I try not to be a prisoner of the moment when I write this blog, but I must fall on my own sword and say I am during the Michigan Football season. This season had some serious up and downs. It also had some predictable outcomes. We all knew Michigan had an issue at QB back in February and had a chance to have a great defense. The defense was not great for most of the season and the prediction of needing a QB was spot on.
The offense did not play great on Saturday but did enough to win. If you're old enough to remember the John Cooper years, I had a flashback on Saturday. It's clear Michigan is in Ryan Day's head and that feeling paralyses him, his coaches, and his players. Sure Ryan Day has lost to 3 other Michigan teams, but those teams were really good. Championship good. This team isn't and isn't by a long shot. It's the John Cooper effect.
OSU 2024 Goals
Beat MichiganWin a Big Ten Championship- Win a National Championship
It's common knowledge in college football circles that OSU has the most talented roster in college football. We also know they they hit their salary cap doing it. This is a professional football team and there is no question about it. There is a difference between preparing and prioritizing a rivalry vs. analysis paralysis. Day and company spend every minute of every day preparing to beat Michigan and its continues to cost him and his team on the field.
Best Photo Ever
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I left off Tommy Doman in my post game Cheers. Tommy has had a difficult year to say the least, but his 68 yard punt changed field position and changed the game. Well Done, Tommy and you deserve your flowers today. Same goes to senior Safety Makari Paige who might have had his best game ever against Ohio State.
I know Michigan will play in a bowl game and all its stars will opt out but I really want the season to end on this note.
Time to get more big wins on Wednesday and start preparing for 2025!
- Michigan after its big win hosted IU transfer portal WR Donaven McCully on campus.
- It's flip season and Michigan scored a big one yesterday in 4-star DB Jordan Young from Clemson. Jordan had only been committed to the Tigers for a month and Michigan never stopped recruiting him. Jordan is 6'0 and 185 pounds and projects to Safety at Michigan. Welcome!
- Michigan and OSU were each fined $100K by the Big Ten office. In return, Michigan and OSU are considering firing Tony P :-)
- Purdue fired its head coach Ryan Walters. If Wink leaves to the NFL, Ryan would be a great DC candidate for Michigan. Yes, I think Wink saved his job on Saturday.
- The Bama committed 5-star OT Ty Haywood that Michigan is trying to flip is delaying his decision to the late signing window.
- The guy that was running with the Michigan flag that was grabbed by the Buckeyes and then taken back was former Michigan WR Jason Avant. Well done Jason. Best hands as a Michigan WR ever!
- There was a ton of flag planting going on across rivalry week. Gus did you see them?
- Gus Johnson is getting rolled for his Ohio State - Michigan call. I know he is a Michigan and Detroit Lions fan, but I'm starting to get worried about him.
30 comments:
I see too many UofM fans wanting to give Moore and his staff a free pass. Bob, brought him up, they are giving Moore the John Cooper treatment. Beat your rival and get reprieve. Lets be honest, the offensive play calling was still substandard. Kalel Mullings was just a beast and put the team on his shoulders. I can't see going into next year with Campbell as the OC. Not if you want to take maximum advantage of Bryce Underwood's skill set. And as far as Wink, again being honest, Ryan Day and Chip Kelly played into Wink's hands. Instead of continuing with the perimeter play calling, they decided that were going to go right into the teeth of our D and the 2 massive DTs. Day's a boob, and has over taken James Franklin as the coach that does the least with the most. Let pump the brakes on erecting the Wink Martindale memorial statue just yet!
Chowman commented for me too, now I don't have to type (yeah!)
I can see the NCAA legislating the flag planting out of the game. which is ok with me. I think both teams were wrong. There was no need to plant the flag at the shoe, especially by Raheem Anderson. Want to make a statement, do it on the field, during the game! And if you're OSU, you don't want that kind of stuff to happen play better. You were supposed to be the #2 team, play like it. But then again you have one of the worst in game coaches in college football. SEE YEAH Cryin' Ryan!
Had to ad one thing .... Days buy-out clause is worth 37 million as of the end of season. I do not see him going anywhere ... that 37 million can buy a bunch of players for round 2.
