First!
I couldn't even read it. It was hard enough paying $150 to sit through that garbage. I can't imagine reading it.
That "half-assed" tag is some quality stuff. I fully support an FJM style use of tags.
One hour since post and only 3 comments?
I'm too traumatized.
I too ignored the post, too painful to read. But Go Blue vs the gators. 2003 outback all over again.
The UFR is more painful than the game because you can see the potential to win the game in the UFR.
1) Remove Carson Butler from the state of Michigan and get someone to help with Gholston.
2) Catch the fucking ball.
3) 8 in the box = don't run.
etc. I feel bad Brian had to rewatch the game just for this.
Brian,
You get a profile in heroism for sitting through that again. A beverage to you, sir. I couldn't do it.
It was painful to watch in real time, reviewing how incredibly horrible we played, is torture. Particularly since tOSU didn't have a good day either, they just had a slightly better day......we could have won....that is what hurts!
football fobiles... nice.
I'm still on the thought process that Henne isn't going to be 100%. I had a second degree separation of mine over a year ago and I still have problems. I believe it was Magnus who said he had also separated his shoulder and was ok after a few weeks. Not knowing what Henne's was, I have no idea, I just suspect the worst.
I still think (possibly naively) that Mallett would not suck if he wasn't put in pressure situation every time he turned around. If Mallett comes in with a lead, I hope Carr and Debord let him go out and let loose. I think he would benefit. If you throw him in behind when the pressure is there to be like Chad, he fails miserably.
Lastly, oh god, may our OL play better than what I just read against Florida. I don't believe UF has any Gholstons, but mother of god did our line suck.
Was there a hart-chart done for that game? I can't remember anymore. Hell, I can't even remember what blog that was.
I have to enjoy that the title has "Offense" in the quotes. This is only the second time that's happened. Last tie was "Defense" against OSU 2006.
SUCKY SUCKY
Now that I look it up, it was Genuinely Sarcastic, who hasn't yet posted the hart chart, but is working to get it up before the bowl.
It's funny that Hart had 38 yards on his first five carries, because I don't remember thinking he was going to have a big game at any point. Then again, I don't remember thinking anything positive the whole game, but after reading the UFR there must have been points in the first half that I was hopeful.
Ron English to Louisville as DC -- WTF?!?!
ESPN just reported that Ron English is expected to join the staff at Louisville.
ESPN reporting Ron English is a done deal to go to Washington.
well. that was fun. nothing went well for M. and i feel like that's happened before..mmmmm oh yea, the horrors. RE to ULou as DC. John Harbaugh (yea, the brother) interviewing for UCLA job. per espn...so salt errr whatev.
how can the team not be prepared to play 3 freaking times this year?
God dammit. Do we have a bowl game or something coming up, maybe? Thanks for talking in explicit detail about grandma's tragic Thanksgiving death right before Christmas dinner with your family.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comi...omic/2001/06/
18
Scratch that...meant Louisville.
formerlyanonymous,
You're right. OSU doesn't have Gholston. They do, however, have Derrick Harvey - someone reassure me that he doesn't line up on Schilling's side. Please. I beg you.
Florida's defense has been underwhelming all year, but ten bucks says they will have a field day against our oft-injured and Debordisuck offense. Note to Mikey: We've got a lot of good receivers. A lot. At least one of them will have their name called in the first round. You have two of the strongest arms in football at QB. The chances of beating Tebow are slim. Just air it the fuck out and go away.
GLi title game vs the 2nd best academic institution in the state: M Tech!
Jarret Smith gone...thanks for the stellar recruiting, TA! boy, he sure was worth that s'ship offer as a Soph @ romulus (iirc).
Going to be interesting the next few days
scuttlebut is a couple of current coaches were offered by RR and turned him down to stay on. Lefty was one, and maybe soup but less certain on that one.
henne is not close to 100%, mallett has been splitting snaps with him and has looked HORRIBLE.
Right now the coaching staff is very much in flux with Butch Jones possibly getting the job at WVU but I would expect it to be settled in the next few days.
Huss...actually, OSU does have Gholston.
I have a hard time getting to upset about the Michigan game - Henne couldn't do a thing, and we couldn't block. The incapability of the blocking was something we've seen for awhile - MSU and Wisconsin featured abysmal offensive line play.
So how many readers are going to the Capital One Bowl? I'll be there, guess our tix are in one of the end zones.
Pretty sure that tailgating will be the highlight of the day.
Yeah, I have not started drinking yet today, so actually reading this will have to wait. In almost 30 years of attending games, I had some of my best seats ever for this game, so I so it unfold up way too close. But, since Brian sat through this and wrote it, I will read it through at some time.
There is much anger after thinking about tOSU again.
That was the worst way to end the Schembechler era imaginable...unless getting whacked by 30 in a secondary bowl game counts.
Pat White touchdowns
Gashing runs
Throw scissors
Happy New Year!
chitown,
I meant Florida.
Wouldn´t it be interesting to analyze the playcalling of Mike Debord of 1997 vs. Mike DeBord of 2007 with the poignant objective of determining just wtf happened to this man? The 1997 OSU-MICH game was won by the UM defense, but the lack of imagination even back then still kept OSU in the game.
Forget Mike Hart for one moment. Under the Carr/DeBord era the UM defensive players have had to carry the weight of almost every game on their shoulders and have never been able to completely "pin their ears back". Carr and DeBord's "scoring TDS are a nice-to-have" philosophy will be absolutely painful to watch vs. Urban Meyer and Timmah Tebow. Florida will not display much mercy, I'm afraid.
Now onto better things:
1.) Um, Paging the Grobe Mafia! Paging the Grobe Mafia! Where are you! Fire up your boys. I have Wake to win today and have now chased it w/ a second half bet. Lets Go People!!
2.) Cant wait to bet the Over in Louisville games next year....lol.....seriously, I never hated English like some have and I will be intrigued following his career arc as I think he's going to be a HC somewhere.
3.) Any coverage of the GLI tonight? I see Fox Sports Detroit has the consolation game at 4:30, then the Wings. Looks like they have the title game on tape delay at 12:30 A.M......is it fair to ask my fellow posters not to post any results so I can watch tonight w/o knowing the outcome?
Oh, and Grobe Mafia.....that is what I am talking about!!!!
Although Andre Ware just said that's why you have to keeping pounding that meat.....is that why? Really? I thought it was because, uh, well never mind, this is a family site :)
Particularly since tOSU didn't have a good day either, they just had a slightly better day......we could have won....that is what hurts!
To be fair...we did shut down the offense in the second half.
Carmen O,
Thanks for posting that link to the McFadden retraction, by the way....i was only fooling about looking into OSU, but I chuckled when I found out Conley Sr. was his agent.....as an IU alum, i'm still pissed that Mike Davis refused to recruit his kid and was a downright ass to the Conley family....but, the connection was too much to pass up and make a joke about....glad D-mac will play because I think that Cotton Bowl will be a blast to watch.
"Every play found worthy has a video clip associated with it
I can't bring myself to remember this game, but am I right to assume this means no video clips are attached?
GLi title game at 8.30 on comcast local. bleh.
Carmen O,
No we didn't. Tressel didn't try to score anymore. He was comfortable winning 14-3, as he should've been. To say we held them is ignoring the fact that they weren't trying. Tresselball is like Lloydball in that regard, except Sweatervest has the personnel to execute it well.
man, its funny now that the Lloyd is out the real stories of how the program has been run the past 5 years. Needless to say its not all about the coaching staff but the current leadership from the players on the field.
Can you be a great player on the field yet hurt the team overall?
It's no big deal. After the O'Brian/Clarett days... well.. tOSU fans get a little testy thanks to those two assholes. (We had to pay O'Brian several million on top of his total embarrassment of the program! Ass!)
Anyway...
Is anyone else totally shocked by what passes for journalism right now? The Miles incident, the Donald Washington thing, and now this! What the hell is going on?! DMC might not be able to play in his bowl game because some douche wanted to scoop a story!
As for OSU and blocking, I could not ever figure out why Butler was not pulled. If no other tight end available that is better, why not put another mobile OL in or fullback on the line to double Gholston
No we didn't. Tressel didn't try to score anymore. He was comfortable winning 14-3, as he should've been. To say we held them is ignoring the fact that they weren't trying. Tresselball is like Lloydball in that regard, except Sweatervest has the personnel to execute it well.
I meant our offense.
Are some of you seeing why i thought grobe would have been a great fit at michigan?
That is not a gimmick offense like some of you said....
and the recruiting? how about the player of the year from florida... and playing true freshman... like i said he might not have the best choice, but he would have been a great head man...
by the way, their defense is a lot like the odd stack that RR wants to implement at M. notice the flexablility to turn to a 50 front failry easily...
the 3 3 5 is just a base that easilty converts to a 3-4 like minnisota or the steelers run. It puts a premium on quality athletic lineman and linebackers, which makes it a tricky defense to run at smaller programs who need to match up to an ohio state, it wont be for us.
its a base front... and it will be used by us... just like the 3-4 or the 4-3
it doesnt put a premium on anything different then any other defense, as you can use any combo of players as you need...
