Michigan 52, Minnesota 10

[Jeff Buchanan]

I had to leave after M went 3 and out to start the 3rd. I had some doubts. I shouldn't have. When I returned the score was 45-10. The 52 points M scored was a fuck you PJ Fleck - if you thought you were in the game, YOU'RE NOT. Harbaugh is like that - no mercy. Cruelty is the by-word.

This was a dominating performance against a Gopher team that had some life (credit to Fleck the cheer leader). M owned the trenches ...... like, WOW! Then the D managed two pick sixes - the big one in the 2nd half that basically said, goodbye for any thought that Minnesota would be in this.

I thought M took a punch to end the half and hit back with several knock-out punches in the 2nd. This is the best Michigan football team I've had the pleasure of cheering for in my lifetime of cheering. So many offensive tools and a great defense.

Great win.

[Tslisher]

Absolutely great win. They totally throttled another team. That defense is for real. Still like to see the offensive strike on more big plays.

[klondike]

Getting a couple of pick sixes inflated the final score. That was great but you can't expect those things every game. Otherwise, it was as yeoman a performance as you could expect on offense. Nothing that stood out in the running game. Pretty good blocking but not the best. Pretty good running but nothing spectacular. Passing game the same. Some good throws by JJ but threw behind some receivers too. Defense was good considering the opposition, as Minny had injuries and relies on their running game a bit much. Nice win on the road in the big ten isall you can hope for. I see this pattern for awhile till Penn State.

[lineygoblue]

They have to play whomever is in front of them. OOC schedules are put together by the schools, but the Big Ten portion of the schedule is set by the Big Ten. Michigan isn't the only team in the conference that has had an easy schedule lately.

Everybody's schedule is going to get tougher next season. Michigan will have one of the most difficult in the country, and will likely have to play with a team that is rebuilding. Haters will love it.

Versus Minnesota, Michigan did what they were supposed to do. I remember recent seasons where Michigan struggled with the likes of UMass, Toledo and UConn. I don't think Michigan owes any apologies for beating up on weaker teams. I've never seen Ohio State apologize for beating up a weak opponent. Its because they don't have to, and neither does Michigan.

Time to give Tom Allen another dose of reality. I hope Harbaugh gives Jack Tuttle a lot of snaps.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Now, the expectations from M football fans is a running game that "stands out" and is "spectacular," blocking that is the "best," a quarterback that never "throws behind" a receiver and completes 100% of his passes. Throttling a Minnesota football team in their home stadium is just "a yeoman's performance." Guess what. We're looking at what is likely to become when all is said and done, a generational sports team.

I don't know about you-all, but, this is the best M football team to take the field since I watched my first game in the Big House in 1966. In that time frame, there have been plenty of disappointments but this team does not disappoint. I'm thoroughly enjoying a season of player and coaching staff brilliance if the ascending trend from game 1 to game 6 is an indication of that.

A take-away for me is that in terms of the many objective statistics that measure CFB team's performance M may be a leader, it may be middling or a laggard. Dump those stats in a pot, stir them up and what results is some kind of objective based analysis that just doesn't seem to correctly evaluate this team success so far nor does it adequately identify this team's potential to win an NC this season.

Think about the sports teams that over your lifetime of watching sports were remarkable at what they did - skate, play football or basket ball, kick a soccer ball, whatever - there was something about their championship successes that was not definable by the myriad stats that fans pour over to define performance. Michigan's 2023 season football team, for me, is among those teams. TBF, M has not yet achieved the championships they undoubtedly set as goals but I'm pretty confident that they will.

[Cody_Russell]

I want to see M play someone challenging, but this might be the greatest M team that I’ve ever seen. (Sports fan since 2004).
2006 M, 2016 M, 2021 M, 2022 M, and now 2023 M. Those are my top 5 as a viewer.

PJ Fleck had some nice comments about this team too.

