Hello, this section is back again after a week off because I didn't think there would be any upsets last week. Looking back, there really werent although there were a couple of close calls. Looking ahead to this week, I have a hard time seeing any upsets again but I will point out a few games that should be worth flipping the channel to.
Texas A&M @ Alabama
This is not because I think TAMU has a chance against the Crimson Tide, but because Alabama is just that good. If you have time check out this game. They are the most dominant team in the country, and after the close call in Death Valley last weekend I doubt that Saban will allow Alabama to have any sort of repeat the rest of the season. They are a well oiled machine.
Kansas State @ TCU
I know, I will be in Kansas this weekend with a lot of KSU people. Maybe I will get to watch the game over a couple of beers with them, too bad the game wasnt in Manhatten. Anyways, Heisman favorite Klein is questionable at this point in the week, and I have no doubts that he will start the game but I do wonder how he will hold up. TCU still has one of the best defenses in the conference and can get to the quarterback. I know the Wildcats are ranked number 2, but I think it would be a tragedy if Oregon did not get a chance to face Alabama in the National Championship Game. So, maybe I will be pulling for TCU a little bit.
Louisville @ Syracuse
I am not sure how the Cardinals are still undefeated, oh wait I do, they play in the Big Least. It is more of a joke than the B1G this season. They have been flirting with an L for a couple of weeks now, and Syracuse might just have the offense to knock them off at home in the Carrier Dome. I think this game is close, and who knows what can happen if it is. It is pretty impressive how little respect Louisville is getting this year, they might have the best chance of going undefeated of anyone, yet they will barely crack the top ten when bowl selections are announced. Good luck against Georgia or some other real team, maybe they will let them play Louisana Tech... I would still take Tech.
Penn State @ Nebraska
I still havent decided who I am going to pick in this game, I will tomorrow. On one side I dont think the Cornhuskers are very good and I want them to lose every game on their schedule, but on the other they do play well at home and I don't think Penn State has the offensive power to score enough to win in Lincoln. I do think this game will be close, and the Nittany Lion defense should be good enough to slow down Martinez and company. The Cornhusker defense does blitz well, so it will be interesting to see how McGloin will handle the crowd and the pressure. If he can handle it well, then Penn State should be able to score at least 24 on Nebraska, but will it be enough?
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
B1G Week 10 Recap
I had all of my picks dead on this past week until Michigan State realized that Michigan fans all over were rooting for them and they decided they would instead like to pop the small bubble of hope for our Wolverines to go to Indianapolis this season. I was not impressed with either team, and both seemed not to want to win the game at times. After watching it, I really wished Michigan had another shot at the Cornhuskers this season because it was obvious that they are not very good. Yay, Big Ten.
I really like this Indiana team though. I mean, as much as you can like a 4-5 club. But the Hoosiers are the bottom dwellers almost every season, but somehow Coach Wilson has them playing very well right now. Not sure if you knew this, but they have a better shot at Indianapolis than Michigan does at this point. I am excited to see how they play against Wisconsin this week, who will be breaking in a new quarterback.
Purdue has just given up on Coach Hope and on the season and have become possibly the biggest joke of the B1G. Just a few short weeks ago, they were the favorites to go to Indy and possibly the Rose Bowl. Hah, joke is on us I guess. It will be fun to see who gets their first conference win first, Purdue or Illinois.
The worst part of the weekend was by far the Spartan choke. I was very impressed with the way they went into Madison and pulled out a big win. I said it was the biggest of Dantonio's career and should be enough to turn this season around for them. They still had an outside shot at the championship game too. They had the game all but wrapped up with a redzone interception returned for a touchdown. But, it was called back due to a personal foul that had nothing to do with the return. I mean, seriously people, can't you save your criminal acts for kids in the dorms... too soon? Even with the penalty, it seemed Michigan State had the game wrapped up, but then they went into play not to lose mode and it all came crashing down. They have a 250 pound running back, but chose to punt the ball on a 4th and 2 from the 41. Of course the punt went into the endzone. They had Nebraska stopped at a 4th and 10, but then dropped back into an 8 man zone and allowed arm-punt champ to find the hole and pick up 40 yards. Yes, all the fans are complaining about the weak pass interference call in the end zone on Adams, but the Spartans should have never even been in that situation and had the game wrapped up a long time before that. I root for Michigan State for one week and become so outraged at their terrible-ness that I cannot imagine how they have any real fans... oh wait they dont, the student section was empty by halftime in a game against the conference favorites. At this point, little brother is a compliment.
