December 5th, 2021 at 5:54 PM ^
Let's make it 28-14-1
December 5th, 2021 at 8:34 PM ^
28 + 14 = 42
so this is obviously going to happen
December 5th, 2021 at 9:27 PM ^
So you think Bama has a chance against Cincinnati?
December 5th, 2021 at 5:55 PM ^
I think we have a shot to beat Georgia in the same way we had a shot to beat Ohio State, its gonna take an incredible effort and hope Georgia makes a few little mistakes. Hope its a great one.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:18 PM ^
OSU didn’t make any mistakes and we pummeled them
December 5th, 2021 at 6:21 PM ^
Their defensive scheme was horrible.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:33 PM ^
Yeah I mean just look at what Iowa did. They said we're not gonna let Haskins go ham and they largely held him in check and forced Michigan to pass and be creative. The fact that OSU sat in a two high the entire game and just ate Haskins runs is coaching malpractice
December 5th, 2021 at 6:49 PM ^
Their defense sucks...compared to ours
December 5th, 2021 at 6:58 PM ^
Didn't you hear? It's because Ryan Day said they were sick.
s/
December 5th, 2021 at 7:13 PM ^
That was pathetic. Someone on ESPN (Gameday?) was repeating that as an excuse - can't recall which of those lackeys it was
December 5th, 2021 at 6:19 PM ^
Georgia hasn't played anybody except for Alabama. And they kicked Georgia's ass.
I honestly wish this game was next Saturday. We are the best team in the country right now.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:23 PM ^
We'll still be the best team in 3 weeks. I've never believed anything as strongly as I believe that Michigan will straight up beat Georgia's ass.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:47 PM ^
You and I are on the same wavelength this year. That's exactly how I felt about OSU.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:50 PM ^
You’ve said this all season long and you’ve been right. You were saying how great this team would be. Keep it up.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:50 PM ^
except Corum said on the post-game radio interview that he is 85%
"needs a couple more weeks"
so, we are still getting better
:)
December 5th, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
Think of it this way, Gattis has three weeks to incorporate D. Edwards as wildcat into the game plan.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:22 PM ^
Here on out it’s going to take incredible effort! Georgia is beatable as Bama showed and their best win is against 9-3 Clemson and then Kentucky and Arkansas.. so yeah, they have dominated a lot of bad/avg teams.
That said, still got to bring it, still have to make plays and have incredible games to win. Same, beat Georgia and have to come back the next game and do it again. Will need absolute incredible effort and will need it if it’s Bama or UC. The teams left do not beat themselves so can’t turn it over, can’t come out flat for a half, have to have it!
December 5th, 2021 at 5:59 PM ^
Which is?
December 5th, 2021 at 6:01 PM ^
Don't count yer chickens before they have hatched. I am confident this team will do their due diligence in planning to give Georgia the Deliverance like punishment it deserves but it will need to execute it with laser like focus and hope they execute better than Georgia.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:03 PM ^
off the top of my head, Harbaugh is 2-3 I think.
2 wins vs the shark humper and losses to South Carolina, Florida, and Bama.
Am I forgetting anyone? I remember there was supposed to be a home and home with Arkansas in the last couple years.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:03 PM ^
I’m cool with playing Georgia. It’s a more challenging matchup than Cincinnati but honestly, playing UC in the semifinal would feel a little cheap. Sure, UC earned its spot, but does anyone really think they’re one of the four best teams? Georgia is a worthy opponent for our first playoff appearance.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:11 PM ^
I agree with this.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:14 PM ^
We can measure ourselves and the ultimate goal of beating Bama.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:26 PM ^
Yes. And because stuff can happen, I would absolutely hate getting there and getting beaten by Cincinnati. Not that they aren't good, they are, but you just know what the narrative of that would be: "Michigan gets to their first CFP and gets beaten by the first Group of Five Team to make it." It'd be on the screen crawl under Harbaugh's image during every game: "First coach to lose to a Group of Five team in the CFP."
It could still happen, but if they get past Alabama first, well, that's different. I'd still hate it, but the narrative would belong equally to Alabama and the SEC.
