https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHaclyWWd_ERegarding last year's game:
This thread sucks.Pot Stirrer!
What if OSU loses to PSU, then will the OSU-Mich game matter?With regard to the B1GCG, not unless PSU loses at least two of their other three remaining games because in that case PSU would have H2H wins over both the Buckeyes and the Wolverines so they would win a tie with either or both of those teams.
(1) I know I am starting this WAY too early, (2) that might annoy some people, (3) sorry.1. True
I know I am starting this WAY too early and that might annoy some people, sorry.Is it too early to declare the TTUN sucks? :)
Is it too early to declare the TTUN sucks? :)To be fair, compared to OSU, every other team sucks this year. Based on the eye test alone I'm not sure there's a team that can stay within 2 TDs of the Bucks when they're firing on all cylinders.
To be fair, compared to OSU, every other team sucks this year. Based on the eye test alone I'm not sure there's a team that can stay within 2 TDs of the Bucks when they're firing on all cylinders.Come Noon on Nov 30, TTUN will play much better than they have all year; they usually do. As an OSU fan, I NEVER take that game for granted. I don't care if TTUN had a zero in the Win column, I would still say they are coming into The Game ready to compete. This is NOT to disrespect any other team on their schedule, but this game brings out the best in them.
Is it too early to declare the TTUN sucks? :)It is never to early or too late for that.
This thread is way too early considering the game isn't until Feb 4. I guess I like the Bucks as long as Wesson can stay out of foul trouble.The only thing happening that day that I know of is National Letter of Intent day. ;)
The root problem from Michigan's perspective last year was the defense's inability to pressure Haskins. His feet were clean all day. The Buckeye fast receivers will get open eventually given all that time. Haskin's passes were good but ones a good high school QB could make if given that much time and lack of pressure. On the other hand Michigan's QB was running for his life all day. Even given that Michigan put 39 points on the Buckeyes in Columbus which should be enough to win. The problem was not Michigan's offense.Correct. The problem last year was Ohio State's defense giving up 39 to the crappy Michigan offense. But then again, that same defense gave up 51 to Maryland, 31 to Oregon St, 49 to Purdue and 26 to Indiana. So far this year it appears that problem has been corrected. :)
A game so obnoxious it has two game week threads.Three
There will soon be more Game threads than atoms in the universeI just merged them all into one, so you clowns don't have to be confused anymore.
I just merged them all into one, so you clowns don't have to be confused anymore.The black hole of game threads, where even the hottest of takes cannot escape
Historical photo montage: https://www.buckeyextra.com/photogallery/OH/20190711/NEWS/624009985/PH/1That's fantastic!
ThreeYeah, you'd figure something they choose to call "The Game" would simply have "The Thread" wouldn't you? ;)
I wonder how far down OSU would slide with a close loss on the road. I don't think we'll find out, but we all know late losses can hurt. It shouldn't be that way, a loss to UM would be far far better than a home loss to USCe.Depends on the circumstances of the loss, but if they win the B1G, it's hard to imagine them sliding behind Utah, Oklahoma, or Alabama.
Yeah, you'd figure something they choose to call "The Game" would simply have "The Thread" wouldn't you? ;)3rd party smack hacks from the nether regions.I hope they give that guy who gives head butts w/o a helmet a 5 yr extension
Anyway, GO BLUE!
3rd party smack hacks from the nether regions.I hope they give that guy who gives head butts w/o a helmet a 5 yr extensionIt's not 3rd party smack, it's t-shirt fan bandwagoning. Get your insults straight, amigo.
What entity picks teams for the Rose Bowl these days?The B1G and P12 Champions go unless they are in the CFP. I *THINK* that if either champion is in the CFP the highest ranked available team in the final CFP from that conference replaces them. Thus, I *THINK* that the final CFP ranking would decide.