Week 10 Power Rankings:
1. Ohio State (no change)
2. Nebraska (no change, but only because there is nobody else I can put here)
3. Penn State (no change)
4. Michigan (up 1)
5. Northwestern (down 1)
6. Wisconsin (up 1, hurray for bye weeks)
7. Michigan State (down 1)
8. Indiana (up 2)
9. Minnesota (no change)
10. Iowa (down 2)
11. Purdue (no change, only because Illinois is just that bad)
12. Illinois (no change)
I really like this Indiana team though. I mean, as much as you can like a 4-5 club. But the Hoosiers are the bottom dwellers almost every season, but somehow Coach Wilson has them playing very well right now. Not sure if you knew this, but they have a better shot at Indianapolis than Michigan does at this point. I am excited to see how they play against Wisconsin this week, who will be breaking in a new quarterback.
Purdue has just given up on Coach Hope and on the season and have become possibly the biggest joke of the B1G. Just a few short weeks ago, they were the favorites to go to Indy and possibly the Rose Bowl. Hah, joke is on us I guess. It will be fun to see who gets their first conference win first, Purdue or Illinois.
The worst part of the weekend was by far the Spartan choke. I was very impressed with the way they went into Madison and pulled out a big win. I said it was the biggest of Dantonio's career and should be enough to turn this season around for them. They still had an outside shot at the championship game too. They had the game all but wrapped up with a redzone interception returned for a touchdown. But, it was called back due to a personal foul that had nothing to do with the return. I mean, seriously people, can't you save your criminal acts for kids in the dorms... too soon? Even with the penalty, it seemed Michigan State had the game wrapped up, but then they went into play not to lose mode and it all came crashing down. They have a 250 pound running back, but chose to punt the ball on a 4th and 2 from the 41. Of course the punt went into the endzone. They had Nebraska stopped at a 4th and 10, but then dropped back into an 8 man zone and allowed arm-punt champ to find the hole and pick up 40 yards. Yes, all the fans are complaining about the weak pass interference call in the end zone on Adams, but the Spartans should have never even been in that situation and had the game wrapped up a long time before that. I root for Michigan State for one week and become so outraged at their terrible-ness that I cannot imagine how they have any real fans... oh wait they dont, the student section was empty by halftime in a game against the conference favorites. At this point, little brother is a compliment.
Week 10 Power Rankings:
1. Ohio State (no change)
2. Nebraska (no change, but only because there is nobody else I can put here)
3. Penn State (no change)
4. Michigan (up 1)
5. Northwestern (down 1)
6. Wisconsin (up 1, hurray for bye weeks)
7. Michigan State (down 1)
8. Indiana (up 2)
9. Minnesota (no change)
10. Iowa (down 2)
11. Purdue (no change, only because Illinois is just that bad)
12. Illinois (no change)
Week 10: Minnesota Recap
We found out just minutes before kick-off that Denard was not going to play at all against Minnesota, and for the first time in his career MarQueis Gray was going to play against the maize and blue. Apparently in warm ups it was very clear that Denard was not able to play at quarterback. I am not sure if it was the cold that bothered his elbow, the new bulky elbow pad, or just a case where he needs more time to heal. The Wolverines took the field with Devin under center, and for much of the first quarter it appeared that the Nebraska game never really ended. But he battled back and became more settled in the pocket and threw some extremely good passes. Devin led the team to a dominant road win, and kept the team on pace to head to the Capital One Bowl.
