Do more. Say less. I'm pulling out the phrase from John Beilein's basketball team from several years ago, but there's a mentality permeating Michigan that Michigan State is the "little brother" and they're a giant mess. I see this happening on Twitter, among parents, among former players, among Michigan-centric radio personalities, etc. You absolutely will not find it here. I don't think Michigan's players took the opponent lightly - they played hard - but I don't know if Michigan's 50/50 fortunes against MSU are going to change until the Spartans program gets more respect. I know a lot of people love him, but I hated when then running back (and current running backs coach) Mike Hart disrespected the Spartans in 2007 by calling them "little brother." (Of course, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio's response was equally childish if not more so, considering he was in his 40's or 50's at the time.) The rivalry has not been the same since then, and I really do think that comment was more significant than what some want to admit.
Hit the jump for more.
Good game, Cade McNamara. Starting quarterback Cade McNamara had been under some pressure to perform at a high level, and he posted his third-highest passer efficiency rating of the season. The top performance was against MAC team Western Michigan, the second best was against MAC team Northern Illinois, and the third best was against the #8-ranked Michigan State Spartans. He averaged 8.7 yards per attempt, completed 63.6% of his passes, and threw for a career-high 383 yards. He consistently made solid reads and kept the ball out of harm's way until Michigan's second-to-last drive when he threw an interception.
Good game, Andrel Anthony. Freshman receiver Andrel Anthony had himself what might be a career-best game in his freshman season. Playing in his hometown of East Lansing, he caught 6 passes for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 93-yarder.
Good game, Josh Gattis. Last week I was hard on Josh Gattis's game preparation, but I have to say he pulled out some good play calls this week. He schemed guys open in the secondary and tried a variety of run schemes. Unfortunately, Michigan's offensive line is not as good as some people think, so the running game was not very productive. McNamara did miss an open Andrel Anthony on a flea flicker, and Cornelius Johnson had a couple uncharacteristic drops, but overall, I thought Gattis called a good game. (NOTE: I do think they should and have been waiting for Michigan to break out some more outside zone from the pistol formation, but I guess that's not going to be a thing this year.)
Mike Macdonald has no tendencies, right? I got really annoyed earlier this season when Michigan was playing good defense and Michigan fans were all like "Mike Macdonald has no tendencies! Don Brown sucked because he had tendencies!" and I was all like "You just don't know him that well yet." To be fair, I didn't know Macdonald, either. He had never been a coordinator, so how could anyone know? But now that we're two-thirds of the way through the season, you're finding something out about Macdonald. First of all, his defense does not handle misdirection well. They can be fooled with well designed plays, just like they were against Nebraska, Northwestern, and now MSU with Jalen Nailor running wild and free in the secondary. Second, Macdonald will send in a whole new group of defensive linemen when the opponent doesn't substitute, and that bit Michigan in the proverbial ass, leading to a couple illegal substitution penalties and a touchdown.
Finally, the officiating. I wanted to put this closer to the top of the article, but I hate it when fans come out of a game and blame the officials for a loss. Michigan did a lot of things to ruin their own chance of winning. That being said, the officiating - particularly the replay officials - did a terrible job in this game. I posted this on Twitter last night, but I had to watch the game on DVR and after the second replay that went against Michigan, I said, "Okay, I know how this is going to go. This is going to be one of those games where every single review goes in favor of Michigan State.” And...ummm...yeah, that's exactly what happened.
- Kenneth Walker III scored a TD on the field but may have fumbled (LET IT STAND!)
- David Ojabo forced a fumble recovered by Aidan Hutchinson for a TD (REVERSED!)
- Jayden Reed caught a ball off the ground but it was ruled incomplete on the field (REVERSED!)
- Kenneth Walker III scored a TD that might not have crossed the goal line (LET IT STAND!)
- Chester Kimbrough booted for targeting (REVERSED!)
This is pass interference on either one of MSU's defensive backs, either for running into Johnson or for wrapping an arm around Johnson:
#MICHvsMSU
— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) October 30, 2021
Man, Michigan got done dirty by the officials today. Including a defensive touchdown taken off the board by a bogus replay review…. pic.twitter.com/24aAuB2bIA
This may or may not have been a fumble:
2 replay reviews don’t go Michigan’s way.
