Friday, November 8, 2013

Nebraska Preview

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Time: 3:30 EST
Location: Big House
Weather:  55, 10% rain
TV: ABC
Line:  Michigan -6.5

Two very proud programs who are struggling meet on Saturday afternoon.  Both teams are brand names and good for TV ratings but neither team is even close to where they hope to be.  

Nebraska's star QB Taylor Martinez is injured and probably won't play on Saturday.  Michigan's star QB is beat up and probably wish he didn't have to play on Saturday.   I would assume Devin has had nightmares this week about Green Monsters running through walls like the walls weren't even there.  Both teams have issues and this game could get ugly for both sidelines. 

Last week Michigan did nothing in East Lansing and Nebraska needed a Hail Mary to beat Northwestern at home.   Fun times!

Tale of the Tape:

Whose offensive line is worse? = Push neither team gets any push from their offensive lines

Best Pro on the field? Taylor Lewan or Ameer Abdullah = Push, Both are very good

Better Head Coach? Both guys from Ohio, Nebraska has a Bo to Michigan's Brady.  Seems strange.

Michigan's D vs. the option = Advantage Greg Mattison


Last week, I said you don't need to be brain surgeon to understand what both teams were going to do.  Though, I guess you needed to be one to game plan against MSU defense.   Michigan clearly doesn't have one in the press box.     This week Nebraska is going to run the option with back up QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. has much as possible.  They would prefer to never throw as they have the same trouble Michigan does in protecting their QB.  Like I mentioned above, Ameer Abdullah is probably the best RB in the Big Ten and the Michigan defense will have it's hands full trying to contain him.

Michigan on the other hand will try to do better then their -48 rushing yards last week by getting into positive numbers.  Expect a better day from Fitz and even Green.   As for the passing game?  How about we keep somebody in the backfield that can block?  I don't know maybe a full back or something.  Or Big Al can just wing it again. 

Sing Hail to the Victors if..........................
  • This Michigan team gives us a reason to believe in them again
  • The offensive line slows down anyone in a red jersey
  • The Michigan WR have big days
  • Greg Mattison's defense dominates
  • Brady and Big Al keep their home streak alive

Say "This season is really starting to suck if"......................
  • The Michigan defenders get lost on the option plays
  • Devin is hurt and this becomes the battle of the back-ups
  • Big Al's offense continues to back up instead of gaining yards
  • Michigan's OL looks like the car pool lane to the QB
  • It rains and it's cold

Most of the Michigan faithful are down on this team right now.  You don't go up to East Lansing and leave looking like your worse then Purdue (who just lost in EL 14-0).   We didn't get any answers from the coaches this week and we didn't expect any.   Brady Hoke's seat which wasn't even close to being "hot" started to get a bit warmer this week.  The only coach that can hold his head high is Greg Mattison whose unit did all they could last week in a much improved effort then the game before against Indiana.

Nebraska's program continues to be in similar shape, their "famous Black Shirt" defense, is famous now for being pretty awful and is ranked 85th in the country against the run.   Bo Pelini's had an audio tape released cussing out fair weather fans and his brother just lost the FAU job for allegedly using illegal drugs.   Fun times!

Michigan fans need a reason to believe again.  They supported Hoke because he understood Michigan and got to a Sugar Bowl in his first year.   He is now in year 3 and struggling to beat any good team, if OSU comes into the Big House in 2 weeks and embarrasses the Wolverines, that is not going to be good for a guy making $4M a year. 

Luckily for Hoke, Nebraska is not a good team.   A little reason to believe..............

Michigan 40 Nebraska 14


Go Blue!

2 comments:

Voice of Reason said...

I don't know...considering the struggles that this young offense has been going through, I can't help but wonder...are they not placing them under the same type of conditions in practice? Surely Big Al knows what the blue print is by now, "to attack the young Michigan offensive line"... and with that being said, that he would encourage the defense in practice to show them the same Blitzkrieg that they're going to see from now on this season. They should be making a better showing against this by now. IMO

maize n blue blood said...

quit blaming al damn it. the line is funked up by coach funk and it's killing us. remember the game starts in the trenches and we don't have it on the offensive side,thanks funk and hoke f or hiring him and not firing him in time.

my apologies to mattison. he should not have to be in this position week after week.

to hoke: you have proven that you are lame and can't coach on this level. you are taking this program to an abyss and you are content with that.

to brandon: do better research when you hire someone to take this football program and you want them to take it to the elite level or maybe you are the issue. i guess things will be nice when we are down there with purdue.

borges: i like you scheme, but that o-line is killing us and its not your fault. so until you hc fixes that, you will continue to be the fall guy and i don't agree with that. i will say you don't know how to develop a quaterback, but you do have great game plans.

Lets fire funk and find a great offensive line coach. Also bring back Scott Loeffler as the qb coach if will accept.