Everyone Murders

October 18th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^

There's a tweet in the article where he talks about his recruiting class being #3 ranked.  I wonder if that's an NCAA violation?  I know coaches aren't allowed to talk about individual commits until signing day, but it seems they also avoid general statements.

In any event, I hope our players aren't looking past Penn State, what with the Rutgers game circled in red on the schedule and all.*

*MichiganMondayed

Zenogias

October 18th, 2017 at 11:00 AM ^

In a perverse way, you kind of have to admire how Franklin is able to bring up his team's rank, his recruiting class' rank, the White Out, and last year's B1G championship, all while maintaining that he doesn't want to talk about those things. It's like some sort of weird humblebrag.

Perkis-Size Me

October 18th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^

They won't let him go. Whatever A&M offers him, PSU can match it. A&M is a lateral move at best right now. The only reasons I could see him leaving are: 

1) NFL, should the league ever decide he's worthy

2) If he actually wanted to go to A&M, it may be because he thinks Saban is nearing retirement, and he can then step in, fill the power vacuum, and not have to deal with Harbaugh, Meyer and Dantonio every year. Right now, the SEC West is Saban and then everyone else. Devoid of truly good coaches. Whoever replaces Saban will never be as good as he is. But I doubt Franklin wants to deal with the politics down in Texas. Whatever they are at PSU, they're two or three-fold at A&M. 

bronxblue

October 18th, 2017 at 1:34 PM ^

Franklin feels like a wobbly company you are buying high on now. Some people forget, but his offense was terrible before Moorhead arrived, and I assume he'll be gone soon. And while Franklin is recruiting pretty well, he'll never pull away from Harbaugh or Meyer, so it'll always be a slog. If he wants to leave, I'd say grab Moorhead and let him go. That's who made this team what it is now.

SpilledMilk

October 18th, 2017 at 12:11 PM ^

He constantly whines about conspiracy theories of other coaches trying to negatively recruit against him. Then he likes to tout the B1G championship last season (that was predicated on a series of flukes against OSU). James has one of the most punchable faces in all of sports

The Mad Hatter

October 18th, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^

Or maybe I'm completely delusional.  But the closer we get to this game, the more I think we might just kick their asses.

Sure, our offense sucks.  But our defense might not let them score at all.

I'm really only worried about the ref's and penalties.

Michigan 17 - PSU 10

mGrowOld

October 18th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^

I'll take PSU and only 5 points instead of the 7 we're going to win by.

Sorry to say I'm not seeing it.  I know this board does not want to admit it but Penn State is good.  And we're completely one-dimensional and that's not good.

Playing at night

On the road

Against a very, very good team

With no passing game

Like I said....not seeing it.

UMProud

October 18th, 2017 at 11:26 AM ^

I'm with you I'm not seeing a path to a win here.  Too many things would have to go our way and Michigan never has been a "lucky" team.  I think the inability by JOK to go through his progressions post snap is a known entity to teams.  Without being able to throw PSU can load the run box almost all game and their defense does not suck.

Hoping & praying that I eat crow for breakfast on Sunday morning!

ijohnb

October 18th, 2017 at 11:48 AM ^

are not the same team they were last year when we played them.  And neither are we.

If we win this game it is going to be because we play really well and play a complete and disciplined game, not because Penn State is overrated.  They may not be the #2 team in the country but they are really good and Barkley could be the best player in the country.

In reply to by ijohnb

SpilledMilk

October 18th, 2017 at 12:17 PM ^

But if we're being honest, anyone who has watched a good bit of college football this year knows that PSU hasn't really played any good teams and their #2 ranking is a result of teams ahead of them stumbling - not PSU actually looking like the #2 team. At any rate, if we win none of that matters because theyre still #2 regardless of if they actually deserve that ranking or not.

In reply to by ijohnb

bronxblue

October 18th, 2017 at 2:22 PM ^

I mean, a win is a win.  It's irrelevant where PSU is ranked at this stage in the game.  PSU is the best team they've played this year, but I don't think the difference between them and, say, MSU or Florida, is as much as you'd expect for the #2 team in the country.

ijohnb

October 18th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^

all hinges on whether O'Korn can be passable or not.  Penn State is not the best team ever, but they are considerably better than a team like Indiana all over the field and have a good defense and secondary.   If he can be merely serviceable, like a decent Power 5 QB, we should win given our defense.  But if O'Korn cannot make some fairly basic reads and keep the offense on the field it could get ugly.

Perkis-Size Me

October 18th, 2017 at 11:38 AM ^

If O'Korn plays at a serviceable level (Purdue-esque) and the defense maintains the status quo, I give us roughly a 50/50 shot. No matter how well the team plays, PSU still has home field advantage, and they have arguably the best player on the field playing for them. He'll likely make a play or two at some point. He's just that good. 

If O'Korn plays like he did against MSU, we may be toast by halftime. The defense will show up, but they will only be able to hold Barkley back for so long. If they're on the field too long, you can take to the bank that he's going to break off some ridiculous 75 yard scamper for a TD. And the floodgates will open from there. 

CRISPed in the DIAG

October 18th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^

He should be saying this and he probably is actually focused on this game. There's no reason to give Michigan the Pitt treatment. Everyone realizes we're not Akron.

But I'm also ready to believe that *everyone* (his players, media folks, James Franklin, the attractive wives/girlfriends of PSU's coaching staff) chalked the Michigan game as a win and OSU's game is the true battle royale with cheese.

LSAClassOf2000

October 18th, 2017 at 11:23 AM ^

Franklin, who grew up in Pennsylvania, went on to say he and his family are enjoying life in State College. He told reporters he's lost 10 pounds recently, goes on regular walks and is eating healthy. Don't ask about the recipe for his green breakfast smoothies, though. That sounds like a distraction.

OK, so win or lose on Saturday, someone needs to ask about the smoothies at either the pre- or post-game presser. There is so much material for hours of "distractions". 

1VaBlue1

October 18th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^

If they've marked Michigan as a win and are, indeed, waiting for OSU...  Well, that will be thier mistake.  There is no doubt in my mind that Jim MF'ing Harbaugh has this game circled to prove a point.  Maybe that point will just be the period at the end of a sentence, but I think it will be an exclamation point.  I don't think it will take too much luck for Michigan to win this game, but it will require some bad luck to lose it.

Michifornia

October 18th, 2017 at 11:33 AM ^

Are coming into the game Saturday a little arrogant/overconfident fresh off their #2 ranking.  And we come in with a chip on our shoulder, solely focused on executing how we can and should.  The defense will be challenged but I give our defense the edge.  I still want to believe that the coaching staff will give O'Korn a way to be successful.  Our RBs will be heavily challenged and may not find a lot of success but I think they can do some damage.  

This may be coming from 40+ years as a diehard but I can't help myself.  Michigan pulls this one out 16-13.

GO BLUE!!!