2 olb's 2 mlb's 2 de's 1 dt 3 db's or any combo...
the odd stack is a two gap control defense... that can utilize strong power dl's or be a singel gap defense with lots of blitizing and the althletic dl you alluded too..
to pigeon hole it is ignorant...
i use it in situations... it is no different than anything else and can convert to your 3-4 (which is the modern 50 slant bo defense) with the same personel that michigan uses now...
should be 3 mlb's.... my bad
As I watch this "prestigious" Meineke Car Care Bowl, I can't help but think Jim Grobe would have been a great fit for Michigan, no joke.
Bye RE... bye Jerrett. I can wait to see this bowl game. New Years' Day hangover + Timmah running over UM linebackers equals painfullest day of the year. At least I'm getting it out of the way in the beginning.
At least Little Bro lost (x2)
the reason i am excited about the stack here, with the current players... is that our ilb's have not been very good and covering multiple holes, and playingn sideline to sideline...
with the stack... they are at most two gaps, and are not contain... that means they will most likely be able to react to a single gap...which they can do....
gsimmons,
Not to mention coaching the game's best kicker, imo....Swank, want a weapon, did you see how he eased that kick inside the posts.....UM kickers would have kept that sucker going wide right and ugly!!!
Wondering where the Grobe Mafia was now that we're actually watching him...one thing that I've picked up over the year from Grobe is that he feels he's going to be a consistent ACC player now because he finally has his redhirt program going....so now those mid-level recruits can come in, bulk up and be ready to play big time football D-1 football as red shirt frosh.....they've beaten FSU two times in a row for cripes sake!
yeah if RR hadnt taken the job i was going to go to charlotte for the bowl, but didnt really want to otherwise.... notice the stack on this seriers turned into a 50 slant...
just like im telling you, bo would love the stack defense...
Well to play a 3-4, we need a bull at NT .Slocum would be the dude, we had Big Gabe do it in 04. The question is what will we use, a one gap Steelers defense or a two gap Pats defense. Are our LBs that good to execute. Plus we need Jamo andor B graham to shed some gut to get down to about 255 to play a Rosy Colvin/Vrable type pass rushing OLB!!!
grobe would have been a good hire but as good as RR? maybe but he was not interested, which is stupid but hey, good look with that.
i expect our defense to be leaner and meaner in 08 .
and i can promise you that our lb's will be taught to shed blocks, now that we have REAL assistant coaches...
Will Johnson might be a good 3-4 DE. similar to what Pat Massey was in 04, get decent pass rush and maintain gap integrity!!
i think GROBE WAS interested, just never got an intervue.... all the info i had was that he was expecting a michigan call, and the fans around here were expecting him to leave for michigan if he was offered
@gsimmons
Speaking of asst. coaches, I haven't been paying much attention; do we have any word/guesses on a final lineup?
m,
i dont know, i just know that RR is looking for the best coaches, not the best recruiters....
Michigan has lacked great assistant coaches for a while because of the focus on recruiting the best, then letting their ability play out... we will now have technique coaches. thank god...
speaking of redshirts, who do we have in our redshirt pool that has the talent to contribute in RR's scheme? there have to be a few guys in there we don't know about because we haven't seen them. . . .
Not to get into the battle of who has sources or not again....but as far as Grobe goes, gsimmons is right.....at most, Grobe's name was brought up by the "search committee" but never got a serious attention.....who knows what would have went down had RR turned us down.....I tell you what, I love the RR hire, but I would have been as stoked with Grobe. I just love the way he coaches each individual game.....very SweaterVest-esque, if I may.
It just proves that there are great coaches all over the place and I am glad UM actually looked around rather than simply hiring Bubba Gump without looking at other candidates like some people wanted us to do.
toronto,
how about avery horn? I thought he was a very fast smallish type player with moves?
whooooo!
there really isnt much to say about that, other than how embarrassed the coaches on that side of the ball should be. oh, mallett too. he's as bad as navarre as a frosh-soph. since we know loeffler can coach, it's got to be ryan's fault.
ill be interested to see how well RE does. Bo's coaching tree was an extensive and successful network. Lloyd's has been anything but (though I bet a number of his current position coaches will do well) and exemplifies the degree to which his schemes are reliant on the recruiting Lloyd excels at. also, I like RE and thought he was competent and getting better.
and jamie that was point. Just becuase we had lost a couple of guys, didnt meanwe were being stuck with a second rate guy. That was my argument whne people in here were bashing grobe and the whole process...
great post jamie...
colin,
Navarre had average talent but from what I understand he was a very good leader and worked hard, unlike Henne, Crable and Hart who were great on the field but never lead the team the past few years.
It seemed to me from the stands that the team sorta quit after the first couple of drives. Looking back, it seems that Henne should not have played at all or should have been the starter for the first couple of series and then should have given way to Mallett.NOt that Mallett would have won the game, it would have been at least exciting a couple of ridiculous throws and a couple of bone headed plays. This inability to adjust is our main problem, and Carr knew about Henne's situation well in advance but his game plans seem to be piss poor. The same thing happened in the Wiscy game.....whatever!!!!
I am not optimistic about the bowl game either!!
crable to me was the epitome of that great tallent that hurt the team.
for every great play he made, there were two times that he was out of position, or was not playing his proper technique..
simmons,
Its crables fault for never wanting to learn and the coaches fault for allowing him to continue on a playing time track through his years while not making the effort to get better.
Its obvious there were lots of players who got comfortable that they did not have to work to play, this started about 5 years or so ago and got worse. I am now in agreement Carr should have retired when he first contemplated it in 2003.
Watching the team's body language during the game, the only person who I thought was into it was Ron English.....he was very much in the face of the team, keeping them believeing and pumped. Everytime I watched the O trudge off the field, there was English whipped up his troops, keeping them going....i know thats hokey, but it totally stood out.....For the last two years, he has been the only passionate guy on the coachingg staff. With an experienced D, he used that to create a dominant group. This year not so much, but i just liked his attitude. If he can carry that passion to Louisville, the will automatically improve a bunch on defense.
I doubted JHS in the other thread, but he was right -- this was a great game.
gmb, i agree except i dont place the blame on carr the coach, as much as i do on carr the administrator... ti was the assistant coaches that caused the problems, and carrs fault for not holding them accountable...
neuheisel to UCLA per ESPN
and the KG mafia rejoices....
I think that is a good hire. I think he is a solid coach who got in over his head too young at UCLA, then for some reason he pissed off the people at washington and they ran him out of town with a bullshit reason, a reason that got him PAID in a court of law, and how have they done since?
Anyways, UCLA has great talent and he can coach. His first job should be locking up the current DC and he can coach the offense. Look out.
oops, meant to young at colorodo
I second the Gholston on 'roids comment.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com.../
content.8.html
gmb, can you expand on the 'inside info' re: the last 5 years, coaches, players attitudes, etc? henne was a hard worker based on everything i've read. same w/ hart, iirc.
gsimmons, can you expand on the technique issues you have seen in M players the last few years? was there a sudden shift from good to not good technique? was it gradual? what specifically are you looking at? i've noticed crable a few times...it just seemed like he chose to cheat/gamble w/ his positioning/responsibilities at times.
Ha, on foxsports.com it said "UConn rallies in 2nd half to win" so I was like, whats the big deal on Grobe then?
Oops. Pretty espn-esque there.
Seems to me as if Fred Jackson will be the only guy from Carr's staff to come back, because of his recruiting prowess and his coaching adaptability. Coach Rod would be foolish to retain either of the coordinators (with English apparently now being a moot point). I've heard a lot of noise about Loeffler, but isn't he touted as a great teacher of dropback pro-style QBs? Other than Jackson, I think the new guy is best served by cleaning house.
well Dan,
Several credible posters at both scout and rivals have posted more and more about the current program. Maybe because repricussions about this stuff getting out there is no longer an issue.
For example today it was stated that Henne rarely attended summer workouts and 7 on 7 drills. That hart for all his emotion on the field never really led the team off it and is definately a "numbers" guy. They said that Navarre on the other hand only cared about winning and pushed his teamates to get better during the off season.
Crable the same thing, the coaches knew that they basically had lost the team when somehow he was elected a captain, do captains skip all the summer workouts? Even heard this about a guy like woodley.
Much of the S&C program is the coaches eye in the sky so to speak and gittleson never did much to make sure things were progressing, and it had less to do about his techniques rather then his leadership.
I am fully convinced that we had poor leadership from top to bottom the past 5 years or so, and RR and Barwis will not be on that plan. People took advantage of Carr and his security, and the trickle down affect it had.
Quickly scanned the comments, but:
1.) Brian-- kudos for watching the OSU game again. Seriously, painful, I wouldn't have done it. I laughed out loud at the "fiasco" result... I, too, forgot about that play. I mean, this really was the first OSU-UM game I've ever seen where one could actually (and seriously) ask, "Does the Michigan team realize they're playing their biggest rival?"
2.) JM and gsimmons-- great points, per usual, re: the coaching talent around the country. As you both said repeatedly, the list did not (and should not have) started and ended with LM (or Bubba, if you prefer, JM).
3.) Reading reports that Henne's far from 100%... I agree with Brian, that if the reports (scout) are true, then we could be in for a long Cap One game. With a healthy Henne, I really believe we could throw a few blows at Florida, knock them on their heels, and win the game... with OSU-version Henne, I don't see us scoring more than 10.