The interior offensive line really had a rough day. Minnesota was leading the B1G in sacks coming into the game, and we found out quickly why. Mealer, Barnum, and Omameh were push back numerous times. Both guards look very suspect when pulling for a running play which is interesting because both were recruited as smaller, more athletic, lineman for Rich Rod. The scary thing is that their mistakes are different with each pull. Sometimes they drop too far into the backfield and then cannot get in front of the running back, sometimes they trip over the center's feet, sometimes they hesitate when the ball is snapped. It doesn't look like any of these are correctable in the near future. Coach Hoke has even mentioned putting backups to see if anything would change. Mealer seemed like an average filler after Molk graduated, but he has seemed to degress during conference play. I think the main reason why last season and the defense of this year are so much fun to watch is that you can see their improvement each week. The same does not hold true for the offense right now. The running game is still non-existant, and if Denard is out for Northwestern or Ohio State then Devin will have a more difficult time trying to complete passes.
Michigan definitely struggled to get pressure on the quarterback for consistent stretches of the game. Yes, the B1G really lacks playmakers at receiver and the Wolverine secondary is able to defend in man coverage mostly. If Michigan wants to compete on a national level, whether that means against Ohio State in Columbus or against a top 10 team in the bowl game, they will have to find a way to pressure the quarterback. In the coming years look for Mario, Jake Ryan, and some future recruits to really fall into the scary pass rushing type.
I really liked Devin's play at quarterback. I know it has spurred on some conversation about him jumping Denard even when number 16 is healthy, which is very premature in my opinion. Gardner did have a very good game though, and I give credit to the coaching staff because the play-calling really seemed to help him out after the first quarter. He looked a little shell shocked after the first 3 drives, but then they began running some quick passing plays to get Devin into a comfort zone and the running game was able to manage 155 yards without Denard. I especially liked Devin's decisiveness when it came to scrambling, after his interception he stopped tryinng to force throws and took the 5-6 yards the Gophers were giving him instead. Yes, a forced throw could result in a 25 yard completion and completely break the opponents back, but more times than not, a forced throw will result in an incompletion or turnover. It was amazing to see the first fade pass since Chad Henne. I find it funny that we had to put in our "3rd string" quarterback to finally run a fade route. Gardner threw some passes that only his receiver could catch, and his deep throws are more polished than Denard's already. While I am hoping Devin is not starting at quarterback the rest of the season, he gave me a lot of hope for next season's offense. Maybe his future is at signal caller after all.
Looking ahead Michigan has two tough tests remaining and one game that I feel pretty confident about. In the preseason, those two games would be Iowa and Ohio State, but Northwestern has surprised me. Northwestern is really the only team that can take the Capital One Bowl away from Michigan at this point (unless it is Nebraska handing them the Rose Bowl). They have a very run first offense that will be a stiff test for our defense. It should be very exciting.
The interior offensive line really had a rough day. Minnesota was leading the B1G in sacks coming into the game, and we found out quickly why. Mealer, Barnum, and Omameh were push back numerous times. Both guards look very suspect when pulling for a running play which is interesting because both were recruited as smaller, more athletic, lineman for Rich Rod. The scary thing is that their mistakes are different with each pull. Sometimes they drop too far into the backfield and then cannot get in front of the running back, sometimes they trip over the center's feet, sometimes they hesitate when the ball is snapped. It doesn't look like any of these are correctable in the near future. Coach Hoke has even mentioned putting backups to see if anything would change. Mealer seemed like an average filler after Molk graduated, but he has seemed to degress during conference play. I think the main reason why last season and the defense of this year are so much fun to watch is that you can see their improvement each week. The same does not hold true for the offense right now. The running game is still non-existant, and if Denard is out for Northwestern or Ohio State then Devin will have a more difficult time trying to complete passes.
Michigan definitely struggled to get pressure on the quarterback for consistent stretches of the game. Yes, the B1G really lacks playmakers at receiver and the Wolverine secondary is able to defend in man coverage mostly. If Michigan wants to compete on a national level, whether that means against Ohio State in Columbus or against a top 10 team in the bowl game, they will have to find a way to pressure the quarterback. In the coming years look for Mario, Jake Ryan, and some future recruits to really fall into the scary pass rushing type.