I guess there is a Rose Bowl committee in brightly colored sports jackets.as it should be
Yeah, we all recall how helmet teams with rabid fan bases would get the choice bowls when better teams were available. This might bode ill for Minnesota.If it is up to a committee and not dictated by rankings the other side of the coin is that Minnesota *MIGHT* have a LOT of fans hungry for a major bowl compared to other fanbases that might have a more been-there-done-that attitude. I don't know.
But then they are a hot story.
The B1G and P12 Champions go unless they are in the CFP. I *THINK* that if either champion is in the CFP the highest ranked available team in the final CFP from that conference replaces them. Thus, I *THINK* that the final CFP ranking would decide.My guess would be that in the scenario that you posted, the Rose Bowl will select the team that they feel will give them the biggest TV audience. My guess is that they would take Michigan as they would be the bigger draw. But that is just my opinion.
How many of the recent NC teams have had a mobile QB who can throw the ball well?I wouldn't blitz Fields. I'd try to force him to stay in the pocket.
Most, I think, for good reason. A QB who can escape a rush and extend a play is gold on the field. Blitzing Fields is a risky move, but you probably have to do it.
I love the strength against strength matchups in this game. Michigan's offensive resurgence has come about as they have been more aggressive throwing the ball downfield to their tremendous receivers. That strategy would come right into the teeth of the Buckeye's defense, which plays a lot of cover 3 zone with four guys who will get drafted, plus one of the top pass rushes in the country. The Buckeyes are second in the nation in sacks, TFLs, and first in passing yards given up per game. They've also given up the fewest plays over 10 yards in the country.Did you copy & paste that ? Because if not it's a great breakdown,much better than most of the networks slanted slappies.As I've mentioned before Ms passing game is what we expected about 8-9 weeks ago.Unless it's raining,put Jones,Black & Collins out there point them in different directions and start tossing it like crazy
Will Michigan keep chucking it? Or try to run the ball and get it to their tight ends? I think Ronnie Bell is in for a big game, as he gets the underneath stuff for Michigan as teams defend all their deep threats. That won't work all game - eventually OSU will get guys in different places and snag a pick, like we saw against Penn State. This will be a fun strategy to watch.
Conversely, Don Brown operates on the theory of being aggressive on defense. However, he is playing a lot more cover 2 on the back end this year, and mixing up coverages is a vital piece of attacking OSU this year. Michigan doesn't have the pass rush of OSU, but they are great at maintaining discipline and shrinking the pocket. Fields is slow on the trigger and will take a sack rather than force a ball, and he's been sacked plenty of times. If Michigan can slow down the run game and also contain Fields from running, they will be in great shape. OSU loves throwing down field, but that will be tougher against a Cover 2 scheme that takes away a lot of routes. I didn't think OSU reacted well against Penn State's aggressiveness last week - there were shorter routes they could have gotten instead of always looking downfield. If they can't take what's given against Michigan, could be in for a long game.
How many of the recent NC teams have had a mobile QB who can throw the ball well?Tua a couple of yrs back
The weather for The Game at this point is forecast to be morning snow changing over to rain with a high of 42.I'd wait until thursday to give that any credibility
good analysis Max.The possibilities are there and he seems to be rebounding.Buckyes can't turn the ball over on back-back drives like they did vs PSU,not on the road anyway
For me, the game will all hinge on what Shea Patterson does. And I have zero confidence in him. If he's throwing for 300+ and 3-4 TD's and limits the turnovers to 1 or 0- Michigan has a shot. If he struggles to crack 250, turns it over a couple times, and only throws 1 or 2 TD's- Michigan has no shot. For Michigan it'll all come down to how that OL schemes up to block Chase Young and how well Patterson plays.
Did you copy & paste that ? Because if not it's a great breakdown,much better than most of the networks slanted slappies.As I've mentioned before Ms passing game is what we expected about 8-9 weeks ago.Unless it's raining,put Jones,Black & Collins out there point them in different directions and start tossing it like crazyLOL thanks that's a Sammy original
Brutus, Nubbz, and I?LOL - Always good to hear from the lunatic fringe
Brutus, Nubbz, and I?Yeah, and others as well.
