What to expect from Michigan in Peach Bowl?

Submitted by Mgoczar on December 9th, 2018 at 11:47 PM

Thoughts?

Is it possible that Michigan comes out and start passing way more in this bowl game (vs during the season) as it portends to 2019 going more air raid? I remember Rudock throwing for ~300 yards and Chesson burning their NFL corner. Basically, only way to catch up to and beat OSU would be with elite passing imho. Great back would help but elite passing from elite QB (which Shea can be I think) to elite receivers (healthy Black and seasoned Collins and DPJ). Offense taking another step in 2019 to being top 10? 

Hoping for a Clemson formula of having a great QB to equal the unfair (see numerous threads past tow days sans Hill flip) advantage other schools have.

ScooterTooter

December 10th, 2018 at 9:25 AM ^

Yeah. I mean, the offense had three long scoring drives in the first half. I get that you need TDs and not FGs, but one of those FGs was a ball Zach Gentry should have caught (pattern emerging). Not terrible.

In the 3rd quarter, its 27-19 and Zach Gentry drops what would have been 1st and 10 at the Ohio State 40(ish). Next play is the blocked punt and its 34-19. 

Next drive, Zach Gentry has a ball hit him in the hands on second down and doesn't make the catch. Next play is the interception and Ohio State has the ball at the 20. 41-19. 

Really, if Zach Gentry catches those passes, its probably a shootout all the way through. Michigan still probably loses, but its more an Oklahoma losing to Texas type of thing as opposed to an out and out disaster. 

JPC

December 10th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^

You can't just look at the score and say "that was good". They left a ton of points on the board in the first half, got gifted 6 by an OSU mistake, and trailed by a zillion late into the game. 

But yeah, 39 is a great offensive performance when Peters gets yanked immediately after one of the best passes in the game, only to have his replacement (Milton) immediately throw an interception. 

No phase of that game was good enough. The difference between the offense and the defense is that the defense HAS been good enough in the past. The passing offense has been janky all year. 

JPC

December 10th, 2018 at 11:25 AM ^

I agree Gentry is the player most responsible for the loss. However, his degree of culpability is far less than the coaches'. 

It's easy to say "Gentry makes those catches and the game is totally different", so let's have a thought exercise. Gentry makes one of those catches. Ok? What then? Well now we're at the OSU 40, and we probably get to a third and long at least once (if not multiple times) on our way to the end zone. 

Does Gentry (or whoever) then make THOSE hard contested catches two inches beyond the 1st down marker? If so, great. Let's get right back into third and long and do it again. If not, Gentry's original drop didn't matter because the outcome is unchanged. 

An offense that requires near perfect play is the problem. Yes, Gentry sucked badly in this game. He's far from an elite TE - his blocking sucks, he's not ultra fast, sure-handed, and he doesn't "play big". He's basically a strictly worse Jake Butt. That's not his fault. He is what he is. So why then did the coaches set up a game plan that's totally reliant on perfect play from a less than elite player like Gentry?

The offense is broken. Holistically. They kicked 6 FGs against IU. The defense shit the bed against OSU. That is why people are complaining about the offense more than the defense.

Just to be clear. If Brown can't fix his system, he should get fired. He's a good coach, so I expect he can. Pep and Jay both need to go, because there are strictly better replacements floating around and we should get them. 

 

ScooterTooter

December 10th, 2018 at 11:54 AM ^

1. The Gentry isn't good angle appeared entirely after the OSU game. Up until that, he had a very good season and looked like the best TE in the conference. He was a weapon all year so it makes sense they would use him against OSU. 

2. The first drop in the 3Q was low, but it was open. Its a straight drop. The second was a 30 yard completion up the middle that's a little high that he just missed. Honestly, rewatching it, he gets hurt on the play, but its baffling because the OSU guys that hit him pull up appropriately. He didn't get wrecked or anything. Its just a catchable ball that he drops. These were not hard catches. 

3. Its just agree to disagree about the offense being broken. All year the plays have been there to be made and at certain times people just haven't made them. 

ST3

December 10th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^

Technically, OSU took a knee at the end of the game. Folks are really going to nit-pick about 55 vs. 62 points in 24 minutes of possession. Thank goodness the offense kept OSU’s offense off the field for as long as they did. The cognitive dissonance about the defense is out of control. They sucked. Period. End of sentence. Move on and quit blaming Pep and the offense.

ScooterTooter

December 10th, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^

I'm not sure it lost the game, but it definitely helped put the game out of reach quicker than it should have been. 

We're talking about extending drives in a game where Michigan needed to score on each possession because the defense self-destructed. They had the plays necessary to do that, but Gentry blew it. 

I think there are tweaks to the offense that could be made, I'd like to see them pass more on first down and otherwise, but people are pretend like Michigan just went "run, run, pass" and that's not the case.

