6:30 in the 1st at the moment.
Nebraska is having about as much success blocking Mike Martin as I would. I'm laughing my ass off every other play. Also, this is the first real replay of this game I've seen, and Spielman talks trash about Denard the entire time. Dick.
Coincidentally, I just watched the highlights of this game on youtube, along with several other games from 2011. It wasn't just the O-line letting Fitz down. He was definitely better two years ago. Not sure what happened last year, but I saw him weasel his way out of a phone booth several times. He just looked more confident and like he had much better vision than he did last year. The Oline didn't help, obviously. I think he can come back strong this season though. I think maybe missing the Bama game the way he did messed with his head a little bit.
Call me crazy, but I think that this type of domination could happen again this year. Pelini is yet to prove he can win big road games, Martinez always falls apart in critical road games, and Pelini is replacing his entire front seven, which last year was the definition of awful.
I could easily see a 35-10 type of game in favor of Michigan this year.
at all times but if he passes like he did at times last year he is just as dangerous as any dual threat QB in America. Actually think Nebraska has a great year and then a large (4-5 game) drop off next year.
Pressure and blitz Martinez enough and he will constantly make bad decisions. Case in point: 2012 OSU and BTCG games. He was flat-out awful in both games.
He can put up good stats against lesser teams, but in no world could you ever convince me that Taylor Martinez is a good all-around QB. Mattison will blitz him early and often, and Martinez have 2-3 picks on the day.
Oh I agree whole-heartedly. Denard and Martinez are in the same boat as being athletes who play the QB position rather than being QBs who happen to be athletic, like RGIII.
I love Denard, but I'll make the same criticisms about him that I do about Martinez. Denard is a great athlete who doesn't exactly make the world's best QB. Case in point: 2012 ND and 2011 MSU. The difference between the two is that Denard has shown that he has the capability to put the team on his back and come through in the clutch on a few occasions. Martinez is yet to prove he can do that.
was always a guy I liked as a player (30 so going by Lions and talk of wanting to go to Michigan) and commentator but 2011 really showed me his true colors. When osu was being investigated he was humble and even admitted while reporting from cbus that "more will surely come out as a lot of people knew things weren't always on the up and up under Tressel". He looked defeated but honest. Then they get a slap on the wrist and every UM game he calls he is very biased as opposed to the past. Worse was when he called games with Meyer and he all but recruited him the entire time, some of those games being Michigan games. He wasn't 100% anti-UM but his attitude and opinions clearly became more negative. Only thing I could say was fair was his criticism of Denard, saying he had to do more of what he did in the 2011 Nebraska and osu games which was take what is given and stop forcing bad throws. Those two games was what Denard should have always been: 1-2 reads, throw if open or tuck and run. He was a true QB those two games so Spielman (and others) could criticize and get a pass in my eyes as I agreed. Yet, even the osu game in 2011 you'd constantly hear Spielman talk of what osu had to do regardless of situation. His clear bias and sometimes blatant anti-UM remarks made me see him differently that year and since. Sure he is a good person (!) but I'd rather he not call UM games and especially THE GAME as he cannot be unbiased anymore unlike other ex players like Herbie and Griese when calling. Finally, to be fair, Desmond is someone I don't think could call a UM game without bias so it's not a personal thing but it hurts the viewing experience.
Sort of like when Jalen was calling a UM/Illinois game a few years ago. He was openly rooting for UM, which was fine with me
exactly why I prefer no bias or ex players calling nationally/large region cast games. Even if it's pro-UM I can only hear so much before thinking "ok, we get it. Call the game". Spielman went from being very Madden-like in his observations (I found it funny and I liked the guy) to a darn good and unbiased B10 announcer to what he is now. Starting in 2011 all I hear is an osu schill and a guy that gives real commentary to the occasional backhanded UM compliment at a roughly 2:1 ratio. Too skewed for my liking anymore, B10 guy/proponent or not. JMHO
I enjoy listening to spielman announcing Michigan games. He is very insightful and tells it like it is. Chris is a buckeye first as he should be. But he is a big ten guy second and has great respect for Michigan. He's better then listening to herb or about 95% of the other announcers
while I like him as a person and used to love his announcing, he has clearly pulled his osu flag out since 2011. It was always out to a degree I could respect and even understand but now it's too much for me. Why I prefer Herbie is that he has every reason to be an osu shill but goes out of his way to not be. I feel his picks and opinions are what he really thinks as opposed to just being pro-anyone. So, we kind of have the opposite for the other here and I guess it boils down to perception and opinion. I just wouldn't want Steve EvvvvMountainman to ever call a national/large region UM game, lol. Exaggerated example (would be hilarious) but point being I want fair announcing as opposed to even insanely pro-UM announcing. I want no bias when watching a game.
That clip of him talking about wanting to go to Michigan still blows my mind every time I see it. He says he told his dad he wanted to go to Michigan and his dad said "If you do you better not come home. You're going to Ohio State." Such a classic Ohio attitude taking football way too seriously and thinking Ohio is the greatest paradise in the world. Say what you want about the academics now (still way better), but back then Ohio couldn't even lick UofM's boots when it came to academics. Good thing football worked out for him.
Yeah, great and terrible story all in one. lol
IMO, it's endearing to hear of an old school coach like Bo or Woody demand a kid go somewhere. Oddly, I find parents literally forcing their kids to schools disgusting as a kid can (and have in both examples) tell a coach "no". Hard to tell your parents no when they swear to disown you.
I hope one of our young guys steps up to take over kick return duties opposite Norfleet. It's never been Gallon's forte. With the kind of athletes we've been bringing in, we should be able to put two home run threats back there. In 2014 ith Norfleet and Peppers it's gonna be scary kicking to us.
This was a memorable game for me partly because it was great to see Fitz and Denard lead the rushing attack and Odoms and Roundtree get some good catches, but also because we kept Nebraska's offense relatively quiet by Nebraska standards (about 260 yards or so, about 60% of their season average that year). Great performances by several players.
I also remember getting a lot of calls and texts because of the scoreboard problem. Fortunately, Michigan's power plant powers the stadium and there was nothing that my employer had to do, although I guess even our upper management got calls from frantic / annoyed people.
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