Soon of you remember Johnny Carson (the predicter?) Swami or whatever.
I predict savage bidding wars in the future over star players.
My own belief about NIL is there should be a 50% tax on payments to any player and then that 50% is distributed to the rest of the team. Nice thought, but courts would strike it down. Enough typing got work to do.
Scotty, I've heard they are already working on moving on from Day. The only thing that'll save him is winning a Naty. I think Day might be one of those guys that is better suited to being a coordinator than the head coach. He needs a Urban Meyer or Nick Saban type HC that listens in on the headset and then goes "oh fuck no, were not running that play". Day has no feel for the flow of the game. He's surpassed James Franklin in my book as being overrated.
Why do you say all the stars will opt out of the bowl game? I think it's in their best interest to go ahead and play especially will Johnson and Loveland, will Johnson basically didn't play almost a whole season and can prove his first round potential. Colston Loveland had a good year but he dropped quite a few passes
No I don't want Ryan Walters, here he mouth off slot last year about sign stealing ..not a good fit
Bowl game should be Frosh and Soph players getting some field time. Returning Jrs sit, and anyone leaving can play if want. But get the young kids time
Carnac the Magnificent
Saturday was 1996 all over again for me, I believed we had absolutely no chance. I had to leave the house for a dinner engagement at about the time Warren threw the INT to Sawyer. My stomach sank. I watched Espn's game-cast on my phone going to the restaurant and couldn't believe what I was seeing, the updates couldn't come fast enough. Un-freakin-believable. Watch UM's 96 game 4th quarter drive, very similar to the Saturday's game. Coaches say, "eveyone make a play today that changes the way the game is going", and they did that. So many playmakers, even if it was only one play.
Anyway like it or not Moore just signed on for 2025. May not be what you want or what you think needs to be done but,,,, it's done. Wink and Campbell are still maybes, depending on the bowl game.
The fight was stupid, for both teams. It wasn't the flag, it was the embarrassment.
Regardless you don't get the experience many Saturdays like that, what a rush, what a feeling.... Last one, the Alabama game Jan 1st. GO BLUE!
"To the victor go the spoils" We won, we planted our flag. They lost and rushed the field in protest, unable to face the reality of losing again, as they have these past 3 years with excuses. The reality is they are losers that, as Mulling so amply stated, have yet to learn how to lose.
Give credit when credits due. Michigan's second half defensive improvement over the second half of the season -
Illinois: 8 pts
MSU: 10 pts
Oregon: 10 pts
Indiana: 3 pts
Northwestern: 0 pts
OSU: 0 pts
For some this defense has not been given its due over these past few weeks, nor over the Ohio State victory. Being the narrative that Ohio State choked the game away. No Michigan beat Ohio State through a suffocating, dominating defense at both stopping the run, and passing the football. Howard was pressured on 44% of his drop backs, where when pressured his season efficiency drops dramatically into the mid 50%. Michigan beat Ohio State with a defense unlike any other they had seen or felt this season, and an offense that needs almost a complete overall. Wink for sure is here next year, and unless the NFL calls, perhaps many more. Yes an old dog can change, although it sure did take its time.
Ron: Jake Butt that's why. There's nothing to be gained and everything to lose. Loveland and Johnson are both 1st round picks, with some analysts saying WJ will be a top 10 pick. Besides Colston and Will, wouldn't shock me if Mason Graham or Kenneth Grant or both pass on the bowl game. Right now their advisors should be having them focus on being ready for their pro day.
Go, guys that are pegged 1st round picks should and probably will skip the bowl game. Just too much risk, not enough to gain. I know some fans don't like it, but its like the TP and NIL, its part of college football in today's landscape.
Szanreno, don't let an emotional win cloud your vision. The offensive play calling was still substandard. Warren made a few throws, but mostly Mullings picked the offense up and carried them. As far as Wink, there's a lot of recency bias there. Indiana was a cute story, but they are overrated. They hadn't played anyone up until they played us. NW's offense is bad, with their starting QB making throws that reminded me of Davis Warren at the beginning of the season. And lets be honest, OSU offensively played into Wink's hands. Early in the game they were attacking the perimeter with success only to abandon it and trying to win a slug fest in the trenches. OSU ain't built for that. People want to bring Wink back, that's their prerogative, but he's going to lose 3 DL to the NFL draft, mostly likely all 3 will be 1st round picks.
