podcasts
podcast
mgopodcast
2017 wisconsin

MGoPodcast 9.12: [Audible Sigh] Comment Count

Seth

What was your mom doing, was she up in Ace’s mentions?

mgopodcast 9.12

This was recorded at the Residence Inn Ann Arbor in one of their TEN conference rooms.

We Couldn’t Have One Without the Other

We can do this because people support us. You should support them too so they’ll want to do it again next year! The show is presented by UGP & The Bo Store, and if it wasn’t for Rishi and Ryan we’d be sighing to ourselves.

Our other sponsors are also key to all of this: HomeSure Lending, Peak Wealth Management, Ann Arbor Elder Law, the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, the University of Michigan Alumni Association, Michigan Law Grad,Human Element, Lantana Hummus and new this week introducing Ecotelligent Homes

---------------------------------

Offense

starts at 1:00

The Big Ten thing happened. Excuse! Michigan really had this game until Hornibrook started dropping dimes one drive. Hornibrook just does thought: he throws into coverage all the time. Newsome injury counterfactuals: there is no worse injury for this team than a two-year one to a left tackle. What was with the empty wildcat formation? A lot of youth.

Defense

starts at 24:30

Held up until Hornibrook made his perfect throws, some terrible pass interference calls went against them. Held Taylor in check until the game was pretty much over. JKP didn’t have the speed to keep up with an outside receiver; he wasn’t Lavert Hill. This defense’s weakness is inch-perfect balls that are caught with one hand. When’s the last time Michigan got a break against a non-Indiana or Northwestern? Under the Lights. Sheeeesh.

Special Teams and Don’t @ Me, Mom

starts at 39:12

When you’re in a 1950s game rules apply on 4th and 6 but Michigan has to stop putting those in the end zone. The PR touchdown was just a total fluke due to an uncalled penalty. What would it be like if Brian unmuted everybody? Ace dreads the 90 people who write him saying “must” and “can’t” and “gotta” and “unacceptable.”

Around the Big Ten with Jamie Mac

starts at 56:38

These games were all terrible and would have looked worse if anyone had watched Nebraska score 20 points after the game was turn-offable. Ohio State versus Non-directional Illinois. Brian argues with a person who’s not there about Scott Frost. Brian Lewerke completed 2 passes. Justin Jackson has 31 carries for 166 yards. Kirk Ferentz makes the correct decision to go for two early, confounding Matt Millen. We can find a reason to watch Iowa-Nebraska, even though Mom already got called out.

MUSIC:

  • “The High Road”—Broken Bells
  • “Hurt”—Kermit the Frog
  • “How it ends”—DeVotchka
  • “Across 110th Street”

THE USUAL LINKS

Comments

Sleepy

November 20th, 2017 at 9:44 AM ^

...everyone thought that 8-4 was the likely outcome before the season began.  And that was when it was widely assumed that the QB situation was going to be a slightly improved version of a 3rd Team All-B1G returning starter.

So 8-4 with an all-but-flaming tire fire at QB has to be considered a minor success, right?

Joined: 10/23/2012

MGoPoints: 11457

ak47

November 20th, 2017 at 9:48 AM ^

I don't think people thought the schedule would be such trash.  But more to the point 8-4 was the floor, not expected outcome.  Most people predicted 9-3 with a ceileing of 10-2.  I don't think a team has ever had a smaller range of outcomes than this team did coming in.  

But 8-4 without being competetive against psu or osu and losing to a mediocre msu team at home coming off a bye can only be looked at one way, and this is dissapointing.

I just don't understand why there is so little creativity to try to create easy offense in big games.  Its not like the practice reps are resulting in our guys being able to exectute the basic things well against any team with a pulse.  Might as well work on some funky stuff that might break.  When is the last time we threw a tunnel or bubbel screen in a big game? Had a reverse or running back or wr pass? We should have looked at this game offensively like purdue did to us.  Driving the field isn't going to happen so when you get a shot to score you break out the weird stuff.

Joined: 05/05/2011

MGoPoints: 33614

LKLIII

November 20th, 2017 at 10:27 AM ^

Exactly. We simply had MSU and Florida switched in our minds. The downside is MSU is a squad we'd have taken more pleasure in hamblastihg, whereas if we had lost to a decent Florida team we would've said "expected" and moved on. Plus our 5 TOs were so bad against MSU, we know that had we only given up 4 of them, we'd still have likely beaten them.