4.) JM-- your point about English during the OSU game was a good one-- I noticed it, too. Subjective and probably not all that important, but the fact is, his attitude during that game is reason enough that I find myself slightly bummed he's moving on. Hopefully he'll kick some ass and get a shot as a HC somewhere soon.
"Navarre had average talent but from what I understand he was a very good leader and worked hard, unlike Henne, Crable and Hart who were great on the field but never lead the team the past few years."
That's crap and I can't believe you think that's true.
colin- why do you say "that's crap"? I've heard the exact same thing from insiders on scout.com and from players I knew at Michigan (I was there when Navarre was there). His teammates thought very highly of his work ethic.
Seriously, you've got approximately no legitimate evidence, gmb. Links? Excerpts? In any case, I watched the same games you guys did. Is it really that much easier for you to believe that it's the players fault? Lack of effort is obvious enough and so are coaching issues. They always ran hard; they often times didn't run to the right place.
Oh I think Navarre worked hard. I have a hard time believing Lloyd would allow anything less. In any case, Lloyd's been cast aside and if the sniping were to finally occur, now would be the time. This is quite the nadir for the program and having witnessed consistent incompetence from first Herrmann and then DeBord, how hard is it to believe it's the coaches fault? Occam knew a thing or two, fellas.
ThWard,
Excellent points as well, mi amigo.
The OSU game was so frustrating to watch on the field, that I ended up watching English on the sideline. I commented it to my girlfriend and the people sitting around us and we all just watched him in awe that whole second half how he was trying to rally and pump up the team even as the ship was clearly going down....We were hoping he would get the offense together and chew them out!!!
Colin,
Calm down man, I said I "read" which means no Jim Carty did not write an article about it, but we heard similar inferences to this the past couple of years from guys like Tom Beaver, Cris Balas, John Borton, Jim Carty, etc etc so while you very well maybe right I highly doubt they are all clueless. I know John N worked hard as I was closer to people back then.
and Colin, if you are right, that the leadership has been good, how can you explain us getting drilled time in and time again the last 5 or 6 years despite having superior talent to just about everyone we played. What the coaches just forgot how to coach on the field, dont buy it.
Grim LOL at the "Every play found worthy has a video clip associated with it" line. Brian, I seriously have no idea how you sat through that thing again (or at least the first 54 minutes). I'm guessing massive amounts of caffeine was involved.
I dont have much to offer regarding the inside info we're learning about the program....but here is one thing that I have been chewing on all season, and it does relate to Crable.
He said he loved Carr. Like he was his grandfather. He said those comments after the team photo was taken--remember he pulled a gag where he held the peace sign up behind Lloyd's head.
Anyway, i grew up down the street from my grandparents. I loved going over there. Why? Because I could get away with some much. They were pushovers, and they spoiled me. Disciplne at home, well I just strolled down the street for somne TLC where i my grandmother served me coffee with heaps of cream and sugar and my grandfather whipped up milkshakes...and we would watch whatever sports were on, or listen to old Bob Ufer broadcasts.
Anyway, the Lloyd is like a grandfather comment spoke volumes to me with our guys getting trouble more and more during the off season, the lack of prep the team has had lately, how out of shape and lolly gag-like they've been......just a thought, and figured it was appropriate to speak it out loud in the wake of gmb's commentary.
Oh, and way to go Grobe Mafia....double winner on the Deacs!!!!
Leadership and work ethic are made up fairty tale intangibles that have nothing to do with actual performance. The David Eckstein FJM Corollary is strong with this current nonsensical discussion.
The team with the best, most conditioned players usually wins the game. If you think a team full of Rudy's can get anything done, than more power to you. Teammates don't have to get along and love each other. They have to do their job and complete their assignments. It's not rocket science. Like that loony Sparty fan said - MAKE PLAYS.
And I believe the new coaching staff will do all that it can to prove the above true.
"and the KG mafia rejoices...."
Indeed. They looked like a well-coached team today.
huss,
dont you think though a team of athletic studs will play better with quality leadership?
I mean why do you think gabe watson was only a so so player here and now a starter in the nfl?
Remember - 2 years ago English left for a job with Lovie Smith/Bears? Then about a week later, Carr brought him back as DC when he canned Herrmann. I loved that move, cause like the rest of you I admired his gung-ho attitude during games. Hate to see him leave. . . .
gmb, sorry if the reply came off as testy, i didn't intend it to.
"guys like Tom Beaver, Cris Balas, John Borton, Jim Carty, etc etc so while you very well maybe right I highly doubt they are all clueless."
Aside from Carty, I have an easy time believing that.
Besides, leadership? That's what we're going to talk about when the gross incompetence of the OC and, earlier, the DC were on full display? Pat Massey's playing time, that inexplicable formation for the Russell run in '05, abysmal OL performance, not spying running QBs, poor tackling technique, continued lack of special teams coach and subsequent poor performance. All the stuff we ever bitched about. That was the gap between talent and performance. Even the best teams are going to lose once or twice; you're going to regress to the mean. In an era when college football is hugely popular and can support more and more programs than ever before, the mean is going to be definitively lower.
We had a thousand gripes and Lloyd still won 3 of 4 games he coached. That says to me that any "intangible" difference (and let's remember just why exactly Brian hates that sort of thing - hint: it's for good reason) was being put into full effect.
So the question is whether or not I choose to believe reports I can't verify or use what I've observed and what Brian has painstakingly documented for us. The coaching search and other such things are different. Without external evidence, I don't have any problem at all with turning to the power of the internets. But come on. We all watched Mike Hart and Co. Effort was not the problem. Getting the line to effectively run a zone scheme certainly was.
I just cant get over the 4 game stretch that our D had with English at the helm....
What exactly do you mean by leadership, though? Did Joe Montana have a sort of aura that resonated unto his fellow teammates? No - San Fran had the best coaching staff in the league, and those players did their jobs. That's what it comes down to. The hoo-rahs and motivational speeches or other such jargon attributed to leadership have no physical or mental impact on any game at all.
As far as Gabe Watson, I can safely he was never in shape at Michigan thus cementing his bust legacy here, and I cant speak too much about his NFL production because I haven't watched him play all that much - but I'd imagine he's received far, far better coaching and conditioning programs in the pros.
"
No we didn't. Tressel didn't try to score anymore. He was comfortable winning 14-3, as he should've been. "
I totally agree that Tressel saw the ineptitude and just sat back---it just appeared as if we were stopping them when really they were playing ultraconservative so as not give Boeckman any reason to throw a pick.
Huss,
Exactly. I put up with notions of "grindiness" during the baseball season watching the Chicago local media rave about Darin Erstad's "hustle" and "can do spirit". Eff that noise.
I cant really disagree with what you are saying, but it gives me an excuse for going 1-6 against OSU, losing 4, soon to be 5 bowl games in a row. I dont think it was talent, I have a hard time beleieve we were outcoached in all those games, to me as a collective program we were not doing all the things it takes to be one of the best.
about the technique stuff i refer too.
i guess it shows up more, when i watch and break down the film like brian asked me to do afew times, and like UFR does for me.
i have prefered over the past several years to watch michigan like a fan, and not a coach, but this year in particular i have found myslef becasue of this blog, breaking down two opponenets tapes, and michigan film on the weekend... and that is when i notice. dl not taking on a double team and making a pile, but rather tryign to peal off an make a tackle, while being driven back into the lb's...
linebackers with their eyes in teh baqck field instead of the triangle, suspect to reverses and misdirection...
lb's not extending and metting line men with thier hands, instead droping thier shoulders and allowing linemen to get thier hands inside...
safities and corners taking terrible funnel angles on run support, and not breaking down to tackle...
stuff like that i notice when breaking down film... im sure if i went back, i would see it for several years....
just make a play and lets get after them defense is great if your tallent is better than anyone elses.... but now, michigan is not head and shoulders above... and we are getting our positioned and out techniqued...
"I just cant get over the 4 game stretch that our D had with English at the helm...."
Which? Not sure what you're referring to.
71 & partly cloudy (no rain) for game time Tuesday in Orlando. . . Gators by no less than 24. . . .time to start prep for Patriots history-making game tonight
JM-
I hear you, I thought the same thing during OSU. That's one thing I loved about English-- he had faults, but in that OSU game, you could TELL he was DYING to strap on pads and go lay out a Buckeye. Really loved his passion, and at 39, he's got his best years ahead of him.
Huss- I agree with you. But "conditioning" is tied to work ethic, no?
colin-
Probably 06 OSU, Rose v. USC, App State, Oregon... 4 game stretch of defensive horror.
yea, that is the 4 game stretch I was thinking of....just horrible defense where we looked very very slow and out of condition, and outcoached to boot.
Im guessing the four games are the stretch from OSU and USC last year to Appy State and Oregon this year. RE looked like a retard coach letting those 4 teams destroy our defense.
All great teams, minus Appy State, but still. Come on ya know...