I really liked Devin's play at quarterback. I know it has spurred on some conversation about him jumping Denard even when number 16 is healthy, which is very premature in my opinion. Gardner did have a very good game though, and I give credit to the coaching staff because the play-calling really seemed to help him out after the first quarter. He looked a little shell shocked after the first 3 drives, but then they began running some quick passing plays to get Devin into a comfort zone and the running game was able to manage 155 yards without Denard. I especially liked Devin's decisiveness when it came to scrambling, after his interception he stopped tryinng to force throws and took the 5-6 yards the Gophers were giving him instead. Yes, a forced throw could result in a 25 yard completion and completely break the opponents back, but more times than not, a forced throw will result in an incompletion or turnover. It was amazing to see the first fade pass since Chad Henne. I find it funny that we had to put in our "3rd string" quarterback to finally run a fade route. Gardner threw some passes that only his receiver could catch, and his deep throws are more polished than Denard's already. While I am hoping Devin is not starting at quarterback the rest of the season, he gave me a lot of hope for next season's offense. Maybe his future is at signal caller after all.
Looking ahead Michigan has two tough tests remaining and one game that I feel pretty confident about. In the preseason, those two games would be Iowa and Ohio State, but Northwestern has surprised me. Northwestern is really the only team that can take the Capital One Bowl away from Michigan at this point (unless it is Nebraska handing them the Rose Bowl). They have a very run first offense that will be a stiff test for our defense. It should be very exciting.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Week 10: Minnesota Preview
At the beginning of the week this game looked like another likely loss with Denard's status uncertain. Today the Michigan coaching staff revealed he would start tomorrow's game, which drastically changes the outlook. Most of the Rose Bowl hope was extinguished with last weekend's effort, but I guess the Wolverines can still ruin Ohio State's perfect season, win their remaining regular season games, and knock off a top 10 SEC team in the Capitol One Bowl.
Minnesota Rush Offense vs Michigan Rush Defense
The Golden Gophers are improving on the offensive side of the ball this season, but are nothing compared to what Michigan has faced with multiple teams already this year. The Wolverine defensive line should have no problem taking on blocks to allow for free linebackers. Minnesota also will not threaten too much with a vertical passing game, so the secondary will be able to come up and help more in the run game. Look for Quinton Washington, Kenny Demens, and Jordan Kovacs to bounce back in a big way tomorrow. Advantage Michigan.
Minnesota Pass Offense vs Michigan Pass Defense
The Wolverines continue to take advantage of the sub-par passing attacks in the B1G, and have recently taken over the top passing defense in the nation. Minnesota has turned the reins over to a freshman quarterback that fits Coach Jerry Kill's system well. This kid will likely turn into an above average B1G signal caller by the time he is a junior, but the inexperience will really hamper him tomorrow. Nebraska was likely the best passing team Michigan will face this year, and they held Martinez to a season low in yards. I think the Michigan pass rush will be able to crank up a few more blitzes tomorrow and Jake Ryan and Craig Roh will be in the back field most of the afternoon. Advantage Michigan.
Michigan Rush Offense vs Minnesota Rush Defense
Now we get to the offensive side of the ball and we hit the biggest question marks. If Denard does in fact start, and is healthy again, Michigan should be able to go over 200 yards on the ground with little trouble. If number 16 has to come out of the game again, the running attack will likely cease to exist. It seems that Fitz is just not going to get it going like last year and will continue to be a disappointment in the back field (I guess we dont have to worry about him leaving early). I am interested to see if Rawls gets some playing time tomorrow, and if not him, someone other than Fitz or Smith. With Denard, Michigan has the huge advantage. Without him, I would lean toward Minnesota.
Michigan Pass Offense vs Minnesota Pass Defense
Again, this section greatly depends on whether Denard can play for a full 60 minutes. The receivers have shown that there is nothing exceptional about the unit, so they will not be able to help out a back up quarterback if one is needed. The tight ends are all one dimensional at this point in their careers, and the offensive line is struggling with consistency. Denard was showing last Saturday that he looked comfortable in the pocket and he made some extremely good throws before he got hurt. I don't see any reason why that wouldn't continue the rest of the season if he can stay on the field. With Denard, advantage Michigan. Without Denard, huge advantage Minnesota.
