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I have a call at the end of…

I have a call at the end of this past years college semifinal that would argue targeting is still not fully understood or applied correctly.  
 

I think contact to the head, while important for player safety, comes with such a high penalty that refs are now erring on the other side of caution.  It’s as if the punishment in the game context becomes the more important judgement factor.  That’s sad.  

Its not all bad.  They also…

Its not all bad.  They also wake you up if / when you pass out in the shrubs outside East or West Quad.  Good people. 

I think the players went the…

I think the players went the way of their coach and fans IMHO.  Day started out gang busters and their aggressive defense worked.  The fans were hyped.  We simply kept our composure during the onslaught and counter punched some haymakers to keep it close.  

Once we made adjustments Day began to call the game tight - punting on the positive side of 50 multiple times.  This then led to fans realizing their mistake in hubris.  It was a like a light bulb went off: They aren’t the OSU of the last 15 years and WE aren’t the Michigan of those years either.  

The players started to vibe off of that.  Watch the frustration grown in Egbuka and Stroud as the offense failed.  Their D-line started getting concerned about gap control instead of pushing around our O-line.  Then it was just quicksand, like Shane Falco said.  

That’s this game in a nutshell.  I don’t think it was any specific schematic decisions by the coaching staff.  I think it was the intangibles catching up … One team started to question itself while the other took care of its business.  That is Day vs Harbaugh.  That is the state of this rivalry right now.  

Brady Quinn

Urban Meyer

Brady Quinn

Urban Meyer

Kirk Herbstreit 

… Haven’t even broken a sweat yet.  

Chris Perry carrying the…

Chris Perry carrying the ball 51!!! times against Sparty in 2003 was pretty epic.  He only got 219 yards too - so basically battering ram all day.  We probably don’t beat a Top 10 MSU that day without him.  

This one right here.  Solid…

This one right here.  Solid LOL.  Thank you Brian. 

Loss will cause me to… suffer an abduction at the hands of a masked assailant and wake up in a basement where a mysterious man with tufty blond hair instructs me to puke into the bucket provided or I will get the hose again.

I rip my hair out when…

I rip my hair out when people use “ect” instead of “etc”.  FFS. 

Totally agree here.  
 

The…

Totally agree here.  
 

The biggest thing was 3 games in 5 days … Had some tired legs.  It was evident in the lack of ups with Hunter in / around the paint after initial moves got past EJ.  It was obvious in the lack of lift on 3 point jumpers - mostly arms (especially Caleb). 
 

But the officiating was a piece of work.  Can’t count how many time M, on tired legs, would have an excellent defensive series only to get OSU bailed out. That sucks when you know you’ve got tired legs.  Very little contact against EJ and Young basically sent them to the line or they’d completely miss a 3 second call in the lane allowing a bucket.  It was always when their O looked disjointed for most the possession and then they have to force / jack up something with shot clock ticking 3-2-1.  

Hasn’t Gattis always come…

Hasn’t Gattis always come across as a petulant child though?  Remember the twitter feud with Locksley or popping off about negative recruiting at Penn State? Might just be he felt passed over by the admin when Harbaugh was going to the Vikings and he’s the type to go full tilt, burn the bridge when scorned.  Not sure that is an indictment of U of M AD or Harbaugh as it is of personal attitudes / motivations / personalities bubbling through. 

So in spring ball, I think…

So in spring ball, I think you’d want to hear things like … The d-line is generating solid pressure in its base formation.  The new DBs are doing well in press coverage.  Our LBs are good at covering sideline to sideline.  Basically anything that reassures the young, inexperienced guys who looked a little lost last year are blooming into studs.  

I was about to say … Uh,…

I was about to say … Uh, find a defensive coordinator, and then figure out which pieces best fit their game plan.  

Agreed … It’s all context.
 …

Agreed … It’s all context.
 

In the early stages we needed to run the football because we had advantages - o-line run blocking & RB - and got dealt the blow of losing our only experienced WR in Bell. 
 

Plus, you know what, it paid off.  We still used a run heavy game plan to pave OSU. The difference, by that point, is that we were explosive enough in the passing game to keep them on their heals.  Plus we concocted run fits to use against aggression.  
 

