Michigan 29, Indian 7 - Post Game Thread

[Jeff Buchanan]

M drops 3 spots from 6th to 9 in the AP. MSU jumps OSU to hold the 5th spot.

[lineygoblue]

M would not be competitive in any game involving any team in the top 10. Not as long as Harbaugh is in charge.

[iam416]

Sparty is in top 10

[froot loops]

Maybe we are dealing with short term memory loss.

[lineygoblue]

Sparty is in top 10

M was competitive?

Did anyone have any doubts that MSU was going to win?

I mean, really.

Competitive means that there is no way to predict the outcome. Its totally up in the air.

There was no way that MSU was going to lose. Nada.

[iam416]

Nonsensical. You define competitive to not mean competitive and then apply a wildly distorted view of the facts to that definition.

But, yeah, whatever — M wasn’t “competitive” with Sparty because “no one had doubts Sparty was gonna win.”

[froot loops]

I can confirm there was a very real chance they were going to lose when they were down 16.

[Tom W]

M was competitive?

Did anyone have any doubts that MSU was going to win?

I mean, really.

Competitive means that there is no way to predict the outcome. Its totally up in the air.

There was no way that MSU was going to lose. Nada.

That, my friend, has as much credibility as some of the stuff that Talent posts about OSU's vulnerability

[lineygoblue]

That, my friend, has as much credibility as some of the stuff that Talent posts about OSU's vulnerability

I know I'm out on a limb with that, and that's fine. But for me, somehow, that sense of dread I had all week long, just seemed to get stronger, and especially so right after halftime when M went 3 and out. Bend over, .. here it comes. Minus the K-Y.

[klondike]

They shoulda won. That's facts. Dominated stats and had a big lead in 2nd half. One player was the difference. They got Plaxico'd. It is sad when they can't stop one player and they know that's the only way they lose. That, and kicking fg's.

[WM Wolverine]

They weren't ready for Sparty's hurry up that they've displayed at times in previous games, that and settling for field goals were the major reasons they lost the game. Our receiver getting held on the 4th down was huge as was the strip, as was our receivers dropping a few balls that would've extended drives.

[Hannibal]

I think that will win this one, but it’s going to be ugly and the team is going to be really flat. I’m thinking something like 23-17 where we have to make a late stop to preserve the win

[Hannibal]

The inability to convert fairly short third and fourth downs is growing more and more concerning. It’s largely a product of our scheme, which has no fullback and no QB run threat.

Also — Haskins should be getting every critical third and fourth down carry. Corum isn’t a lightweight but he doesn’t have Haskins’s uncanny ability to fall forward for 2 yards every time that he gets hit. Corum is getting too many of those short yardage carries.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I can't imagine the loss to MSU is not going to diminish the energy and enthusiasm of this team when up until Saturday characterized them in a sort-of new way compared to previous Harbaugh teams. It shouldn't matter because Indiana is "BAAAD."

Goals are still achievable ...... technically. I think reaching those is a stretch. I'd hate to see this team, after all the energy and great football it has demonstrated to date, tank. I suppose it's possible. I'm not the right person to assess that possibility.

[Jeff Buchanan]

............ It’s largely a product of our scheme ............

I'd agree with this up until the MSU game. In that game, M shifted their scheme to one that decidedly emphasized passing on both early and late series plays. Certainly, MSU's defense made that change obvious but the criticism of both Harbaugh and Gattis to not plan for the defense that opponents have shown on tape or adjust to what is being shown in-game, doesn't apply to the MSU game. We'd be letting go of that complaint and praising the coaches for being aggressive if Corum and Johnson had caught critical 3rd/4th down passes to them and M had won.

The risk v. IU is that Harbaugh and his staff will approach this game like we suspected they did v. Rutgers. It's a scrimmage, we'll play conservatively and get a win. Tech analysis would probably dictate this approach for M and if the coaching staff follows it instead of developing a bold game plan and executing it, they will win and probably unimpressively.

IMO, that's a disservice to the players and sets them up to plan and play timidly v. PSU. Piling on and blowing IU out, something that is entirely possible, sends a message to players, fans and upcoming opponents. Winning unimpressively does too but not a good one.

Harbaugh has a tendency, when he's fielded a good team and he has one now, to pull back v. obviously weaker opponents so as not to embarrass them. This is a great opportunity for Harbaugh to bring it. Something he's not demonstrated the willingness or capacity to do since he became HC.