Our linebackers were horrid this year but I think Ezah was out of position, chris grham, is well chris grham, john tohmpson is average. I would imagine that we will be better in the next few years with guys like fitz in the fold.
soooo if Butch Jones gets the WVU job things could get interesting, but they need to act quickly because it sounds like RR wants to have a staff in place by the end of this week and if you are a current coach at WVU you have to get a job while you can.
gmb,
its funny how bad a lb can look if he is nto coached to make the proper reads...
i think you will find that all the lb's will suddenly look alot quicker, when they get proper coaching, and are expected to make the right reads, not expected to "just make plays"
i think it's fair to say leadership is an integral part of a teams success if you consider that 'voluntary' workouts should be led by the team leaders.
i think there are some specific metrics by which you can measure 'leadership.' not wins, losses, points, or yards, but stuff like off season workout participation. stuff like Jake long chewing out mallett after that TD vs PSU. stuff like henne mentoring mallett.
it certainly doesn't have a huge affect on the W-L column (at least to the extent that Joe Morgan would say). but it has its place in how a season will turn out in some small way.
ick...at least the UFR was short
Anyway, the next year or two will really tell the tale of how bad or not so good the asst coaches were.
As for the bowl game, we have a chance if Fla feels over confident and not real worried about Michigan. We might be able to get a few early scores and hold on with several gift turnovers.
Thward- Conditioning is tied to work ethic, but its not as closely tied as you think. Now coaches need to make mandatory workouts and drills that get the guys enhausted. Work ethic is how hard you try in those drills. Now if a good coach is at the helm, he will make it no choice but to work hard.
I remember playing Juniors in hockey and a small stint for Michigan (hopefully more later) that during sprints in practice the coach said if you come in last or if anyone on your line comes in last during each sprint you have to go again. Now beleive me going again sucked and letting down you linemates and making them go again too, that was worse.
So i think yeah you need to have it in you personally, to work hard....but if the coaches dont set it up for you correctly then it doesnt really matter.
MichiganStudent-- Totally agree with you. I participated in pre-season conditioning drills at various levels (one club level) and you're right-- it's one thing to show up, quite another to bust your ass. You can definitely go through the motions. My point was more about the "showing up" part as many players don't even show up to the voluntary workouts.
But good point.
I second the Gholston on 'roids comment.
*****************************************
I first hard work and determination...
And you're point that you can show up, but not be pushed as hard because of a failure in the setup by the coaches is a good one. Again, I was really only talking about "work ethic" as it relates to the first point-- showing up.
I also hope C-usa UCF can defeat SEC Miss St.
Would that at least make their arrogant claim at being the best conference a little weaker?
Probably not hey...
Thward- yeah I agree. If our players don't even show up to workouts, then I really do not know what the hell they are thinking for one, and two, why our coaches dont let it be known that optional workouts do not really mean optional. It means you can miss a few but you better damn well be there 90% of the time.
But thats just me....."this is division one football, it aint intramurals"
oh yeah...mustve mentally blocked that. anyway my pet theory is that early on you have to learn the ropes and you either learn or you fail. English had the most success against the stuff he knew and had seen in the PAC 10. He also had to deal with the worst group of lbs Michigan has had in a while, though who to blame that on I'm not sure. Sometimes you just miss I guess.
"Every play found worthy has a video clip associated with it."
hah. i see what you did there.
Simmons, last year with steve Sazbo as the LBs coach we some marked improvement in play diagnosis from our LBs. Harris was good at it anyway, but he became better and with an emphasis on conditioning he really kicked ass. Burgess, who was out of shape and really bad at recognizing plays in 05 showed tremendous improvement in 06. Crable did not even crack the line up in 05 became an overnight star at the Sam position, so much so that improving incumbent had to move to Will (Burgess). What changed in terms of technique from last year to this year, yes Thompson and Ezhe are kinda new but still..this does not add up to horrendous play!!
I'm pretty sure this past year is going to be difficult to establish a cause for the myriad problems...hopefully Carty can get a few folks on record.
well english was on record today and brought all the injuries they have had, but that left me scratching my head, how many injuries did we have against Oregon and App State on D?
"I dont think it was talent, I have a hard time beleieve we were outcoached in all those games, to me as a collective program we were not doing all the things it takes to be one of the best."
C'mon man. You don't think it was talent? You sure? Rivals ratings aside, OSU routinely out-talented us. Schilling and Boren and Alex Mitchell are all super recruits who have yet to do anything. And I don't blame them for much of it - it is coaching.
As far as not being outcoached...now that's something you'll have to seriously reconsider. We were ALWAYS outcoached. We were ALWAYS outschemed. We looked like a bunch of idiots agaist OSU in 06. While we sat around in nickle packages, Tressel slit our jugular and kept it 4-wide EVERY SINGLE PLAY. He did not do it to that extent until he played us. That's fantastic coaching on his part...and terrible everything else on ours. Hell, we've even been outcoached routinely in victory - we're just lucky to have had more talent than some of those teams.
Re: conditioning...Gittleson. Enough said. I don't think that's about leadership, as much it is about just crappy weight lifting regiments. I dont see a whole lot of leadership in that...just a lot of ineptitude on our part. That Barwis(spell that right?) guy from WVU is going to be the biggest difference maker to come out of this era purge. You'll see.
So our LB depth chart next year looks something like Ezeh, Mouton, Panter, and then Brandon Logan? Am I missing someone? Are both Graham and Thompson gone? This is deeply troubling to me. Anyone else?
Wow!! I want to go to Miss State! That chick is not ugly.
Wow, Huss, you are on the mark w/ conditioning & being out coached. You recruit as much talent as anybody, but then they go to the locker room and it seems to fade from there.
90% of Bucks think Tressel took the foot off the gas in Q4: I do think Boeckmans crappy play was a part but clearly it could have been 21-3. (Woody, meanwhile, was spinning in the grave. He would have gone for the TD and then for 2...don't get mad, Bo might have done the same BTW.)
Musket - John Thompson will be a senior next year. That makes our presumptive starters Ezeh, Thompson, and then either Logan or Mouton. Both Logan and Mouton, IMO, fit RR's "small and fast" scheme better than the other two, though.
chitown-
With Thompson kind of sucking, and obviously being a hulking relic of 1980's LB's do you think he could get shuffled out by a new coaching staff that has no ties to the current seniors? RichRod will want to switch to fast and smaller LB's so would it be a stretch to see us just move on and go with Mouton and Logan, even though they have next to no experience?
to me, the most humiliating part about the OSU game this year is knowing that Tressel felt sorry for Carr and was just happy to run out of the clock instead of piling on. it was quite insulting.
we have no chance against Florida, not with the current coaching staff. i'm sure our guys will play hard, but it's not gonna be pretty.
can't wait for the new era to begin.
Does anyone really think that John Thompson will be able to figure out the complicated schemes of the 335 when he stuggled with the stuff they have given him the past 4 years?
Logan doesn't appear to be fast and RR HAD to play small sorts.
agree, Logan looks way to slow. I really think Fitz starts from day 1 if he comes here, thats how week we are at linebacker.
I thought Logan did a decent job running around in the 1 game he got decent time in. Thompson and Ezeh just seem waaaaay too big and slow. Ezeh showed flashes, so I'd hesitate to give up on him at this point.
gmb-
I agree, we are thin all over the place on defense, with the possible exception of DL. If Boubacar doesn't come we are screwed at CB too.
I think Ezeh ends up becoming a decent LB, and I think Mouton has the skill to be great, he just needs to actually try, which is something I think the new regime will help with.
I think Thompson is garbage and only lived up to "the Machete" in the ND game when he was taking on even more lacklusterly coached kids.
I thought Ezeh will be better in space on the outside....
lots of speculation about Mouton and his future, taking a wait and see approach.
FWIW,
Enlgish is denying he's going to L'ville
http://www.sportingnews.com/your...ic.php?
t=326762
hou blue-
This was advertised on the right hand of your posting, I thought it was relevant.
http://www.sportingnews.com/blog...contorno/
127004
Mendenhall done at Illinois?
As far as Mouton goes, I'm trying to be optimistic because our defense that I at least project to start next year doens't look even close to as good as last years, and perhaps even worse than this years.
ezeh's problem is that he has no idea how to read his keys. a good lb demonstrates that he knows where the play is going with regularity. the only time ezeh did was when he was assigned the man for whom the play was called.
I have no problem with English leaving. First, I think his rep as a recruiter is way overrated. Other than Warren, the CA guys he brought in all sucked and/or were troublemakers. And while he was plenty fiery, I sure didn't see him as a great tactician. The enduring image I have is Chris Graham inexplicably being asked to cover a WR (Anthony Gonzalez) in the 2006 OSU game (with predictably disastrous results) - and then doing the exact same thing against App State (with equally bad results).
Another play from App State stands out to me. It was 3rd and goal from the 5 for ASU, and we came out in a formation with no one playing linebacker (we had LBs in the game, but they weren't actually backing up the line). I said to my friend, "If they call a QB draw, we're screwed." ASU called a timeout and I breathed a sigh of relief, assuming that we'd fix what must have been a mistake formation. Nope. We lined up in the exact same formation and ASU, no dummies, called a QB draw. Easy TD.
Okay, so I've been going over some names and this is the best that I've come up with for our starters next year. Please PLEASE argue with me.
*This takes into account a few things. 1. No transfers 2. No new commitments or decommitments 3. Most of the time I don't know what I'm talking about 4. Nobody jumps to the NFL*
Offense:
QB: Ryan Mallett
FB: Vince Helmuth
RB: Carlos Brown/ Brandon Minor/ Sprinkles of Sam McGuffie
WR: Manningham
Arrington
Matthews
OL:Boren
Schilling
Mitchell
(Zirbel, Moosman, McAvoy, Ortmann)
TE: Butler
Defense:
CB: Warren, Cissoko, Trent
S: Stevie Brown, Chambers or Williams?
