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Michigan 45, OSU 23.
Man, I have no feel for this game. Talent is confident M will win. I'm not but I think its slightly better than 50/50 for M and a lot better odds than at the start of the season when it was bleak. Many unknowns at this point. I think OSU has issues on the OL that translate to a mediocre run game. I think OSU has issues at LB but so does M. M has issues at CB but those could be off-set by a suddenly and seemingly erratic Stroud that doesn't respond well to pressure. Has escapeability but I suspect M will recognize it when it's happening and keep contain. The worst thing for M is Stroud getting outside the pocket unharassed. My arm chair QB assessment is that is where he excels in keeping his eyes downfield and hitting guys that break open.
Weather in the 40s. Too soon to talk about conditions but there are a couple of weather features in the 6d fronts forecast that could be problematic.
Injuries are the easiest thing to discuss for now. Match-ups latter. I may have some medical background but these points are JMO.
JJ McCarthy is fine. He did have a "rug burn" on his left elbow that he got blocking downfield on a Corum run. His biggest non-injury issue is he's a first year starter with a high ceiling being bitten by his receivers dropping catchable balls when open or not getting open when pressed. I've got no porblem with Matt Weise's play calling, some do. The only time the play calling allowed his legs to be a threat on the RO was v. PSU. Since then, and especially yesterday, he has been purposefully limited - reasonable in that Macnamara is out. That's gotta change. If OSU can ignore that he's a threat to keep it and run, Corum Edwards or not, M's run game will suck like and third and long is not where M's O needs to find themselves too often.
I'm told that Edwards may have a thumb fracture of his left hand. He's been wearing a "bandage" or "covering", no cast as far as people looking at this have seen. The treatment for a dislocated thumb or a hairline fracture of the metacarpal is a thumb spica immobilizing splint. He could be wearing that under the wrap that people have seen. The thumb spica split is obvious out in the open. If it was a displaced fracture, he'd be casted. The bottom line is that I'd call Edwards "questionable." Fractures take more than a week to form a callus but the process starts fairly quickly. He can wear protection and play. The question becomes can he hold onto the ball wearing it?
I feel confident that Corum will play and be mostly fine. If it's just a stinger to the knee as I've speculated that it is based on video evidence, he's fine. If, as a result of the blow, there is some ligamentous or meniscal injury, and I doubt this, he can play but he's going to find himself hesitant to take the big jump cuts he's so good at. His contribution is one of the key unknowns, if not the primary one, and remains to be seen.
Morris is reportedly fine - tape up the ankle and he can play hard for 60 minutes a positive in getting pressure on Stroud. .
Keegan is reportedly going to return at guard - that is a positive for the OL and whoever is running behind it.
Colson is fine and will play even if he got dinged v. Illinois
Schoonmaker will reportedly play a positive for McCarthy's passing game.
The word is that Henning has been surpassed by Bell as punt returner and it's not entirely a skills issue. There seems to be something else. That is why Bell was returning punts yesterday.
The RT position is unsettled with Barnhart and Jones both available, neither have a seeming edge. Both are fine; both have had a few breakdowns in pass-pro.
The LT position is held at present by Hayes.
Outside of injuries and one of the matchup issues I'm willing to talk about, I'm concerned about the CBs. I don't think it's entirely a skills issue unless Minter is trying to cover that up with the way they are being coached to cover guys, i.e., soft coverage in a zone scheme. If you don't physically jam the OSU's receivers at the LOS and create a lapse in rhythm, they'll kill M. It could be that Minter is willing to concede passes between the 20s and bring Ss into the picture inside that. I thought he was doing that v. Illinois to prevent big plays but that was for Devito and his receivers. Stroud is good at downfield throws and fades and he has the receivers who can make plays. CRD is going to get his share of big pass plays - M has to limit them to be competitive.
Weather in the 40s. Too soon to talk about conditions but there are a couple of weather features in the 6d fronts forecast that could be problematic.
Injuries are the easiest thing to discuss for now. Match-ups latter. I may have some medical background but these points are JMO.
JJ McCarthy is fine. He did have a "rug burn" on his left elbow that he got blocking downfield on a Corum run. His biggest non-injury issue is he's a first year starter with a high ceiling being bitten by his receivers dropping catchable balls when open or not getting open when pressed. I've got no porblem with Matt Weise's play calling, some do. The only time the play calling allowed his legs to be a threat on the RO was v. PSU. Since then, and especially yesterday, he has been purposefully limited - reasonable in that Macnamara is out. That's gotta change. If OSU can ignore that he's a threat to keep it and run, Corum Edwards or not, M's run game will suck like and third and long is not where M's O needs to find themselves too often.
I'm told that Edwards may have a thumb fracture of his left hand. He's been wearing a "bandage" or "covering", no cast as far as people looking at this have seen. The treatment for a dislocated thumb or a hairline fracture of the metacarpal is a thumb spica immobilizing splint. He could be wearing that under the wrap that people have seen. The thumb spica split is obvious out in the open. If it was a displaced fracture, he'd be casted. The bottom line is that I'd call Edwards "questionable." Fractures take more than a week to form a callus but the process starts fairly quickly. He can wear protection and play. The question becomes can he hold onto the ball wearing it?
I feel confident that Corum will play and be mostly fine. If it's just a stinger to the knee as I've speculated that it is based on video evidence, he's fine. If, as a result of the blow, there is some ligamentous or meniscal injury, and I doubt this, he can play but he's going to find himself hesitant to take the big jump cuts he's so good at. His contribution is one of the key unknowns, if not the primary one, and remains to be seen.
Morris is reportedly fine - tape up the ankle and he can play hard for 60 minutes a positive in getting pressure on Stroud. .
Keegan is reportedly going to return at guard - that is a positive for the OL and whoever is running behind it.
Colson is fine and will play even if he got dinged v. Illinois
Schoonmaker will reportedly play a positive for McCarthy's passing game.
The word is that Henning has been surpassed by Bell as punt returner and it's not entirely a skills issue. There seems to be something else. That is why Bell was returning punts yesterday.
The RT position is unsettled with Barnhart and Jones both available, neither have a seeming edge. Both are fine; both have had a few breakdowns in pass-pro.
The LT position is held at present by Hayes.
Outside of injuries and one of the matchup issues I'm willing to talk about, I'm concerned about the CBs. I don't think it's entirely a skills issue unless Minter is trying to cover that up with the way they are being coached to cover guys, i.e., soft coverage in a zone scheme. If you don't physically jam the OSU's receivers at the LOS and create a lapse in rhythm, they'll kill M. It could be that Minter is willing to concede passes between the 20s and bring Ss into the picture inside that. I thought he was doing that v. Illinois to prevent big plays but that was for Devito and his receivers. Stroud is good at downfield throws and fades and he has the receivers who can make plays. CRD is going to get his share of big pass plays - M has to limit them to be competitive.
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