Three 4th quarter drives when it went from 24-19 to 41-19:

Pass, run, pass (punt)

Run (14 yards), run, pass, pass, run, pass, pass (Gentry drop) (punt block TD)

Run, pass (Gentry drop), pass (interception)

 

chatster

December 10th, 2018 at 8:56 AM ^

I have no idea what to expect and I'm bad at predicting future events.  Until November 26, because apparently I'd missed the lecture on acronyms, I didn't know that "BPONE" is the MGoBlog acronym for "Black Pit of Negative Expectations".

Although I'd prefer to hope for the best, after reading comments in this thread, I'm worried that what I wrote in one of the Diaries here on November 27 when we were challenged to write new lyrics to Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence (substituting "BPONE" for "silence") might have to be repeated again with revised lyrics if the worst should happen in Atlanta on December 29.

With apologies to Simon & Garfunkel and all the MGoBloggers who must be sick of wallowing in reminders of "The Crushing in Columbus" and fearful of more recruiting losses and possibly watching the Wolverines being eaten up by the Gators in the Peach Bowl, this is what I wrote back on November 27:

BPONE’s now a hated “friend”
Until these losses finally end.
Thinking victory was deceiving.
All that’s left are months of sad grieving
While they wonder if there’s anything to gain
From the pain
Within the bounds of BPONE

Poor Brandon Watson left alone
In man-to-man instead of zone.
Had they practiced zone since training camp?
They might’ve needed it to be the champ
And surprise OSU with some flash and a tougher fight.
Were they uptight
Within the bounds of BPONE?

Trailed at halftime by one score.
By some luck it wasn’t more.
Defense needed lots of smart tweaking.
Where was the pressure that they’d need to bring?
Thomas, Hill and Long couldn’t stop them through the air.
Were they scared
Within the bounds of BPONE.

Will Hart’s punt went off too slow.
The Buckeyes’ lead began to grow.
Then Shea hurled a pass that seemed untrue.
In just five minutes they’d become unglued.
Forty-one Nineteen, the scoreboard had to tell.
It told them of the hell of BPONE.

Wolverines are now dismayed
‘Bout the way “The Game” was played,
‘Cause they couldn’t stop the scoring
From increasing ‘til it was soaring.
And so the song of the Muppets
Won’t be played at their locker stalls
Or Schembechler Hall.
Slipped up in the bounds of BPONE.

Durham Blue

December 10th, 2018 at 9:23 PM ^

I am fully expecting to see a lot more passing from Patterson.  In order to improve his draft stock he needs to showcase himself more than what has transpired throughout the season.  I believe Harbaugh and Pep are on board and are going to call a lot of pass plays.  This will be especially true if Higdon ends up sitting for the game.  The WR's and TE's are going to have big days.

And the defense will redeem itself mainly because UF doesn't have the same ability to burn man coverage that OSU does.

I think Michigan wins this one 48-17, Shea gets 325 yards through the air and 4 TD's.  And we'll all be left mumbling to ourselves "where in the fuck was THAT all year?!"

Because a highly rated guy playing like the star we all expected in every game, saved for their last hurrah, is the most Michigan thing ever.

RobM_24

December 10th, 2018 at 12:05 AM ^

I'm guessing the defense looks solid again, the offense is capable but sluggish, and we either win or lose a close game -- either way we'll call for Pep's head after the game, and we'll demand a more wide open offense in 2019. Then we'll worry about every hot take tweet about Shea's draft plans.

Matte Kudasai

December 10th, 2018 at 4:08 AM ^

I hate to admit it but if Shea comes back to the same offense does that really do him any good?  His biggest weakness is his tendency to underthrow the receiver. However, I think this is mental and comes with the conservative nature of the offense.  

Either way QB should be fine next year.

Matte Kudasai

December 10th, 2018 at 7:35 AM ^

I think there is such a massive emphasis on not turning the ball over at Michigan that it could be causing Shea to not follow through with his deep balls.  That, coupled with how infrequently we run some of those deep routes...As opposed to a more wide open offensive mentality like the big boys use who are frequently and constantly throwing deep and going for it.  He's definitely got the arm, so it's not that.  Anyways, I believe it's mental so I think its correctable.  My point is it just might be his fear of overthrowing or missing his target so he babys it a little.  And if we threw more he might be able to overcome it easier...Maybe I'm just rambling lol.

outsidethebox

December 10th, 2018 at 8:14 AM ^

I know this criticism of the Patterson's deep ball has routinely been laid out there...but I think the "fault" here is much exaggerated. Patterson has certainly "underthrown" several long passes...but they have been to wide open receivers-and they have made the catches. Collins made a "great catch" on a ball he misjudged-in the wind...which he would have likely scored on if the elements were not so much in play. The long ball to Black for a TD that was called back was a beautifully thrown deep ball. I believe on those wide open deep ball throws Patterson is simply making sure of the completion...I agree with Patterson-get the completion! Here, expert (or not) opinion can honestly disagree.

Otherwise, Gentry is all over the place as a receiver. He has made many excellent catches. Gentry was a "great" contributor to the bad showing in Columbus.