ago, but even then a bar to stand at and drink/have fun exists, if you don't mind your shoes getting stuck to the floor) and there aren't any nice restaurants in the area. You have to drive to Okemos or Lansing to actually get a nice meal. The neighborhoods are made up of entirely college housing, all owned by 1 company, so they're crap, and in general the city itself is just there to house students and print parking tickets.

I love visiting my parents, but I spend as little time in EL as I can outside of their house.

991GT3

November 8th, 2016 at 2:33 PM ^

has had the benefit of some great players on his defense and weak opponents. He will have to show his defense scheming skills when playing OSU. Until then, let's not build a shrine for him just yet.

lhglrkwg

November 8th, 2016 at 3:35 PM ^

PSU's offense - which is actually pretty good - got hammered. Colorado obvious got some punches in early but didn't do a whole lot from the 1st quarter on. I know we haven't played the OSU's or Bama's of the world yet, but I think he's shown a good knack for scheming and then adjusting in game.

olis1ma

November 8th, 2016 at 3:18 PM ^

Is anyone else concerned that UM has dropped to #10 in recruiting and hasnt had a commit in a while? You would think all this success would cause at least some recruits to commit during the season.

ca_prophet

November 8th, 2016 at 4:27 PM ^

Durkin did quite well here (and looks to be on the right track at Maryland; I was impressed that he started going for fourth downs early. His best chance was to keep the offense on the field and hope to keep edging us.) but the failure in the Game and subsequent departure put our needs in stark clarity. Harbaugh then went and got the best available candidate - yet another example of why we are so lucky to have him.

That said, rightly or wrongly Brown's hire will be judged on the result of The Game. Most years it would be the single most important item, but this year every last one of our goals will be lost if we lose there, and our defense will draw the toughest matchup.

tspoon

November 8th, 2016 at 5:21 PM ^

Where are the GoT dragons blowing flames (which I thought was hilarious, btw), the Simpsons line dancing to advocate for higher standards and the bazillion negs?

That very same LSJ article yesterday was described as "top ten worst post ever," and a plague upon the IQ of the board ... but now that Brian has proclaimed the subject matter "wildly entertaining," all is good.

Got it.

Neg away, I suppose....

 

viachicago

November 8th, 2016 at 5:46 PM ^

That clip is from the film Vintage Bo, a classic 30-40 minute film that followed Bo around during the week of the 1971 Iowa game.  The whole film used to be on YouTube but only a few clips posted by Dr. Sap are up now.  IIRC the smirk was because right after he sent in Brandstatter, Bo realized that Iowa had too many men on the field on the previous play, which allowed them to stop Bo Rather for a loss.

Vintage Bo clips



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpSZ2N_gI9I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Cc_gsUZHI

bklein09

November 8th, 2016 at 6:28 PM ^

Reading the Iowa preview on Mlive, you have to think this game is over as soon as Michigan hits 21 points right? And maybe even 14.

Iowa is one of the least explosive teams in the country, and Michigan's only real weakness on defense seems to be the occasional busted big play. Don't see any way this isn't a blowout, unless the team forgets to show up at Kinnick.

I'm looking for a reason to be nervous, but I just can't find one.




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