LB: Ezeh, Thompson, Mouton
DL: Graham, Taylor (Jamison? Is he elligible?)
Musket,
Jamison should be back and has elg.
but there are certainly a number of players you listed that wont but you did say if they all came back. I dont think those will be our three linebackers, on ezeh has the athletic ability that RR likes and no one has said a good word about Mouton, I mean he never played this year and we were horrid.
I also think Stewart has a shot at safety.
Real quickly, I like Ezeh. First year on the field. Three more years of eligibility left. I like his upside.
Alamo Bowl? Can PSU and Morellu cover the -6....yikes..dog looks attrative, but its tamu, and they are no great shakes either....any thoughts on this game?
English said the normal coach speak that he would talk about it after the season.
Its a home game for TAMU.....
PSU surprises in the Alamo Bowl. No coach at A&M and they are a running team, PSU's LB's should eat it up. Those are quick thoughts though.
Yay! More debate on my starting lineup. I think that Thompson starts the year, but he'll be gone after a few games because he is garbage and won't manage in a new system when he couldn't figure out this years system that he's been in for four years.
Musket,
Also, I will be thinking good thoughts for Stevie Brown all off season....i still think he can be a good player for us, despite his start this year and subesquent benching......one of my off season goals is contsant good karma channeling for #3.....i like how he didn't sulk and become a pretty good special teams playmaker......maybe he improves w/ one off season better than Mundy did w/ one offseason w/ RR.....like I said, thinking nothing but good thoughts!!
Woody, meanwhile, was spinning in the grave. He would have gone for the TD and then for 2...don't get mad, Bo might have done the same BTW.
It's evil, but I wanted him to do it. I really, REALLY did. Tressel is a classier person than I am.
And that's not exactly right, Woody would have been on the sideline trying to figure out a way to go for three.
PSU will win, not sure how many people will see it, given that Brady is taking the field at the same time!
Boys time to take break from football: Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva Tonight
.
.
.
Has anyone been watching the UCF/Miss St. game?
This is possibly one of the worst games I have ever witnessed.
I would hate to see a UFR on this train wreck...
Jamie-
I'm deciding between sending all of my karma to one player, or sprinkling it amongst the entire team. Or giving it to Barwis. Either way I've been storing it up all season (nobody but Mike Hart deserved it this year, and he was hurt too much). We'll see what happens. I might send it to Mallett but I'm going to wait and see if he'll be here next year before I go that route.
@Jamie Mac
My quick thoughts on the Alamo game:
TAMU will win (provided they get the ground game going), Morrelli is horrid,and according to the Aggie faithful Joepa is old.
Side note - I really hope Smith at USF does not break Barry's record.
JHS: JoePa is old? Who knew?
I do like TAMU w/ the points, but then I remember they got totally bitch slapped by the worst Miami team ever.....but the alternative is laying a TD w/ Anthony Morelli!
I'm doing well so far in the bowls, so I might just stick w/ my instinct on the underdog.....they will have a home field edge.....talent is probably even on both sides, might as well take the TD head start.
hockey game on DTV ch 669. woot
you guys have some misconception that i thought i cleared up for you...
3-3 odd stack does not neccesarily mean "smaller faster lb's" in fact when i have used a stack front this year, it was to protect the fact that my ilb's were not fast but great hole pluggers....
you have the extra contain guys, that is why you run it.... it loads up the back field to match the gun-t stuff that the new offenses use...
it is a way to get another ilb in the game.... please stop saying so and so is too slow to play ilb in a 3-3 stack.... if he were slow but a whole plugger that would be the best defesnse for him...
without knowing the exact way the stack is going to be used yet, it is impossilbe to say, where mchigan is going to need help recruiting wise...
ie will it be a two gap or singgle gap system...
ie will it be a smaller faster type nickel look, or a power slant 50 hybrid look...
@ musket
Massey has also been on record as returning next season. He lost the TE job to butler. The name massey is synonymous with underachieving in recent Michigan history however. I still would expect him over Butler since he will be a better blocker.
DanK,
Do you like Morelli tonight?
I'm not DanK, but I don't like Morelli any night. He's not what I'd call "good" at the game of "football."
Was Henne's lack of leadership during the summer one reason he wasn't elected a captain? Unusual that a senior QB wouldn't have that "C".
Musket- i'd also include other wideouts into that offense you put up. I guarantee we run a lot of 4 to 5 wide sets this upcoming season.
So with that, i'd have hemingway, stonum, and clemons listed in that.
Damn espn for making me remember the '05 Alamo Bowl.
Byrant Gumble sucks!
Who is calling plays? This is not Penn State.
Wide field goal. This is Penn State after all.
God I hate the Alamo Bowl. Pitch the damn ball, Ecker!
ThWard,
Yeah Morelli = No Good.
I called DanK because I remember him being critical of Morelli and wass just trying to rile him up....must be engrossed in the GL Title Game....on a channel I dont have*
*Watching it on tape delay on FSD much much later tonight, so dont ruin it for me :)
I'd be surprised if Eli leads the Giants down the field for another TD here. That first drive IMO was all emotion and adrenaline.
The fact the Kevin Gilbride is still employed as a coach in the NFL baffles me as much as Marty Moringwig still being a coach.
JHS: I do think NE is vulnerable on D....but, yeah, just not sure if Eliza is the guy to do it.....if his last name was was Jones or Smith, he would not have been a first day draft choice, let alone the top guy.....nevertheless, he is the starting QB for a team making its third straight playoff appearance, which is a nice feat in this day and age of the NFL......he's Trent Dilfer, on his best days; Scott Mitchell, on his worst.
Folks,
Nevermind keeping the GL Title a secret. I have it here on the local sports channel in Toledo. WOO!!!!
I have 3 TVs going: Alamo Bowl, NE-Gints, and now UM Hockey.
Life is pretty sweet.....although I am such an effing nerd!!!!
Scott Mitchell was great... at handing the ball off to Barry.
As a Lions fan it is sad that Mitchell was the best QB we've had probably since Bobby Layne.
If being a nerd means watching 3 sporting events at once - sign me up!
I remember those days when Detroit and Mitchell would play TB and Dilfer and just watching each QB trade off shitty plays to kill their team.
Penn State, not representing the Big 10 at all.....i do expect them to rebound. These bowl games have been like a Rocky Fight so far this season....just hope they dont rebound so much that they win by more than a TD :)
Barry used to own the old "creamsicle" bucs, as soon as Tampa got rid of bruce the pirate they started to own the lions. I've hated the bucs ever since.
@JHS,
I only wish I had a fourth right now as espn2 has a pretty college hoops lineup tonight....or the wings game.....or the pistons game!!
Some guy I have never heard off just to the KOR to the house for the Gints!!!
Morrelli what a throw! Reminds me of a video game, throw up crap and someone will get it.
JHS,
Since I am not a Lions fan, I can say I have always had a soft spot for the Yucs.....seeing Dungy just transform that team into a winner was amazing and I loved the talent and personalities of those defenses.....loved it when they would just go toe to toe w/ Favre.....classic stuff......and, that 2002 team is one of my favorites of all time. Won $$$ on them virtually every week of the season and cleaned up during the playoffs.....both the nfc champ vs phily and the SB, I was the only one in the bar who had them.....i remember my book, when i took them over Phily, said 'its just you and me today'.....he managed the bar we all hung out and watched games at and he and i just traded off celebratory shots that whole afternoon. Total classic.
I have never cleaned up like that on one team over the course of the same season ever since.
gsimm,
I was on a crusade in the comment sections about 2 years ago about our DLine and LB play in UFR. I was floored that our DLine did not (a) play with any technique, and (b) attempt to keep opposing OLineman off our LBs. This is all coming from a former DLineman.
Both areas were markedly improved a year ago. Still, the only LB I can remember watching in a Michigan uniform recently that was any good at getting off of blocks was David Harris. His outstanding play combined with a truly slathering DLine (that kept blockers off our LBs) really masked the inefficiencies of the rest of our LBs. Maybe Victor Hobson and Lawrence Reid and Roy Manning weren't that bad. I don't know because that was before I found this blog and started obsessively following all things Michigan Football. Certainly before I started watching clips of film online or on my TiVo.
Anyway, all the problems I noticed 2 years ago re-appeared this year. Our LBs were especially terrible at getting off blocks. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only person who's felt this way.
Also, anybody else here rooting for the Giants? As a Steeler fan I hate the Patriots. I hate everything about them.
Matt K,
Fellow Steeler fan here! Go Giants!
Did any of you see the comments by the "male" cheerleader for TAMU? What a douche. Joepa and his casket? I hope that kid realizes in a few years how much of a pussy he is for being a cheerleader.
Nice job by the nittany lions taking those first two tds on the chin and tying it up. Probably my boy Rundle from Michigan giving his two cents to Galen Hall.
GO BLUE
Also - I want to have Tom Brady's next child (he's 11 for 11 on the past two drives). Three different children by two women and one very ugly man (me)
Man, you really can find Steeler fans everywhere.
Personally, for whatever reason I never liked the giants, my guess is it stems from them beating the Bills back in the super bowl.
As a Lions fan I can attest to the fact that the NFC is a joke.
Matt K,
Its not Steeler Village or Steeler City or Steeler State.
Its STEELER NATION!!!!!!