Madison is a great town. …

Madison is a great town.  You’ll likely end up parking further away and the walking to the stadium - which will allow for the opportunity to wander through A2 style college houses.  The Great Dane is a lovely place to grab a meal and a beer.  We went there after a loss many moon ago and the Wisky fans were super nice.  

We, as a 4, got bumped by…

We, as a 4, got bumped by Ohio in 2012. Then we made the run in 2013.  Burke with the deep Kansas 3. McGary carving Cuse zone.  This type of stuff happens all the time in the tournament.  It is funny to think TB and Virginia went worst, best, slightly above worst in three straight go-arounds. 

Wish I could upvote more for…

Wish I could upvote more for Bluto... 

Well Brown did look…

Well Brown did look completely frustrated right before that run - felt a couple fouls went against him, got blown by a couple times by Carr, and his shots were coming out halfway down.  Pretty sure it was Juwan taking him out to try and settle him down.  Didn’t work because he picked up a quick foul after that. 
 

I was more upset by Livers and Smith attempts at hero ball.  They were both pushing a little too hard to create for themselves ...  When things aren’t going well you don’t double down on that stuff by pushing the ball up the court, hitting fadeaway jumpers, etc.  You slow the game down, play within your offense, and continue to pass yourself into good looks.  

I mean we had injuries (Paye…

I mean we had injuries (Paye, Hutchinson, Mayfield) and opt-outs (Collins, Thomas) ... But I guess teams can / should automatically recover from things like losing 5+ of your best players right before or during a season with additional restrictions due to a pandemic.  Give me a break.  

Part of it was FSU putting…

Part of it was FSU putting Cook in motion presnap to get the McCray matchup.  They read Brown’s comments and then figured they’d go find a way to keep that from happening.  We got beat by the mismatch a few times in that game, sure, but that game was close because the O was very conservative to start.  This allowed FSU to get some footing.  The McCray INT is really the only thing that gave us life.  Pretty listless performance. Not really beating on or defending Harbaugh - just making a point that mismatches aren’t always a one-sided thing where M just screwed up again.  

Year 6 of a coaching staff…

Year 6 of a coaching staff is supposed to negate things like that.  There’s been 5 previous years to install a culture so this doesn’t happen.  You’re supposed to recruit depth.  And not switch coaches yearly.  And not have dudes opt to the NFL all the freaking time.  

Bill Self to Mike White …

Bill Self to Mike White “Hold My Beer“ ... He’s made quite the career with the same concept.   

Not sure I agree.  We have…

Not sure I agree.  We have wins over Gonzaga and Creighton.  I’d say those stack up and we are sitting 2 games higher in the B1G standings.  So I’ll say anywhere 18-21.  

I think Livers decision…

I think Livers decision hinges on a lengthy post season run ... Without it, they’ll question his health.  With it, he can demonstrate skills.  
 

I am all for us making the Final Four, him riding off into the sunset in the NBA, and we retool the offense with a bunch of versatile freshman.  You don’t need to rely so much on outside shooting when you have playmakers, of height and speed, at multiple positions.  

Logged in to upvote.  I am…

Logged in to upvote.  I am in complete agreement with Teske establishing post presence.  He is tall but not really physically overpowering to get down low. So he is getting the ball too far out and settling for off balance hooks or difficulties passing out of doubles.  

FUTURE WIFE ... Made me…

FUTURE WIFE ... Made me think of The Room.  Tommy Wiseau.  LOL.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFO2oe8ZRaw

I think you have a major…

I think you have a major issue with your offensive line and QB understanding the new playbook / concepts.  

These things happen under a transition.  None of us should be surprised at a first year OC and a new playbook.  

Bottom line, we went away from the staples of a good running attack last year - power w/ FB, G pin / pull, and arc - so we are learning the nuances all over again.  That puts pressure on the passing game.  That is when the other D pins the ears backs.  Shea gets rattled, empties the pocket too much, and makes bad reads.  

We need to just let it ride.  Doing dumb stuff like a random inserted FB carry only bogs things down.  This offense can probably work and be explosive ...  But it takes the full team, working in tandem, understanding the playbook.  You can even see the often acclaimed WRs messing up - see Gattis yell at Nico yesterday for breaking off an out route 2 yards short of a first down.  Prime example.  Takes time to build up the confidence in system / self / others.  