Weather forecast is a mixture of sleet, rain, and snow. Sounds awesome.
I wonder how Fields will manage with those conditions.Honestly I think bad conditions favors Fields. Patterson can run a little bit, but he’s not the runner that Fields is. Fields has better acceleration and top end speed than Patterson.
all I have to say is this is the best depth at WR that I’ve seen from Michigan maybe ever. I know from like 04-08 had a nice stable of WRs
Nico and DPJ have started to come alive on the outside. Black has actually been the quiet one. Which is a little sad because before all the injuries he was ahead of both of them. Yup that's why I think he'll be back next season depending on the Line & QB talent returning
I’m thinking more about what Michigan’s offense might look like next year if Nico, Tarik, and DPJ all come back. Stop torturing yourself,ain't happening DPJ & Nico are headed for The League.I'd be surprised if Collins slips out of the 1st rd
Honestly I think bad conditions favors Fields. Patterson can run a little bit, but he’s not the runner that Fields is. Fields has better acceleration and top end speed than Patterson.I dunno IMO it hamstrings guys like Young/Fields/Dobbins who are explosive.That being said I like crappy weather Nov/Dec games
If it’s miserable conditions and cold and rainy and windy and the ball is slippery and hard throw- that probably favors Ohio State and Fields.
| #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0, 12-0) at #13 Michigan Wolverines (6-2, 9-2) |
| NOON - Ann Arbor, MI - FOX |
| Ohio State with national title aspirations, Michigan looking to play the role of spoiler. For any Ohio State fans who remember the pre-Tressell days, that thought gives you shivers. Granted, it feels a lot different. Unlike 1993, 1995 or 1996, Ohio State still has a game to play next week, against either Minnesota or Wisconsin, for a Big Ten Championship, and even with a loss to Michigan, probably still makes the Playoff. Michigan, with a win, could find themselves in the Rose Bowl, finishing third in their own division. I fail to buy any argument for how this is a better setup, but I digress. As far as spoilers go, woah, this one is a doozy. Those mid-September hot takes on the brains behind Alabama's offense last year, Locksley or Gattis, don't look so good anymore. Something clicked in Happy Valley, and this Michigan offense is rolling now. The most obvious improvement has been the turnovers, which went from a major problem, to non-existent. Shea Patterson had only once in his Michigan career had a passer rating above 200, last year against SMU. He's now done it in back to back games, completing 67.7% of his passes, with 9 touchdowns and 1 interception, with 11.5 ypa, after averaging 5.3 ypa prior to that. Can he replicate that against the best pass defense in the nation? The Buckeyes lead the nation in opponent yards per attempt, second in opponents passer rating, and are first in sack rating by a wide margin. For comparison, the gap between Ohio State's 14.54% sack rate, and #2 Clemson, is about the same as the gap between Clemson and #17 Tennessee. That's my main concern. This offensive line has underperformed. They've certainly improved, particularly in run blocking, but I don't see how they can stop this Buckeye pass rush. They've been middle of the FBS at best in pass blocking, and as good as Patterson was against Michigan State and Indiana, he was sacked 6 times also. While nationally, this is a referendum on Harbaugh, it really is a referendum on Don Brown. Is he just a coordinator who does a good job of making great talent beat lesser talent, in other words, he never underachieves, or is he a great coordinator. He had no answer for Penn State in 2017, he responded in 2018, and eventually in 2019. Last year, Ohio State carved his defense up. Can he respond? I think so. Justin Fields is fantastic. But Dwayne Haskins was the best passer in the country last year. Haskins threw for over 300 yards 9 times last year, with 5 of those going over 400. He lit Michigan up to 396 yards through the air. The Buckeyes only averaged 4.8 ypc on the ground, with one carry of longer than 10 yards. This is a perhaps better, but very different Buckeye offense. Justin Fields might be able to if needed, but he's only thrown for 300 yards once...against Rutgers. The 2018 Buckeye offense got 68% of their yardage through the air, 16th most in the nation. The 2019 version get just 46.76%, 18th FEWEST. So while this Buckeye offense may be more consistent, I think it is less built to exploit Don Brown's scheme. Mix in the 50th anniversary of #12 Michigan taking down #1 Ohio State in 1969, and... |
| MICHIGAN 28, OHIO STATE 27 |
How often has Fields played in the 4th quarter? I'm going to disagree and go with OSU 34-17.Yeah, I was trying to find those numbers, couldn't without heavy leg work. OSU is #26 in 4th quarter scoring this year, and was #1 last year, so that would suggest Haskins was getting a lot more 4th quarter work
And if course it makes you wonder what effect the weather may have on passing.
