College Football is now professional football. Both Oklahoma and Michigan were not great last year. Neither one had a good QB. Oklahoma went out and got a transfer QB that has been playing college football since 2022, Michigan got one that had never taken a college football snap.
Both teams today are very similar, but the better QB and better team won last night. In Week 2, Oklahoma is the better team with the experienced QB. They are closer to their ceiling where Michigan is closer to their floor. Even a good team struggles in that environment last night. I thought for a team just starting their journey, Michigan played pretty damn good.
Compare this game to the Washington trip last season. I felt Michigan after the Washington game last season was one of the worst teams in college football. After lasts night game, I feel Michigan is close just not ready. They will get there and I think they might be pretty good at years end.
Bob, I get your a homer, but why do you feel this way?
Outside of a few penalties, Michigan played a clean game. No turnovers. Oklahoma had two major turnovers and two really bad special teams mistakes. Michigan couldn't protect their QB in the pocket, couldn't tackle Mateer, and kicked 3 fields goals (2-3) when Oklahoma scored touchdowns. That is the story of the game, it went exactly how I thought it would.
I agree the play calling was not aggressive enough but the coaches were trying to keep Michigan in the game. If Michigan's blitzing Safety is able to sack Mateer, Michigan has a decent shot of winning that game. He didn't and Michigan didn't.
Cheers
- To a learning experience. Michigan could have easily stayed home and played Ball State.
- To our QB who couldn't vote two weeks ago to playing decent in his first hostile environment.
- Justice Hayes long run to start the 2nd half
- To a well played 2nd half by the Wolverines
- Zero turnovers
- Michigan caught all the punts
Jeers
- The injuries are starting to be a problem. Klein was really missed. I think the coaches need to consider the amount of contact they are having in practice.
- The offensive line was terrible, run game, blitz pickup, pass pro, awful.
- I disagree with Herbie's take on Michigan's WR's. I saw guys running butt naked open, Bryce just didn't have the time to see them.
- The tackling on Mateer was really bad. I'm sorry but they needed to spy on him the entire game. That is on Wink
- The pass rush was also bad. Michigan had to pressure and hit him on passing downs and rarely did either.
To me the difference in the game for the Wolverines were two major things. Tackling the OK QB and bad pass protection from Michigan's offensive line. Both can be fixed and I expect both will.
Remember this is professional football now, one loss doesn't kill your season. Michigan needs to focus on the Big Ten. Even that team down South didn't win the Big Ten last year. ND lost to NIU at home and made the National Championship.
Let's get better this week!
9 comments:
so week two confirmed some of my fears. Underwood is going to look like a true freshman QB at times. he's going to make an incredible throw and then the next throw will be wtf. early on it looks like he has no feel for the deep ball, tending to overthrow it.
The secondary is garbage right now. I said last week if the pass rush can't get home that secondary will get worked and again this week WRs were running wide open down the field. also concerning is the D just doesn't tackle well. they all look to go for the big, knockout hit and don't wrap up worth a shit. tackle the dang ball carrier!!
The OL isn't any good. If Brady Norton is your 2nd best option at G, that says it all. I wasn't impressed when Michigan signed him out of the portal and he's proving me right. Hey Brady.....on a screen play, try blocking somebody....anybody
The offensive play calling was uninspiring, but is the a factor of a below average OL or a true freshman QB or a little bit of both?
I appreciate what Bob says: "this is pro-ball!". Probably while I do not feel too bad ..... Wink looks like a guy that holds down a bar stool when he's not coaching. Too much imagination in the play calling .... "should have run all the plays up the gut" {{{LOL}}}
Freshman quarterback in his first hostile environment, offense still gelling and down a key offensive player, down a key defensive player because of BS call last week….disappointed they lost, but won’t act like the sky is falling.
Offensively, they need to get Underwood rolling out more with run/pass option and include 2-3 play actions in their scripted plays to start the game and sporadically throwing them in on the early downs to get the D honest since teams will be selling out against the run. Defensively, tackling was poor at times. They need to work on that. Also didn’t have that much consistency. Onwards to Central Michigan…
Offense looked like the exact same and predictable as last year. Might as well have had Donovan Warren or Alex Orji at QB. Insisting to the run, even when the defense had 6 men on the line, is asinine. Not going for it twice on 4th and short is horrible coaching. Sherrone is gone. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until the end of next year for that to happen. No one gets fired after 2 seasons, even tho he has proven he is not Head Coach material.
No doubt the offensive line is one of the most important groups on the football field, if not the most important group. Jerry Hanlon hammered that statement home when offensive line coach under Bo, developing 19 All-American linemen, believing it to be the most critical group on the field, of which I agree, and simply said, until this current group of offensive linemen start preforming at a much, much higher level than what we have continued to see from last year to this year, we will also continue to see this team 146 underperforming against other good teams.
I agree with Bob completely about this team and this game. I have to admit that I am a Michigan fan and that makes me cautious when I consider choosing a Michigan victory because I am rooting for them at the same time. However, when you take into consideration OK had the entire offseason preparing for Michigan, and knowing that they would be likely having either an inexperienced freshman QB with an unestablished and unproven offensive line, knowing that they were going to run a significant amount of the time and not open up the offense (plus now dealing with key injuries), Brent knew that it would be a feast for their defense. In your heart of hearts you knew that odds are Oklahoma would likely win that game.
Then Couple that with a talented but an unestablished defensive secondary and an inconsistent defensive line while playing at home in Oklahoma, it's difficult to really expect a Michigan win but as a fan you hope for the upset.
However, even with all of that, Michigan missed a number of opportunities to win this game. I agree, that this Michigan team will get better as the season continues. IMHO!!!
Venables is no slouch when it comes to being a defensive mastermind!
I agree to a point, but I think the OL is that bad. OU was in the backfield all night. you want to tell me better play calling would of made a difference? maybe, as long as Michigan was on schedule. but I don't see this OL holding up in any 3rd and long situations
Post a Comment