This game comes down to the quarterback play. If Denard stays in for 4 quarters, Michigan has the huge advantage in this category and the game should be over by halftime. On the flip side, if Bellomy or Gardner hits the field for critical minutes then Michigan's best chance of moving the ball will be trying to get 30 yard penalties like last weekend in Lincoln. I think, or at least want to believe, that Denard is back to 100% and Michigan rolls to a bounce back win 34-13.
Minnesota Rush Offense vs Michigan Rush Defense
The Golden Gophers are improving on the offensive side of the ball this season, but are nothing compared to what Michigan has faced with multiple teams already this year. The Wolverine defensive line should have no problem taking on blocks to allow for free linebackers. Minnesota also will not threaten too much with a vertical passing game, so the secondary will be able to come up and help more in the run game. Look for Quinton Washington, Kenny Demens, and Jordan Kovacs to bounce back in a big way tomorrow. Advantage Michigan.
Minnesota Pass Offense vs Michigan Pass Defense
The Wolverines continue to take advantage of the sub-par passing attacks in the B1G, and have recently taken over the top passing defense in the nation. Minnesota has turned the reins over to a freshman quarterback that fits Coach Jerry Kill's system well. This kid will likely turn into an above average B1G signal caller by the time he is a junior, but the inexperience will really hamper him tomorrow. Nebraska was likely the best passing team Michigan will face this year, and they held Martinez to a season low in yards. I think the Michigan pass rush will be able to crank up a few more blitzes tomorrow and Jake Ryan and Craig Roh will be in the back field most of the afternoon. Advantage Michigan.
Michigan Rush Offense vs Minnesota Rush Defense
Now we get to the offensive side of the ball and we hit the biggest question marks. If Denard does in fact start, and is healthy again, Michigan should be able to go over 200 yards on the ground with little trouble. If number 16 has to come out of the game again, the running attack will likely cease to exist. It seems that Fitz is just not going to get it going like last year and will continue to be a disappointment in the back field (I guess we dont have to worry about him leaving early). I am interested to see if Rawls gets some playing time tomorrow, and if not him, someone other than Fitz or Smith. With Denard, Michigan has the huge advantage. Without him, I would lean toward Minnesota.
Michigan Pass Offense vs Minnesota Pass Defense
Again, this section greatly depends on whether Denard can play for a full 60 minutes. The receivers have shown that there is nothing exceptional about the unit, so they will not be able to help out a back up quarterback if one is needed. The tight ends are all one dimensional at this point in their careers, and the offensive line is struggling with consistency. Denard was showing last Saturday that he looked comfortable in the pocket and he made some extremely good throws before he got hurt. I don't see any reason why that wouldn't continue the rest of the season if he can stay on the field. With Denard, advantage Michigan. Without Denard, huge advantage Minnesota.
This game comes down to the quarterback play. If Denard stays in for 4 quarters, Michigan has the huge advantage in this category and the game should be over by halftime. On the flip side, if Bellomy or Gardner hits the field for critical minutes then Michigan's best chance of moving the ball will be trying to get 30 yard penalties like last weekend in Lincoln. I think, or at least want to believe, that Denard is back to 100% and Michigan rolls to a bounce back win 34-13.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
B1G Week 10 Preview
It is another big week in conference play, especially in the Legend's Division. Nebraska can take another step towards Indianapolis, while more teams can become bowl eligible with wins.
Iowa at Indiana Saturday @ 3:30pm
The Hawkeyes just seem lifeless this season. Most people expected Vandenberg to be one of the conference's best quarterbacks, but that is just turning out not to be the case. They have had issues keeping running backs healthy, and lately their defense is struggling to stop opponents rushing attacks. Indiana looks much improved in just Coach Wilson's second year. Their offense is unique and difficult to stop, even with the limited talent on the roster. I think Indiana can score enough points at home to knock off Iowa, and right now in the season I dont trust the Hawkeyes to put up 25 points.