Bottom line is this is about what I expected. I was predicting 8-4 but in my mind we'd lose a "head scratcher" to Indiana or Purdue but then beaten one of the "tougher" teams in PSU or Wisconsin or Ohio State. Basically the definition of a young but talented team.

Joined: 11/06/2013

MGoPoints: 8924

Don

November 20th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^

It's not an important thing with respect to the big picture of how the season has gone, but the notion that "everybody thought we'd go 8-4" is complete revisionist history bullshit that's easily debunked by simply looking up preseason prediction threads on MGoBlog.

I understand the motivation behind trying to pretend that "everybody thought we'd go 8-4"—it makes the season seem less disappointing—but it's not reality.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148237

PowerEye

November 20th, 2017 at 11:35 AM ^

The reason we cannot be creative is obvious. Our lack of experienced players is the reason, and it is not a trivial problem. With limited practice time, Harbaugh's coaches have hard choices to make. They do not believe practice time is best spent installing a few "funky" plays, given our current personnel. You can do more of that with veteran skill players and QB who are able to internalize their assignments quickly.

I agree with Harbaugh's assessment, although it sucks that it is necessary. We cannot make our players more experienced by closing our eyes and wishing it were so.

Given where we are, I'd actually like to see an MGO Article about how fast young QBs improve with playing time, and what that process looks like. For example, last year Hornibrook was a RS FR and looked a lot like Peters does for us now. In year two, he's able to make enough plays to win games.

Peters gets better each week, but not fast enough to put 24 on Wisconsin.

 

Joined: 10/12/2015

MGoPoints: 217

bronxblue

November 20th, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^

Regarding Cole at center, it always felt like a bad move brought about by necessity. Kugler seems like a hard worker, but he's been at Michigan for 5 years and really only earned playing time as the default. Cole was significantly better at the spot, and the sum total of him at C and someone reasonably tackle sized at LT is probably better for your offense than Cole out of position and Kugler struggling inside.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171026

Mgoczar

November 20th, 2017 at 9:49 AM ^

Harbaugh is competitive and I see changes coming. Next week may be the lowest point (or highest if we can upset OSU). We can all see talent on the roster - peters throwing deep fairly accurately, DPJ just burning the corner repeatedly while acting his organic chemistry exam, gentry and Mckeon running up the seem like strolling in the park. All of that makes it sad that we are so close yet so far. Either way I have faith that Harbaugh will figure this out, he's too good not to and I am sure he thinks about it 24/7.

Joined: 09/29/2017

MGoPoints: 4198

ak47

November 20th, 2017 at 9:55 AM ^

The frustrating thing to me was being unable to capitalize on dominating the first 2 and a half quareters.  We should have been up like 17-7 or 20-7.  A two score lead would have ended that game and just couldn't get it done with a healthy peters and multiple short fields.

Joined: 05/05/2011

MGoPoints: 33614

bronxblue

November 20th, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^

Sure, but a team like Wisconsin at home with that defense wasn't going to let Michigan get too far away. And even 17-7 probably wasn't going to change Wisconsin's game plan to heavily. But it would have been nice to play with a bigger lead, but it's a very young team and having issues at the skill positions, and that'll kill you more times than not.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171026

Ty Butterfield

November 20th, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^

It is ridiculous that Michigan has seemed to use up all their “luck” the past 6 seasons against Northwestern or in the first Under the Lights. Can’t remember the last time Michigan got a huge break or a lucky bounce against MSU or OSU. Probably BraylonFest. You would think it would shift back at some point but it just doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Harbaugh just came in at the wrong time. If he had come in 2007 maybe things aren’t terrible and David Brandon is never made athletic director. Maybe the next podcast should be “who killed Michigan football?”

Joined: 09/07/2009

MGoPoints: -81685

sarto1g

November 20th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^

Dave Brandon was the AD when Rodriguez was fired.  I always viewed it as a net positive that he did not hire Harbaugh at the time because there is no way that doesn't end terribly.  Regrettably, Devin Gardner's Michigan career was underdeveloped as a result

Joined: 08/28/2010

MGoPoints: 5590

colomon1988

November 20th, 2017 at 1:40 PM ^

Just wanted to say I really appreciate Ace's tweeting during the game.  Circumstances are such that I don't usually have anyone who knows football to watch the game with, and having the chatter of a sensible person also following the game is a huge plus for me.

Joined: 05/28/2015

MGoPoints: 416