Yeah, I was trying to find those numbers, couldn't without heavy leg work. OSU is #26 in 4th quarter scoring this year, and was #1 last year, so that would suggest Haskins was getting a lot more 4th quarter workPer cfbstats, Fields is 13/16 for 110 yards and 3 tds/0 ints in the fourth quarter. Haskins was 77/111 for 1048 yards and 14 TDs/1 int.
Per cfbstats, Fields is 13/16 for 110 yards and 3 tds/0 ints in the fourth quarter. Haskins was 77/111 for 1048 yards and 14 TDs/1 int.Thanks, didn't realize he had easy player breakdowns like that.
It's not 3rd party smack, it's t-shirt fan bandwagoning. Get your insults straight, amigo.Yes beleaguered BLUE fans can just migrate to Austin where they can commiserate with their Shorthorn Brethern when they get schooled by the Sooners
I figure The Ohio State University is going to win this game pretty convincingly, but there's always hope for a better outcome... ;)
Just in case @ELA (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=55) is right, I've drafted this for my post-game FB post. Please review and see if I missed any opportunity to be snarky, I wouldn't want to let one get past me:
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0, 12-0) at #13 Michigan Wolverines (6-2, 9-2) MICHIGAN 28, OHIO STATE 27
Mgoblog site has crashed. Harbaugh is officially on the hot seat imo.If your coach goes on the hot seat for losing to the #1 team in the nation you are probably never going to have a coach not on the hot seat.
If your coach goes on the hot seat for losing to the #1 team in the nation you are probably never going to have a coach not on the hot seat.He didn’t lose. He got obliterated and outclassed. AGAIN.
Mgoblog site has crashed. Harbaugh is officially on the hot seat imo.
I'll say this with 12:30 left in the 4th down by 15.Jim had no reason to go for it on UM's 35 or whatever.Everyone at our table said WTFThis is a very good take. It’s not just the loss, it’s the reason for the losses. That was an amateur move. Watching Harbaugh and Freddie Kitchens has been very similar this year. Some moments seem too big for certain coaches and Harbaugh is a good coach, just not a great coach and it’s most evident in big moments.
The OSU scored 6 shortly after.That in our opinion was the deal breaker.No reason to push the panic button there
This is a very good take. It’s not just the loss, it’s the reason for the losses. That was an amateur move. Watching Harbaugh and Freddie Kitchens has been very similar this year. Some moments seem too big for certain coaches and Harbaugh is a good coach, just not a great coach and it’s most evident in big moments.The difference is Freddie is a first year head coach while Harbaugh has been around for quite awhile
i think Jim is probably a pretty solid human. He’s probably a better thinker than motivator. He cares about his kids both during the season and what happens to them after their life as a football player at Michigan. There’s a lot of positive about him. The negative is that he’s not the take no prisoners coach.
I'll say this with 12:30 left in the 4th down by 15.Jim had no reason to go for it on UM's 35 or whatever.Everyone at our table said WTF
The OSU scored 6 shortly after.That in our opinion was the deal breaker.No reason to push the panic button there.
The difference is Freddie is a first year head coach while Harbaugh has been around for quite awhileLol. That’s certainly true. I wasn’t so much comparing them as coaches as saying the experience watching their teams is similar. Meaning, just shake your head moments where as a fan you ask “what the hell are they thinking.” To your point, Harbaugh should be well beyond moments like that.
