Michigan Football, the 2020 Abbreviated COVID Season

[WingsFan]

In underwhelming news Ed Warinner Jr transfers to Michigan from msu

[lineygoblue]

In underwhelming news Ed Warinner Jr transfers to Michigan from msu

Yeah, that one was just a matter of time. Not sure of how good the kid is, but hopefully he can be of help.

The February signing period is coming up. Hopefully a tad of good news on that front soon.

[Niffla]

Probably right back to Florida for the bowl game. Outback most likely.

Awesome. Can't wait.

[lineygoblue]

Awesome. Can't wait.

lol .. I know, Niffla. I wish I could be more optimistic.

[Niffla]

lol .. I know, Niffla. I wish I could be more optimistic.

[iam416]

Congratulations to Coach HARBAUGH!!! on another top 20 finish. And they finished 2 points ahead of Appy State! Revenge for the 2 points Appy State finished ahead of them in 2007!

[Jeff Buchanan]

M is what it is under Harbaugh.

I think the chinks in M's armor are obvious:

M can't produce the offensive numbers to keep up with the ever improving offenses of the elite teams M faced and will face going forward. Unless this changes M will not only routinely lose to elite teams but also will be challenged by more innovative and better executed offenses of 2nd tier teams that M is now solidly entrenched among.

Don Brown plays tight C1, man and tries to overwhelm opponents with blitzes. It's a high risk, high reward approach that has to have an offense that can answer 1:1 when that approach gets burned ..... and it will. See above.

For me, it's silly to expect more from M football. I'm resigned to the status quo that is 8-4 to 9-3 with an occasional 10-2 because a given schedule in a given season worked out in favor of M. But the conclusion that "M is what it is under Harbaugh" is absolutely solid and I don't see things changing any time soon.

[lineygoblue]

Not sure why the Harbaugh snark has appeared this morning, but oh well.

Too bad Urban Meyer let Joe Burrow get away to LSU. That has to be the worst personnel decision of his career. But, at least in favoring Haskins, he got one good year from him, and a Rose Bowl consolation prize, with a win over the mighty Huskies.

Maybe Joe will bring the NC and Heisman trophies to Columbus and show them to his former team mates.....

.... then again, maybe not

[iam416]

It's always appropriate to report on M's season accomplishments.

The vast majority of OSU fans prefer Haskins+Fields+Fields to Burrow+Burrow. And all of them prefer either to Patterson+Patterson+McCaffrey.

[lineygoblue]

As Jeff said, Michigan is what it is. I think most of us have accepted that. When they deserve to win, they'll win. Patterson is in the past, and nothing can be done to change it. McCaffery and Milton are the future. No telling how that will pan out.

Hard for me to believe that OSU would not have liked to have Haskins+Burrow today, rather than Haskins+Fields. But then again, that's just me. I don't know anything about OSU fans. Maybe Haskins' Rose Bowl victory and a 3rd place finish in the playoffs was more important than keeping Burrow around.

[iam416]

That wasn't the choice. Whoever won the starting the job LAST year, the other was transferring. If it's Burrow, then he's here for two years and Haskins is off somewhere else putting up video game numbers. That's the problem when you have two first round NFL picks on your roster fighting for one spot. That's the choice. It's Haskins-Fields-Fields or Burrow-Burrow. It's absolutely NOT Haskins-Burrow.

And Haskins was way better than Burrow last year. And Fields was ridiculously good this year -- he just didn't have the all-time greatest year ever for a QB. We'll see what he does this year.

In any event, Ohio State QBs, the past two seasons, have an TD/Int ratio of 91:11 with 12 more rushing TDs. 103 total TDs in two seasons. I'll live with that.

But, yes, finishing 13-1 and winning a Rose Bowl is a down year for Ohio State. I will concede that.

[lineygoblue]

But, yes, finishing 13-1 and winning a Rose Bowl is a down year for Ohio State. I will concede that.

Always strive to be your best. That's what Harbaugh says.

[iam416]

Approach each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. Indeed.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I think the hypothetical here is whether osu would have beaten Clemson and then LSU to win the NC with Burrow instead of fields.

The thing is that good OCs design the offense around a QB's skill set. Burrows and fields are different QBs. Both appear ro have been coached optimally. I also don't think osu's loss had anything to do with fields. Is osu with burrow as QB more likely to win the NC? I don't think so. day had designed an excellent game plan v. Dabo. It was working nicely. Clemson didn't have much - as could also be seen by the degree of control LSU had over Clemson in the NC game. Save some weird randomness that went against osu, osu would have and should have won that game.

The next question - could osu with fields at QB have beaten LSU with Burrows? I doubt it. Nothing was stopping that buzz saw. LSU had the most complete team in 2019, deserved the NC and probably would have done the same to osu that they did to Clemson. I think Burrow in LSU's offense was better than fields in osu's but I don't think if you change those QBs out and don't change the systems and as it applies to the question of osu, no, osu does no better with Burrow than it did with fields.

[iam416]

First, it's Burrow. There's not more than one of him.

Second, if OSU had Burrow then LSU wouldn't have. So, that's the easy question. Unless he is plural then it would have been a battle of the Burrows.