I'm in Toledo? Where are you?
Just today, on my morning run, I ran past and high fived a guy w/ a Steeler sweatshirt on (I had a steeler longshore-type hat on) and later at the store said bad things about the ravens with a fellow fan in the checkout line. And, this is supposed to be Brown Country :)
Vince Wilfork rules. What a beast, he is what Big Gabe Watson should have been at UM.
Eli must have taken that scramble from a page in Archie's book.
Looking at those potential first-stringers for next year, it's looking like a "rebuilding" year.
Help us RR, you're our only hope...
My eyes! My eyes!
C'mon Red,
Get your power play going!!!
OSU's "rebuilding" year took them to the championship game.
I'd love it if our rebuilding year ended up the same.
If we beat OSU in Cow-lumbus, I'll be ecstatic.
What's the score/period of the hockey game?
Jamie, originally suburban Detroit. Now I'm living in New Jersey. I'm not really surprised, I just remembered you'd said you were a Steeler fan many comment threads ago. I'd have posted then, but I can't post from work, so I'm reduced to chiming in on the weekends and after work (when most of the conversation has died out).
I run into Steeler fans everywhere. There's at least as many Steeler fans at work as there are Eagles and Giants fans. I was still in school at Michigan during the Superbowl year. My girlfriend and I spent one of the days that week in Detroit walking around, shopping, doing the Superbowl activities. By my count it was about 99.9% Steeler fans. I counted exactly 2 fans wearing Seahawk gear. It was glorious.
Anyway, I loved watching Plex whiff on that easy TD catch about 5 seconds ago. He's great in no-pressure situations. Put him in a big time game or a must win situation and he's worthless. I love hearing the Giants fans at work whoof about Plex and that's my standard response. They're slowly learning. I'm rooting for him tonight, though!
Matt,
Plexiglass....how about his half ass attempt to catch the jump ball in the 05 champ game vs NE.....wussy and I'm glad he's wearing giant blue.
My girlfriend and I spent Saturday night in Detroit the night before the Super Bowl. I thought I had died and went to Steeler heaven!! The guys at the MGM loved it, too, as it looked like their roulette wheel was cleaning up on all the bets on 7 and 36!!!
Go Giants!!!!!
0-0 in OT @ the Joe. great freakin game.
also, yea, morelli is not good. i wish he had another year. it seems like the next QB for psu is a runner: A Bass type guy.
no goal...
penalty shot...that's what it should be.
by rule, that should be a PS!!!
DanK,
Why is this game still tied....UM was on the PP the whole back half of the third period!!!
Here comes another one, though....doubt they'll award a PS in this spot......you seem to follow college hockey a bit more.....is Tech a solid squad or playing above their head....who won the consolation match?
Nice throw morelli!
Morelli is trying his best to hit wide open Aggie defenders....something tells me thats not part of JoePa's second half adjustments.
Prov 4, sparty st 2
tech is a solid team. better than their record (~.500). their new coach seems to have turned the program around last year. they are certianly playing their A game tho. physical, smart. controlling the puck fairly well, very responsible hockey.
re: PP the whole 3rd...we had chances, but it looks like tech is playing a diamond, instead of a more standard box on the 5 on 4s...
hear's another PP for us...
Nothing like Sparty pulling an 0-2 in the GLI.....ha ha ha.....i flat out missed the game or else would have had it on....too much else going on, I guess.....great insight by the way, thanks!
5-3 prov, i mean
holy shit...saur saved our bacon
Big save from Sauers!!!
I was at the bar last week and some kid was telling me that Sauer was the best goalie in all of NCAA hockey.
Sauer was the best goalie in all of NCAA hockey.
ummm no. but i'd say top 10 this year, conversatively.
He was wasted, and I was wearing my UM hockey jersey. and he was like (slurred) "No matter what they tell you Sauer is the best goalie."
Ten minutes later he noticed my UM jersey and told me the same story again.
Sauer is solid, for sure, but we've seen better at UM.....out of curiousity, who are the top goalies in the college game?
conservatively
lerg @ state. Minn & Wisc have good 'tenders. MiamiU. i'd have to look up some stats, but now's not the time tho.
Not a problem Dan....dont need stats just names/teams.....those Miami-UM games will be must see obviously.
Pats D needs to get a stop here.
Lets see if Eli can hang onto the ball in crunch time.
Does this count as the GLI Open Thread!?!?!
Lord knows, we wont have any basketball ones this winter!
Eli doing a little Ryan Mallett impression.
Nolan coming up huge there....tough as nails!!
!@#$% nice save by Nolan...!@#$%^
Craig James talking up RR. Saying he will change the landscape of the BIg ten
Eliza does not have the stones to pull this out....it'll be up to the Giant D and I hope they pin their ears back and just level Brady.....just to make all the Boston fans nervous!
Wow Moss, doing a little Manningham v. OSU hands.
Way to make up for it, Randy.
Record breaker...
Yeah, like Moss was going to drop two in a row.....hate the Pats, but gotta say that was just beautiful......lesser QBs, by the way, would not have called Moss' # like that after the drop.
after looking at the stats..
1 Jeff Zatkoff, Jr, Miami
2 Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, Sr, North Dakota
3 Peter Mannino, Sr, Denver
4 Sauer (after this weekend)
5 ....the 2 headed tandem @ RPI
really, there's a lot of good goalies this year. most of the 'name' guys (montoya, the BC guy, the BU guy a few years ago) have left. now there's a lot of solid goalies who don't seem to be NHL-shirtless, but are nonetheless performing very well.
Its up to Eliza if those champagne bottles are going to open up tonight at Shula's house.....no worries, maybe he can just invite Mercury Morris over for a little blow.
Bryant Gumbel's work has really declined since the Gumbel 2 Gumble heyday.
why do people hate the pats?
Toomer.....not good.
Toomer has been on the giants forever, ageless wonder.
DanK,
I am a lifelong Steeler fan.....they are our rivals and have crushed our dreams twice the last six years in the afc title game.....and all my boston buddies remind me of that.....think of what osu folks would say to you upon seeing your michigan gear...if not for the Steeler thing, i would probably be in their camp because of Brady, but otherwise I just cant do it.
good coaching, joepa...way pump that fist after the red sea parts and the 5th string psu RB waltzes into the EZ never having seen a defender.
OK, so that are actual nfl fans. and AFC fans no less...i get that.
No chance we've got a running quarterback we can bring in for the bowl game, is there? Penn State is keeping this interesting.
I'm a big NFL fan, more of a college football fan however. That is probably a result of the fact that the wolverines are typically good whereas my Lions traditionally blow dogs.
ok, harbaugh...honestly, why are you (anyone) a lions fan?
Dan....lol....the nfl blows, its a pile of feces everyweek.....yet thats all the people I work with watch.....they actually say they cant watch the college game because its no fun with the way they settle the title and the quality of play is so subpar compared to the nfl.....all i can say is I am on the edge of my seat every saturday watching games from across the country and bored out of my skull the next day on Sunday watching what the NFL has to offer us....again, lifelong steeler fan or I wouldnt watch it nearly as much as I do....oh, and the gambling aspect...lol.
Light the lamp, GO BLUE!
2008 GLI Champs!
College football is a million times more interesting because it is so variable. Which is why it's so frustrating, too, though.
Why am I a Lions fan? - born and bred that way I guess.
quality of play... please. reminds me of some canadians i know who don't like the college game b/c of the lack of skill/speed. sure, there's a difference, but it's not like you're watching HS hockey/football.
GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!
A classic tip-in!!
yea, baby...GLI CHAMPS!
Yeah, I laugh at the quality of play too.....all you need to do is look at a list of guys who have started at QB this year in the NFL to know thats a load of garbage.....Vinny Fucking Tesaverde is still playing fer gawds sake...and Dilfer.....Derek Anderson was the worst QB in college football his senior year....think Navarre or Morellis, but with more INTs than TDs, yet he's a star in the NFL....plus every teams plays it the same way......snooooze.
dude, sauers SV% increased by like 12 pts this weekend.
i think the JLA PA announcer is older than JoePa and the Yankee stadium announcer combined
Marching bands vs piped in cheesy music.
Wholesome looking, yet very hot cheerleaders vs wanna-be-strippers, I am passed my prime but all this make up makes me look good cheerleaders.
Campuses vs crappy corners of a city.
Age old rivalries vs ESPN hyped rivalries.
I mean I can go on and on.
Damn, 88 saves and two shutouts.
Nicely done, Sauer.
Sauers your GLI MVP!!! This will be a big confidence booster for him come postseason, big time!
the great thing is that we were w/o 4 top contributors.
the really great thing is that we own the East & West conferences and can walk backwards into the NCAA.
that goalie for tech was the backup too...career has 8 wins i think.
Personally I think the NFL has real rivalries (not as big as the major CFB rivalries though). Browns/Steelers, Pack/Bears etc. are traditional rivalries. ESPN does make up new rivals like pats/colts however.
Datsyuk....GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!!
DanK, you're right, but as you know all bets are off in the playoffs......it'll be fun, though, and we might be the only folks here in the area watching THAT tournament.
Brady - 16-0!
JHS,
Of course they have real rivalries....i guess that was more of a stretch on my part, but the college rivalries seem to stand alone whereas pro football rivalries really need the hype machine.....and in college, we get to see all those rivalries....youn cant in the NFL unless you're in the market, or have the dish.
