Illinois Preview

Lovie's beard needs to be remembered and celebrated!

Time: 3:30

Location: Memorial Stadium
Weather: 70 & Sunny 

TV: CBS (Nessler & Danielson)

Line: Michigan -3.5 

Does Vegas know something we don't?  Michigan has played pretty much every QB on the roster outside a true freshman. They are coming off a bye week and an embarrassing loss to UW in Seattle, who got blown out by Iowa last weekend.  Michigan QB Jack Tuttle gave the team a spark and got the lead back after falling 14-0 but he also gave the game away with a bad fumble and a pick in back to back series. 

Michigan has yet to play well on the road this season and Illinois's top RB Feagin is out with an injury.  

Illinois is a solid team with a transfer QB, sollid defense, and a good running game.  PFF now expects 4 Wolverine defenders being first round draft picks in Johnson, Graham, Grant, and Stewart.  The issue is Wink is still calling the defensive sets.  Both are ranked in the 20's in the AP poll.   

Dear Sherrone,

Time to figure this team out.  We all had hoped you did that in the off season, but you clearly did not.  You now have had 2 weeks to sleep on what your team has put on the field this season and it isn't pretty.  There is talent on this team but it seems the coaches can't put them in the right position to succeed.  So that is on you.  

You now travel to a traditional Big Ten opponent who plays a similar brand of football Michigan does.  Guess what they are going to do?  They are going to shut down the run and make Tuttle throw the ball.  Its what every defense has tried to do in the history of Michigan Football.  WE SEE IT EVERY WEEK. 

Sherrone you seem like a very stand up guy and a good offensive line coach.  If Michigan comes back to Ann Arbor with another bad performance and a loss.   The whispers that this job is too big for you is going to get louder and louder. Wink has a ton of talent on defense and that unit has way under preformed.  That is on him, but you hired him.  When you clearly couldn't read the room that he was not hireable in the NFL and washed up.  Didn't you learn anything from the Don Brown situation?

Sherrone you and your staff can't get out coached again on Saturday.  You have to come in with a game plan that flips the script and does something different.  Your team has to throw the ball to open the running lanes.  In the brief period where the offense looked competent against UW, that clearly showed.   Yes, Tuttle is a turnover machine.  He always has been.  Still he is the best Michigan's got on the roster right now to make reads and throws. Saturday is a must win if you haven't figured that out yet.  

Michigan has to play lock down defense on Saturday.  Leave Wink in Ann Arbor or give him an energy drink.  Something! Safety play has to improve and I suggest making some personnel changes there.  The secondary outside of Will has to play better.   Find something on offense, anything to move the ball down the field.  Illinois will look like a clown car full of defenders in the box to stop Michigan's run.  I hear Michigan has WR's, try to find one or two of them.  Illinois has a solid pass rush and Michigan's OLine will be tested once again.  Give Tuttle quick reads and throws, to slow down that rush.  I hear RB screen plays are good for that as well (I know your not familiar with that play).   Sorry, if I haven't mentioned this but Edwards is a really good WR and strong in the passing game.   Might make sense that you give him more touches in that area, instead of running him straight into the LOS. 

Sherrone, I really want to believe in your coaching ability and this team.  We just need to see it on the field.  I don't know how to make it any clearer.  The entire program has to be better.  We are not expecting the excellence we had last year.   The expectation is this team gets better each week and we have not seen that in any form.  Time to show up and play Michigan Football. 

Michigan 17 Illinois 24