Michigan Monday: Prefers to Duck the Ducks

Michigan won a football game on Saturday and beat its instate rival.  Yes, this game is always more important to Sparty but when it looked like Sparty is taking steps on the way up and Michigan has fallen off the mountain top, it was a nice feeling on Saturday night.  More relief than happiness but I will take it. 

Why couldn't Purdue or Rutgers be next on the schedule? Instead the #1 team in the nation will make their way to the Big House.  

Let's do this quickly and get back to the win on Saturday:

#1 Oregon Ducks

Record: 7-0 

Best Win: Ohio State 

Worst Loss: None

The Ducks have what is considered an easy path to the Big Ten Championship game the rest of the season.  They are a 2 TD favorite over the Wolverines, play the helpless Maryland team at home, travel to Wisconsin, and finish against a bad Washington team at home.   

Pass: 300 Yards per (12th)

Run: 167 (60th)

Score: 35 (25th) 

Give Up: 15 (10th)

When you have an explosive offense with a defense that only gives up 15 points a game.  You find yourself as the #1 team in the nation.   I thought PAC 12 teams didn't play defense?  Great time to start.  

Ok, that is enough.  Back to Saturday. 

Random thoughts from the game:

• Did Loveland celebrate TE Day a few hours early?
• He scored 14 points of Michigan's 24
• Michigan did not turn the ball over, which is nice. 
• Who thought that missed extra point was going to haunt Michigan in the end?
• Was that a bad snap or did Tommy drop the ball?
• The two things that I thought MSU would do on Saturday.  Run the QB and expose Michigan's secondary without its best player, they really didn't do at all.  Chilies ran for 6 yards and threw for 189. 
• Nate Carter was a problem.  He was at UConn?
• Chilies and Carter is going to be a future issue for the Wolverines
• MSU sure is better after hitting the transfer portal hard 
• MSU hired a good coach, I prefer hating their head coach. 

----

• Michigan had a good list of recruits at the Big House on Saturday.  Glad they came in last weekend!  

• There seems to be good momentum in flipping 4-star CB Samari Earls who is currently committed to Georgia.  

• I really don't want to discuss Michigan's continued recruitment of Bryce Underwood, because I don't want to jinx anything.   Michigan Football's GM was at his game on Saturday.  So was Michigan's top WR recruit in 2025. 

• Every time Washington gets blown out (this week to Iowa), I get mad.  That is a bad loss for the Wolverines. 

• This is the best Detroit Lions team in my lifetime.  They blew out the Titans with special teams.

• Michigan Basketball struggled in its exhibition on Friday night against a solid Toledo team.  I have that feeling again, where I really like this team early in the season.  It also looks like we have a freshman scorer in LJ Cason who went for 20.  Dusty and this team deserves our support.  I love how he constructed this roster from nothing.   

MSU Post Game

Jake May Mlive

I'm pretty sure I saw a competent game plan and offensive strategy last night.  One that took thought and preparation.  One that took the skills of players and planned around it.  It's amazing what happens when a plan comes together.  Warren once he got his confidence in the passing game, started to throw dimes and Orji was the best player on the field running the football.  I even saw Michigan's WR's catch the football!  It was by far the best balance on offense Michigan has been all year.  MSU went all in on stopping the run and Michigan beat them in the air. 

Just so the coaches don't get confused here a couple helpful reminders.

-Donovan Edwards is a WR, and sometimes a QB and RB. 

-Alex Orji is a RB and sometimes a Wildcat QB 

-Donovan Warren may look like JJ with his helmet on, but he isn't

-Orji and Mullins are really the only folks that should be running the ball 

It was nice to beat a rival and stop the losing streak but there are plenty of cheers and jeers to discuss:

Cheers:

• Warren/Orji combo had their best games as Wolverines 
• Loveland was running wide open all night 
• Good stop by the defense on 4th down to save the game
• Stewart/Grant with the last second strip fumble to get an bonus 3 points at the half
• Kenny Grant had was nice TFL's
  
• OLine pass protected well 
• Michigan won the game 

Jeers:

• Michigan had a very sleepy start to the game 
• For the life of me, I have no idea what Wink is doing
• The tackling is just terrible
• Michigan has a punting problem and I don't think it's a slump any longer
• OLine could not open holes for the RB's
• The defense could not stop MSU's run game 
• Will did not play due to injury 
• The end of the game fight was unnecessary 

Wink believes that the people who are critical of the way he coaches, "Don't know ball".  That's fair in this case, as I don't have any of the experience Wink does.  But I do know a good coach when I see one and Wink is not one.  

Having all your defenders on the LOS is designed to confuse your opponents QB, but it just puts people out of position.  Michigan LB's could've been much more efficient yesterday if they were in LB positions.   I know part of this defensive scheme is to drop DE's into coverage to fool the QB,  put when Stewart is in the game, let him rush the damn QB, please!!    

Lastly, I've never seen a team get so many first downs on 3rd and long by running the ball.   Michigan had no answer for it.  It worked so well, that MSU barley threw the ball against a secondary that was missing its best player.  

We need some booster to buy him out of his contract and let him move to Shady Acres or UTEP.