— George Wrighster III (@georgewrighster) October 30, 2021
Let the conspiracy theories start flying.
pic.twitter.com/4YWyLAH5rN
This should have been a touchdown:
David Ojabo & Aidan Hutchinson = the best pass-rushing duo in the country pic.twitter.com/Wby4S2PliL
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 30, 2021
I'm sure Michigan State fans can parse a few plays that they think should have been holding or pass interference or something, but these were game-changing plays that the officials either flat-out got wrong or at least erred on the side if Michigan State. One would think that at least one 50/50 play would go in Michigan's favor, but I guess not.
You can't leave it to the officials to win the game. Cornelius Johnson needs to catch the damn ball. Mike Macdonald needs to learn when not to substitute. Michigan's safeties need to learn how to cover. Jim Harbaugh needs to learn how to call a timeout. The offensive line needs to figure out how to block in the run game. The offensive coordinator needs to learn how to call/design outside run plays.
If we could know this game would serve as an opportunity to get better, it would take some of the sting out of the loss. But I'm not sure it will. I can hope.
ReplyDeleteOne thing Michigan better do is get better at tackling. Way to many broken tackles by Michigan St yesterday, and not all were done by their superstar RB.
DeleteThey also better tamp down on how much they use JJ McCarthy. He is immature.
@ DarJ 4:17 p.m.
DeleteMichigan is one of the top tackling teams in the country. They've missed fewer tackles than almost anyone. I thought they tackled everyone pretty well, except for Kenneth Walker, who might be having a Heisman-worthy season.
That whole "Little Brother" thing was stupid from the beginning. The whole smack-talking swagger thing is stupid. Being properly humble and gracious is a better way to go through life. Very few can truly justify arrogance. So don't be that way.
ReplyDeletedefensive TDs are always significant so its a huge deal when points are taken off the board like that. there were a few other tough calls/no calls. ive been of the mind that if officials lean one way or the other its often against the road team. even if not statistically accurate, i think its a good stance to take, dating to playing days. you must do everything in your power to remove the game from the officials hands. work to keep a cushion whenever possible, even more so in road rivalry games.
ReplyDeletemichigan had enough chances to win. they played fairly well and looked like the better team for long stretches of that game. however the D gave up too many big plays and committed too many unforced errors and the O left points on the field. the D got off on 3rd down for 90% of the game. unfortunately the big plays, busts, penalties, substitutions, etc came back to bite them. force 1 FG attempt on D maybe that alters the game.
the O had their chances too. they moved the ball, mcnamera played well and finally let it rip with some anticipation (which i loved and hopefully builds his confidence and that of his coaches moving forward - truly encouraging to see mcnamera do his part, connect with many receivers on variety routes, and anthony step up), and gattis/harbaugh called a nice game overall. they looked confident and coached up in all aspects of pass game for first time in a while and the staff looked comfortable making those calls too - not insignificant for harbaugh given his tenture.
some untimely drops really hurt, among other issues mentioned here and elsewhere. finally, msu scored all TDs while um settled for 4 FGs - finish 1 or 2 of those drives as they should and its game over.
the officials can be blamed but the entire team should own it as they left enough plays/points on the field to offset the final score and then some. it wouldnt have required a near perfect effort, it was still there for the taking. thats a rough one for the fellas, no two ways about it. well see if they can rebound rather than limping 9-4 like most previous harbaugh teams would with 2-3 straight poor losses to end the season
I hope it's finally clear to everyone that JJ McCarthy isn't ready to start, and will probably not even be ready next year to start. He is careless. It takes a long time to work carelessness out of a player. Some never get it worked out of their character.
Delete@ DarJ 4:08 p.m.
DeleteI agree that McCarthy isn't ready to start. Starting/playing a true freshman at virtually any position is going to include some bumps. He should not have been playing in those situations, especially after fumbling once (and losing it out of bounds). But he's a 5-star QB. If he's not starting by his sophomore year, you run the risk of losing him altogether.
This is comedy. talking smack is great entertainment - to the victor go the spoils. In the past Michigan got the spoils. Today - Michigan IS spoiled and has become the spoils..........
ReplyDeleteCoach Tucker, who was ridiculed, mocked by Michigan fans is now 2-0 vs Harbaugh; is well on his way to being awarded Big ten Coach of year honors - if not National Accolades and ......AND might have coached a runningback to Heisman Immortality.
Harbaugh , meanwhile is 0 for forever agaisnt OSU, is now 0-2 to MSU under Tucker ; 11 years as an FBS HC and never won any championship; can't beat a decent team on the road and has the football program to where they can barely - BARELY - defeat Rutgers.........