Nebraska at Michigan State Saturday @ 3:30pm
This is the marquee game of the week in the conference. As a Michigan fan you root hard for Michigan State in this game to knock off the very average Huskers. On a side note though, I am not confident in Michigan to win the remaining games on their schedule. Anyways, Nebraska did not impress me on either side of the ball last weekend. I was more impressed with the big blue defense and appauled at the monstrositry that was the maize and blue offense. Michigan State looked backed into a corner with little life left late in Madison last week, but they fought back to force overtime and eventually with the game on the road. It was honestly one of the most impressive wins in the Dantonio era. I think the Spartans can carry that momentum back home with them this weekend against Big Red. Nebraska has not looked very good on the road this season, and I think the Michigan State defense continues that trend. Michigan State in a close game, winning in OT or on a late field goal.
Illinois at Ohio State Saturday @ 3:30pm
Ohio State is the conference's best team and Illinois is by far the worst team. This one will get out of hand quickly, and if Meyer is smart Braxton will get some rest in this game.
Penn State at Purdue Saturday @ 3:30pm
Purdue has been absolutely terrible in conference play so far, and it looks like Danny Hope will not be able to turn things around enough to keep his job at the end of the year. Penn State is coming off of a loss at home, and will be looking to bounce back. I think Penn State is just far superior to the Boilers in this one, and it looks like Purdue has given up on the season already.
Iowa at Indiana Saturday @ 3:30pm
The Hawkeyes just seem lifeless this season. Most people expected Vandenberg to be one of the conference's best quarterbacks, but that is just turning out not to be the case. They have had issues keeping running backs healthy, and lately their defense is struggling to stop opponents rushing attacks. Indiana looks much improved in just Coach Wilson's second year. Their offense is unique and difficult to stop, even with the limited talent on the roster. I think Indiana can score enough points at home to knock off Iowa, and right now in the season I dont trust the Hawkeyes to put up 25 points.
Nebraska at Michigan State Saturday @ 3:30pm
This is the marquee game of the week in the conference. As a Michigan fan you root hard for Michigan State in this game to knock off the very average Huskers. On a side note though, I am not confident in Michigan to win the remaining games on their schedule. Anyways, Nebraska did not impress me on either side of the ball last weekend. I was more impressed with the big blue defense and appauled at the monstrositry that was the maize and blue offense. Michigan State looked backed into a corner with little life left late in Madison last week, but they fought back to force overtime and eventually with the game on the road. It was honestly one of the most impressive wins in the Dantonio era. I think the Spartans can carry that momentum back home with them this weekend against Big Red. Nebraska has not looked very good on the road this season, and I think the Michigan State defense continues that trend. Michigan State in a close game, winning in OT or on a late field goal.
Illinois at Ohio State Saturday @ 3:30pm
Ohio State is the conference's best team and Illinois is by far the worst team. This one will get out of hand quickly, and if Meyer is smart Braxton will get some rest in this game.
Penn State at Purdue Saturday @ 3:30pm
Purdue has been absolutely terrible in conference play so far, and it looks like Danny Hope will not be able to turn things around enough to keep his job at the end of the year. Penn State is coming off of a loss at home, and will be looking to bounce back. I think Penn State is just far superior to the Boilers in this one, and it looks like Purdue has given up on the season already.
B1G Week 9 Recap
It became clear again who is the best team in the conference, and it also became clear that the B1G champion will likely crack the top 20 in the rankings. Welcome to how the Big East feels each year, except they are used to being an embarrassment in the BCS.
You guys watched the games and saw what happened. If you didnt, you really didnt miss much. I am just going to jump right into my power rankings.
1. Ohio State (up 1)
2. Nebraska (up 3)
3. Penn State (down 1)
4. Northwestern (up 2)
5. Michigan (down 4) I averaged with healthy Denard #1, without #9
6. Michigan State (up 1)
7. Wisconsin (down 3... and most likely the B1G representative in the Rose Bowl... mmm)
8. Iowa (up 1)
9. Minnesota (up 1)
10. Indiana (up 1)
11. Purdue (down 3)
12. Illinois (no change)
You guys watched the games and saw what happened. If you didnt, you really didnt miss much. I am just going to jump right into my power rankings.