That Alabama game with Brady, I went to bed it was freak'in late, woke up to find we had won! Kinda like this last game, even a "pig finds an acorn sometimes!" We felled USC, Michigan State, the Redeyes (bunghole brothers) ... so is was not so bad after all the screaming and shouting. Ohio State has to be careful if they replace Day, look at Nebraska, they replaced a winning cooach and sucked ever since.
This offense is so bad, despite having Loveland, Mullings, and Donno, that Kirk Campbell should be fired and hung by his balls.
I know you despise Wink, but he did the opposite of Don Brown- he showed up for big games. I know Oregon and Texas had a field day, but they do against everyone. Every other team was reasonably kept in check. Keep on mind, the anemic Michigan offense was so bad, it put the defense against the wall the entire year. That said, I'd still be looking to upgrade over Wink if and only if the right person is available.
Goblu- Exactly
Good point
Chow, might have misread my post. I wasn’t talking about guys leaving.
Who had Jason Avant on their Bingo card for making a big play Saturday?
Hard pass on the Wink being here: AT ALL. Think you're letting recency bias fog your vision. Michigan owns property in Day's head. Instead of using his advantage and attacking Michigan on the perimeter, which is what Texas did. The went with trying to play bully ball cause he's got this chip on his shoulder cause people say the Buckeyes aren't tough. NW is just garbage. They're even worse offensively than us. Prior to playing us, Indiana had the 107th strength of schedule, so yeah they put some ass whuppin's on teams, they played the little sisters of the poor. Illinois and MSU rank in the bottom 3rd in offense in all of college football. And I'd hope Michigan would have a good defense with likely having 3 first round picks in Graham, Grant, and Johnson, and Stewart probably going no later than the 2nd round.
I was listening to Jon Jansen on the ride into work this morning. He said he was yelled at, spit on, threatened, and had objects thrown at him while at the game Saturday. And the Ohio fans want to preach about being classy? That's like a whore in church.
Brady what about Washington? Look throw out the OSU game to due to the emotion and recency bias. NW is ass. MSU is ass, Indiana before playing us played NOBODY. They beat up on a lot of bad teams. Illinois isn't any good. Against Texas he had 4(FOUR) NFL 1st or 2nd round picks out there and got curb stomped. Look you bring Wink back, be careful what you wish for. This is like the guy that decides not to divorce his cheating wife cause they had a good day opening Christmas presents with the kids and it was such a warm a fuzzy moment. Then next week she's boinking the next door neighbor. OSU is everyone's warm and fuzzy.
Oh he's gone. Natty or bust. I know the OSU President gave Day a public stamp of approval yesterday, but that don't mean shit. Regents and boosters would override that in a heartbeat. And is Gene Smith still the A.D.? That cheating MFer would throw his own mother under the bus for a win.
Boosters are not happy. They bought Day his dream team and he shit the bed with them.
It's Warde's warm and fuzzy. Not a soul on this board has any say. I know where everyone here stands but don't be surprised when it DOESN'T happen... jmo...
I'm not saying Wink is the answer, just that you can do a lot worse. He defense got better as the year went on. That's what you look for, especially in their first year.
*His defense, not 'He'. Need an edit button in here, I sound ridiculous
Brady agreed on the edit button. But its not like they installed a completely new defense. There wasn't a fall off from Mike MacDonald to Jesse Minter. Sometimes people see what they want to see. I just don't feel Wink is a long term solution. He doesn't like to recruit, doesn't want to be involved in NIL, and he really didn't try and game plan until he was getting roasted. Does this carry over to 2025? Most optimistic outlook: maybe!
Szanreno: Oh Sherrone's not going anywhere. He landed the big fish, so he's getting at least 1 more year, probably 2, unless the Underwood thing doesn't work out. But the coordinators need to be addressed and that's SM call! If its not, then why the hell is he the HC. KC is not compatible with BU talent. And JMO, but what you've seen with WM is fool's gold!
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