Michigan Monday is up
Michigan Monday is up. Not a lot of jabs. Maybe a little too down on the run game. It sounds like he's worried. Tried to play off the common foe (Indiana) performance as unimportant.
I think they're about to get embarrassed at home by PSU, so maybe he's worried about other things. At least we've helped them acclimate to the feeling, after last year's Game
Anyway, if you usually read it from a link at MGoBlog, you can do so [here].
October 17th, 2023 at 12:31 AM ^
I think PSU will get hamblasted now, by OSU.
October 17th, 2023 at 9:17 AM ^
I agree, I don't see PSU standing up with OSU. Not enough offense (UMass doesnt count) to keep them in the game no matter how well their D plays
October 17th, 2023 at 10:30 AM ^
Not sure it matters terribly who wins, from the present perspective. But it will be helpful if both teams' weaknesses are on sharp display. Not only for scouting purposes, but because they may drop down the polls a bit if both struggle through a 20-12 kinda game.
October 17th, 2023 at 10:41 AM ^
I really don't know what's going to happen. On the one hand, OSU's defense seems legitimately improved and Penn State's offense seems pretty meh - not explosive, OL might still stink - so I could see OSU overwhelming them
OTOH, Penn State's defense seems legit. OSU can't run the ball and McCord is mediocre for a Ryan Day QB. I could see Penn State shutting them down too
I feel like it's gonna be like a 23-17 OSU win or something like that
October 17th, 2023 at 11:28 AM ^
This is what I'm thinking - a low scoring (mid-20's) rock fight that looks ugly while the media sings praises about how tuff each team is. Don't really care who wins, but as good as the defenses might look, some of that will be bad offense.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:39 AM ^
PSU hasn't faced a decent offense all year. McCord looks a lot better starting with the midpoint of the Maryland game. I think Drew Allar, who struggled more than just a bit at NW and Illinois, is going to have his hands full with pash rush.
October 17th, 2023 at 5:53 AM ^
McCord is AT LEAST as likely to be under siege as Allar. I think Brian's right and it will be a rock fight.
October 17th, 2023 at 11:00 AM ^
It's 100% gonna be a rock. Ohio State has little offense if you can lock down Marvin Harrison, which Penn State absolutely can do. And Penn State's offense has no explosive capability or downfield threat, which means Ohio State's D can tee off on Allar and the run game. I could easily the final score being something like 14-10
October 17th, 2023 at 1:43 PM ^
Agree
October 17th, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
McCord has faced exactly one good defense this year, ND, and he didn't do much. The idea that the light went on at halftime of Maryland is absurd. It's Maryland, your self-destructive ex-girlfriend. And PSU has a better defense than ND as far as talent. This game is going to be a slog of low-scoring tension that turns on a couple plays. The main tension is going to be between OSU's total inability to run effectively, and PSU's total inability to throw deep. Either PSU's semi-decent running game will allow them to grind this one out, or OSU will hit some big plays with their amazing receivers (however, can they protect their quarterback long enough, I don't think so)
October 17th, 2023 at 1:45 PM ^
It's a lot easier to chuck up the ball and get lucky a few times then build a run game from scratch throughout the game/season. See MSU that rain game vs us. PSU's defense will give OSU fits and make them 1 dimensional. Obviously they have an all world WR in that dimension. PSU has not really had to do air things out and still has won every game by 17+ or something right? So they could be saving things for all we know.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:53 AM ^
I don’t know why I keep writing different versions of the same sentences to describe how productive and exacting this Michigan defense continues to be. It’s becoming more and more difficult to find new words to express how overmatched offenses have been this season.
That sounds familiar.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:56 AM ^
Michigan’s defense completely bit on the play, which just made them angry for the rest of the game and sent them on a path of revenge that left the kind of carnage that you don’t bother picking up, you just spray it down the sewer grates.
also ….
I don’t know why I keep writing different versions of the same sentences to describe how productive and exacting this Michigan defense continues to be. It’s becoming more and more difficult to find new words to express how overmatched offenses have been this season.
good stuff …. and true.
October 17th, 2023 at 8:08 AM ^
I'm not going to read their stuff so I may be misinterpreting but doesn't that first quotation suggest a starkly harsh world-view generally?
"made them angry for the rest of the game and sent them on a path of revenge that left the kind of carnage that you don’t bother picking up, you just spray it down the sewer grates."
That is, I see more anger woven through this description than I watched in Michigan players during the game.
October 17th, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^
That's his whole schtick. When Michigan is good he's snarky, when Michigan is bad he is patronizing.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:05 AM ^
I'm confused about this a bit - at times he sounds like a Michigan fan:
Quarterback JJ McCarthy continues to bolster the running game, which I began clamoring for a month ago. He was sacked four times in this one and ran it six other times, so now I’m clamoring for Michigan to stop putting him into harm’s way so often.