How long will Michigan football continue to suffer with this overpaid prima donna bunch of '80's "material Girl" BS?
INTJohn
"The offensive coordinator needs to learn how to call/design outside run plays."
ReplyDeleteHere's a better idea: just replace him.
Agree. Gatis is out of his league. McDonald makes too many mistakes and this game showed it. It looked like Don Browns D was back. If State can hang over 30 points on M. OSU could do well over 50 again.
Delete1) Michigan's defense played well until MSU started throwing the whole kitchen sink and then doubts started to creep in.
ReplyDelete2) Biggest difference in playcalling: On 4th and short, Harbaugh called for an obvious run call while Tucker called for a pass to the endzone.
3) I wished Michigan has continued recruiting Fullbacks. We needed Khalid Hill and Ben Mason yesterday. In fact, one reason we have had difficulty scoring in the redzone is because we did not have a Khalid Hill who is as automatic as we can in converting short yardage.
4) I do not know if MSU OL is better than Michigan OL but I thought Kenneth Walker was the one who made the difference between winning and losing. He seemed like a combination between Haskins and Corum. Strong yet elusive.
5) Jim Harbaugh is the most unlucky/hated coach. Every 50-50 calls has gone against him in big games. Either the refs dislike him/Michigan or he is just plain unlucky.
6)I disagree with what DarJ has written. I think this is why JJ should have been the starter from the beginning of the season. Hopefully, the fumble should have taken place against Northern Illinois or even Nebraska, not against MSU.
I think Michigan would have lost at least one game with McCarthy starting at QB. At some point he would have made a costly mistake (or two or three).
DeleteThunder, you might be right. JJ could cost us a game. Perhaps Nebraska/Wisconsin. But I would take that for an improved odds against MSU/OSU. I think I am at the point where I would rather be 7-5 with victory over MSU/OSU rather than 10-2 with losses to MSU/OSU. In both scenario, we are not winning the Big Ten so why not have some bragging rights over OSU/MSU and hopefully convert on-field victory to recruiting victory.
Delete@ FT 8:18 a.m.
DeleteI think 7-5 is way, way worse than 10-2, regardless of who the wins/losses are against. A 7-5 record leaves recruiting and the coaching situation in question, whereas most 10-2 teams are still going to be able to recruit well.
13 months ago Harbaugh was 3-2 vs MSU and no one really gave a damn. So I'm with Thunder in general. BUT. Things have gotten so OSU-focused that it seems like right now, in this moment in time, our fanbase would prefer 7 wins with one over OSU than 10 wins and a loss. Nobody seems to care about being a strong program that finishes in the top 10-20 right now.
DeleteIf it had been the other way around for the last 20 years (upset victories vs OSU but losses to Indianas of the world), people would be saying - we need to stop putting so much focus on OSU and avoid getting upset. Instead our fanbase would prefer we spent 2 days a week on OSU all season long and take our chances vs teams we can usually out-talent.
The grass is always greener and right now the thing our fanbase desires most is beating OSU. Two straight losses to MSU sting but it pales compared to OSU's utter dominance in this rivalry.
This one stings. It was a coin flip game, even with the officials helping MSU, but too many dumb mistakes by our guys. MSU made a few themselves but kept it to the first half. Ours were majority in the second half. It was a choke and nobody stepped up individually to stop it. Coaches, Running Backs, Hutchinson, nobody.
ReplyDeleteI basically agree with everything you wrote Thunder. I think those are very sound observations beyond the Hart stuff. Cade was excellent, hats off. Anthony looked like a star. What a dream first half for that kid.
It seems like MSU focused on stopping the run and let Michigan receivers play one on one with one deep safety. I don't think they felt like they needed to blitz a lot.
All - MVP of the offense.
McDonald got exposed a bit but hopefully he learned some lessons to take into Happy Valley and against OSU. Tucker and company were smart to pick on the substitutions thing. Face-palm worthy to let them keep doing it in the second half.
When I saw all the instate bets going to MSU I got very worried. It is what it is.
UM is 7-1. Split with Wisc and MSU, the two good teams they have faced. This never looked like a team that was going to go on the road to Madison, Lincoln, EL, HV, and hell even College Park and go undefeated. Reset and move ahead with eyes on PSU and OSU.
My only question about the OL is why is it that when the run game does bad it's the OL's fault and when they do well it's the RBs credit? Do Corum and Haskins only matter when the team wins?