I don't understand why Michigan never runs a traditional RB screen?  It's almost like they have signed a contract to not run that play.   Every other game I watch, I see nice gains with this play and it would seem to fit Edwards skill set.  Still no screens.

The fight at the end of the game should not have happened.  Yes, it's a rivalry and a heated one.  Still the game is over and there is no need for that.  I hope no one got hurt on either side and the Michigan players should've stayed on the bench.   

MSU Preview

Time: 7:30

Location: Big House
Weather: Chilly 45 No Rain
TV: BTN
Line: Michigan -5

The last 3 years or so this has been a game of the HAS vs, the HAS Not's as Michigan has rumbled to Big Ten Championships, Playoff appearances, and eventually a National Championship last season.  MSU has had to deal with fights in the Big House tunnel, a head coach's private life scandal, and now a brand new head coach.  This is now a game of the HAS Not's as Michigan has fallen off the mountain top and MSU is starting to show signs of making their way back up the hill with a competent coach. 

Dear Sherrone, 

I'm sorry man but you are in the worst type of spots as a head coach.   It's your first year, you have talent all over the field, and you and your staff are just not getting the job done.   I can't remember any team losing its season more in the off season then you and your staff have done this year.  Everybody and their brother knew what this team did and didn't have and from the outside looking in, you did nothing to fix it.  

The story gets worse my friend.  You have the worst offense in D1 football, no solution at QB, and your instate rival is in town.  You have a killer schedule with 3 guaranteed loses which includes probably an embarrassing loss to Ryan Day and Ohio State still left on the schedule. You have to win this game Saturday night.  

This is not a fair situation to you.  Your a first year head coach and Michigan's long run in January and Harbaugh's later departure made it incredibly tough for you to do your job effectively.  Your recruiting seems solid but having a losing record after a National Championship run is probably one of the worst things you can do for your career.  This is not Auburn!! There are a few things you can't do at Michigan and losing to your rival is one of them.  You have to win this game Saturday night.  

I know you made the worst hire possible when you hired Wink.  Please tell me you are not paying that washed up DC $3M a year for 3 years?  Outside of Jim hiring Don Brown that might be one of the worst coaching hires in the history of the program.  RR wasn't a great decision either.   Try to wake him up in his office and see if he can muster anything up against MSU.  Sparty's QB likes to make big plays and big mistakes, make sure a LB is spying him.  Your offense which I blame you for over Campbell, is a train wreck and probably can only generate 10 points a game or so.   Which means if your going to win on Saturday, it has to come on the defensive side of the ball.   That unit has been average at best with maybe 4 first round draft picks on it.  Are you freaking kidding me?  What a Wink disaster. 

Sherrone there is nothing good about this situation.  Nobody cares about going to a shit bowl game.  What we do care about is putting a good football team on the field every Saturday that is well coached, disciplined, beats its rivals, and plays Michigan Football. We have yet to see that this year.  Your best win over USC has now become less of a win because they are in just as bad as shape as your program is.  You have to win this game on Saturday. 

To summarize, your in your fist year as a head coach, your in way over your head, your offense is god awful, you have zero options at QB, your DC is washed up, your best player on defense is probably not playing, and your looking at a difficult schedule to close out the season.  Did I mention your instate rival is in town and this is their Super Bowl every year?  You have to win this game Saturday Night.

When Harbaugh struggled here, at least we knew he could coach at this level.  I'm sorry man, this is not a fair situation for you. Last reminder: You have to win this game Saturday night. 

Michigan 10 MSU 24

Big Ten Weekend Preview: Week 9

Can anyone tell me the good teams in the Big Ten?  What about nationally?  Is it Army and Navy? Is it Oregon and IU?  Game Day is in Bloomington, must be a good pre-season basketball game.   What the hell is going on out there?

Friday:

Rutgers @ USC (-13.5):  This is a 11PM EST kick.  Enough said.  USC 24 Rutgers 7

Saturday:

Nebraska @ OSU (-25.5):  This is not a good match-up for the young Nebraska squad as the professional team in Columbus will roll them pretty easily.  It will be semi-close in the 1st half.   OSU 42 Nebraska 14

UW @ IU (-6.5):  Washington should come with gifts for IU, since their former OC and QB lead the Huskies to the final PAC 12 Championship and the National Championship game.   IU hired a no name coach that knows how to coach and work the transfer portal.  They are the hottest team in college football as they have played a JV schedule.  Still, they look really good.  (take the points!)  IU 44 UW 28

Illinois @ Oregon (-21.5):  I hope Illinois enjoyed their win last weekend because they are in a world of hurt this week.  Oregon 36 Illinois 13

Northwestern @ Iowa (-13.5):  I should've watched the MSU -  Iowa game but I can't spend time doing that.  Why would anyone?  Iowa 17 NW 10

Maryland @ Minnesota (-4): Is every team in the Big Ten 4-3?  Minnesota 20 Maryland 19

Penn State (-6.5) @ Wisconsin:  Penn State is waiting to be upset and somehow skating through every game.  This is not the week.  Penn State 28 Wisconsin 18