December 5th, 2021 at 7:27 PM ^
It seems as if some of Michigan's opponents are classified as frauds by---mostly Michigan fans, particularly on this blog.
To whit: MSU--total fraud. Yet...
Many were calling Wisconsin over rated earlier during the pre season--particularly those who thought we'd trash them.
Nebraska--NOW they are a terrible team. But for awhile, it seemed as if that was Michigan's best win--a theme supported by those most ardent of fans of Harbaugh.
Iowa--fraud. Many of course trashed them--but then when Michigan beats them...
I look at Michigan's schedule and think it matches up against anyone in the country.
And if Michigan plays Cincinnati--are they then still a fraud?
The classification of the so called Group of Five is really derogatory of teams, players, and coaches who do their best to put a quality product on the field--and they do.
Cincinnati beat an 11-1 Houston. That Houston team (Group of Five) is better than Rutgers, Maryland, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, Indiana, and probably to many here, MSU.
Group of Five teams play, and beat, Power Conference teams on the regular.
And yet--fans want to deride what they do.
To say Cincinnati isn't one of the "four best" is ludicrous because there is no way to prove it. And if Alabama smokes them--well, they smoked Georgia, too, didn't they?
Just because the Big Boyz created a monopoly and their own little sandbox doesn't mean those who have been left out are necessarily worlds worse or don't really belong in the sandbox.
I also don't get creating demons to argue with: You say if Michigan plays Cincinnati and loses, all the Harbaugh haters rear their ugly heads again.
BUT--if, as you say, Cincinnati doesn't belong--and Michigan loses to them, what the fuck should they say?
December 5th, 2021 at 7:54 PM ^
Good grief man, are all of your posts going to be a bunch of rambling stream-of-consciousness?
The point isn't about whether or not Cincy belonged in the field. It's that playing them is a no-win situation.
December 5th, 2021 at 8:37 PM ^
I don't think you understand the meaning of "stream of consciousness"
But I digress
My point is this: Who gives a crap what anyone says? The WIN is (I guess if Michigan does play Cincinnati) for the national championship.
Sounds like a win-win, and the tendency for people here who are the most ardent fans is to argue with demons they have created, and keep conjuring up day after day. I don't get the point of that.
December 6th, 2021 at 10:02 AM ^
Cincinnati has a much better win than Georgia. It's unclear which of the top 4 should be favored to win imho.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:04 PM ^
Bama made them look mortal but let’s not forgot what got Georgia there in the first place. Great front seven and stopping the run. So Michigan’s greatest strength vs Georgia’s greatest strength. I trust the offense will work on ways to exploit that in the next few weeks.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:26 PM ^
Michigan did not run the ball that well against Iowa but they found other ways to win on offense.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:59 PM ^
They found other ways to run the ball, still had 211 yards and over 5ypc
December 5th, 2021 at 6:05 PM ^
Georgia is a very good football team. Watching the SEC championship, my thought was that we could beat them, or they could beat us, depending on intangibles.
Seems to me that the teams are fairly evenly matched - great defenses, very good offenses. It's probably a good thing that in the first playoff game we won't have to deal with a QB on the same level as 'Bama's.
Regardless of what happens, I'm happy we won the Big Ten in convincing fashion, and don't need any more to think of this as a stellar season. If they can make the championship game, something that's totally within their grasp, so much the better!
Whatever happens, this isn't likely to be an easy victory for Georgia.
Maybe it's good to remember that in the 2000 Orange Bowl, no one gave Michigan a chance against Alabama, except we had Tom Fucking Brady.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:12 PM ^
Georgia is so overrated it's disgusting. Their best win on the year was a 10 - 3 victory over Clemson. They had not played a team with a pulse all year until they got destroyed by Alabama.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:42 PM ^
Georgia reminds me of some of our Don Brown teams. Absolutely stuffing bad offenses into lockers, but it crumbles when you actually see a good offense. Georgia really has zero good wins and got dunked on by the only real top 10 team they faced. It's a winnable game
December 5th, 2021 at 6:13 PM ^
1965 sez:
December 5th, 2021 at 6:21 PM ^
Wolverines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 5th, 2021 at 6:24 PM ^
Not one previous game matters! Beat Georgia, go for the Natty!