1. Ohio State (up 1)
2. Nebraska (up 3)
3. Penn State (down 1)
4. Northwestern (up 2)
5. Michigan (down 4) I averaged with healthy Denard #1, without #9
6. Michigan State (up 1)
7. Wisconsin (down 3... and most likely the B1G representative in the Rose Bowl... mmm)
8. Iowa (up 1)
9. Minnesota (up 1)
10. Indiana (up 1)
11. Purdue (down 3)
12. Illinois (no change)
Week 9: Nebraska Recap
I have to be honest, I have been delaying my weekly blog posts because my current opinion of Michigan football is very discouraging. Sitting down here in West Virginia with nothing else to do, I figured I owed it to my loyal reader (maybe there are two now) to continue my normal weekly schedule.
I wish there wasn't a Michigan football game last Saturday night. It turned into one of the most frustrating losses in the Brady Hoke era, and all but ended Michigan's chances of making the Rose Bowl in the worst year of Big Ten football that I can ever remember.
There is not much good to pull from last weekend's debacle, so this post is going to be short since I dont want to get myself all worked up again. Basically to sum up my feelings right now, I haven't cared less about Michigan football since 2008 and 2009.
The Michigan football program lives and dies with one player, Denard Robinson. Saturday night he left with an elbow injury just before halftime, and immediately the game turned unwatchable. Russell Bellomy just didnt look like a capable B1G quarterback. It was frustrating because I felt that Michigan's other 10 offensive players were superior to Nebraska's, but since the quarterback was beyond useless the game was over at that point.
The defense managed to play reasonably well for most of the game, but got worn down by the end. The unit held Nebraska in check for the most part, and even moved up to tie Alabama for the nation's top passing defense. This likely has more to do with the competition level, but still that is pretty impressive.
Looking ahead, if Denard doesn't return soon, Michigan likely will not win another game this season. Devin Gardner is by far the best 2nd option at quarterback, but with him just starting to take snaps this week in practice I doubt he offers too much of an advantage over Bellomy. The offense just has nothing going for it right now, which became brutally obvious on Saturday night. The receivers are well below average and most cannot seem to pull a pass that would be labeled as difficult, the running backs have been utterly useless and the offensive line continues to struggle (not just the same guys either). So this weekend in Minnesota should result in a win, but who knows how the team responds after such a depressing loss.
I wish there wasn't a Michigan football game last Saturday night. It turned into one of the most frustrating losses in the Brady Hoke era, and all but ended Michigan's chances of making the Rose Bowl in the worst year of Big Ten football that I can ever remember.
There is not much good to pull from last weekend's debacle, so this post is going to be short since I dont want to get myself all worked up again. Basically to sum up my feelings right now, I haven't cared less about Michigan football since 2008 and 2009.
The Michigan football program lives and dies with one player, Denard Robinson. Saturday night he left with an elbow injury just before halftime, and immediately the game turned unwatchable. Russell Bellomy just didnt look like a capable B1G quarterback. It was frustrating because I felt that Michigan's other 10 offensive players were superior to Nebraska's, but since the quarterback was beyond useless the game was over at that point.
The defense managed to play reasonably well for most of the game, but got worn down by the end. The unit held Nebraska in check for the most part, and even moved up to tie Alabama for the nation's top passing defense. This likely has more to do with the competition level, but still that is pretty impressive.
Looking ahead, if Denard doesn't return soon, Michigan likely will not win another game this season. Devin Gardner is by far the best 2nd option at quarterback, but with him just starting to take snaps this week in practice I doubt he offers too much of an advantage over Bellomy. The offense just has nothing going for it right now, which became brutally obvious on Saturday night. The receivers are well below average and most cannot seem to pull a pass that would be labeled as difficult, the running backs have been utterly useless and the offensive line continues to struggle (not just the same guys either). So this weekend in Minnesota should result in a win, but who knows how the team responds after such a depressing loss.
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