M-Borg vs. THE Flavortown U Thread, Orig. by Buckeye Paul, absconded w/by talent.

[iam416]

A one-loss Alabama has a pretty strong argument over OSU

Again, if it's a question of who is the "best" team a number of teams would have a strong argument. If LSU goes into Tuscaloosa and beats Alabama, LSU would have a strong argument they're better than Ohio State. But they ain't going ahead of OSU.

There's the "deserves" factor which generally guides poll voting and has been uniformly, in the BCS ERA, "BCS Conference team with fewest losses, SEC wins ties, sort out other ties by conference strength".

Buchanan:

You'll come around by the week of The Game. You have to.

[hack]

At this point, the rosy view I've found a way to abandon .... this after a decade of high hopes with gut wrenching outcomes.

Things could change - injuries, Borges is actually good, Hoke is actually smarter than he has demonstrated so far, Mattison is not fooled - but the chances of all those things going for M are pretty small.

Borges ISN'T good. Hoke is probably just as smart as we think he is. IMO the question is whether the pieces are in place to minimize their weaknesses on that given day.

[iam416]

Ohio State has very obvious weaknesses on defense -- namely, the LBs are poor in coverage. They also tend to play softer coverage. Ohio State also has some strengths on defese. The DL is good. The LBs are generally good run-stoppers.

M has the tools to give OSU's defense a lot of problems. Ohio State doesn't have a LB that cover Funchess. M can throw short, ball-control passes to its WRs all day. What M will have a hard time doing is running from the tailback position. If M approaches the game with the utter daftness and stubborn idiocy it did against Penn State, OSU will destroy them. If Hokeorges actually attack OSU's weaknesses, it's a 4 quarter battle. If I were a M fan, I'd actually like the M Offense v OSU Defense matchup.

The other side of the ball, IMO, is probably a worse matchup for M. OSU OL will and power running game will cause lots of problems for Mattison. I don't think they can deal with it without trying to get a numbers advantage. And that will prove problematic for the secondary.

[hack]

Ball-control passing is what I want to see. They can do it. Courts a bit of turnover risk in a sense, but most of DG's INTs come when he's pressured, and that pressure is a function of asking the OL to block too long. So get rid of the ball fast. Just be careful about DBs jumping routes after a bit.

[Hannibal]

Michigan will score a few against OSU. OSU's DBs give up big plays. Our defense will get run off the field though. OSU's offense is basically Indiana's plus an elite power running back.

[Ghengis Jon]

Same pessimistic view in '69.

Even Bo was on record in believing UM would get crushed in '96.

On any given Saturday...

[Ghengis Jon]

From the McNews - osu gets called out as having some of the worst CFB fans. I'm surprised Wisconsin doesn't make the top 5.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/the-five-most-insufferable-fanbases-in-college-football/

[Dr. Strangelove]

Great start to this game.

[Optimus Prime]

2-loss Penn St., is shit! Sadly they made Hokie Pokie, choke and their bitch.
No ranked opponents left , better hope Michigan is 10-1 come the 30th.

All for not.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Root for Wisconsin to keep winning and beat an 11-1 Sparty team in the CCG. Woo-hoo!

BTW, this PSU team abused Mattison and his brilliant defense? GUFFAW

[Optimus Prime]

It is actually brilliant, Hoke and Co. appear as buffoons most of the season, catch Meyer off guard on the 30th.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Clever of them...they've sold me!!

[Jeff Buchanan]

.......BTW, this PSU team abused Mattison and his brilliant defense? GUFFAW

You really need to study M football, strange.

The problem for Mattison is Hokeorges.

How many times has the offense (1) left the defense with a short field? I shudder to count. Its gotten better but the threat is always there.

(2) How many games in this season (and last for that matter) have you seen M's offense look pretty good early and then try to sit on a lead, play field position and squander a game?

Look PSU sucks. That game was given away by the coaches and it's probably "Hokie Pokie's" (I like that) hand in that. My view? Don't let that fat f--- have a head set! Not only that, keep him away form the OL and DL ...... you've seen the results. Yes?

Given M's talent, effort and senior leadership that values winning, it should never have been close but it was only because this coaching staff doesn't have the balls to tell Hoke he's an idiot.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I don't know how many poor defensive performances Michigan can have before some people begin to doubt the "Mattison is the best DC in the game" mantra that was accepted wisdom on this board in 2011.

But then again, Hoke was an accepted genius back then too

[iam416]

I don't blame Mattison for the PSU debacle. It baffles the fuck out of me, however, as to how M couldn't score more against that defense.