Michigan 27, USC 24

[Jeff Buchanan]

An heroic win ........but this kind of football is not sustainable and, it appears, M is without options to generate a passing attack at QB. Moreover, it would be a bad move to pull Orji. He's not getting a lot of help from his receivers and the play calling is still unimaginative although the toolbox is limited so, I don't know. It looked to me like Campbell called a handful of read options for Orji with some success. The threat of him keeping, I think, made the 159 yard performance by Kaliel Mullings possible. I don't know how many of the read options included RPOs, Maybe one. WIll await the UFR.

OTH the defense is phenomenally good but again we're left with the lingering question, how good is the team M just beat. Clearly USC's OL v. this defense was a fatal flaw as USC couldn't keep Moss clean and M "smashed" their way to a win rushing for nearly 300 yards. Moss faced constant pressure, a lot of it with 3 or 4 man rushes. This was attained against a USC defense that repeatedly brought their Ss within 7 yards of the LOS daring Orji to pass. He didn't need to. Both Edwards and Mullings were routinely getting to the second and third levels then beating the Ss.

I was at the game. The heat was intense but so was the sound level from the crowd, AND the stupid stadium sound system. The crowd noise was responsible for several USC false starts and changed the momentum of the game twice. Once after the WIll Johnson pick-six with USC driving Another after Mullings scored the go-ahead TD with 35 second remaining and USC carrying a 97% probability of a win before the Mulling's TD. USC couldn't respond with the crowd noise being deafening and the Michigan D standing tall. Game over.

[UMStan White]

" was very wrong about this game."

Gee, ya think! This board is full of Wimps {too many to mention)

Strange day when I'm forced to agree with Wizard, a crazy Nebraska fan.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Hey Stan! We're buddies now?

[THE_WIZARD_]

FWIW I wasn't claiming M was good I was claiming USC ain't no Texas...not really a revelation but for some reason M fans thought they were the second coming.

[Cody_Russell]

USC is firmly in that “B” tier of football teams this year. Along with M if they can’t figure out the issues. I’m simply being honest in pointing it out with Sherrone Moore’s team. Such as: The Sherrone Moore (HC) + Kirk Campbell (OC) + Wink Martindale (DC) downgrade, QB play (Orji or Warren), too many Edwards carries, inexperienced OLine, suspect WRs, LB and secondary coverage breakdowns/ missed tackles, and more undisciplined moments. SO MUCH to work on moving forward.

M is being propped up right now by a few elite players that will be high draft picks. Top heavy roster. Grant, Graham, Johnson, Loveland (when he comes back), and Mullings (very Nick Chubb-like). Now if Jack Tuttle can return and they firmly embrace Mullings as RB#1, I can see 10 regular season wins as best case scenario. Assuming the handful of elite players stay healthy. Sorry, but I don’t see Orji taking a Jalen Milroe turn with his season. I need to see ANY confidence in throwing intermediate passes first.

3-1 start and a nice win vs USC. 2023 championship. Very grateful as a fan. Let’s not forget that.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Oregon will be a bigger challenge. And @Illinois will be a slobberknocker. @Indiana will not be easy either and OSU will crush you. 8-4 is realistic and maybe 9-3.

[Cody_Russell]

Indiana looks pretty good for Indiana. Former James Madison HC doing work.

Ok fine, 9 to 10 wins BEST CASE scenario IF (big if) Jack Tuttle returns and the coaches stop being dumbassed with their love of Edwards. Trying to remain optimistic by thinking best case scenario.

Shoutout to Josaiah Stewart too. Forgot to mention him in the last post. He’s really ascending and dominated yesterday.

[lineygoblue]

USC is a very good team, but better teams remain on the schedule for Michigan. And those better teams will be able to defend the run better than USC, and take away any anemic passing game they have. I'd say the ceiling has moved back to about 8-4 or at best 9-3. But this was a good win. They had to win in the most difficult manner which was to run the ball exclusively, and USC knew that M couldn't pass worth a darn. But M bore down, and the OL had its best game of the season, especially when it mattered.

Michigan has proven to themselves that they can be as physical as any team wants to be with them. Defensively, they're starting to jell near to where they were last year. Passing is the problem, and their overall success this season depends on finding a way to at least make the passing game a threat.

[AlabamAlum]

Liney, I debated this. I know you’re not really into sexy pics or NSFW stuff so I decided to eschew something profane or involving (overt) buggery (although buggery is implicit with Ohio State).

Here is your user pic (see below) and your tagline is “Vote Kamala 2024!”

[THE_WIZARD_]

disturbing

[edindetroit]

How do you feel now Liney?

Pretty good. I gave the Wolverines a bit of a chance because it was the Big Ten home opener, and historically, they play well in those games, even when they are bad.

Seriously? This doesn't sound like you were giving them any chance at all.

USC 40
M 12

[THE_WIZARD_]

Liney is a lying sack of sand.

[Tom W]

I would not believe that you could win a game against USC with 32 yards passing if I hadn't witnessed this in person.

I hate USC- my most hated opponent next to ohio, Sparty and ND. They've ruined too many New Year's Days in my lifetime and with their band being right behind us, playing that fight song CONSTANTLY ALL game long, it was great seeing them lose in this fashion.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Lincoln Riley gonna Lincoln Riley...

[AlabamAlum]

The final word is this: Lincoln is a mediocre coach. With the talent he’s had at Okie and USC, he continually over promises and underperforms.