Hairball was not happy in the post game presser.He should be mad at himself. He’s now 0-5 vs Ohio State with the last two losses being embarrassing blowouts where his teams got ran off the field.
I thought going for it was a no brainer. And they had a great play. But the running back messed up.I agree. They had to go for it.
With the win OSU surpassed Michigan for the all time win percentage.I honestly can’t believe that’s not getting more run in the media. That’s a bigger deal than when Michigan held it because more of the ins are modern era wins.
The result is not a surprise. Ohio State has more depth and talent. That’s because they have out recruited Michigan for a long long time.Are there demographic trends handicapping Michigan?
Is Fields the Buckeyes' secret sauce?it certainly helped to have a young kid come in late and play that well
Michigan's O-Line did a good job of neutralizing Chase Young,did not hear his name called.Warinner deserves a lot of credit saw that some times he'd put a TE behind the tackle to pick up young.Who was that tackle? - Runyon maybe anyway nice job.Larry Johnson gotta work with Chase and tell him to stop reading his press clippingsChase has nothing to apologize for- he played extremely well. He impacted UMs whole playbook. Michigan had a nice plan for Chase. He was double teamed, even triple teamed several times, or chipped by a back or tight end. Or- the entire line slid his direction. In effect- they took way his inside moves and outside moves by forcing him into a blocker.
Are there demographic trends handicapping Michigan?Ohio has always been a more fertile recruiting area than Michigan. For one thing Ohio's population is larger. Additionally, a portion of Michigan's population lives in an area where hockey is the #1 sport.
Cruising through some population-change maps, Michigan and Ohio seem to have about the same rate of population growth.
Is it just that Ohio State hires HFCs who are better recruiters?
I've said before that I think that the nationalization of TV games has been terrible for the schools that were dependent on non-local talent (notably UNL, TN, and M). None of those three can compete nationally with local talent so they *HAVE* to recruit nationally.Good Points,but if UM/UNL/UT were hot now instead of the late '90s,recruiting prolly wouldn't be a problem.Alabama for instance has a population of under 5 million.But recruit nationally and have FLA/GA next door
don't forget transfer QBsYou are correct. Let's see.
Good Points,but if UM/UNL/UT were hot now instead of the late '90s,recruiting prolly wouldn't be a problem.Alabama for instance has a population of under 5 million.But recruit nationally and have FLA/GA next doorI specifically used the term "locally" rather than "in state" for a reason. Oklahoma is an even better example than Alabama. They are a tiny population state with very few high-end football recruits. However, Dallas, Texas is roughly half-way between Norman, Oklahoma and Austin, Texas which means that Oklahoma is at least relatively local to a HUGE pool of talent in the Dallas metro area.
There are plenty of high-end football recruits "local" to Tuscaloosa. There aren't local to Ann Arbor, Lincoln, and Knoxville.Good post except for ^^^^^^.Metro Detroit still has talent,getting it coached up and out of trouble is another thing
I specifically used the term "locally" rather than "in state" for a reason. Oklahoma is an even better example than Alabama. They are a tiny population state with very few high-end football recruits. However, Dallas, Texas is roughly half-way between Norman, Oklahoma and Austin, Texas which means that Oklahoma is at least relatively local to a HUGE pool of talent in the Dallas metro area.I'm not disagreeing, Medina, but it's interesting that under Bob Stoops and now Lincoln Riley Oklahoma has recruited more nationally and less in Texas than was previously the case. Of course, "less" is relative. There are still (by my count) 47 Texans listed on the 115-man roster at SoonerStats.com (http://SoonerStats.com).
Similarly, Alabama not only has a significant number of high-end recruits in-state but they are also adjacent to MS, GA, and FL each of which are pretty fertile recruiting territory. There are plenty of high-end football recruits "local" to Tuscaloosa. There aren't local to Ann Arbor, Lincoln, and Knoxville.