It really sucks that Michigan lost to Iowa last night and if the Wolverines played Iowa 10 times then they would probably beat them 9 out of 10 times. However, Iowa played the game of their season and beat a 9-0 team. Yes, the Iowa running back rushed for 167 yards, but, the Hawkeyes ONLY scored 13 points. The defense did their job last night. If a team is held to 13 points then you should be able to win the game. The Michigan offense is 100% responsible for this loss. First, the play calling was atrocious the entire game and that is on the coaches. Yes, Wilton Speight played horribly BUT his receivers also dropped the ball when they had a chance to catch it. Jehu Chesson dropped several passes as did Darboh when we needed it most. The true test will be how Harbaugh controls the bounce back from this loss. In comparison with Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes have made a resounding bounce back since their loss to Penn State and they are playing better than they have all year. That can be contributed to excellent leadership in Meyer. On the other hand, maybe our head coach (who I love and think the world of) will be focused upon Michigan's rebound this week instead of flying to baseball games and political rallies during the practice week. I'm sure this loss will be the humbling wake up call for all heading into Columbus in two weeks. Michigan can still have a great season and can win the national championship and it all hinges upon what happens with the team beginning today through next Saturday. I'm 100% positive that Harbaugh re focuses himself, his staff and the team to make their final run. Go Wolverines.
The Skinny: Onward To Indiana and Ohio State
- Thread starter scfanblue
- Start date
Overall not a bad loss. Going undefeated towards the end of the season is like having a no hitter going into the 7th or 8th inning. It's possible but the stress becomes greater. Michigan still controls it's own destiny but is eased of the pressure of an undefeated season and the loss can allow the coaches to reign in anyone who started feeling over confident.
As a Buckeye fan it would have been much better to lose to Nebraska, Wisconsin, or even Rutgers than to lose to PSU this season.
As a Buckeye fan it would have been much better to lose to Nebraska, Wisconsin, or even Rutgers than to lose to PSU this season.
It sounds funny to say it but IU's D is tough. After a very physical game with Iowa it won't be a cakewalk this year against the front 7. Their LB, Scales, is one of the best in the conference and the interior DL will all get a crack at playing on Sunday.
IU is talented enough to hang around for 3+ quarters and they'll hit your QB and contain your run game until they wear down. If they were a little deeper they'd be dangerous.
Streaky offense, not as good as the past few years but if they get the tempo working it will put some miles on a defense.
If Mich goes in with a hangover it could be a long day. Should be a 2-3 score win but it may take 4 quarters to get there.
IU is talented enough to hang around for 3+ quarters and they'll hit your QB and contain your run game until they wear down. If they were a little deeper they'd be dangerous.
Streaky offense, not as good as the past few years but if they get the tempo working it will put some miles on a defense.
If Mich goes in with a hangover it could be a long day. Should be a 2-3 score win but it may take 4 quarters to get there.
It all depends upon what happens to the team this week in terms of leadership. Do you play on because you control your own destiny or do you continue to play like you did at Iowa? This is what defines a good football team and their coaching staff. Like I stated earlier. Urban Meyer is a great coach because his teams REBOUND and RE FOCUS their goals after a loss. The Bucks are rolling right now and better than they have been this year and they have done it in the past when suffering a loss. The same can be said with Saban and Alabama. Look at how Alabama rebounded from their lone loss last year. That is 100% evidence of how great Meyer and Saban truly are in college football. Can IU beat Michigan on Saturday. You betcha they can! Can Michigan rebound and re focus and crush the Hoosiers while gearing up for the season defining game in Columbus. You betcha they can and it all depends upon Harbaugh. I think they will because he is also a great coach. Its very difficult to go undefeated in any sport and especially football. Everything has to be aligned perfectly. Sometimes losing can be beneficial if it is channeled to correct way.
Speight absolutely imploded and now he's hurt. I don't have much faith that he's going to win in Columbus. I hope Michigan can win ugly somehow.
Michigan can win in Columbus BUT it will take a Herculean effort and some breaks. Meyer has led teams on this type of stage many many times and has an almost perfect record when doing it. They will be ready like they were last year when they out coached and out played Michigan so bad in Ann Arbor. Speight is a first year starter so I wasn't surprised to see him "implode" in a high octane environment which included a national night game. He was not the only failure. The play calling added a great deal to his implosion by placing too much on his shoulders. Also, his receivers dropped some footballs as well even though they were not perfectly thrown they could easily have been caught.The positive is that this didn't happen in Columbus when Michigan was 11-0. Instead, they have a chance to regroup in a humble manner and re focus. Do they want to make a title run? Like I said earlier, it all depends upon the coaching approach and team response this week. Michigan has got to beat Indiana first and they can do so. Michigan also has more experienced talent than Ohio State this year BUT that does not matter in this game. The defense is going to make plays enough to win. The offense on the other hand, has got to add to their existing play book. Everyone knows that Peppers is running the zone read or a jet sweep. Everyone knows that McDoom is running a jet sweep. Everyone knows that when Asiasi is in then it is a counter weak play. Everyone knows when Hill is in it is a short yardage play. If I (a high school coach) can see that pattern then imagine what Schiano can see? In the end, I see Michigan making a nice rebound this week because Harbaugh is to good a coach to let it slip right now. They can still win it and yes Alabama can be beat as well. It's college football. Anything can happen.
It would take a very uninspired performance to lose to IU. End of the day, even if Mich plays solid football IU is still good enough to hang around for 3-3.5 quarters but they just don't have the numbers to outlast a top 10 team. Harbaugh is a great coach and the motivation to rebound will certainly be easy to come by this week in practice. The downside is, IU will frustrate a good team on a good day so it will be critical for Michigan to come in motivated and handle the possibility that they aren't going to steamroll IU even if they have a brilliant week of practice.
OSU didn't play particularly well against Northwestern after their loss to PSU this year so as much as Urban is a miracle worker after a loss, that NW game was painful to watch. Last year was as different scenario. Coaching cost us against MSU, Zeke was in the hospital for 2 days leading up to the game and was far from 100% and it was a miserable, rainy night where neither team could really stretch the field. It is also beyond simple to motivate a squad for a huge rivalry game. Meyer gets more credit than he deserves for that response.
In late November some of the problems a team faces are unfixable. If Michigan has a dinged QB or has to start a different QB that compounds some of the problems the offense has had going up against good defenses. IU will pressure the QB and slow down the run game.
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
Video Good Afternoon, Michigan Football; How far can UM basketball go?- Latest: dennisfithian_
-
-
