ND 24, Michigan 17

[WM Wolverine]

Wimbush early hit alot of low percentage, deep throws which ND fans said he usually couldn't last year. These were mostly defended by Ms linebackers and safeties, in man coverage. Don brown needs to use his nickelback more as this was a trend from last season as how to beat Ms pass defense... Loss of Metellus was attacked early and Hawkins looked really bad on the long TD allowed.

Offensive tackle isn't the only issues with pass protection, the interior line and the running backs allowed their share of pressure too. Patterson wasn't good at sensing the pressure either, which made the offensive line issues worse. He had chances to extend plays and pickup yards on the ground which didn't materialize.

ND had a very good front seven, bad matchup for M in game 1. Still have the B1G to play for.

[Cody_Russell]

The OT situation will remain a dumpster fire as long as Runyan Jr and JBB are there.... especially in big games vs competent pass rush. Let the younger, talented OTs (Mayfield, Hudson) play so that 2019 might be saved.

Just so happy you can chalk up another loss to Ohio St already... moving M to what, 1-16 vs Ohio St in the last 17? Really making it hard for M fans under 30 to have any faith in the program considering the record in big games.

But again, sure, M will be 5-1 and have a big game vs Wisconsin. It will be a first if Harbaugh pulls off Ws in the following three games after staring 5-1. Big games vs Wisconsin, @ MSU, vs Penn St.

[UMStan White]

Jeff, did you watch the same game we all did? I was at the game and ND and their fans never felt the outcome was in jeopardy. This great defense put us in a hole in the first quarter that we could never overcome. One fucking TD all game from the new and improved offense. Meanwhile our savior Harbaugh continues to seek his first "signature win". Ain't happening in our lifetime old man

[Jeff Buchanan]

Yes, I saw the same game, Stan. I thought, given the optimism about improvements in the OL and QB situations, M would win this game. They didn't but it wasn't a complete disaster. ND schemed to get on top early hoping to prevent M from powering their way to a road win. Winbush hit some long passes he's never hit before just by putting the ball up, hoping he got it into the vicinity of a receiver and praying it would get caught. Playing from behind on the road has to be a 20/80 proposition to win against good teams and ND showed it was good and well prepared.

The OL is the same dumpster fire (Cody's term) that it was last season ...... against elite front sevens and ND's is darn good if not elite. On total stats, ND's D was one place behind M's in 2017 and everyone returned. Tough defense to open against on the road.

Fans have to resist stepping off the edge with a tough road loss against a very good ND football team to open the season. There are 11 games left and everyone of them is winnable if pre-season fancy stats are any indicator of that. Lets wait and see how they do v. WMU and SMU. If Shea is still running for his life against middling competition then I might be right there with you. But until that happens it, ain't over till it's over.

[CGVT]

Michigan has MAC talent on the offensive side of the ball. It isn't going to change when all you can recruit are three star athletes.

[UMStan White]

Jeff, UM was NEVER in the ND-UM game. ND came out of the box and kicked the shit out of our "vaunted defense". Did you watch Syracuse vs Western Michigan? Down 37-7 Western came storming back with big plays, UM defense is prone to giving up big plays. I wouldn't feel confident WMU is a lock. This team sucks. One offensive TD late in the 4th quarter after giving up 14 points halfway through the first quarter? A double teamed wide receiver in the back of the end zone and UM's front defender can't even knock the ball down let alone intercept it as the receiver reaches over his hands and snags it? I listened to Winbush's press conference after the game while I drove home. He was laughing, telling the press that ND knew t could exploit UM's pussy corners and safties with their 6-4, 6-5 259 lb receivers. Stop being Pollyanna. This team is going nowhere. Did you see Maryland kick the shit out of Texas? Northwestern slam Pur due? That's another 2 losses if UM plays as they did at ND.

[CGVT]

Jeff, UM was NEVER in the ND-UM game.

This is a fact.

[Rocky Bleier]

Bo Schembechler built the foundation of the Michigan football program on the offensive line position. He would be appalled at what has happened since his death in November, 2006.

Runyan got beat all night long on the same stunt. JBB battles as best as he can, but he has really heavy feet. Ruiz looked way over matched. The entire O-line looked confused, as usual. ND has a large, athletic defense, and the Michigan O-line was overwhelmed.

Winbush killed us with his legs. I was reminded of the Rose Bowl versus Texas and Vince Young. Don Brown bristled when Gerry DiNardo described his defense as high risk/high reward, but that's exactly what it is. D-Line got pressure, but Winbush was too athletic. Maybe all problems can't be solved with aggression?

Shea Patterson didn't play too poorly considering his lack of protection. He's no Baker Mayfield, but the poor kid has played his entire career behind bad lines. This team goes nowhere if the O-line doesn't improve. The defense will be on the field all day & night. Can't blame Warriner. He can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

I predict 5 losses and a recruiting class that falls into the 25 - 30 range. "Jim Harbaugh is overrated" is the sports media's favorite meme right now, and it will be shouted louder and spread farther as the year goes on and the losses pile up. Recruits will jump ship as they did when it was obvious that Hoke was going to be fired. Only the MAC-level 3 stars will remain.

[Whitley]

Shea and McCaffery are a huge step up from the QB play that was there last year.