I just started reading this (via these posts) - am I missing something?
October 17th, 2023 at 1:28 AM ^
I think he just writes them as though he wants Michigan at its optimal strength for The Game. Not a Michigan fan.
October 17th, 2023 at 4:42 AM ^
He grew up a Michigan fan then turned to the dark side as a teen. He’s a bit of a fan.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:13 AM ^
Penn State has no change winning in Columbus with that offense.
October 17th, 2023 at 9:28 AM ^
PSU's strength is their secondary and pass rush. That is a great matchup for them against an OSU who can't run the ball and has a shaky line. However, PSU has fairly similar weaknesses.
October 17th, 2023 at 11:03 AM ^
This game is basically the Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man meme. 2 good defenses, 2 shaky OL's, 2 first year QB's who show promise but so far struggle with accuracy and pressure, and 2 "meh" running games. The biggest difference is Ohio State has MHJ
October 17th, 2023 at 2:14 AM ^
Morgan dodged and fought through 10 yards of hell on the screen pass. It was like every Waffle House fight you’ve ever seen. When you throw chairs at somebody, you don’t expect them to block one while simultaneously jump cutting to avoid another, but he was Waffle House Neo on Saturday
This made me LOL!
October 17th, 2023 at 6:09 AM ^
calm. honest. lots of sincere compliments for JJ and our defense. like some others, i found this to be the best quote:
"Michigan’s defense completely bit on the play, which just made them angry for the rest of the game and sent them on a path of revenge that left the kind of carnage that you don’t bother picking up, you just spray it down the sewer grates."
says we're the best team in the B10. we have to prove it through 13 games, but so far after 7, i'd say he is dead-on accurate.
October 17th, 2023 at 8:14 AM ^
XM, as I replied to Dr Jaws above, that quote—"angry," "revenge," "carnage," "sewer"—seems to me to say less about the game than about the writer.
Imagine you were counseling someone and they used those words to describe someone else. Wouldn't you think the more pressing problem was the one describing things that way than the one being described?
October 17th, 2023 at 8:51 AM ^
It's called hyperbole, and it's meant to sound amusingly over-the-top. I'd say it succeeds, but YMMD.
October 17th, 2023 at 9:04 AM ^
What you're observing, I think, can best be characterized thusly:
OSU writing about Michigan is like orcs writing about elves.
How else would an orc who somehow overcomes his instinctual aversion to beauty, and seeks sincerely to understand & appreciate his enemy, describe Rivendell? Waterfalls: "They make water fall endlessly upon the rock, slowly wearing it into dust." Peace and relaxation: "They bide their time and gather their strength to prepare for future wars." Wine: "Their drink is sweet and smooth to conceal the harshness, so they can consume ever greater amounts to harden their minds." Architecture: "Their buildings merge seamlessly with the landscape, allowing them to launch surprise attacks from anywhere." etc.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:12 PM ^
Or what I wrote, considering the downvotes, could be characterized thusly:
I'm either slow or have no sense of humor or both.
OR, having not read the whole piece (as I noted), I should NOT have commented.
October 17th, 2023 at 11:26 AM ^
If the conversation was in earnest, I absolutely agree with your premise. However, I think this article is much more tongue-in-cheek, having some fun, with a little bit of pretty accurate football analysis. thus, I take it for what I perceive as the face value, fun.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:15 PM ^
Fun. I like fun. I will watch a funny TikTok or read a joke to get today's quota of fun. Yay, fun.
[Yeah, I shouldn't have commented without reading the piece. I still suspect the dude has problems. But, yeah, DRDC: Didn't read? Don't comment.]
October 17th, 2023 at 6:17 AM ^
Yes, he’s feeling the heat coming, but credit him for the creating the legend that will now be known as “Waffle House Neo.”
If I’m Semaj Morgan, I’m literally buying Waffle House logo themed gear to build the hype.
October 17th, 2023 at 7:59 AM ^
I didn't know Waffle Houses had Jukeboxes.
October 17th, 2023 at 11:23 AM ^
I didn't know they didn't. The ones I've been in here in the Atlanta area all have one. But they also have a worker who has brought in some old floor speakers from their house and hook up an Aux cord to their phone and will play anything you want. I love Waffle House. Food is good. The atmosphere is entertaining, and the price is great.
October 17th, 2023 at 6:29 AM ^
The sheer lack of snark in this article is so awesome. They know Michigan is the real deal.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:20 PM ^
Yeah, it's new. You either got condescending snark or patronizing pity in the past.
But this is something else. Awe-struck fear, wrapped in a veneer of objectivity.