The last three regular season games will be very thrilling to watch ,,,

[Jeff Buchanan]

From mgo's post game article:

Michigan will keep control of the Little Brown Jug for another season with yet another beatdown of an overmatched opponent. Tonight it was the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis, who were thoroughly destroyed by the mighty Wolverines. A few stats to showcase that crushing: Minnesota passed for 52 yards, while Michigan scored 52 points. Michigan's defense outscored Minnesota's offense. Michigan scored seven touchdowns, Athan Kaliakmanis completed five passes total. Michigan gained 7.7 yards per play, Minnesota gained 3.0. Yowza.

By the numbers, if that is an unspectacular, yeoman performance I have trouble identifying what M fans might define as a good performance.

[lineygoblue]

I want to see M play someone challenging, but this might be the greatest M team that I’ve ever seen.

I'd have a hard time placing Michigan 2022 and 2023 ahead of Michigan 1997. Watching that '97 team play with Charles Woodson basically playing everywhere, was a sight to behold. This current OL reminds me a lot of the '97 OL with Backus, Jansen, Hutchinson, Ziemann and Brandt. Those guys were absolute warriors.

There are a lot of good teams out there this year. M will be playing at least two of them before the end of the season, and if they somehow get into the playoffs, there will be at least a couple more.

[Mike]

[WingsFan]

Otherwise, it was as yeoman a performance as you could expect on offense. Nothing that stood out in the running game. Pretty good blocking but not the best. Pretty good running but nothing spectacular. Passing game the same. Some good throws by JJ but threw behind some receivers too

Considering this team gets better later in the game hence the (boa constrictor) analogy, consider JJ and the first team offense have yet to play in the 4th or those numbers and big plays go way up along with the scores.

[Mike]

Liney, Corey was talking about some 2004.

As for the 2023 Wolverines, I’ve never seen a team make fewer mistakes and that’s huge. I watched Alabama take 3 straight false start penalties yesterday turning a 3rd and 8 into 3rd and 23. The tide had 13 penalties, 9 of them pre-snap.

Michigan went 7+ quarters without a single flag until picking up a late one last night. The Nebraska game marked the first time since 1980 that Michigan didn’t commit a single penalty and they are the least penalized team in the country.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I'd have a hard time placing Michigan 2022 and 2023 ahead of Michigan 1997

Point taken but the 97 team was what I'd call a blue collar team. There was nothing fancy, nothing flashy about how LC went about his business of going undefeated that year. Brian Griese was the quintessential lunch box carrying QB. Woodson was clearly a dominant CFB player that year who could, single handedly, be a difference maker and, yes, play in the trenches was great.

But this team, besides getting excellent line play on both sides of the ball, has some panache (awesomeness). It's not just McCarthy or, for the most part, not any single difference making player. McCarthy is close, I'll acknowledge that but this team's cohesiveness, if the drubbings it's administering upon opponents is an indication of that, is phenomenal. It is that cohesiveness, not the contribution of a single dominant player, that has taken this team to where it is after 6 weeks of CFB.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I'd have a hard time placing Michigan 2022 and 2023 ahead of Michigan 1997. Watching that '97 team play with Charles Woodson basically playing everywhere, was a sight to behold. This current OL reminds me a lot of the '97 OL with Backus, Jansen, Hutchinson, Ziemann and Brandt. Those guys were absolute warriors.

There are a lot of good teams out there this year. M will be playing at least two of them before the end of the season, and if they somehow get into the playoffs, there will be at least a couple more.

You think they are good enough for a runner-up trophy as well?

[Mike]

Penalty stats from the last two weeks for the highest ranked teams plus Alabama because they are somewhat of the gold standard.

Games on 9/30:

1) UGA, 3/30
2) Mich, 0/0
3) UT, 4/34
6) PSU, 6/45
7) UW, 12/125
8) USC, 6/53
11) ND, 12/70
13) Bama, 6/40

Games on 10/7

1) UGA, 6/59
2) Mich, 1/10
3) UT, 9/70
4) OSU, 10/81
5) FSU, 12/99
9) USC, 8/72
10) ND, 3/35
11) Bama, 14/99

[WingsFan]

Michigan’s starters have punted four times through three conference games.