JHS,
One more thought on the rivalry question......Jets-Pats, a rivalry, yes.....but ESPN totally overblew it two weeks ago, making it the biggest, oh my good game of the week....there were four other games that day that had critical playoff implications, yet the espn hype machine hit that game like it was OSU-UM or the Iron Bowl....all because some PC shit about a handshake and rule that nobody really cares the Pats broke.....i guess thats where my original commentary came from.
I agree that the college game is a lot more fun to be a fan of/enjoy, but its not like the NFL is like watching the XFL. College has some ass games too, like watching Miss.SU/USF today. The one thing that is really hurting the NFL right now is the QB situation, when guys like joey, carr, redman, etc. suck and then get shot after shot at being a starting QB there is an epidemic.
PSU just dodged a bullet, have a shot a running out the clock.
No, not the XFL, but it bores me sometimes....i bet half the problem is no direct tv, nfl package for me, so I cant just put the best game on....i keep telling myself, next year, but then it comes around and its back to the nothing but the Browns and Lions (sorry).
Javorskie Lane may be the same size as Big Gabe Watson.
psu just exceeded my B10 bowl expectations this year.
Umm... Mike Martz getting fired? Geez, now a whole new offense. Ridiculous.
I think there are some really good rivalry games in the NFL, but college will always surpass them because many of us WENT to college and not too many to the NFL. There are exceptions: Green Bay fans, etc.
p.s. I, myself really liked the UFR. I didn't want to weigh in earlier for the fear Brian wouldn't do it. Looked good to me!
Pecos,
You just hit the nail on the head....we all have our school to root for and its something we can intrinsinctly relate to and feel for.....or in my case, two w/ UM and IU....lol.....whether I walk into the Big House and watch the Hurrying Hoosiers on TV, a flood of real personal memories always washed over me.....not so much w/ pro sports, which, first and foremost, is a business and not a fans game.
2-1 Big 11!!! Keep it going...
mac, the exception there is baseball. baseball still holds that CFB-esque quality a little. for me anyway.
Indiana will make it 3-1 after they march up and down the field over the Okie St Cowboys on Monday.....Hardy will make himself oodles of money in that game.....i see three TD's for him!!
@ jamie...I'm a closet Bobby Knight fan, well sorta. I don't want him as my coach because then I couldn't sleep but I'm happy that he stands up to the media who I have little respect for and certainly he is a coach who could make players play beyond their expectations. i.e. Not many were stars in the NBA, but did well with him.
we will OWN the B12, SON! we own you cowboy cornfarmers!!
3-1 would look good to me going into Jan 1. That's when defenses are due to report.
Pecos,
Give me your breakdown of the Rose Bowl.....i am one of the few people here who like Illinois, maybe not to win, but certainly cover the spread....i am not sure people realize just how many studs they have on D and think they can really thwart a rather inconsistent USC offense that does not have the oh my God playmakers of past year....can Juice do to them what he did to the Bucks, thats the real question.
@ Jamie
Not an authority of any kind on Illinois: I'm impressed on the Zook recruiting and turnaround...remember that the Big 10+1 leader for running back in 2007 is not named Hart or Wells, he's named Mendenhall from Illinois. Unfortunately, I cannot lie, I think that the most talented team in the BCS might be USC and now that they are healthy, will probably win what is a home game.
But, Juice was 100% DUH MAN against us, if he can do that again and Mendenhall has a great game they could pull it out. What a great offensive combo they are when both are clicking. In a crazy year, I'm not counting anyone out.
My wallet however, says USC.
Oh and I see a lot of Pac 10 games and nobody here has a defense worth a shit.
Seriously. If you are picking over/unders then start in the 60's.
Pecos,
Do you live on the west coast?
Hey dudes I did a semi-live blog thingy on the GLI championship for those who didn't see it.
For those who did: what an effin' great game. Man, I can't believe Nolan did what he did. He basically matched Billy shot for shot, only with a handful more saves on breakaways. Billy looks like a completely different goalie. He's upright and crisp. I wish I understood the position better so I could comment more specifically, but damn.
And hey, even if the worst happens and he reverts to Old Billy, we've still got Hogan. Blackburn has done quite the number this year; hopefully we're paying him well enough to hold onto him.
@ jamie
I live in the Mountain West. So I get mostly Pac 10 games.
Any game Juice completes an acceptable number of passes is one they can win, but Illinois is not an especially great defensive team, nor are they coached that well. Unless Booty's out of it, I'd have to say Illinois' best hope is to win a close one.
But I haven't really watched SC this year, so I can't say for sure.
Woooo Tom Brady most valuable human in the history since Creation!
Yay hockey!
If the Pats win it all this year, i want to know what/how everybody in the organization will feel about the next season and beyond. I mean Brady already has the best single season, Moss ditto, if they go 19-0 they would have won their fourth ring. I mean what else is there to do....if they show up and continue kicking butt i really have to tip my hat.
Same goes for Shula, after being perfect he coached for a further 20+ years!!!Phew great great achivement, man they sure love their job!!
"As a Lions fan it is sad that Mitchell was the best QB we've had probably since Bobby Layne."
I know he was way before your time, but Greg Landry was the last Lions QB to be selected to the Pro Bowl, way back in 1971. He had balls that Scott Mitchell could only have wished for. Oddly enough, he was Mitchell's QB coach in 1995, one of Mitchell's best years.
One of Carr & co's aggravating habits was NOT attacking secondaries that were teams weak points. No reason to think that will change Tuesday.
Gee, and I thought the Pats couldn't do it without me.
What's lessened my interest in pro sports is free agency. Living in the Chicago area, I think the Packers and Bears rivalry meant a lot more twenty years ago, when players were more identified with their teams, than it does today. Anyone really get psyched to see the Cowboys-Redskins anymore?
When you read how fucked-up Henne's shoulder really was(from todays paper),It's gives me confidence that if Henne comes in close to 100%,we have a real shot pulling this game out.
Normally the one thing Henne had was the accurate long ball.Manningham will beat who ever is on him,more than a couple of times this game.If Henne is on, those are a couple of quick scores.
Look Michigans players read the papers,they know how everyone has said they have sucked this year.Don't you think Mike Hart with the pride he has in himself and the school is going to go out and have an unbelievable effort for this game.
Floridas defense is not that good. MANY teams this year have moved the ball on them.The entire key to this game is Henne,if he can make the throws to pick-up 3rd downs,we will win this game
Lloyd,COME OUT SWINGING!Put a quick 10-14 points up,with totally different attack.The reason Michigan has done so poorly in bowls lately is because we don't change up anything from the regular season.Talk about easy to game plan for.
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Jbails Keys to Capital One Bowl Success:
Put Michigan's riches at receiver onto the field, all 8 of them at a time. Make Jake Long shotgun snap to Mallett. And then have Mike Hart fill in for the rest of the offensive line. Tell Mallett to pick a receiver pre-snap and throw it through the DB's face. Expect casualties as Florida's secondary ends up in the hospital with several severe cases of Mallet finger (look it up). Expect the same of Michigan's linebackers after Timmah stiff arms Chris Graham into the turf.
Michigan wins in a shootout, 88-86 after Darryl Stronum enrolls early and catches 7 touchdown passes, enshrining his name in the #1 jersey record.
Timmah stiff arms Chris Graham he's going to draw back a stump.
MICHIGAN FOOTBALL:
WHERE THE WEAK ARE KILLED AND EATEN!
(That includes the fans also)
Amen Brother!
ANYONE SCENE MY OTHER ARM!?
I'm Tired of the negative BULLSHIT coming out of Michigan Nation."If we do this or we do that we maybe we'll be able to hang with Florida."WHAT? who the fuck is Florida? Come on people,go in your wives purse or where ever you left your balls,and lets start getting fired up about this game.Florida WILL NOT be able to cover Manningham (who really has this year).Henne is going to make a statement, this is his last chance at Michigan.
*HAIL TO THE VICTORS YOU WHINY BASTARDS *(not all of you but you know who you are)
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Grab the car keys, GOD DAMMIT were heading down to Florida to whip some limp wristed,Teeth missing,inbred piece a shit gators.
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GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO........
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R.V. Loaded hitting I75 in about 20 Mins.
Gonna come flying into Orlando with 8 crazy,screaming,ass kicking Michigan Lunatics.With our 10' x 6' Michigan flag blazing.(Thats how we roll)
@ withnail "One of Carr & co's aggravating habits was NOT attacking secondaries that were teams weak points. No reason to think that will change Tuesday."
withnail
SEE THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!
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Colin- blackburn is a volunteer coach this year i believe. At least he was at the beginning of the season when I was there
Yeah, that is what I am talking about! GO BLUE!!!!!
ESPN reported last night that 91% of Americans think that Florida will win, I can't wait to see the open mouths of gator fans as Henne, Hart, Mario et al pour it on! GO BLUE!!!!!
@ KBlow "As for the bowl game, we have a chance if Fla feels over confident and not real worried about Michigan."
WHAT!? KBlow That is one of the most assinine comments I've ever heard.Thats our only chance huh.Your weakness makes me sick.
.(Turn in every artical of Michigan Wear you own)
Why do Michigan fans don't think Michigan can beat Fla?
Hmmm, Michigan could not beat a bad nebraska, coached by callahan, with a team that will put 15 guys in the NFL.
