Team 137 by Jim Harbaugh. Football talk and Predictions.

[froot loops]

Going into that game, plenty of people were saying if MSU could do that to OSU then Michigan could really take it to OSU with their defense. There were effort issues in the second half. Quite simply, they did not match the Buckeyes effort. Maybe they were over matched in talent to the point that they couldn't match an inspired Buckeye team. But ask yourself, did you think they played their hardest that you seen all year? And did their intensity match the output of the past few Brady Hoke teams versus OSU.

[hack]

I'd been meaning to go listen to Ray. Haven't yet. I like his perspective, but is good to listen to them all.

[hack]

Going into that game, plenty of people were saying if MSU could do that to OSU then Michigan could really take it to OSU with their defense. There were effort issues in the second half. Quite simply, they did not match the Buckeyes effort. Maybe they were over matched in talent to the point that they couldn't match an inspired Buckeye team. But ask yourself, did you think they played their hardest that you seen all year? And did their intensity match the output of the past few Brady Hoke teams versus OSU.

Sometimes, when it's abundantly clear that one team has a scheme that's working and the other is unable to adjust, you see exactly this sort of thing. It doesn't start and end with scheme, but everybody's sharper in all facets when the plan is proving to be an effective one. All the other challenges are a downhill run.

[Rocky Bleier]

I find Marcus Ray very informative, though I can't always keep up with him. I'm impressed with all of what Cook does, though. He's made a pretty great job for himself.

[Rocky Bleier]

Apparently DJD offered Chris Partridge a job, but Partridge has announced that he's staying at Michigan. That could have been a bigger loss than DJD! Hoping that Partridge can continue to steer Rashan Gary to U-M.

https://twitter.com/TremendousUM

[hack]

What's the expected norm? Sometimes assistants are gonna take other staff with them. Sometimes not. Is there a general set of expectations about poaching from the program you just left? I'd imagine with coaches, well, fair enough if you're getting a promotion, but with players it probably ought to be hands off?

[Rocky Bleier]

I don't know, but it's the first time I can think of where I'd be more upset to lose a recruiting coordinator than a defensive coordinator. Partridge is our conduit to the east coast, specifically New Jersey, and would be more difficult to replace in this instance.

[hack]

Agreed.

[Rocky Bleier]

[hack]

LOL!

[Jeff Buchanan]

On tackling ...... You can't tackle when you have run yourself out of the play because you misread your key and are not square to the ball carrier. Panic mode and arm tackles with a back like Elliot who can run through those or Barrett who can run around them are the result.

The DL working in an odd front (Wormley, Hurst and Henry) got beat consistently by osu's OL. It wasn't an effort issue or getting beat physically; it was not seeing what was happening and running themselves out of the play or simply missing who was going to the second level to block the LBs. If you'll recall, in the read option, your OL gets to the second level and blocks their target, that usually results in DOOM. It's hard to pinpoint why this happened (coaching?, skill set?, too aggressive/over-playing the run?).

On athletes, observers aren't buying the M defense versus osu (LBs) needs more speed. Lots of speed doing the wrong things isn't going to help. M's LBs vs. ufm's plays weren't doing the right things to stop them. Coaching? Skill sets? We don't really know. What we do know is that when the DL had its problems, the LB's problems were magnified.

On balance, M's defense had two really bad games, I mean GERG bad. It also had three consecutive shut outs and overall, 9 other decent outings. You can argue competition but basically the problem for M is IZ/OZ power teams that also run the read option. The 2015 season is in the books.

I'm looking forward to the Bowl game which I will probably watch somewhere in Asia, a fun outing for Harbaugh and team 136 and how the coaching staff responds to the major weakness it exhibited in 2015....... As long as said bowl team isn't a read option team! I'm not glad Durkin left; he's a good coach. Continuity is good. He is however replaceable given Jim Harbaugh. He'll find a good replacement and I like the list of possible candidates and if it's a dark horse, you can count on Harbaugh finding a good one. The end result of him leaving, I believe, is going to be a net positive.

[hack]

I think it was on one of Barrett's later RD runs that Peppers just completely whiffed. None of the above applies to that type of thing. The defense was rattled and effort issues ensued. IMO that's a part of the reason why. There is no one catalyst.

[WM Wolverine]

Defense looked tired late in the 3rd quarter on OSU's 15+ play TD drive...

Defense looked confused, was out of position and when you do that, you make mistakes and miss tackles. Fourth quarter was more of the same.

[SeattleLionsFan]

I don't think it was an effort issue. I think there was a confidence issue. I think that Ms D is still pretty fragile mentally in that respect.

Re: DJD taking the Maryland job. I think it was a bad idea but not unprecedented (see Moeller and Illinois). I do have a real problem with him taking the time to interview during the week of the Game. In the words of Coach Jim, it was just disrespectful to the game to take time in the middle of the season to talk about another job.

[hack]

Did Harbaugh say that?

Agreed about fragility. It seemed like this season was the reverse of all the others. Michigan under Hoke wold pack it in when things got rough and then be fearless against OSU. The defense was never as sharp after the punter flag, and just fell apart after halftime. Effort, confidence, fragility, etc. Whatever precisely that was, the mentality was a factor.