DeleteMy retort when the argument occurred a couple weeks ago was this: maybe Corum does, but both at the same time seems like quite a coincidence.
Moreover, I said the RB that I saw as mattering most in CFB was Walker. I stand by that.
I doubt it will translate to the NFL level, because this kind of difference can get erased quickly with superior athletes and grown men, but Walker's ability to bounce of tackles and not go down is impactful at the college level. He's built short and strong and he's just a lot better at it than most other backs. We saw that play out again this week. Walker's that rare exceptional RB that matters. He's on that level of other recent backs that mattered like Barkley and Cook. Corum isn't there yet. I wish he was. If Michigan sticks to an offensive philosophy maybe he'll get there. More reps could help.
But back to the OL. Remember that play where MSU stuffed Michigan for a loss? I do too. You know why? Because it happens so damn rarely this season. Even in this one, with only one run over 20 yards, our backs still averaged nearly 4 ypc against a very good defense.
I thought our OL played great TBH. The protection was flat out dominant. Maybe it's a Tucker vs Dantonio thing but I can't remember our QBs ever getting all day to throw like that against MSU. That had a lot to do with Cade being able to sit back and find guys.
Cade and Anthony - that's called a coming out party and it's going to open things up for everyone else. The silver lining here is that Michigan is approaching a pick-your-poison proposition for opposing DCs.
I think most everyone read the NW game wrong based on a couple bad long throws and ignored some good signs like an actual intermediate route completion.
I think Cade keeps getting better. He's still who he is and not an all conference guy but the decision-making that won him this job was on full display this week. I'm starting to see some Brian Griese in this kid.
Some receiver thoughts:
DeleteAll - Dude can do it all - WR, FB, TE - and well. People jump too soon on small sample stuff like drops. OTOH...
Anthony - man was I skeptical about big 3 star in-state recruit but I saw that run against Northwestern and changed my mind on one play. Dude can fly and his instincts on the jump balls look excellent. You can contrast it with...
Johnson - I was skeptical even after watching him in a winged helmet but he really stepped up last year and made me a believer. Still don't see the upside others saw but "solid" was in reach. This was a brutal game but we've seen guys like Bell and Gray bounce back from brutal games. Johnson can still be a solid college player. Hopefully he is working hard on redeeming himself and turns this negative into a positive.
We miss Bell but part of that is Wilson and Henning still not taking that next step as WRs. Hopefully it'll come.
@ Lank 1:12 p.m.
DeleteI've been saying all season that the offensive line is not being as dominant as some people have said. Corum and Haskins are creating a lot of things on their own. But you have to at least have a crease. Michigan's offensive line is mostly doing a good job of identifying their blocks, but they're not doing a good job of moving people.
Well, Michigan is 33rd in Football Outsider's line yards stats and something like 19th in yards per carry. So perhaps there's some statistical backing to what you're asserting.
DeleteOTOH, Michigan's stuff rate is 12th in the country -- and I haven't seen our backs dancing behind the LOS like Barry Sanders. That stat says the OL is doing work.
I haven't seen Haskins or Corum create a lot of their own yards against Wisconsin or MSU. This is to be expected (e.g., "Denard struggles against good defenses") but I don't know how you can say they are creating on their own when we don't see it from either of them when the going gets tough and we do see it from both of them when the going is relatively easy.
If it was the RBs doing, it would be a huge coincidence that they both play well at the exact same time. You'd think we'd see one guy making more plays than the other but no - they've each struggled in the same 3 games (Wisc, MSU, Rutgers) and done well in the same 5 games.
Haskins and Corum have both been above 4.8 ypc in every one of the 5 'good' games.
Haskins and Corum have both been below 4.2 ypc in every one of the 3 'bad' games.
It's amazingly aligned.
Corum in particular seems to be up and down while Haskins is a bit more reliable (for better and for worse.) Corum's been either above 6ypc or below 3.5 ypc. Which kind of fits the narrative of the reliable guys vs the big play guy that you and I have been debating for a decade.
The clustering between backs in ypc indicates it's something else that drives different outcomes. In other words -- The OL is driving this stuff. For good or bad. The run game struggles when the OL struggles. There we agree (I think).
But where we diverge is that when they do well the RBs are the ones who create it. Sure, I couldn't do what those guys do, but many other NCAA backs could.
@ Lank 9:18 a.m.
DeleteOkay, let's pretend for a second that the offensive line is a difference-making offensive line.
