Michigan 19, Illinois 17, Post Game Discussion

[THE_WIZARD_]

Do not doubt DR. HARBAUGH!!!!!!!

[Jeff Buchanan]

You're on your own for football stuff. Maybe tomorrow (doubtful), I'll look at it or Monday after I read some of the post game articles:

http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=409973

[CGVT]

Anthony absolutely has to catch that. That’s horrible.

I know that kids are being taught to make a triangle with their thumbs together to catch the ball, but there are times that they do that to the detriment of their ability to make the catch.

The ball to Anthony is an easy catch if he turns his hands over-palms up- and cradles the ball. You know, just like receivers did for fifty fucking years.

[lineygoblue]

They didn't deserve the win.

They were outplayed for most of the game.

But, everybody M plays would gladly accept a 1 point win, so add it to the W column and move on. Burn the game film.

I know Meathead isn't well liked in here, but I'll give him props for having his team well prepared with a great game plan. He's going to dominate the BTW starting next year, as long as its in this geographical format. His team looked very familiar. Big linemen with a tough and quick running back, and a QB that throws catchable balls. (I wish we had one of those, .. we used to get those all the time!)

Stout defense, that plays the opponent's tendencies very well. They knew where Corum and his replacements were going before they got there. Excellent game plan. They would have pulled it off with a couple more first downs at the end.

I know Michigan was short handed today but there is no excuse for the sloppy play on offense, the poor tackling and coverages on defense, and the general lack of motivation they displayed today. Easily their worst performance of the year.

With the win, they preserve their Rose Bowl chances. That's a little more than they deserve, but its a nice showcase and they should be paired with an opponent they have a chance to defeat.

Forget winning in Columbus next week.

Just. Forget. It.

It won't be due to a lack of effort. I think M will play hard, and the loss won't be one of those walk-over wins for osu that we've seen too many of. M will make them work for it.

The key matchup is Stroud vs McCarthy. Anyone who says McCarthy will pull off the win is on drugs.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Mr. Sandbag, tell us a dream (bung, bung, bung, bung)
Make it the dumbest that I've ever heard (bung, bung, bung, bung)
Give it a loss when it's really a win... (bung, bung, bung, bung)
Then us that it will happen over and over…

[lineygoblue]

I don't know how anything I said wrt OSU could be considered sandbagging.

But, continue if you must ...

now stifle the shaddup up

[THE_WIZARD_]

saddup

[maxreturn]

Well...Klatt was right last week. We really haven't seen a game yet where it was necessary for McCarthy to carry the team. If there was a game where that was needed, it was yesterday and he not only didn't carry the team but he struggled mightily. I believe Blackledge was correct in his assessment that McCarthy's throwing mechanics are flawed. Some serious, intense coaching is needed from the QB coach this week. Also perhaps the receivers coach.

[lineygoblue]

I wonder what Jed Fisch is up to?

[Jeff Buchanan]

Some post game, morning after observations:

Corum apparently has a stinger to the L knee. I've seen a video showing a direct hit to his L outer knee with a helmet. No varus/valgus stress, no hyperextension although the immediate in game video replay suggested that. Later views on line did not. The bruising was probably from the helmet hit, not likely from bleeding inside the knee capsule secondary to ligamentous injury.

It is a straight forward and highly reliable ortho exam to determine if there is "structural damage" to the knee which Harbaugh commented multiple times that there wasn't any. He'll be good to go v. osu.

The conditions for this game make it hard to make sense out of characterizations that label McCarthy as having "bad throwing mechanics" (Blackledge). Does M have an elite passing game making M a deserving CFP contender with a balanced, full threat offense? No but that's not M's MO on offense and I'd say 3 of the top 4 CFB teams right now have identifiable issues. None of the top 4, right now, are perfect.

Nothing wrong with the play calling, clock management or any of the usual shit fans throw out there to see if sticks. Did McCarthy "carry the team" as Joe Klatt suggested during game week that he will be called on to do? I'd call a game winning drive to put Moody in position to win it with a FG was evidence he did.

The biggest problem for McCarthy and the passing game wasn't play selection, wasn't his reads, wasn't his throws. It was the impact of the wind and a half dozen or so key drops by his receivers. His stats look a lot more impressive, and a game carrying pass game production, if that doesn't happen.

There's a consensus that M intentionally and precautiously held out or limited the play of Edwards, Schoonmaker, Morris, Keegan, Colson and in the second half, Corum. The OL and DL got handled in the second half. Some of that was due to key players out of the lineup.

It remains a mystery as to why Minter had his CBs playing a very soft cushion conceding the best part of Devito's passing game. He took advantage. That advantage conspicuously disappears with press man .....?????

[lineygoblue]

I don't see any advantages to holding people out that can help the team, especially the way the team struggled yesterday. For instance, a fully ready and healthy Edwards would have been 10 times better than any of the subs they ran in there to replace Corum. But, here he is, on the sideline, in street clothes. If he was healthy, why are they doing this?

Same with Schoony, and Morris. Both of them could have helped their teammates, but if the only reasons they were held out was some sort of 'strategy", then I'm not a fan. Those guys would have been a big help yesterday, especially in the 2nd half.

This team puts me in mind of a 9 speed semi-truck. They've shifted up into 5th gear throughout the season, but they are stuck there. When they've needed to get into a higher gear, they can't do it.. Especially at the QB position. That's not a rip on McCarthy. I think he's trying, and he's definitely talented. But he's seemingly stuck in a lower gear, like the rest of the team.

Meanwhile, Georgia is in overdrive.

[iam416]

I'd call a game winning drive to put Moody in position to win it with a FG was evidence he did.

LOL. The biggest play on that drive was a DPI -- something the officials hadn't come close to calling all game. His best throw was a 4th and 2 conversion to a wide open WR courtesy a nice pick play -- I mean Loveland was blocking the entire play. Heh. Right up there with "The Drive". LOL.

[lineygoblue]

effing refs

[iam416]

Well, no. I mean, yeah -- you'd have been complaining, but, by and large they let almost anything go in the secondary. I was actually surprised M got the DPI on their final drive. It was an obvious pick and, TBH, probably about the only way JJ was to complete a pass in those circumstances. But, based on the way the game was called, not much to complain about.

More importantly, Illinois lost because they absolutely did not try to get first downs on the their final drive. Instead they opted to force M to use timeouts. First downs win the game. It's on them.

[lineygoblue]

Every football team in America, at every level, runs pick (rub) plays. If they didn't QB's wouldn't complete 50% of their passes. Its another one of those subjective rules that is determined by the official. Some officials would have dropped the flag, yesterday's official(s) chose not to. Next week, M will be flagged any time a receiver even breathes on an OSU defender.

Personally, I'd like to see all 'rub' plays eliminated and PI called more often. But, QB's want open receivers, and the leagues want WR's to make catches and score. So, it will stay the same.