December 5th, 2021 at 6:29 PM ^
Stetson Bennett is an average quarterback playing for the #1 team. The first real defense they faced lit his ass on fire.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:34 PM ^
That's emotionally charged language, Epictetus. I'm a little surprised.
Go Blue!
December 5th, 2021 at 6:32 PM ^
It is house money. No hatred. Now it becomes more business like. This is new territory for this team. I really don't know how they would react. There are bigger goals to reach but this is not the same as beating OSU or winning B1G championship. It will be interesting to see how much energy they bring and how they keep their motivation for four quarters. Their QB play seems similar to Cade although I only watched one game. I am excited to learn more about how we match.
Next 3 weeks are going to be interesting.
But I can assure you fear is not a factor.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:37 PM ^
Absolutely nothing to fear! Georgia is a damn good football team - especially in their front seven - but then again so is Michigan. UGA -7.5 seems a bit generous to me on the opening line. I don't think Michigan should be favored, but this game should be closer to coin flip in my mind. Maybe UGA -3.5 or something approximating.
Alabama was really the first good (not great) defense they have played, and they looked a little wobbly. After watching the SEC Championship, I think I would rather draw Bennett at QB and take my chances against their defense than draw Bama and that offense.
I think UGA should be favored in this game. But Michigan can absolutely play with Georgia as long as they keep playing the way they have for the past few weeks. If UGA comes in overlooking Michigan for a rematch with Bama, or thinking Michigan is not an opponent worthy of their full attention they might be in for a rude awakening.
I feel confident in saying this Michigan team can play with and beat anyone in the country this year, and they are a legitimate title contender. I predict a competitive, hard fought game against the Dawgs; these guys are really good, but they are beatable.
December 5th, 2021 at 7:56 PM ^
Alabama seems like OSU with a slightly less potent offense and a much better defense. Georgia seems a lot like Michigan. I think Michigan stacks up well with both teams, tbh. There is no shame in losing to Georgia or Alabama though - I want them to win, but if they come up short they'll still have given us a season for the ages.
December 5th, 2021 at 8:37 PM ^
Agree with you re: Bama. I thought they looked like a more well coached version of Ohio State, albeit not as explosive at wide receiver.
Georgia and Michigan also seems like pretty similar teams to me as well, with the variance of Michigan having better edge rushers and Georgia being stouter on the interior defensive line.
Honestly, and trying to be as objective as possible, I think this Michigan team is peaking at the right time. They just put up 59/42/42 against the 80th (whatever), 25th and 4th defenses in the country respectively. It's fair to say those defenses aren't Georgia, but Alabama created the blue print for how to score on the Dawgs. Anthony, CoJo and Wilson - heres your chance to establish yourselves as legitimate playmakers on the outside. I'm sure Michigan is going to run Haskins and Corum as they always do. But those guys aren't going to be able to win a matchup vs. UGA without hitting them deep over the top.
I think this team can beat Georgia. That said, it's understandable that they would be underdogs in this matchup.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:51 PM ^
Very interested to see what the early line will be. If GA is favored that should move pretty quickly. No reason we can't beat them
December 5th, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
I think we have at least an even chance to win this game.
However, in the interests of precision, you might want to check and see how many of those wins versus the SEC were against Vanderbilt. It’s quite a few.
December 5th, 2021 at 7:08 PM ^
I can't wait to see how well Georgia's qb plays when he has to run for his life with Hutch and Ojabo about to sandwich him every snap.
December 5th, 2021 at 7:14 PM ^
I never have liked bringing up all-time records as evidence of something because sports results don't trend conventionally and cover such a long amount of time across so many variables that it is difficult to describe their use as particularly meaningful. That said, however, I think that this is actually a good matchup of styles this time around and that we do have a chance against this iteration of Georgia.
December 5th, 2021 at 7:24 PM ^
Great, Michigan gets to play the team that has most recently demonstrated how they can be beaten.