Like a journalist covering an exploding volcano from the base of the mountain. He's aware of the pending doom, but he feels compelled to still report on it.
October 17th, 2023 at 5:40 PM ^
After watching these two teams the past 20 years, he's like oh shit. He's beginning to know what it feels like to not have the superior team.
October 17th, 2023 at 6:52 AM ^
No way I trust PSU in that game. They are known to get blasted in these types of games. Btw, I agree you can't really compare their game against IU with the Michigan game. A lot has changed.
October 17th, 2023 at 7:25 AM ^
Again, I still expect Corum to produce in big moments, but at some point Michigan’s running game is what the numbers say it is. I’ll be fascinated to see how they do against Penn State. That will be Michigan’s biggest game of the year.
Did he just concede that he thinks Penn State has a better chance of betting us in Happy Valley than the Nuts do at the Big House?
October 17th, 2023 at 7:45 AM ^
could be, but my guess is there is an implied, 'so far', or 'to that point'.
October 17th, 2023 at 8:04 AM ^
Ehh I disagree regarding the game this week. I bet, as Brian has said, this game will be a 21-17 or 17-14 rock fight.
Penn State hasn't been challenged by anyone this year, Allar hasn't been asked to do a lot, and in a lot of games their offense has still looked....okay? Not bad by any stretch, but not dominant like you'd hope it would be. Sacked five times against UMass, and the run game is still underwhelming, relatively speaking, because the OL isn't anything more than average. Meanwhile, OSU hasn't faced a defense as good as the one its about to face, and still can't run the ball. That's a bad recipe against a team loaded with great pass rushers.
I could see both QBs being under a lot of duress, and the game coming down to who makes 1-2 critical mistakes, or who makes the lone big play to set their team up with excellent field position deep into the game.
I don't think this will be a blowout either way.
October 17th, 2023 at 8:47 AM ^
unpopular opinion...osu wins pretty handily at home against psu and we all realize psu is a solid top 10 team, but not a home wrecking demolition of all foes unit the media hyped them up to be...this year.
By "wins handily" I don't mean a beat down, but I do think overall control of the game and they win by 27-17 or something.
October 17th, 2023 at 9:00 AM ^
I'm with you. It feels like a comfortable two-score win for Ohio State to me.
October 17th, 2023 at 9:12 AM ^
At this point, who has the better skill players on offense. McCord is better than Allar. Run game is a push. OSU has the best skill player among both teams in Marvin.
I expect OSU to win because they are at home and because PSU lacks in offense.
October 17th, 2023 at 8:51 AM ^
Once he gets out of the pocket the symphony of destruction begins.
Anyone else getting Il trovatore vibes???? Would love to see a JJ scramble hype video to this. (1:05, specifically)
October 17th, 2023 at 11:02 AM ^
Symphony of Destruction brings something else to mind for me. I saw Megadeth on this tour with Suicidal Tendencies.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
from our opponents' perspective, it may more strongly evoke the symphony of sorrowful songs. particularly the repeating phrase of the first movement: the notes march uphill as the pocket collapses, building tension as JJ is under pressure, reaching up from the shadows into the realm of hope, dreaming of victory just to have the opportunity wither away as JJ does something amazing and they are left only with loss
October 17th, 2023 at 8:56 AM ^
Can Ohio neutralize the PSU run game? Will the PSU front 7 pressure McCord?
PSU: 27
Ohio: 24
October 17th, 2023 at 9:12 AM ^
I really don't know what to think about this game. Both teams seem pretty just okay. I suppose that since PSU has the best unit on the field -- their defense -- they will probably win.
October 17th, 2023 at 9:06 AM ^
I think he definitely has high praises for Michigan D and JJ. He thinks UM D can be had if a team can execute at a high level. But that is going to be tough even for OSU but they have the best chance.
It is great to hear a buckeye say JJ is the best difference maker in B1G. When is the last time we heard that from a buckeye about a QB?
October 17th, 2023 at 9:10 AM ^
Last year, you could tell that Gerdeman was worried, because he was nit-picking Michigan on everything. He has to know that this year's Michigan team is considerably better than last year's, and that OSU's team is not better than last year. To his credit, he does say that Michigan is "very much the best team in the Big Ten." That's pretty decent objectivity from a Buckeye. Clearly, he doubts that OSU can do much against our defense.
Gerdeman also has some excellent good turns of phrases , describing his playmaking as "backyard football on the biggest front yard in America." I'm glad he's finally come around on JJ -- about time, Tony! And his Waffle House analogy for Semaj Morgan's screen TD was worthy of Mgoblog. Good times!
October 17th, 2023 at 9:17 AM ^
Initial snark on podcast trails off from lack of fuel. Seeds have been planted and armor has been breeched. Could the thing that made MM entertaining be dissipating before our eyes?