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Michigan 21, Penn State 17 - Post Game Thread
As noted in the IU post game thread, PSU opens as a 1.5 point favorite. Every team is nursing injuries of some sort. I think this just sort of cancels the injury bugs as it pertains to performance out. We just don't know enough about injury status of what we'd consider key players (e.g., Corum and Clifford) other than speculation so, I'm just dismissing it and letting the players move on, deal with it o if a key player can't play - next man up.
M has played well enough to win in their road games. Sure they lost to MSU but I don't think being in MSU's stadium and dealing with fan noise had anything to with that loss. I'm pretty sure the coaches are telling the players to stick to what they can control and do well...... and they do some things well. Like running the ball for example. It's been spotty but when it's working, it adds the kind of control of the game that Harbaugh thrives on. PSU ranks 49th in rushing D, allowing 3.56ypc and 137 rush ypg.
McNamara is good because he doesn't make mistakes and doesn't turn the ball over. He's also good because the OL's pass-protection has been above average. McNamara is completing 63% of his passing attempts and throwing for 217 ypg with a decidedly upward trend in the last 3 games (and I judge that as scheme not because they are playing from behind). PSU/Clfford is right around those same numbers but slightly higher (not enough to conclude they have a better passing offense). I can go on. This offense is playing well enough to win on the road and when the fancy stats show up later in the week, I think that will be clear.
But then there is randomness: bad penalties, oh-shits, fumbles, the refs being inconsistent with game altering calls, and more. I think M suffers a lot of this some of it self inflicted and if there is anything that will keep this team from winning in HV, its randomness. That bad shit seems to happen to M in our minds in an outsized fashion, if that is true, the laws of averages should cause more good things to happen than bad in HV. Are all those bad things we see happening to M because of Harbaugh or his OC and DC? Man, I just don't know. I can make a case for, yes, they have their hands on the wheel so, there is that.
BTW and FWIW, talking heads are predicting M may move up to #5 in the CFP rankings late Tuesday for a lot of good reasons, not many having to do with M taking care of business v. IU and previouly #3 ranked MSU getting thrashed by Purdue and making space. It's about the performance of other teams just above or immediately below them fighting for the top 4 CFP spots and how the committee is looking at all of them. M seems to fare pretty well there.
TBC, none of this matters until M beats PSU this Saturday, Maryland next Saturday and MSU loses to OSU. IOW, just take care of business and lets hope that OSU at Michigan on the 27th will decide the B10E champion.
M has played well enough to win in their road games. Sure they lost to MSU but I don't think being in MSU's stadium and dealing with fan noise had anything to with that loss. I'm pretty sure the coaches are telling the players to stick to what they can control and do well...... and they do some things well. Like running the ball for example. It's been spotty but when it's working, it adds the kind of control of the game that Harbaugh thrives on. PSU ranks 49th in rushing D, allowing 3.56ypc and 137 rush ypg.
McNamara is good because he doesn't make mistakes and doesn't turn the ball over. He's also good because the OL's pass-protection has been above average. McNamara is completing 63% of his passing attempts and throwing for 217 ypg with a decidedly upward trend in the last 3 games (and I judge that as scheme not because they are playing from behind). PSU/Clfford is right around those same numbers but slightly higher (not enough to conclude they have a better passing offense). I can go on. This offense is playing well enough to win on the road and when the fancy stats show up later in the week, I think that will be clear.
But then there is randomness: bad penalties, oh-shits, fumbles, the refs being inconsistent with game altering calls, and more. I think M suffers a lot of this some of it self inflicted and if there is anything that will keep this team from winning in HV, its randomness. That bad shit seems to happen to M in our minds in an outsized fashion, if that is true, the laws of averages should cause more good things to happen than bad in HV. Are all those bad things we see happening to M because of Harbaugh or his OC and DC? Man, I just don't know. I can make a case for, yes, they have their hands on the wheel so, there is that.
BTW and FWIW, talking heads are predicting M may move up to #5 in the CFP rankings late Tuesday for a lot of good reasons, not many having to do with M taking care of business v. IU and previouly #3 ranked MSU getting thrashed by Purdue and making space. It's about the performance of other teams just above or immediately below them fighting for the top 4 CFP spots and how the committee is looking at all of them. M seems to fare pretty well there.
TBC, none of this matters until M beats PSU this Saturday, Maryland next Saturday and MSU loses to OSU. IOW, just take care of business and lets hope that OSU at Michigan on the 27th will decide the B10E champion.
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