Effort level in Illinois game
Ok, this may get me negbanged to infinity and beyond, but here goes...
Through the ups and downs of the 2008 and 2009 seasons, I always thought that the team played hard. This was especially commendable in 2008 given the talent level and some lack of buy-in from some players. Even the second half of the Ohio State game seemed to be much more a mismatch of talent than of effort.
For 2009, up through the Penn State game, I always thought the team tried hard.
The second half of the Illinois game was the first time I have ever seen what I thought was a less than all-out effort. Frankly, that scares me.
My hope is that this is just a one-time blip, a bad alignment of the stars, and it will be forgotten in the wake of a good effort vs. Purdue.
Curious if people's reactions are: "You're overreacting, calm down", "I saw it too, but I'm not worried", or "I saw it too, and I'm more worried than you."
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:48 PM ^
I mean, RR admitted to some of it in his press conference this morning. We just need to step up the intensity.
EDIT:
Thought I'd include what I was referring to, from @michigandailysports:
RR: More concerned w/offense or defense? "Really, everything." Concerned w/the "doom, the gloom" as Sat.'s game went on.Also @michigandailysports:
He thinks his team takes everything "so sincere" about everything that happens, sometimes it's hard to move on. "Conscientious to a fault"
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:51 PM ^
They looked deflated.
I don't know what you do about that as a coach though... Sometimes it takes a stern yelling to get someone motivated. Sometimes it takes gentle encouragement. If you go the wrong direction, you're going to lose their attention and they'll just shut it down.
I'm no psychology major, but it seems like something that would be different for each player. Once you start getting scored on like that right after being stopped, things start to go downhill.
This, IME, is why Beilein always seems to get the most out of his players. He appears to be the kind of guy the players know genuinely cares, and when he yells (or pulls them out of the game), they KNOW he's doing it for their own good. With a football team, that's tougher because there are many more players to do that with.
Like I said, e-pinion, take as you will.
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:51 PM ^
"You're overreacting, judging the team on a non-numeric and you might be a nit-wit. Calm down"
"Effort" can't be quantified. Intangibles can't be measured. Anecdotes only tell the story you want to hear. There is nothing to see here, please move along.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:05 PM ^
I dont know what to think about effort, schemes, leadership, unity, talent or lack there of, or any other item you can try to judge a team with. What I do know is that we got our asses handed to us by a 1-6 football team that until Saturday noone realized they still had a football program. Was this because of any or all of the above elements? We could all debate this for an eternity. It comes down to the fact that right now we are not a good football team. I think now the focus should be on whether or not this is a salvagable football team. The response by the players this week will tell the tale. If they come out flat this Saturday, the last two weeks could be ugly beyond measure.
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:47 AM ^
The Illini are two years removed from the Rose Bowl team and many of these guys played in that game. I don't know what happened to them this year, but it wasn't due to a lack of talent. All they needed was some breaks, some adjustments-Juice finally got his act together, for example-and they were going to put it together. We unfortunately are still working out the kinks, apparently are under-talanted, and have the worst luck in the history of NCAA football; not a good situation for a young team.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:30 PM ^
just to screw around when they finally get to play. Talent and experience are lacking and this is what that looks like.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:46 PM ^
on the one yard line four times was a real let down. Rich Rod should have kicked a freaking field goal to make it 16-7 and then kick off to the guys in orange. If that would have happened we would have still had some momentum on our side.
Bo learned this the hard way- on the road you take the points, especially when it puts you up by two scores.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:57 PM ^
I'd never question someone desire. But just watching the game, Michigan seemed to lack passion, fire, and intensity. Maybe all the bad plays deflated them and they lost all their enthusiasm.
Michigan lost all the momentum and because of their lack of overall team talent couldn't regroup, regain composure and execute.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:04 PM ^
Did anybody watching the game not get deflated after the goal-line stand or the subsequent score (or the many that followed it)? I know I was pretty bummed about it and all I had to keep doing is taking swigs of beer and talking to the TV like a crazy person who thinks his words can impact the actions of others thousands of miles away. If instead I had to run back out there and block the wedge on the ensuing kickoff I probably would have just pissed myself and cried (in real life I waited until after the Halloween festivities to do this).
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:40 PM ^
In fact, just the opposite may be true. It seemed to me guys were trying too hard to make plays instead of doing their job and trusting their technique. Prime example: Mike Williams. On the zone read when he'd come off the backside edge, he's the QB player. Instead of simply tackling the QB, he was trying to see who had the ball and then make the tackle on whoever. On open field tackles, instead of coming to balance and using tackling technique, he was trying to line guys up for big hits and whiffing completely.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:23 PM ^
I'm afraid Mike Williams is a lost cause. At least for this season. Maybe another off-season will help him refocus, get "coached up", and relearn his assignments and responsibilities.
Cause right now he's just flailing around out there playing recklessly and causing big play after big play
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:01 PM ^
For all of my complaints about the coaching staff the last three weeks or so, it is a very young team, and that Roundtree/Brown/Minor/Fumble/Replay/what-the-f%#k goal line stand hit em like a ton of bricks. Inability to recover collectively, yes, for many reasons, and the lack of raw talent to fall back on, all of those things. But not a lack of effort, I didn't see that, FWIW.