Then I propose the same:
Why are good defenses able to stop the OL from being successful, while the bad defenses are unable to do so?
They aren't. Michigan's OL hasn't had a bad game yet. In the few instances where the run game was contained the pass protection was still excellent. #1 in the country in sack rate! Cades best games in pass rating have been the 3 where the run game was bottled up (Rutgers, Wisc, MSU).* So either the RBs look good or the QB looks good and the constant is the OL playing well.
ReplyDelete*Excluding non-conference cupcakes.
Run blocking and pass blocking are two different things. You know this.
DeleteSure but you didn't specify. You said the OL. Unlike RB, the OL is integral to both. RB can be, but often isn't.
DeleteFor all the talk about the run blocking the pass blocking appears to be elite, though tougher tests are coming than anyone they've seen off the edge yet.
The answer of why the run game didn't do as well against Rutgers, Wisc, and MSU is because those are good defenses who emphasized stopping the run. It wasn't that the OL didn't play well or that the RBs suddenly did or didn't matter. The context changed.
The OL has been good at run blocking all year long. The holes are much bigger and further downfield when facing WMU than MSU. You know this, but you want to give most of that credit to the RB anyway. Even when the 3rd string guy can come in and average 11 ypc.
Michigan ran well against MSU. Better than any of the real-ish teams MSU has played yet - Miami, Indiana, Nebraska. Ditto for Wisconsin. The RBs didn't stop mattering against MSU or Wisconsin, they never mattered. They're good; it just doesn't differentiate enough from some other RB that is also good sitting on the bench or waiting to transfer in from a lesser program. The stuff that RBs affect is lower down on the list of differentiating factors, even for the less important part of an offense - the run game.
Here's what determines run game success, in order of what matters most on a given day for a Big Ten level football:
1. How well the OL run blocks
2. Front 7 play against the run (includes read/react and tackling)
3. DC approach/ play calls
4. No fumbling
5. Pass game threats (influences 3 above and 6 below)
6. Secondary aggressiveness against run
7. RB ability to improvise at LOS to find alternative holes
8. RB ability to break tackles near LOS
9. RB ability in space to juke and/or jet around people
10. RB ability to break tackles or stiff arm downfield
TBH, I stopped reading once you started talking about whether running backs matter or not. It's such a tired topic at this point.
DeleteHaha, no kidding
DeleteGot it. "Such a tired topic" after a coin-flip road loss to MSU but a few weeks ago after coin-flip road win at Nebraska it was:
Delete"Thank goodness for Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum. Both of those guys are good arguments for Why Running Backs Matter"
...after which there were about 100 posts back and forth. So yeah. Tired.
DeleteThere were a thousand before that. But you brought it up again. Oh well.
DeleteLike I said, it'll be interesting to see what happens with the Titans. Maybe they'll fall apart because Derrick Henry is great and they're pulling off the scrap heap otherwise. Maybe not.
Titans 1-0 with a victory over the Rams.
DeleteTBF I doubt we learned anything as the run game wasn't good but two starting OL were also out. Hard to say that Henry was missed but it also wasn't clear that he was irrelevant.
Last time Derrick Henry averaged 2.1 yards/attempt or fewer: October 13, 2019.
DeleteI assume this is in reference to AP's 10 carries. Is there a reason you are ignoring the other 12 RB carries?
DeleteI can't keep track if YPC matters or not but if it does then it's notable that Titans RBs averaged 3.4 ypc with 2 of the starting OL out in the last game (while Henry averages 4.3 ypc on the season. And the Rams have been one of the better run defenses in the league.
The last time Henry averaged 3.4 ypc was...the week before.
The offense has been good in pass, run, or both in every game. Because of the OL more than anything else.
ReplyDeleteThe QBs have been up and down. The receivers have been up and down. The RBs have been up and down, though they've always played well IMO. The OL gets the job done every week though. Even battling through some injuries.
If the OL is one guy they'd be offensive MVP but it's 6. So the MVP is Erick All because like the OL he is integral to the pass and the run game. And because he plays FB, WR, and TE while leading the team in receiving.
We can analyze the game as much as we can. Perhaps it is time to believe that Harbaugh's team plays tight in big moments. I do not have any statistical evidence but it feels true. Perhaps this is due to the poor records against top 10 teams and against rivals. One year it is the poor OL play, one year it is the defensive substitution, another year it is Offensive Coordinator. I am starting to believe it it the head coach. I have been pro-Harbaugh but I am beginning to waver.