Sorry for the level headed, logical take.  I know we hate that on this site.  Fire JH rabble rabble.  

I think you might have PTSD…

I think you might have PTSD from the OSU game last year.  Or maybe it is the two times we met pissed off teams on the road after their bye week - PSU last year and Wisky this year.  It is hard to paste people by 3 or more TDs at home and not have a “revenge” factor the following year when the home / away flips.  Yeesh. Apart from those 3 games I don’t really see the angle that Brown’s D gets torched by any decent offense.  

I think it was hard to…

I think it was hard to establish the run when you get snowed under by a 21 point ham blasting on the other side of the ball.  You can gameplan a run / pass balance ... But that goes out the window in catch up mode. 

I think you should call JH /…

I think you should call JH / Gattis and let them know they passing plays they’ve designed don’t get YAC ...  Except all the times they do. 

 

#HawtTake

Not sure how this gets the…

Not sure how this gets the likes.  I hate the “Michigan Man” moniker because I don’t think it really stands for what we want it to (historically 8-9 wins, shared B1G championships, Rose Bowl losses, coupled with big personalities and a clean program) ... But blowing it up is going right back to what we did after forcing Lloyd out.  You want another Rich Rod disaster / detour?!?! 

Makes sense to me ... The…

Makes sense to me ... The NFL is a literal playground for tall, fast, dudes who can play TE.  Some had sterling careers in college, but most are just exceptional athletes to take chances on.  Zach likely made the right move.  

I tend to agree with this…

I tend to agree with this take because it takes into account historical fact.  Right now we do have a reasonably favorable balance vs the B1G "powers" and rivals.  In addition, the 4 year record of Harbaugh stands pretty close to that of Saban at Bama or Dabo at Clemson before they took the leap.  This only serves to illustrate the natural ebb and flow of college football.  

But ... It doesn't negate the fact that U of M needs to make changes in order to take full advantage of this opportunity.  On offense, I think the point about the offensive brain trust preventing us from playing hurry-up and reverting to the lizard brain / throw out the playbook is a fair one.  On defense, Dr Sack needs to mix in some improvements with zone coverage to keep from getting torched by speedy drags / crosses.  I am hoping this staff, of any, can accomplish this based on their previous track records.  

Annnndddd those B1G…

Annnndddd those B1G championships were SHARED most of the time.  Like our shared East Division Champs this year ... Doesn’t exactly make you feel better about the level of excellence happening on the field.  

Thank you for looking up…

Thank you for looking up those records because it puts it all in perspective.  This is the hard cold reality of Michigan football.  I keep hearing the same things - from the ticket, national media, friends / family - about how we SHOULD be better.  No ... We WISH we were better.  And that’s the rub of this season - we are who we are vs who we want to be.  

Jim may very well bring us a B1G championship and / or the CFP.  But that would be overachieving for our team - not the yearly standard.  I, for one, am just going to enjoy the ride. 

I love this opinion ... …

I love this opinion ...  Amongst a blog forum of armchair QBs, you think there is a head coach who could be better at Michigan than Harbaugh?!  

Bahahaha.  Maybe if they’re allowed to play NCAA14.  

My gosh, the internet makes people think they’re smarter than they are and type stupid things.  

Be pissed off but don’t use…

Be pissed off but don’t use the word “retarded” ...  Didn’t you learn better? 

Plus Dylan has to recover…

Plus Dylan has to recover from a broken collarbone.  This will likely set him back in the weight gain department.  That extra year of tutelidge under Harbaugh and with Shea passing down tidbits won’t hurt his potential in the slightest.  

This was an absolutely…

This was an absolutely excellent analysis of our team.  It does seem like Harbaugh understands this deficiency and is going about to correct it.  I am hoping for, with a healthy Shea, the Death Star to be fully operational next year.  We want MORE passing.  I think the schedule sets up well with the home slate, we get back plenty of talent, the defense holds strong, and we improve the passing game. I think we are in for a great 2019.  My hawt take. 