Now, they are playing against a good team with the heisman trophy winning QB, coached by a guy that made the vest look like he should sell insurance last year.
yeah, I don't know where all this negativity comes from. We could bring back Brady to play QB, but I think we would probably still lose. Carr would platoon him.
The last game under Carr; just get it over with and clean out Schebelcher hall. And bring plenty of bleach.
Heres what I to do when posting on here,I open windows media player and put the Michigan Fight song on a loop.You will find its impossible to write anything negative about Michigan with that playing in the background.Matter of fact, I've chills up my spine.
@ max Hubris Pull your head out of your ass son,after this game don't try to climb back on the big blue train.We don't need fans like you
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Might have been a little hard on you Max
I hope all of you just watched the last Michigan Replay ever with Lloyd.
I personally didn't, but turned it on at the end with the "Like A Rock" tribute playing. I found it fitting . . .
So the Freep is reporting a rumor that Debord was offered job as special teams coach but turned it down. Whew!
Too bad Brian didn't invest his time on RR's last game at West Virginia...he could have used the same tags and the same adjectives to describe their OC. No wait...he would have come up with something more to accurately describe the higher cliff from which they fell.
Bo is pissed - shut the hell up already. There's being a fan, and there's being a blind fool. I'll let you figure out which category you fall into.
Da Da Dadadada Go Pack Go!!!
(sorry, JHS)
Anyone know what this business is about Warren transferring?
They can take that "gator clap" of theirs and shove it up their ass.
DAMMIT!
"max Hubris Pull your head out of your ass son,after this game don't try to climb back on the big blue train.We don't need fans like you"
Michigan football has survived possibly the worst coach in the big ten that should have never been hired. He (Carr) was a crap DC that would have been lucky to get a low level Mac job. He was never a HC and was given the job because the AD took the easy way out in 1994. Carr hired his best friends over the best people and ran the program putting himself first over doing what was right for Michigan football. He did not rep UM very well through the press. Dull and crocherty comes to mind.
No other college would have survived with Carr as the HC. NOt USC, Not OSU, Not Ok. Not Texas.
With a top coach at Michigan, and I think RR is a top coach, Michigan will be going into the OSU game undefeated more often then not. Seasons like 1996 (with better finishes) will be the norm. The B10 is a bunch of tomato cans except for OSU. RR will do very well.
seasons like 2006, not 1996..
i personally liked 1997 more
I thought we talking about Michigans bowl game who cares about the past,thats all going to change now.why be so negative about this.Floridas not playing the "Little sisters of the poor" for christ sake
@ hat Pipe down,the adults are trying to talk.
I think there will be some future 1997's in Michigan's future. And, it will not require the greatest college defensive player ever to single handily win 3 games.
With Mich schedule I would be surprised if Michigan is not playing in the NC game at least once over the next 5 years.
Alot of Florida fans read this post and laugh. Why give them more fuel?
And This is for all you Florida fans(raise middle figer upward slowly)
"Heres what I to do when posting on here,"
You make it appear as though you're a regular poster here. Thank god that's not the case.
I've been listening to your mouth-breathing brand of brainless, Go Blue bluster for the last 36 years since I came to school here. You think that merely making loud, spittle-flecked assertions of the invincible qualities of Michigan are sufficient to guarantee victory, that intelligent analysis of matchups, strategy, and tactics is for fags, that playing the Victors on an endless loop will somehow make poor strategy and shortcomings in talent disappear, and that anyone who recognizes the possibility that the other team just might be better can't be a real fan. I've been hearing the same sort of horseshit before every one of our bowl games since 1970, and after each one of our 20 losses, fans like you either pull a disappearing act or start screaming for the coach's head.
We can beat Florida if we play smarter and better. If there were guys like you on our coaching staff, our chances would be lessened dramatically, but thank God they've all got alot more on the ball.
I'm sure you'll feel all big and manly when you tell me to shut the fuck up in all caps, but I really think you'd be happier on whatever Rivals-kind of board you're truly a regular on. At least there your comments might be regarded as valuable in some way.
Well said Max, Bo just chill man!!! We all want M to win, at all costs!! But then again to say that we will beat the shit out of Fl is living in an entirely different world. We do have a good chance, but the odds are stacked against us. Seriously, what was our last big win, @PSU 06..eh maybe, @ND06....hee hee hee but still Beatdown is beatdown, PSU05..possibly, tOSU03..definitely, Wiscy06...ehh okay have it. Other than those we have pretty much done nothing against elite opponents and coaches. Yes we were unfortunate to play some alltime great teams in the RB (we still should have beaten SC last year) but we lost all of them!!
So what in the world makes you confident that we will win. The onlye thing is being a fan of the team..with great devotion to the program!! Anyone outside will make the most logical decision...pick the team with the freak at QB and a "genuine" talent at HC.
Yes i will support our team, but to expect them to absolutely win is a bit foolish, in my opinion....enthusiasm is fine but please also be respectful of others views!!
GO BLUE!!
@ Don You're Right, we suck...were going to lose.
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Alot of people come to this post for something positive about Michigan,hell Michigan loses on Saturday and I don't even talk to anybody until wednesday.
Also...i expect us to contend for MNC in 09/10. All elite coaches have won/played in the MNC game in their second/thrid year!!! Stoops, Carroll, Tressell, Meyer, Miles!!I believe RR is an elite coach..so will be hugely disappointed if we don't contend in 09/10..irrespective of the scheme!!
No offense, but I am glad none of you guys are on the coaching staff....lol....man it sure is easy to have all the answers as an anonymous poster on a blog.
Lions look like day-old dog crap. . . .
"@ Don You're Right, we suck...were going to lose."
If our O-line can contain Florida's defensive line and give Henne time, run some play action on early downs, and provide Hart with some holes, we can make critical third downs to sustain drives and keep Tebow & Co. off the field. If we can prevent Harvin from busting big plays consistently and put Tebow in frequent third-and-long situations, his value in the running game may be negated somewhat. All this will help neutralize whatever advantage Florida has in speed. If we do these things, we can win.
If Harvin breaks long returns and Tebow consistently has second- and short yardage situations, and our O-Line whiffs against Harvey the way they did against Gholston, it will be a long day.
Yeah..jmac... you are the voice of reason...lol,no disrespect!!
Original C,
The whole apologist vs worst coach ever fight just gets so effing old.....kinda sucks when we have to totally flame someone who has blind optimism.....i mean, all of us know its a bit naive, but as a gameday approaches, I do like the fact that some people come in here and drop a little optimism.
And, I am beginning to like our chances more and more everyday.....to cover the spread.
Fair enough!!!But a good debate is always better that forced opinions and troll like fire breathing!!
Original C,
Right about that.
Hey, are we going to get a GLI breakdown post!?!?!
Big 10 is now 2-1 in bowls.....will the league still have a winning record when its all said and.....all four remaining teams are underdogs, though......if the O/U and Big 10 wins was 2.5, will the league go over the total.
There's something for both the optimist and pessismist in the above questions.....i say No to the first one.....Yes to the second one.
IU=win.....the rest lose with OSU being the most likely to win......I do think both UM and Illini will cover the spread, though.
Mallett's suck festival?
He is a FRESHMAN!!! He is being coached by Loeffler, Debord, and CARR!
What the hell does anyone expect from him?
Give him a new coach, and this kid will be lights out at UM.
Before the Mad-Town trolls come out....i forgot about Wisco.....i love their chances against Rocky Top....i never like Tenn in a big game and Wisco's bowl record, especially as an underdog speaks for itself.....they've represented the Big 10 very well in this spot vs the SEC the last three years, not to mention a big win as a big dog in an Alamo bowl vs Colorado the year before this stretch began.
So, to re-calculate....Big 10 will have a.500 record, I think in bowls when all said and done....and I think the five remaining teams on the board will, at worst, have a winning mark against the Vegas spot.
This comment thread is pretty terrible. What happened to the great discourse we were having a couple of weeks ago?
David,
We're trying!!!!
Bowl discussion UM or the league; GLI; whatever topic you want to throw out there...get it started!!
Here you go!! maybe this might "fire up" the troops!!
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.d.../312300020/
1054
Enjoy!!
Crable should have added Armanti Edwards name......those guys are more elusive in space; Tebow is stronger, harder to tackled like a power back.
He's gonna gash us either way.....both teams will be over 30, like the Outback bowl 5 years ago.
new post
"He is a FRESHMAN!!! He is being coached by Loeffler, Debord, and CARR!"
Two of the three are largely responsible for the development of our quarterbacks since Navarre at least. And the Navarre project makes them amazing/incredible/miracle workers.
I believe you are being pretty hard on Mallett. Too often forgotton are the circumstances into which he was deposited into the game. I really think you guys expected too much outta a Frosh backup w/ little reps...remember: this was your Nat'l Champ team during spring practice.
Maybe he's good, maybe he sucks. I really think it's too early to tell. Your OL was a "stinky-pooh" by the time he was regularly given the ball.
But that being said, if RR wants to run the spread he might want to think seriously about transferring. He'd have to decide to change his tactics or head off for a school that would fit his style more.
For those interested (any masochists in the audience), the Hart Chart for this abortion of a game will be up sometime tomorrow night (well, technically later tonight...the 31st). Happy New Year. Embrace the Spread!
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