ReplyDeleteWhat has Jim Harbaugh won as a player or as a coach? He has always been good but not great. Close but never winning the ultimate prize.
I think the not great record against top 10 teams is because top 10 teams are very good. And many of those include top 2-3 teams (OSU).
DeleteThe stat is pretty meaningless without context. James Franklin has a similar record. Brian Kelly has a similar record. So will the majority of coaches who stick around long enough at their school but never quite enter into the elite tier.
That elite tier is currently occupied by Georgia, Alabama, and OSU. Clemson too if this year is a blip, which it may or may not be. Sliding into it is a big next step but it can happen. It's taken Smart years to get to eye level with Alabama, and like Harbaugh he still hasn't slayed the beast. It took years for Dabo to get Clemson there too. Sliding out of it doesn't take much (see Florida, USC, LSU).
That next step CAN be made if you're within shooting distance. Harbaugh has us there right now. It's certainly not easy. For Michigan it boils down to the obvious thing - beat OSU. What is happening in Columbus is just as important as what is happening in AA for that to happen.
John Beilein and Juwan Howard have also not won the ultimate prize. (Well, Juwan was technically along for the ride on Lebron's heat team but you get the point.)
DeleteWe are very lucky right now to have great coaches in hockey, baseball, basketball, and football. All have had tremendous success at one level of another and have won coach of the year awards at some point. They all have their programs in strong positions. But none have won a national title at Michigan.
I think I used the wrong phrase "ultimate prize" which seemed to imply winning the national championship. What I am referring to is actually to win the Big Ten Title which we have not won since 2004. During that period, MSU/PSU/Wisconsin have won 3 times each. We have always had higher recruiting ranking than each of those schools (perhaps on par with PSU).
DeleteIf you look at FPI, PFF, all kind of advanced metrics, Michigan is somehow supposed to be superior but for some reason it never translate to the field. I just think that all the past losses have accumulated and it is beginning to affect him and indirectly his team. At some point, unless something changes, you need to reboot and wipe clean the "memory of losing."
Beat OSU. It always boils down to that. OSU has won the big ten the last 4 years.
DeleteWe would have if we had beaten OSU in 2016, instead PSU won on tie breaker. H2H narrow win. Note that we crushed PSU that year 49-10.
Similarly in 2015 MSU won on a H2H narrow win tiebreaker with OSU. Beat OSU and you can tie OSU and win on tie breakers. Maybe. We tied them in 2019 and lost on tie breakers.
OSU is there at the top, always. They have stumbled here and there like anyone but OSU is whipping up on PSU and MSU just like they are whipping up on us, we just haven't had our 1 upset. Harbaugh is 0-5 instead of Franklin's 1-5 or whatever. For now.
You can't blame Harbaugh for what happened before that.
------------------------------
There's a big misconception that the advanced numbers are not based on what happens on the field. They are. Its independent of wins and losses, yes, but it's HOW WELL you are playing on the field. Nothing off of it once there is enough data to clear away the preseason stuff like returning talent.
Put it another way, Michigan outplayed MSU but lost. FPI and SP reflect that (and the rest of the season in total) because they ignore who won or lost and focus on who played better overall. Some will say you can't play better and lose but you can. Officiating for one thing.
Anyway, if Michigan was playing MSU again on a neutral field next week UM would be favored by Vegas. Because they've been a bit better team so far this year. Which doesn't matter for winning and losing for one game, but it's more predictive than anything else you or I can come up with.
Michigan is 7-1 with one of the toughest schedules in the country. So - it translates. You just have to think in terms of probabilities - like MLB or NBA if they were reduced down to one game. The better team will win 60% of the time and the far better team will win 80% of the time.
Alabama and OSU lost too. They're still better than every undefeated team save Georgia. We all know it but somehow can't acknowledge that somebody like Wisconsin can still be better than someone like MSU. Flukes happen.
-----------------------------------
We tried wiping the slate clean and we lost the 'memory of winning'. Now we have it back. Except OSU.
Your evaluation of Harbaugh should have no relationship to 2005-2014 except insofar as it tells you that Michigan wasn't beating OSU with 3 other head coaches either.
Here's the problem - that's really hard when OSU is at an all-time high and a top 2-3 program.
It's humorously obvious when a poster has never played competitive sports
ReplyDeleteIt's like the opposite of trolling online - you can't just make shit up. Go back under the bridge lil buddy.
Delete