Honestly, we still have an…

Honestly, we still have an outside shot at the CFP.  Seriously ... NW blows out OSU, Bama blows out Georgia, and Texas beats Ok.  I know that is unlikely.  But that is where our ranking at 7 is important, depending on this weekend.  Would that make me happy?  No.  Because I think you need to just win the F-ing games to get in.  Don’t schedule weak teams.  Instead, just win the F-ing games you have to play.  

Teddy KGB style ... 

https:…

Teddy KGB style ... 

https://goo.gl/images/tJWHKr

Gus is great at big play…

Gus is great at big play announcing but lacks football knowledge ... An end around is not a reverse.  He misses the call like 4 times in the game.  

Are you kidding me with this…

Are you kidding me with this? The guy just went 10-3 last year.  And he beat Penn State last week.  Our defense was just that much better than any other unit on the field.  Let’s not pour dirt on the disrespekt grave just yet.  

We were also trying to bleed…

We were also trying to bleed clock on those middle runs on first down.  By that point we were in the mode of trying to make 3rd manageable.  I think Fitz just did a good job having The Gaz stunt to the interior and back-fill with Paddy.  That disruption was targeted to keep us from getting the 3 or 4 yard gain on first down.  That’s why the plays where Patterson kept it and Higdon cut back were effective.  Everything is a chess match. You can’t just dial up the “right” call in every situation - there is another team and coach out there afterall.  

Every team’s favorite player…

Every team’s favorite player is the second string QB.  

The Hawt Take above has to be sarcasm right?!?! 

Well, he was instructed to…

Well, he was instructed to keep it on a couple plays in the RO run game ...  Both would have been first downs and big gainers if it wasn’t for some suspect ref holding call BS.  

I agree that Harbaugh is limiting the times he does this.  Gotta keep the QB healthy.  It is a good change of pace now and could be key for gashing better defenses down the road.  

Seems like my take as well. …

Seems like my take as well.  But people love to get pissy because they think they understand play calling but never played a snap outside of Madden 2K18.  You have to run up the middle to keep a stacked box honest ... That leads to big gains on the edges.  

I don’t understand our…

I don’t understand our fanbase’s need to tear our coaching staff down.  We could simply give credit to Fitzgerald for getting his team pumped and executing a gameplan to start the game.  We weathered the body blows and responded.  Give me a fucking break.  

Please watch the replay of…

Please watch the replay of the ND player who tattooed McKeon.  The ND linebacker left his feet as he jumped up and through McKeon while leading with the crown of his helmet. The direct movement of the linebacker made helmet to helmet contact a possibility.  McKeon was defenseless because he just caught the ball turned away from the defender.  I am sorry, but that seems to fit the definition of a targeting call - even if not directly spelled out to the letter of the rule.  There was intent to hit McKeon with the helmet in a position where McKeon couldn’t protect himself.  Sorry to disagree. 

My parents had season…

My parents had season tickets when I was a kid so they went to most of the home games without me in tow.  I went to probably 2 games a year with my dad and / or mom.  So when I wasn’t going, I got to spend the day with my grandfather.  He died years ago, but I still think of him when the football season starts.  He was the real wolverine fan in our family - the OG who started the love.  Before game time, he’d tell me stories of the times he was in the stadium (throwing hats when AC scored against Indiana) or when he wasn’t (skipping the game the week I was born).  We always did this thing - we’d turn the TV on to watch the game but listen to the M announcers on the radio.  I try to do this from time to time still, because of him, but it rarely syncs well in the world of HD.  Excited to start this season in South Bend and I’ll make sure to say a little something to the heavens from the stands - hoping he brings us a victory against the golden domers.  Go blue! 

Items like bitcoin work well…

Items like bitcoin work well for the millionaires of the world betting on amateur sports.  But try telling the parents of the kid you're trying to buy at OSU, Bama, or Clemson or get an in as an agent / client relationship that they'll be receiving internet currency.  I have to imagine the look would be of shock / awe / horror.  Cold hard cash is still rather untraceable in our economy and the basis for all dealings like this. Take that scene from Blue Chips where they give Butch McRae's mom a house and imagine a world where they deposit bitcoin into her anonymous account to then buy her own house with. I don't think that would fly yet. 

Just had that one on the…

Just had that one on the boiler plate huh?