O-Line is a mess. The middle looks okay for the most part, but OT is meh at best. I suppose that is an improvement. Last year it seemed like every other play was a jail break. O-Line is what is holding this team back.

Hard to have a deep passing game when the O-Line cant give you the protection you need for it.

Winbush made plays that he didn't make last year. A couple 50/50 balls went his way. On the long TD pass...anyone else thinking if JM was there...that TD doesn't happen (not that Hawkins had bad coverage on the play).

[Jeff Buchanan]

Jeff, UM was NEVER in the ND-UM game.

https://mgoblue.com/documents/2018/9...notre_dame.pdf

ND came out of the box and kicked the shit out of our "vaunted defense".

Did you watch Syracuse vs Western Michigan? Down 37-7 Western came storming back with big plays, UM defense is prone to giving up big plays. I wouldn't feel confident WMU is a lock.

No I didn't watch and yes, M is going to beat WMU next week and probably big. I'll have more to say on that game later and once I take a look I'll offer you a bet on the spread.

This team sucks.......This team is going nowhere. Did you see Maryland kick the shit out of Texas? Northwestern slam Pur due? That's another 2 losses if UM plays as they did at ND.

OK, if you say so and after one game of seeing M's offense you are entitled to your opinion that extrapolates one set of opening games to likely losses against Maryland at home (not going to happen) and NW on the road (also not going to happen) as wrong headed as it is.

One offensive TD late in the 4th quarter after giving up 14 points halfway through the first quarter? A double teamed wide receiver in the back of the end zone and UM's front defender can't even knock the ball down let alone intercept it as the receiver reaches over his hands and snags it? I listened to Winbush's press conference after the game while I drove home. He was laughing, telling the press that ND knew t could exploit UM's pussy corners and safties with their 6-4, 6-5 259 lb receivers.

Sure, in isolation these kinds of things aren't good. But players play and dudes make plays. Winbush played well - on the FIRST TWO ND drives. He was average after that in the face of a very aggressive pressure D that didn't give up big plays.

I said on Friday after reading Brian's mgo piece reviewing the 2-deep on the OL that ND's front 7 was going to handle M's OL. Brian noted he hoped the OL under Warriner would be improved but he wasn't optimistic. Clearly he was right and clearly ND took it to Runyan at LT through 3 quarters with a bevy of nice looking stunts. The interior was also susceptible, and unexpectedly so, to what I thought were A-gap blitzes. Patterson was running for his life from pressure either from his left or right in his face. Before I can talk OL failures with any accuracy though, we're all best served by looking at Brian's UFR Offense.

BTW, Hawkins was in perfect position in coverage on the 43 yarder from Winbush to Finke in the EZ. One of ND's big receivers, Finke, made a great play. Most teams feature smallish corners and in terms of height, smallish Ss. There's a reason for that and a counter-point reason modern FB loves big-ass receivers.

You'd be best served by ignoring today's narrative on M football. Chin up, Stan.

[Rocky Bleier]

Good take here... It ain't positive...


"Michigan has a spread-style quarterback with an offensive line coach who has coached a smashmouth spread team. Unfortunately, the play calling was from the Lloyd Carr era of Michigan football."

http://touch-the-banner.com/notre-dame-24-michigan-17/

[Hannibal]

[Jeff Buchanan]

From Rocky's link ..... This has already been mentioned in different terms by different observers including myself:

One of my biggest fears appears to have been realized.

• In 2015 and 2016, Michigan showed formations and plays with fullbacks and tight ends that are not seen often in college football right now, making them hard to defend. Another reason it worked was because Brady Hoke recruited players who happened to fit that system that Harbaugh eventually would use.
• In 2017, Michigan used those same formations and personnel but with less success, because a) the quarterback situation was not good and b) the offensive line was just as bad or worse.

The way I've seen it put is that Harbaugh and Hamilton haven't seen to it to optimize Patterson's skill set as a WCO, pistol QB. M has the receivers. I disagree with the idea they don't and can't go full spread. I also don't think M needs to go "full spread." However, what they have done is put Shea under center and have him execute a 5 step drop to let the play develop. At the 4th step, too often he has a defender in his face because the OL play can't support these plays. Brian will count how many plays Shea took from under center versus the gun but regardless, when in the gun, Patterson throws off one count short and wide. He tried Gentry a couple of times in the middle or flat but that was well defended by ND. His best plays out of the gun, I think there were three of them were to Perry on the sideline

The 52 yard post completion to Nico Collins on the second play of M's first possession of the 2nd half was nothing but Patterson taking two steps, seeing man coverage on the post and gunning it down field. It worked. Need more of that and less of the pro-style 5 step drop from under center. That is not his thing and the OL can't protect him that long. Patterson is also good on roll-outs and improvisation. Chuck the pro-style, 5 step drop shit.

There is a real discomfort though with the idea that the 2018 play-book isn't a lot different than 2017's despite bringing Patterson aboard and the thought that his skill set would demand a different offensive approach. That didn't happen in game one. I still saw a lot of PA along with IZ/OZ running plays that threw Higdon into brick walls with that kind of running game seemingly not opening up a passing attack like it should and is intended to do.

[Rocky Bleier]

Yeah, all we heard in the preseason was RPO. What I saw last night was last year's offense with a more accurate John O'Korn running for his life and trying to create on the fly.

[Hannibal]